Like millions of science fiction fans around the world, I was saddened upon hearing the news that actor Leonard Nimoy — who portrayed the iconic TV character Spock on “Star Trek” — passed away on Feb. 27 at age 83.
But “Trekkies” should take heart. As his famous alter-ego Mr. Spock was so fond of saying, Nimoy “lived long and prospered” and certainly enjoyed a full and remarkable life. And “Star Trek” is something that will last forever as proven by its countless incarnations on television and movies and beyond.
Trek is a part of popular culture now, and Nimoy’s Spock is a large reason why.
Spock was so popular back in the 1960s that reportedly Nimoy often received more fan mail than Captain Kirk himself, William Shatner. Apparently this didn’t make Shatner too happy, but fans loved the show and the chemistry between the main characters of Kirk, Spock, and Dr. McCoy (DeForest Kelley).
Many times, Spock’s coldly logical demeanor clashed with McCoy’s over-emotional responses, and fans couldn’t get enough of it.
The original “Star Trek” was much more than a fun sci-fi adventure. The writers weren’t afraid to tackle important and controversial social issues by using science fiction as a metaphor, much like Rod Serling accomplished with his all-time classic series “The Twilight Zone.”
“Star Trek” was indeed ahead of its time with its emphasis on a diverse crew of the Enterprise working together to accomplish its mission. As Spock — the half-human, half-Vulcan who used logic to guide him— Nimoy created one of the all-time great fictional characters.
Most of the time Spock showed no emotion except for those rare unforgettable episodes like “This Side of Paradise” or “The Naked Time.” Those were some fan favorite moments as we finally got to see a different side of Spock, where human feelings of love, tears and passion finally came through.
While “Star Trek” is perhaps more popular than ever today, amazingly the 1960s series lasted only three seasons. In 1979, the Enterprise made the voyage to the big screen with “Star Trek: The Motion Picture.” But the first film failed to capture the magic of the TV series and fans were left disappointed for the most part.
In 1982, “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan” proved to be a critical as well as commercial success, finally capturing the best elements of the show on the silver screen. It was in that movie where Spock sacrifices his life to save the crew of the Enterprise.
Of course, you can’t keep a cultural icon down for long, and Spock would soon come back to life in the next several “Star Trek” movies. He was last seen in the new rebooted movie series featuring a younger Trek cast.
Although he only had small roles in the last two “Star Trek” films, Nimoy’s presence as Spock still gave fans the chills with strong feelings of emotion and nostalgia.
Spock might find that illogical, but Nimoy was surely proud knowing that so many millions of fans have embraced his fictional alter-ego for so many years.
“Live Long and Prosper.”
