10 MORE Character Reveals That Didn’t Have To Go THAT Hard

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' third season episode What Is Starfleet? introduced a dark chapter of Spock's backstory, one built on the abuse and rejection he had faced as a child. The audience had seen versions of Spock facing strife in his past. Star Trek included a scene where a young Spock was habitually bullied by his Vulcan classmates, with that abuse focused on his human mother.

Yesteryear also depicted the struggles that young Spock faced from his fellow Vulcans, which, when combined with Sarek's apparent disappointment in him, clearly left a lasting impact on the young man. 

While Star Trek: Discovery depicted a young Spock jealous of the attention his adopted sister Michael received, it stopped short of truly exploring the pain he felt. Vulcans feel pain more powerfully than humans, as we are frequently reminded, so what does one do with that pain?

Spock began to self-harm. 

In an interview segment with Beto Ortegas, Spock reveals that he was once found by his father, carving into his flesh with a knife. This, according to Spock, was an attempt to cut the human half of himself out. 

This devastating reveal highlights the pain that he felt, as well as the loneliness he must have experienced. It was also an enormous character moment to drop into a short scene like that, certainly evoking more sympathy for Spock, but shocking audiences at the same time.