Spock, as all good Trekkies know, is half human and half Vulcan. Long ago, he elected to live life according to the tenets of Vulcan logic and has struggled his whole life to rid his mind of emotions. “Strange New Worlds” is a lighter, more comedic show than the Treks that came before, so Spock’s struggles have manifested in comedic or romantic ways. There is, for instance, a lot of sexual tension between Spock and Nurse Chapel (Jess Bush) who has openly declared her attraction to him. When they’re assigned on a shuttlecraft mission together, Spock summarily ignores his co-worker; he is, after all, engaged to T’Pring.
But, wouldn’t you know it, there’s a shuttle accident and Spock is injured. As it so happens, though, there is a species of ineffable noncorporeal aliens at the site of the accident. The aliens scan for injuries and find that one human and one half-human are on board. The mix of species confuses them and, like the telepods in “The Fly,” they use their medical magic to rid Spock’s body of Vulcan DNA. He beams back to the Enterprise fully human. This happens about a week before a visit from T’Pring’s parents, a visit that Spock was already stressed out about; he has to impress them or they won’t give the marriage their blessing.
The bulk of the episode is devoted to Spock learning how to be Vulcan again while his new human impulses drive him to increasingly comedic mishaps. He laughs at jokes, enjoys eating bacon (Vulcans are vegetarians), gets annoyed with sloppy eaters, and admits that he’s sexually attracted to every person in his vicinity. Given how attractive the “Strange New Worlds” cast is, one can hardly blame him. Being human is like being a teenager.