I was working on another book for review, when one of my writer friends, Liz from The Wandering Quill, shared some news about Leonard Nimoy on our writer's forum yesterday. He is officially retiring, hanging up his Spock ears for a well deserved rest. Read this article for more information.
My family used to watch Star Trek every night. I had no interest in such a strange show, which is odd considering I was already hooked on Star Wars. But for the most part, fantasy and realistic fiction had more appeal. Whenever ST came on, I would go to another room and do something else. I'm not sure anymore why I resisted for so long. It was one of the few things my family did together, younger sibs and all. Maybe it was puberty and my tiny bit of rebellion.
Whatever the reason, the day-long marathon as part of the 25th anniversary special wore down my resistance. My mom insisted on having it on the whole time. There are only so many times you can wander through a room with the tv on before you start watching in spite of yourself. I found myself watching Kirk and Spock with the rest of the crew boldly going to strange new worlds. Despite the cheesy effects and Kirk's melodramatic style, something about the themes being played out drew me against my will. Societal issues, what it means to be a friend, and more inspired me.
Before I knew it, I was discussing episodes and choices made by the characters with my mom during commercials. Most of all, the friendship between two very different people, Spock and Kirk, gave me hope that even a wallflower like myself could find a best friend. Hope that I desperately needed. By the time that "Trouble With Tribbles" aired to wrap up the anniversary marathon, which my mom had let my sister and I stay up to watch long past our bedtime, I was firmly hooked on Star Trek, though still primarily to the original crew. Next Gen took months longer to draw my interest.
I have never been one of those die-hard fans in full regalia, attending one or more conventions a year. But in my own way, I am a loyal fan. My best friends when I was growing up were fictional characters, because they showed me what it meant to be a friend, how to handle unusual situations, and that there was a broader world waiting for me. Spock and Kirk were among those friends.
Now Leonard Nimoy has chosen to retire. I can only wish him the best. It's like saying goodbye to a dear friend, because no one else can ever fill his place. He is the only Spock to me. One's best friend cannot be replaced. Nimoy is also a fascinating person as himself. For more about the man behind the ears, check out my upcoming review of I Am Spock.
Live long and prosper, Leonard Nimoy. I will think of Spock in deep cover still, working to reunify the Romulans and Vulcans. Perhaps he will find a young protege to carry on that most worthy mission.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
7 comments:
I've got a few die hard Star Trek fans and I enjoyed the original series and films too but I was never able to get into the modern series.
Jai
I do like like some of ST:NG and a little of Deep Space Nine and Voyager. I have three favorite DS9 episodes: The Emissary (first one and a double parter), Troubles and Tribblations (perfectly and hilarious melded with the original Troubles With Tribbles episode), and the one with Q. Voyager was much more meh with some decent stuff mixed in. I watched DS9 for longer. Once they got into the Dominion stuff, I lost interest.
For the most part, I'd rather watch Babylon 5 and Firefly. But even though Star Trek isn't my favorite, I've not given up what I learned from it. And there is some incredibly funny and heartfelt stuff in a few of the books. Q-in-law, Q-Squared, Uhura's Song, The Pandora Principle, and Tears of the Singers are some excellent ones. And the audio tape of Spock Vs. Q is a giggle fest, especially when followed up by the sequel. A couple of those books are on my list for future entries.
I've always been a Star Trek fan.
I'm one of the few who will admit to liking all incarnations, though my favorites will always be TNG and DS9.
Even Enterprise had some good stuff on it.
And, yes, I even loved the new movie.
It's sad to know that Spock's ears are gone, but there's always dvd to remind us of why he's so cool.
I thought the recent film was great, they did a good job of revamping it for a younger audience. And the guy who played Spock was hot!
Jai
Even my own sister disagrees with me, but I can't stomach the new movie. The main plot is an alternate timeline from canon. The characters have different attitudes, so they are not the same characters I admire. There was no need to re-do ST history to come up with a good storyline. I would have preferred a movie about Spock's mission for reunification between Romulans and Vulcans, especially for Nimoy's last appearance as Spock. I'm sticking with the original version, thanks.
If they wanted to play with alternate timelines, they'd have been better off figuring out how to make Q-Squared into a movie. That had three timelines braided together. But it was clear from the beginning that was what the author intended. And I love a good Q story.
I don't mean this to be angry at anyone in particular. (Especially not at you, Jai.) I just get tired of hearing the gush over the new movie and me being the only one to dissent. Sigh.
I understand your gripe about the new movie, and it's perfectly legitimate.
I do enjoy it, but that's me.
I'm kinda like that with the Star Wars prequels.
There are lots of people who think that they're better than the originals, but in my mind, they're not really very good movies.
Some of it's generational; they can't hold a candle to my childhood memories of the originals, and some of it's just that like I said:
I just don't think they're very good.
I know it's not quite the same situation with Trek, it's just similar.
And you're right.
Q-Squared would make a GREAT movie.
Leonard Nimoy is retiring? :( I have some very good memories of watching ST with my Poppy. I also spent hours perfecting that little "live long and prosper" hand signal. Now I can do it without even thinking.
Post a Comment