Back in 2009, an old franchise was reborn with the release of “Star Trek,” directed by J. J. Abrams. Old fans and new fans rejoiced as they saw their beloved characters back on the big screen in new and fantastical ways. In fact, so many people (both audiences and critics alike) supported this new reboot that it got a sequel in 2013 with “Star Trek Into Darkness.” This second film was also received well critically and financially and was given another sequel to expand its lore. This sequel is 2016’s “Star Trek Beyond.” While I have yet to see this new film, I believe that it is imperative to talk about why these “Star Trek” reboots are important.

I was an avid “Star Wars” fan growing up. I watched all of the movies and immersed myself in all of the content. My love for “Star Wars” stemmed from my father, who also enjoyed it. Both my parents deemed “Star Wars” an appropriate set of films for a child to watch, but the franchise my father actually loved was “Star Trek.” He grew up watching all of the movies and series on television, and while he loved “Star Trek” more for its depth in to ethical and moral queries, he knew that a child from my generation would never learn to appreciate it. Then came the 2009 reboot.

In the early 2010s, the “Star Wars” hype from childhood began to die down for me. No new movies were coming out and I was beginning to appreciate other parts of pop culture. I decided to watch “Star Trek” when it came out on TV and was blown away by it. I loved the characters, the visuals, the pacing and I wanted to know more about this “Star Trek” thing. And thus, I asked my father all about the franchise. We now had a new topic in which we could discuss. We could laugh about the production of “The Original Series,” contemplate humanity with “The Next Generation” and go see a new thought-provoking franchise in the theaters with the reboot. And we did. “Star Trek Into Darkness” is one of the most vivid movie-going experiences for me. I remember going to the theater with my father, laughing and crying (twice) throughout the movie and talking about the future implications at the following dinner. I could not tell who enjoyed the experience more, the child seeing “Star Trek” for the first time or the parent seeing their offspring love what they love.

This isn’t meant to be an advertisement for the new “Star Trek” movies. I didn’t write all of this to praise the new films with passion and vigor. Rather, I want to convey that the “Star Trek” reboots were linking generations of people before something like 2015’s “Star Wars Episode VII – The Force Awakens.” In fact, one could argue that all the incarnations of “Star Trek” have helped connect generations of people. The point is that even the simplest of things can help people find new joy in life. I thank J. J. Abrams and the “Star Trek” reboots for showing me that. Go out and see all of them (even the originals), you might be pleasantly surprised.