As the Star Trek: Enterprise Vulcan story arc unfolds with "The Forge," "Awakening" and "Kir'Shara," we are reminded once again why we care so much about a race who, on the surface, appears logical and stoic and therefore at odds with our own emotional human nature. The irony is — as more is revealed about the Vulcans — that they are, in fact, a lot like us. When Spock sacrificed his life to save the U.S.S. Enterprise in "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan," Admiral James T. Kirk remarked at his funeral that in all his travels, his half-Vulcan friend's soul was "the most human" of anyone he'd ever encountered. And recently in "The Forge," we learn that Vulcans are actually afraid of humans, because we remind them a little too much of themselves.

Here is a list of some of the key Vulcan episodes (prior to the current arc) that demonstrate our green-blooded brethren's nature and history, as well as some of their more — shall we say — "human" qualities.

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"Amok Time"
When Spock experiences Pon farr, Kirk must take him to Vulcan to mate with his bride, T'Pring. Once there, T'Pring reveals that she would rather marry full-blooded Vulcan Stonn, and chooses Kirk as her champion to fight Spock to the death. This episode revealed many fascinating aspects of the previously little-known Vulcan culture, aspects now ingrained in Trek lore. The hour was also notable for its excellent detailing of the Spock/Kirk friendship, as it showed us just how much Kirk is willing to risk for his Vulcan friend ... and vice versa. The most rewarding, and human, moment has Spock actually cracking a smile and yelling "Jim!" upon learning that Kirk is alive.

"Journey to Babel"
The Enterprise becomes a focal point for political intrigue when it is assigned to transport a group of ambassadors to a crucial diplomatic conference. This episode set up one of Trek's greatest familial conflicts by introducing us to Spock's parents — human mother Amanda and estranged father Sarek (the late great Mark Lenard), a Vulcan ambassador. Turns out Sarek didn't approve of his son's choice of career. (Hmmm, sounds familiar to a lot of us here on Earth!) Meanwhile, the political tension runs thick aboard ship, showing Vulcans are not immune to dramatic conflict. But the heart of the episode is Spock's complex relationship with his father, a point that would be dealt with in future Treks, and the deep sense of (stubborn?) logic ingrained within the Vulcan species. Leonard Nimoy and Lenard played off each other so perfectly that viewers immediately sensed a deep, flawed bond between the characters. A classic episode on many levels.

There are other episodes from the classic series worth mentioning that are not Vulcan-themed per se, but do introduce crucial elements into the Vulcan mythos. "The Savage Curtain" establishes the most important spiritual leader in Vulcan history, Surak, the father of their philosophy of logic. And "Is There in Truth No Beauty" brought us the IDIC — standing for "Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations" — the Vulcans' beautifully simple emblem.

The Movies
The cinematic installments provide us with further insight into Vulcan culture. When Spock is first seen in "Star Trek: The Motion Picture," he is on his home planet trying to attain the Kolinahr, a ritual purging of all remaining emotion. He fails in this attempt as his human side is disturbed by a telepathic sense he gets from the impending V'Ger entity.

A series of events following "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan" reveals even more. After Spock's depositing of his katra, or living soul, within the mind of Dr. McCoy at the end of "Khan," we see the rare restoration of that soul through the fal-tor-pan ritual. The resiliancy of Vulcans is on display here as Spock is essentially resurrected from a painful death, thanks to the rejuvenating powers of the Genesis Device and an ancient telepathic practice. Sometimes, it isn't a good day to die! These events gave us an opportunity to glimpse planet Vulcan for the first time since "Amok Time," at the end of "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock" and beginning of "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."

The movies act as a nice bridge between the Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation and subsequent incarnations. Even today our concept of who the Vulcans are and what they believe grows. We see their great physical strength, high intelligence levels and a mildly telepathic capacity that allows them to meld with other minds. These elements were introduced originally just as some nifty sci-fi tricks, but more and more they are being integrated into a rich and realistically complex heritage. In the prequel Star Trek: Enterprise we see that Vulcan history is not static; they have their ups and downs, like we do, but there are consistencies. Concepts like the katra and Surak's Time of Awakening are expanded upon nicely in recent segments as Captain Archer is left with the essence of the great philosopher planted in his mind, and visions of Surak reveal his people's perennial struggles.

"Sarek"
One of TNG's most poignant episodes pays tribute to a legendary character from Trek's past — Sarek, father of Spock. In this hour, we get an intimate look at the elderly Vulcan's later years, as he suffers from degenerative Bendii Syndrome. Sarek's fight to fulfill his diplomatic obligations while battling his illness is truly heartbreaking, and provides for the iconic moment in which Picard participates in a mind-meld with the aging Ambassador. A perfect blending of the Vulcan and the human and what it means to be both.

"Unification, Part I" and "Unification, Part II"
Sure, there were ties to the Original Series and TNG before this wonderfully-imagined two-parter. But this was perhaps the most definitive — and ultimately, the most resonant — bridge between the two series. Leonard Nimoy graced the show as the legendary Spock, who appears to have defected to the Romulan Empire. Naturally, Spock is actually working towards peace, on an unauthorized mission to reunite the Vulcans and Romulans. This stellar pair of episodes is historic for many reasons: it's the last time we see Sela; it features the death of Spock's father Sarek; and it brings to a close the storyline that first began in Star Trek. Spock finally has a reconciliation (of sorts) with his father via a mind-meld with Picard, who previously had the privilege of melding with Sarek. Through this, Spock finally learns just how much his father cared for him. This ranks, without doubt, as one of the most moving moments in all of Trek.

"Meld"
When Tuvok mind-melds with a deranged crewman accused of murder aboard Voyager, it sets off a range of emotions in the normally stoic Vulcan. What is fascinating about this episode is that we see Tuvok going to a bad place ... as we humans might say. His meld with Lon Suder releases something that even he cannot fathom: irrational behavior that leads to illogical actions. In other words, Tuvok comes into direct contact with something his Vulcan mind simply cannot comprehend, the fact that Suder acted without any visible means of motivation to carry out a senseless act of violence. But don't fret too much, Tuvok, we humans have a hard time with that too.

"Flashback"
An enjoyable episode from the Voyager stable, this story skillfully found an excuse to probe deep into Tuvok's memory to his days aboard the Excelsior under the command of Captain Sulu. Thus we were able to see George Takei again in a role he relishes (that of the captain's position he lobbied strongly for), and re-experience the events of "Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" from Sulu's point of view. Tuvok's relationship with Sulu strongly echoed that between Spock and Kirk, a fact not lost on the intrepid captain.

"Blood Fever"
Except briefly in "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," the subject of Pon Farr had never been dealt with beyond the classic episode "Amok Time." Not only was the mating ritual itself explored here, but Vulcan mores and attitudes were put under the microscope. The Doctor expressed his bafflement at the Vulcans' "Victorian" attitude toward sex, and questioned their logic on the matter. Tuvok's response was a pained one, born of his people's collective experience. And the interaction between the two Vulcans on Voyager, Tuvok and Vorik, was — in a word — fascinating, as they refused to even look each other in the eye when talking about the subject.

"Shadows of P`Jem"
One of the most prominent threads throughout the Enterprise NX-01's first year in space involved a race humans have been in contact with since the mid-21st Century: the Vulcans. With Vulcan Science Officer T'Pol onboard, Archer and his mostly human crew had to get over their distrust of the species, and T'Pol was forced to make some difficult choices herself in taking the position. For example, when the crew discovered hidden surveillance equipment underneath the sacred Vulcan monastery of P'Jem, T'Pol stood by Archer as he handed the information over to the Vulcans' enemies, the hostile Andorians. She was later nearly recalled from Enterprise for her actions, but her loyalty ultimately earned her Archer's trust and respect. What this episode established was that Vulcans could in fact lie, convincingly so.

"Carbon Creek"
This entertaining outing offers a new take on first contact between humans and Vulcans, but manages to do it in such a way that it works easily enough with established continuity. Jolene Blalock gets a turn in the spotlight, playing both T'Pol and T'Pol's ancestor T'Mir, who crash lands on Earth in 1957. The small-town storyline is a winning one and guest superstar J. Paul Boehmer stands out as Mestral, a gentle Vulcan who finds reasons to stay on Earth in his appreciation of baseball and I Love Lucy. The twist at the end — is T'Pol spinning a yarn or telling the truth? — enhances the episode's charm.

"Stigma"
This hour is a fine example of following in the footsteps of classic Star Trek, metaphorically taking on an important social issue with grace and thought-provoking urgency. Here, we learn that T'Pol has been infected by a deadly Vulcan disease. If she doesn't get more comprehensive medical help, she will die. The disease, however, carries a brutal social stigma on Vulcan, which T'Pol is forced to deal with when some Vulcan doctors learn of her condition. In taking on this moral conundrum, Enterprise shines and T'Pol and Phlox get some nice moments.