Unveiling the Astonishing Age Gap between New Vulcan and Trekkie Favorites Spock & T’Pol

Summary

Lieutenant T'Lyn from Star Trek: Lower Decks is older than Lieutenant Spock but younger than Subcommander T'Pol from previous Star Trek series.

Vulcans outlive humans, but they are susceptible to a neurological disorder known as Bendii Syndrome. T'Lyn's age in Star Trek: Lower Decks corresponds with T'Pol's age in Star Trek: Enterprise, making them comparable in age to Spock.

Star Trek: Lower Decks' introduces Lieutenant T'Lyn, a new Vulcan character who is of similar age to Subcommander T'Pol from Star Trek: Enterprise and older than Lieutenant Spock from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. T'Lyn first appears in season 2 of Lower Decks as a Lower Decker serving on the Vulcan ship Sh'vhal. After displaying heroism during a conflict involving Klingons, Pakleds, and the USS Cerritos, she is transferred to Starfleet and assigned to the Cerritos as a provisional Ensign. However, T'Lyn quickly earns a promotion to Lieutenant, junior grade.

Vulcans have a longer lifespan than humans, roughly double, although some elderly Vulcans may develop Bendii Syndrome, a neurological disease affecting their telepathic abilities. In the late 24th century era of Star Trek: Lower Decks, there are numerous Vulcans serving in Starfleet. However, in previous generations of Star Trek, it was less common to see Vulcans in Starfleet. T'Pol was the first Vulcan to join Starfleet in season 3 of Star Trek: Enterprise, and even a century later when Spock became a Starfleet Officer, Vulcans in Starfleet remained relatively uncommon compared to the 24th century. Notably, Spock attended Starfleet Academy, a distinction that neither T'Pol nor T'Lyn share, explaining why the two female Vulcans are portrayed as being older than the iconic Mr. Spock.

How Old Star Trek: Lower Decks’ T’Lyn Is Compared To Spock & T’Pol

In Star Trek: Lower Decks season 4, episode 5, "Empathological Fallacies," Lt. T'Lyn informed Lt. Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) about her age, revealing that she is 62 years old. Mariner complimented her appearance, saying she looked great. T'Lyn's age aligns with T'Pol's, who was 63 years old at the start of Star Trek: Enterprise in 2251. In comparison, Lt. Spock was only 29 during the first season of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Spock's birth year was 2230 on Vulcan, and he was approximately 36 years old in Star Trek: The Original Series where he was portrayed by Leonard Nimoy.

Spock made the decision to attend Starfleet Academy instead of the Vulcan Science Academy, which caused a rift between him and his father, Ambassador Sarek (Mark Lenard/James Frain). Both T'Lyn and T'Pol ended up in Starfleet due to various circumstances. T'Pol initially served as a Vulcan observer on the NX-01 Enterprise under Captain Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula), but she chose to remain on the Earth vessel and eventually shifted her loyalty from the Vulcan High Command to Starfleet. T'Lyn, on the other hand, was transferred to Starfleet as a form of punishment for being deemed "too emotional" and "out of control." Initially, she desperately tried to return to the Sh'vhal, but eventually decided to stay aboard the Cerritos.

T’Lyn Has Similarities To T’Pol & Other Star Trek Vulcans

Although T'Lyn is a new Vulcan character in Star Trek who has gained increasing popularity, she was clearly influenced by previous Vulcan characters. As a Vulcan in Starfleet, T'Lyn evokes similarities to Lt. Saavik from the Star Trek movies, portrayed by Kirstie Alley and Robin Curtis, and her headband and hairstyle remind us of Lt. Valeris from Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, played by Kim Cattrall. Like T'Pol, T'Lyn reluctantly finds herself serving on a Starfleet ship and becomes dissatisfied with her Vulcan superiors, causing her to question her own Vulcan identity. Like T'Pol, T'Lyn also struggles with the offensive smells emitted by humans, as Vulcan females possess superior olfactory senses.

T'Lyn and T'Pol are roughly the same age when they join their respective Starfleet ships, just as Spock and Tuvok are similar in age during their early Starfleet careers. Tuvok joins the USS Excelsior under the command of Captain Hikaru Sulu, portrayed by George Takei, at the age of 29 in 2293. By the beginning of Star Trek: Voyager, Tuvok is 93 years old as he joins the USS Voyager under the leadership of Captain Kathryn Janeway, portrayed by Kate Mulgrew. In Star Trek: Picard season 3, Tuvok reappears as Captain Tuvok at the age of 137 in the year 2401. It is hoped that Lt. T'Lyn from Star Trek: Lower Decks will still be alive during Star Trek: Picard season 3, making her approximately 80 years old.