Shipmates
Despite his reputation as an antisocial fellow, Spock gets along well with the bridge crew, sometimes more so than he does with Kirk! (He doesn't share the captain's mood swings.) Here we examine his relationship with and the "big four" on the bridge plus his two Vulcan protégés.
Montgomary Scott. (James Doohan) Affectionately known as "Scotty", he has also earned the title of "the miracle worker" thanks to his engineering brilliance. He's a Scot in every sense, bursting with pride for his ship. Like Spock's, his quarters are decorated to honor his people's martial past. But where the Vulcans embraced peace, Scotty fights for what he believes (with his fists!), and his impulsiveness gets him in trouble. He's also known to fall hard for women, and love will drive a man to rash actions. Yet Spock doesn't chide Scott for his emotional outbursts as often as he does McCoy, probably because Scott's greatest love is still his engines. He'll go to any length to keep the ship running efficiently, and meet Kirk's demands. Spock and Scott work well together, glad to have another officer who speaks technical language naturally. There is friction only in That Which Survives (not a well-written episode) and Day of the Dove, in which they are driven to race hatred by an alien entity. Normally, Scott and Spock accept the other's disposition and aid Kirk as best they can.
Hikaru Sulu. (George Takai) As a young lieutenant, Sulu is a little too enthusiastic for Spock's liking. Given a chance to act out his fantasies in The Naked Time and Shore Leave, he becomes a veritable swashbuckler and deserved nerve pinch victim. But through the second and third season, he calms down, but the helmsman remains a cheerful presence on the bridge. He and Spock don't interact greatly, but there is no tension. Sulu clearly cares enough for the Vulcan to join Kirk's mission in The Search for Spock. By The Undiscovered Country, he has command of his own ship, the Excelsior, and help Kirk and Spock protect the Federation-Klingon peace conference from attack. Though not a fan of Sulu's early antics, Spock finds him an outstanding officer to work with once he gains some self-discipline.
Pavel Chekov. (Walter Koenig) Chekov possesses some of the best qualities of both Spock and McCoy, each of whom believe the other is contaminating the impressionable ensign. Although positioned as navigator, Chekov also performs scientific duties, and must cooperate with the science officer: Spock. The Vulcan gives him more respect than Kirk, never resenting his inexperience but simply appreciating the help. (By Spock's thinking, any officer, no matter how young, should be prepared to perform his duty.) What Spock doesn't appreciate is the Russian's sense of humour, calling one joke "very little," nor does he approve of the kid's impulse to fight. Perhaps this impulse leads him to the security field in the films, in which he too helps revive Spock. He clearly sees the Vulcan as a mentor, imparting stoicism and devotion to duty. Bones has every right to fear contamination.
Nyota Uhura. (Nichelle Nichols) She is the only crewmember to regularly "jam" with the Vulcan, she on vocals and he on harp. They can be heard in Charlie X and The Conscience of the King. She's also able to tease him and flirt a bit, as in The Man Trap, without any backlash. Whereas Kirk will cut off Uhura's admittedly repetitive reports, Spock hears them out, and tells her he can "think of no one better suited" to a difficult repair job: a sincere compliment. Spock probably appreciates her bravery and resourcefulness in comparison to say, Nurse Chapel, who is too hung up on emotions. Uhura also tries to allow Spock to see the value in emotion, but not for her own gain. In The Motion Picture, she explains to a baffled Spock that the bridge crew's reaction is "how we all feel." She's among the first to physically embrace the revived Vulcan in The Search for Spock. Her personal-development efforts are not always understood by Spock, but never go unappreciated.
Saavik. (Kirstie Alley, Robin Curtis) This Vulcan is both a student of Spock's and of human nature. A cadet enrolled in Starfleet Academy, she trains aboard the Enterprise and becomes a "teacher's pet" to Captain Spock. She's surprised that the Vulcan master's best friend is "so human," and must have been especially taken with Kirk's eulogy. Many suspect a romantic connection, but their relationship has more of a family character. Spock's asking Saavik to take the Enterprise out of spacedock has all the tension of a daughter's first drive in her parent's car. (With Kirk fretting, no less.) But the family roles are reversed in The Search for Spock, as Saavik must care for the young but rapidly aging Vulcan man. She even helps him through adolesence, stroking his fingers as he enters pon farr. She bids a warm farewell in The Voyage Home, knowing his place is with Kirk and his friends.
Valeris. (Kim Cattrall) She occupies a role similar to that of Saavik's, accepting Spock's mentorship through her Academy days. She now serves on the Enterprise, curious about Spock's ability to bend the truth to his advantage, since supposedly Vulcans cannot lie. The irony is that she's a traitor plotting to undermine Federation-Klingon peace negotiations. Spock understandably feels betrayed and justified to forcably mind meld with her, extracting vital information. She proves that even an old, wise Vulcan like Spock is not without vulnerablity, and brings out many intense feelings in him.