There have been many reboots of Star Trek throughout the years with different cast members and crews. However, in my opinion, Star Trek: The Original Series was the best of them all. It was made long before many people, including myself, were born, but it is a show that I, to this day, enjoy watching.
Captain James T. Kirk, played by William Shatner, and Mr. Spock, played by Leonard Nimoy, made the show extremely enjoyable. Spock is a Vulcan, and he has no emotions; his planet follows a philosophy of logic and not an overbearing amount of emotion. The ship’s surgeon, Dr. Leonard McCoy often feuds with Spock because he does not understand how Spock can never be happy, angry, sad, or stressed out. Characters like the chief engineer Mr. Scott, the two men who drive the ship, Mr. Chekov and Mr. Sulu, and Lieutenant Uhura, who is in charge of the ship’s communication, all add their own unique personalities to the show.
That is not to say that other versions of the Star Trek series such as Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Voyager, were not special; they certainly were. But I remain tied to the Original Series because of the aforementioned characters. Star Trek: The Next Generation had a character like Spock, Data, who was an android that also was free of emotion and able to carry out tasks diligently. Captain Picard and Commander Ricker were like the Kirk and Spock of the Next Generation. Original series characters including Spock, McCoy, and Scotty, all got the opportunity to appear in the next generation.
Furthermore, the Original Series transitioned into an animated series in the 1970s and did some movies in the 1980s. Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan is one of my all-time favorites. Ricardo Montalban reprised his role as Khan Noonien Singh, a criminal from the original series TV show who tried to take over the Starship Enterprise and kill Captain Kirk. It also evokes emotion in the viewers because when the Enterprise is in danger, Spock sacrifices himself to save the crew. Kirk is forced to deal with the death of his good friend. This plot led to the development of the third movie, The Search for Spock, where Spock’s body regenerated on a planet called Genesis, and he had given McCoy his mind in the previous movie through what was known as the Vulcan Mind Meld. When Kirk learns of this, he immediately asks for permission to return to Genesis so that he can bring Spock and McCoy to the Vulcan home planet in order to return Spock’s mind to him. When this request is denied by a Starfleet commander, Kirk famously says to Chekhov and Sulu, “The word is no. I am therefore going anyway.” This shows that a friendship comes before anything else. Kirk was willing to put his career on the line to save his friends. Spock later asked Kirk why he did it, and Kirk replied, “Because the needs of the one outweigh the needs of the many.”
The characters were eventually given new actors for movies beginning with Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness in 2013, and Star Trek Beyond in 2016. This was an outstanding idea in theory, but from my perspective, they shouldn’t have recast the Original Series characters. The new Spock, played by Zachary Quinto, was much too emotional for a character that is supposed to behave logically. It is also worth noting that fans of the series expect the characters to be the same as they were when they were played by the old cast members.
In conclusion, Star Trek: The Original Series is still an iconic classic that laid the groundwork for a successful series. Fans of all ages continue to be fascinated by its intriguing characters, engaging stories, and friendship among the crew. In addition to giving viewers entertainment, the series reminded us of the value of relationships, compassion, and the unlimited potential of discoveries.
