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Spock Puppets Return in Jordan Canning’s Transporter Episode

8/21/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Ethan Peck (Spock) dreams a transporter accident turns the Enterprise crew into puppets.
Director Jordan Canning partnered with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, which hand-crafted exaggerated puppets for the episode.
Ethan Peck was the only main cast member left as a conventional Spock, not a puppet.
The 54-minute episode aired Thursday, August 27, 2026 on Paramount+ as Season 4 Episode 5.

History

Historical Context

In 1982 Jim Henson and Frank Oz released The Dark Crystal, billed as the first major live-action film without human actors and featuring elaborate animatronic puppets operated by up to four performers each. Its groundbreaking techniques revived interest in practical effects, prompting a recent Star Trek episode to draw on the Jim Henson Creature Shop’s puppetry legacy, signaling renewed investment in hybrid visual storytelling.

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Story summary

Ethan Peck (Spock) dreams a transporter accident turns the Enterprise crew into puppets.
Director Jordan Canning partnered with Jim Henson’s Creature Shop, which hand-crafted exaggerated puppets for the episode.
Ethan Peck was the only main cast member left as a conventional Spock, not a puppet.
The 54-minute episode aired Thursday, August 27, 2026 on Paramount+ as Season 4 Episode 5.

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