Star Trek TOS was for me integral part of my childhood and I suspect like a lot of other people played a key part in my life-long love of science-fiction. It was light years ahead of its time, notching up a series of firsts. Centred in a future where humanity had overcome its differences, it had a generally optimistic, upbeat theme. At time when we were locked in the depths of a deadly cold war, with the doomsday clock never more than a few minutes from midnight. As the man himself once said “I felt that it dealt with morality and philosophical questions in a way that many of us would wish were part of the reality of our lives.”
No other show has probably had such an impact on popular culture, inspiring for example the design of flip-phones (remember them?). However what made it for me was the chemistry between Kirk, Spock, and Bones, and sadly the actors who played the latter two are now no longer with us. Spoke's dialogue with Bones was pure comedy gold at times, while his cool analytical logic was the perfect foil to Kirks hot-blooded action hero antics. I suspect some of the memes they created with be even more enduring than the Star Trek franchise itself.
Spock highlighted both the best and worst of humanity. Showing how the emotions that define us can be both our greatest asset and greatest weakness. It's a tribute to the acting talents of Leonard Nimoy that he managed to turn an emotionless, green skinned alien, with pointy ears, what Dr. McCoy 'Bones' once describe as a 'green-blooded hobgoblin', into a twentieth century icon. Whilst delivering some of the most memorial lines in science-fiction.
Indeed so complete was his ownership of Spock or Spock's ownership of him, I prefer the former to the latter, that his many other talents were often over looked. Writing, directing and photography to name a few.
Spock once said "Loss of life is to be mourned, but only if the life was wasted" something that could never be said of Leonard Nimoy and as Dr. McCoy once observed "He's not really dead. As long as we remember him."
Live long and prosper, wherever you are.