Listen, if you didn't watch the original (OG) "Star Trek" as a kid, you were seriously missing out. Nothing, I repeat, nothing is better than growing up nerdy. I still remember waking up after my mom went to sleep and creeping into the living room to watch late night "Star Trek" with my dad. S'chn T'gai Spock, affectionately known to me as Mr. Spock, is a cultural icon.
Growing Up Trekkie should be a reality show on TLC. Sure, "Star Wars" fans are great and all, but they never inherited the biting wit and sarcasm of everyone's favorite Vulcan. I owe Mr. Spock many things, including my strange sense of humor and inability to express human emotion (just kidding, but am I really? Probably not.)
Same, Mr. Spock, same.
Mr. Spock's ability to remain level-headed and of course, logical, in the face of events that caused Captain Kirk to react overzealously (sorry William Shatner, but it was probably your acting) was always a welcome relief.
Even though Spock's logical personality is part of what makes him so iconic and adorable, some of his best moments happened when his half-human side appeared and he was wracked with those tedious human emotions, like in the two-part episode "The Menagerie" (1966). In this episode, Spock disobeys just about every Starfleet command he is given and even faces the death penalty in order to save his friend, former Captain of the Enterprise Christopher Pike, who has suffered a horrible burn accident.
Part of Mr. Spock's charm was always the 1960s version of "alien attire" which consisted of lots of purple eyeshadow and facial powder, and is still one of my favorite things about watching the show. "Star Trek" was heavy handed with the makeup in general, especially when it came to Spock and Captain Kirk, who was always loaded with bronzer and looked unexpectedly tan for living on a spaceship. He did have a knack for the ladies though, so who am I to judge?
Leonard Nimoy, the original Mr. Spock, was faithful to his character and an amazing man in general. He wrote several books, including "I Am Not Spock" (1975) and "I Am Spock" (1995) about his time as the lovable Vulcan. He also portrayed Mr. Spock for almost fifty years before his death in early 2015, from the original "Star Trek" to "Star Trek: Into Darkness" (2013), where he portrayed future Spock opposite Zachary Quinto. In between he also played Mr. Spock in the animated series, "The Next Generation," and several feature films, as well as the voice of Spock in an episode of "Family Guy." He was a Ukranian Jewish immigrant who grew up in a tenement with parents who ran a barbershop, and in addition to acting, was an accomplished musician and director, spearheading several Star Trek films in his career. He truly embodied the heart of my favorite extraterrestrial.
Rest in Peace, Mr. Spock. Live long, and prosper.
