Star Trek: SNW S2E1 Perpetuates The Myth That Vulcans Can't Lie
The truth and nothing but the truth. That seems to be the way of the Vulcans, but this "fact," mentioned in "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 2, may be a lie based on past moments in the "Star Trek" universe.
During Season 2, Episode 1, "The Broken Circle," chief fleet inspector Commander Pelia (Carol Kane) catches Spock (Ethan Peck) stealing the U.S.S. Enterprise in response to a distress signal believed to be from Lieutenant La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong). She confronts him, and he is left speechless, leading Pelia to remark, "You can always count on a Vulcan's inability to lie." Later, Spock interacts with a Klingon captain and states that he can only tell the truth. However, the Klingon captain is skeptical. And a skeptical response may be correct when observing "Star Trek: The Original Series."
In Season 1, Episode 11, "The Menagerie: Part I," Spock (Leonard Nimoy) tells Captain Kirk (William Shatner) that they've received a message from Captain Christopher Pike (Sean Kenney) to head to Starbase 11, but it's revealed that Spock lied in order to retrieve an injured Captain Pike. Meanwhile, Season 2, Episode 10, "Journey to Babel," finds Spock's father, Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard), trying to cover up a medical condition while being questioned about a murder, and Season 3, Episode 2, "The Enterprise Incident," has Spock lying again after he pretends to kill Captain Kirk. In fact, Vulcans lie quite often.
Fans believe that Vulcans tell lies for the greater good
Fans in the subreddit r/DaystromInstitute have pointed out that Vulcans use logic in order to justify lying, with one Redditor writing, "They can lie if there is a compelling reason (ordered to in some dire situation). But they prefer not to. No different from any other generally honest person." Additionally, Redditor u/mermanmurdoch noted, "It's up to their own interpretation as to what actually constitutes a lie." For instance, Sarek says he was meditating instead of revealing his medical condition in order to avoid causing worry, and Spock covers up rebellious plans when he feels that it is the only way to help his friends.
While Vulcans are known for character traits that are in stark contrast to those of humans, Ethan Peck told E! News that he enjoys playing Spock because of his humanity and how he works to help others. It's a big theme in Season 2, which explores Spock's struggles in his romantic life while also figuring out what needs to be done in order to keep the U.S.S. Enterprise safe. "He's so noble, and he's such a humanist. And those are things that I really love about him and have done my best to internalize, myself, or to seek those qualities out in myself," he said.