Even in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' prequel era, Lieutenant Spock is a keeper of secrets. Almost no one aboard the Starship Enterprise knows Spock has an older brother, Sybok, who is a prisoner of a Vulcan rehabilitation center overseen by Spock's ex-fiancée, T'Pring (Gia Sandhu). Spock also doesn't speak to his father, Ambassador Sarek (James Frain), after their falling out.
However, the biggest secret Spock carries involves the truth about what happened to his adopted sister, Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, which Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) discovered.
I Forgot La’an Found Out About Spock’s Sister In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
La'an Has Kept Spock's Secret Ever Since
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 4, "Memento Mori," is one of the crucial episodes needed to understand Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh, but it's also when La'an learned Spock has a sister. During a crisis against the Gorn, Spock mind-melded with La'an to comb through her memories of her abduction by the alien reptiles as a child. However, Vulcan mind-melds are a two-way street, and La'an subsequently found out about Spock's secret sister.
How much La'an learned about Michael Burnham, or even anything beyond Spock having a sister he never speaks of, isn't clear. Yet La'an's discovery of Michael Burnham could have provoked the USS Enterprise's Security Chief to investigate Burnham further. La'an would have learned what Starfleet believes: that Michael Burnham and the crew of the USS Discovery died when the starship was destroyed in 2258. The truth, however, was redacted by Spock to protect his sister and the galaxy.
Why Spock Is Keeping Michael Burnham A Secret From Starfleet
Does Michael Burnham's Secret Matter Anymore?
Star Trek: Discovery season 2 ended with Commander Michael Burnham donning the Red Angel time suit and leading the USS Discovery on a one-way trip 930 years into the future. Burnham and Discovery's time jump was necessary to protect the galaxy from Control, Section 31's threat assessment A.I. from becoming sentient and genocidal. The USS Discovery's computer interfaced with the Sphere, which contained 100,000 years of galactic data. Control merging with the Sphere Data would turn it malevolent.
Michael Burnham is believed dead, and the USS Discovery is destroyed.
Of course, the real-world reason for Spock keeping his sister a secret is also to protect Star Trek canon, as Star Trek: Discovery's original 23rd-century setting made its innovations like the USS Discovery's spore displacement hub drive impossible to reconcile with known Star Trek history. In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Michael Burnham is believed dead, and the USS Discovery is destroyed. Only a select few, like Spock's parents, Captain Pike, and now, La'an, know Spock even had a sister.
What La’an Knowing Spock’s Secret Means For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
La'an & Spock Have Kirk In Common
La'an knowing Spock has a sister didn't come up again in the rest of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 or in season 2. La'an, the USS Enterprise's Security Chief, maintained her professional relationship with Spock, the Chief Science Officer, and Spock and La'an did not become close friends. However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 trailers hint that Spock and La'an begin to spend more time together, from teaming up in a holodeck adventure to even becoming dance partners.
If Spock and La'an do become friends in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, they would find they share a few things in common. La'an is romantically interested in Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley), who, in turn, will begin to forge his eternal friendship with Spock. La'an is also smarting from Kirk already being in a relationship, just as Spock must adjust to his former girlfriend, Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), having a new love interest, Dr. Roger Korby (Cillian O'Sullivan).
It's highly unlikely Spock will speak of Michael Burnham in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3. The last time the Vulcan referenced his sister was privately to Captain Pike in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1. Still, perhaps the shared knowledge of Spock's sister could be a spark that helps La'an become actual friends with the Vulcan Science Officer.
