Star Trek Thoughts

The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, with those words we are taken into the darkness. I have been in love with Star Trek since I was four years old, the characters spoke to me, and the storylines held my interest and fired my imagination. There were times I wanted Spock to be my dad, I wanted to grow up and marry Captain Kirk and Scotty was like a loveable Uncle. Bones was the grumpy old neighbor and I wanted to be Lieutenant Uhura. She was on the bridge, confident, self assured and looked good doing it.
I have watched all of the incarnations of Star Trek, I have stuck with them even when it seemed that they had lost their way. I was not overly fond of Deep Space Nine towards the end; I loved Voyager and was hopeful during the reign of Captain Archer.
When the first “new” movie was announced, and I heard J.J. Abrams was at the helm, I was reserved, although I love him, this was my beloved Star Trek. I have to be honest, he has not disappointed, he has taken Gene Rodenberry’s vision and stayed the course. He has given us a whole new lease on the franchise, by rebooting it and taking it down a different timeline he has opened a slew of opportunity for new stories. New takes on old stories, he is staying true to the concepts of good Science Fiction, tell a good story, give us some gadgets and interweave a moral.
This latest installment did not disappoint me; I am not going to give anything away, no spoilers here. I am going to just say that the characters are true to themselves, the humor, the intensity, the loyalty are all there.
I am still in love with Kirk, I still want Spock as a dad, Scotty is looking less like an Uncle as Simon Pegg has done an outstanding job in adding layers to this character. I still want to be like Uhura, she is a force to be reckoned with, and I love the relationship between her and Spock with the new timeline.
All in all, J.J. Abrams has been respectful to the long time loyalist all the while bringing in a new generation to enjoy this amazing franchise.
I will not get into a debate regarding Star Trek vs. Star Wars, they each have their own merits, personally I enjoy both for what they are. Although, let’s be honest, Star Trek paved the way for Star Wars.
The television show opened avenues for other aspiring Science Fiction storytellers; Star Trek brought it to the mainstream like none other before it had. I feel very comfortable telling everyone, everywhere, I am a Trekker; I will be applying for my honorary status as a Star Fleet Officer.