Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) established a rapport with the Klingons in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that set up Captain Spock (Leonard Nimoy) brokering peace between the Klingons and the United Federation of Planets in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. In Star Trek's 23rd-century timeline, Klingons and the Federation were enemies for decades. However, the destruction of the Klingon moon Praxis in 2293 forced the Klingons to sue for peace, with Spock serving as the Federation's Ambassador.
Spock is the son of Sarek (Mark Lenard), the Vulcan Ambassador to the Federation. Perhaps Spock's capacity for compromise and negotiation is inherited from his father, while Spock's empathy comes from his mother, Amanda Grayson's (Jane Wyatt), humanity. However, Ambassador Sarek didn't particularly distinguish himself by negotiating with Klingons. Parlaying with the Federation's greatest 23rd-century enemies seems to be a singular ability Spock, among the cast of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, possesses, and it was set up by Spock's first encounter with the Klingons in Strange New Worlds.
How Strange New Worlds Set Up Spock & Klingons In Star Trek VI
Spock Discovered He Has A Way With Klingons
In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 1, "The Broken Circle," Lieutenant Spock highjacked the USS Enterprise to rescue La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) from Cajitar IV. The Enterprise crew discovered a syndicate of Klingons and Federation officers called the Broken Circle planned to use a false Federation starship to start a second Klingon War. Spock led the Enterprise to stop the Broken Circle, to the surprise of Klingon Captain D'Chok (Andrew Jackson).
Captain D'Chok was also taken aback that the Vulcan in command of the Federation's flagship offered to prove his trustworthiness by drinking blood wine with the Klingons. When D'Chok noted Spock is not a "typical" Vulcan, he agreed, "No, it would seem I am not." Indeed, Spock heartily drank blood wine, earning the Klingons' respect. More importantly, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds established that Spock has a manner that puts Klingons at ease, even though he is a Vulcan and a Starfleet Officer.
Why Klingons Trust Spock In Star Trek
Spock Is "The Vulcan Who Acts Nothing Like A Vulcan"
From Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 to Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, which takes place roughly 33 years later, Spock has shown an uncanny ability to gain the trust and respect of Klingons. Traditionally, Klingons saw Vulcans as the Federation's "lapdogs," and their emotionless logic runs counter to the bloodthirsty honor Klingons take pride in. Yet Spock becomes relatable to Klingons despite his pointed ears and Starfleet uniform. There's something about Spock that Klingons seem to genuinely like and respect.
"The Broken Circle" is the first appearance of Klingons in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , which takes place a few years after the end of the devastating Klingon War seen in Star Trek: Discovery season 1.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2's premiere offers the explanation that Klingons find Spock agreeable because he is a "Vulcan who acts nothing like a Vulcan." But the key is that the Klingons who first took a shine to Spock met him during Strange New Worlds. At this point, the younger Spock wasn't so rigid in his Vulcan logic, and he experimented with his emotions. Spock choosing to drink blood wine with the Klingons, when Vulcans traditionally don't imbibe, surprised the warrior race on Cajitar IV. Spock continued to drink with Klingons, and Star Trek VI was such an occasion,
Spock Made Peace Between The Federation And Klingons Possible
It's Thanks To Spock That Klingons And The Federation Became Allies
When the Klingon moon Praxis exploded at the start of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the Klingon Empire was on the verge of financial collapse, and it could simply not afford to continue hostilities with the Federation. It was Spock who reached across the intergalactic aisle and made the concept of peace with the Federation palatable for the Klingons. Crucially, Spock's previous dealings with the Klingons beginning with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds gave the Vulcan the necessary insight of how to bring Klingons to the negotiating table without losing face.
Spock in Star Trek V also set up his role as Ambassador to the Klingons in Star Trek VI.
An offscreen moment in William Shatner's Star Trek V: The Final Frontier also continued Spock's ability to sway Klingons. On Sha Ka Ree, Spock convinced General Koord (Charles Cooper) to assert his authority over the Klingon Bird-of-Prey commanded by Klaa (Todd Bryant). Spock was able to use the Bird-of-Prey's phasers against the alien posing as God (George Murdock) to save Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Spock in Star Trek V also set up his role as Ambassador to the Klingons in Star Trek VI.
Kirk Could Never Negotiate With Klingons The Way Spock Does
Kirk Has Never Trusted Klingons, And He Never Will
Spock's rapport with Klingons is something his best friend and commanding officer, Captain Kirk, lacks. In Star Trek: The Original Series, Spock was at Kirk's side during the USS Enterprise's encounters with the Klingon Empire. The Captain of the Enterprise always saw the Klingons as the Federation's enemies, and vice versa. Kirk could not show weakness in front of the Klingons. In turn, the Klingons came to regard Kirk as a symbol of what they found abhorrent about the Federation and Starfleet. Spock always deferred to his Captain, but it's now clear he likely could have negotiated with the Klingons.
In Star Trek VI, Kirk declared in his Captain's log, "I've never trusted Klingons, and I never will. I can never forgive them for the death of my boy."
Spock was not at Kirk's side during the atrocity the Klingons inflicted on Kirk in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, when Commander Kruge (Christopher Lloyd) ordered the murder of Kirk's son, David Marcus (Merritt Butrick). After David's death, Kirk could only regard the Klingons as butchers, which made the Enterprise Captain the perfect patsy as the false assassin of Chancellor Gorkon (David Warner) in Star Trek VI. Yet despite being sent to the prison penal world of Rura Penthe, Captain Kirk knew the importance of peace with the Klingons and led the defeat of the conspiracy to prevent the Khitomer Accords from being signed.
It's easy to chart the beginnings of Spock's rapport with the Klingons in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which culminates with the Vulcan helping to usher peace between the Klingon Empire and the Federation. Perhaps Spock drinking blood wine on Cajitar IV became something of a Klingon legend, and "the Vulcan who acts nothing like a Vulcan" gained a reputation among the inhabitants of Qo'noS. Spock began his destiny to change the course of the Alpha Quadrant for the better by imbibing blood wine with the Klingons on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
