The World of Star Trek
Star TrekStar Trek was on and off the air before I was born, but I watched it in syndication from the time I was very young. I had the biggest crush on Spock. He was just so smart, and he always had the answers. I remember watching old re-runs and wishing the I could go into space. My family has a military background, and I always had fantasies about that being the military of my generation. I didn't really grasp the "humanistic" qualities of the show, because I was so young. I was more impressed by the special effects and the fact that they were in space. I never really appriciated Star Trek until I was much older. It was only after I had seen all of the movies that I really understood what it was all about. |
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The Star Trek movies (the first 6) are some of the best works of science fiction ever made. I'm not too crazy about The Motion Picture, but it does contain some great special effects. The Wrath of Khan is a fantastic movie! I love the part where Kirk takes the Enterprise into the nebula to lose Khan and then sneaks up behind him. Even though I know what's going to happen, I still get chills when Khan speaks his last words: "To the last". When Spock saves the ship, I still cry when he dies. The third movie The Search for Spock, is probably my favorite, if I had to pick. :-) I love the scean where they're "stealing" the Enterprise. I especially like Sulu's famous line, "Don't call me tiny." That movie set up the story line for the next couple of movies. When the Enterprise crashed, Kirk and company were forced to take over a Klingon Bird-of-Prey. Knowing that they must get Spock back to Vulcan, they speed off in their newly-acquired ship. The movie ends with them still on Vulcan, including a beautiful shot of them cruising around the mountain range. In The Voyage Home, the crew realize that going home will mean a court-martial, and possible decommisioning. They bravely stand together, and leave in the Klingon ship (now named the H.M.S Bounty). However when they get home, they find out that the Earth is in danger and being attacked by an alien probe. This movie is probably the most famous, since any one, not just Trekkers, could enjoy it. I loved Spocks learning of "more colorful metaphores". |
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Star Trek: The Next GenerationI had just seen Wil Wheaton in Stand By Me when TNG came out. I thought he was great. Of course, I was only about 12. I watched TNG because of him, but I soon grew to hate him. :-) Always whining, and such a goody-goody. But, I fell in LOVE with the show! I was addicted. I was so jealous of Troi because she got to be all kissy-face with Riker, and at first, I was just hooked on the romantic shows. As I got older, some of the universal truths came into play, and I was just then old enough to understand. I liked the idea of Q, and thought his character was just great. I liked the episode Where No One Has Gone Before. I could relate to Wesley, because I was about his aged. I knew what it was like to be ignored even when you are right. |
| When season three started, that's when I finally began to understand what the whole thing was about. One episode in particular hit me hard: The Offspring. I felt so sorry for Data, I cried and cried the first time I saw it. Actually, I still do. When Sarek premiered, I liked the show, but since I hadn't seen much of the first Star Trek, it didn't have much impact on me. Now, though, it's one of my favorites. But three weeks after that, the Star Trek world got rocked when The Best of Both Worlds debuted. That whole summer, I couldn't wait to see what was going to happen to Picard! |  |
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Season four was great! I loved the episode Q-pid, and Worf's terrific line "I am NOT a merry man!". I watched intensly every year after that, every Thursday night at 10. I watched every week, even when it was a re-run. I was absolutly hooked! My heart was broken when I found out that TNG was going to be cancelled. I felt as though it were the end of a love affair. Deep Space 9 had just came out, and honestly, I didn't like it at first. As I watched All Good Things..., my heart sank, and big tears came to my eyes. I was still in disbelief that it was gone. I knew they were making a movie, but it just isn't the same, you know? |
| It took me a while to warm up to Deep Space 9, but now I haven't missed an episode since the second season. When Generations first started to take shape, I warmed up to the idea of the TNG crew just making movies. I started checking the message boards and reading the spoilers. I was really excited! I saw it opening night, and I loved it! I know I'll get a lot of grief about saying that, as it is not a secret that many Trekkers hate it, but I don't care. I thought it was great, and I even bought it on tape. I mean, who could you not find Data's inner conflicts compelling, and the special effects breath-taking? What I most liked about it, though, was that it some-what tied up some of the lose ends between The Undiscovered Country and the first season of TNG. |  |
Star Trek: Deep Space 9Deep Space 9 is especially compelling to me now that they have their own enemies, and they finally made Sisko a captain. The deep religious beliefs of the Bajorans closes the gap between non-Trek fans and Trekkers. At least it did in my family. Deep Space 9 is the only show we can agree on. I find Dax an interesting character, and one of the most origional. It must be hard on her to have memories of people and places that she can never see again. The fact that she is so strong, and so courageous despite those things is tremendous. I very much enjoyed the episode Trials and Tribble-ations. It was so well done! It has really come into it's own, and I'm goning to hate to see it leave. I just hope they they continue on the silver screan as their predecessors did. |
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I was utterly elated when I heard that a second TNG movie was in the works and that the Borg was going to be the main enemy. But as I started seeing conceptual art such as the one on the left, I felt kind of dissapointed. To me, it deviated too far from the other ships. Of course, it turned out awesome, but unfortunatly, I don't have a pic of the finished product. :-) I have a page on First Contact(currently down) simply because I loved it so much. Picard was stunning, with all of his emotional torment and kick-butt fighting style. I loved the part with the Tommy-gun. Deanna was so cool, too! I laughed so hard during her scene with Cochrane and gives her tequilla. When The Phoenix took off and they played Magic Carpet Ride, I thought that was one of the coolest things. At times, the TNG characters seem so detached from us because they don't have the same pop culture, but the fact that they had some rock-n-roll in the movie was so touching. |
Star Trek: VoyagerI was so pumped about them having a new show with a female captain, but I hate to admit that it hasn't completely won me over. I mean, I like it, but I have a feeling that just like Deep Space 9, it will take a couple seasons for Voyager to really come into her own. They have a great concept and really strong characters, but how many spacial anomalies can they possibly run into? I really like the episode called The 39's. It was a true Voyager episode, because nothing like that could have ever been done in the alpha quadrant. It was one of those emotionally charged, yet highly thought-provoking shows that I have always preferred. |
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30 years and beyond.....I have the Star Trek movies all on tape, except First Contact, of course. I watch one of them about once a week, and I never cease to be amazed. Every time Spock tells Kirk, "I have been, and always will be your friend" I weep. But I really lose it during Spock's funeral, and I have know idea why. Maybe it's because I love Spock, or maybe it's Amazing Grace on the bagpipes. I mean, I know he lives, but it's just so moving. Those first 6 movies are ones that I can watch over and over again and never grow tired of them. At the end of The Undiscovered Country, I cry was I watch their names come across the screen for the last time, litterally writing their names on our hearts. Their successors have certainly done well by them. DS9 and Voyager both have the same staying power that that Classic Trek and TNG both have. Sisko's loss of his wife, Bashir's loneliness, Jake's struggle for self-identification, are all so compelling. DS9 does have a darker tone to it, but I think that it's necessary in order to see the full spectrum of the Star Trek universe. Voyager's season finale for it's '96-'97 run, was great! I don't want to ruin it, but I think the Borg are going to do for Voyager what they did for TNG. Stay tuned. :-) |
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