Saturday, September 8, 2012

IT'S STAR TREK'S BIRTHDAY

Let's celebrate with the greatest Captain Kirk speech ever:  the essence of Star Trek, in one memorable, perfectly-delivered monologue.

10 comments:

  1. Happy Birthday Star trek! Thanks JM. Excellent remind. Star trek the original series remains one of my favorites, because of the scripts and actors. They did not get to write better things with the subsequent series that came. Live Long and Prosper!

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  2. Some things about the original series haven't aged well, Daniel, but its heart still beats strong. It was a show with real vision, memorable characters, wonderful concepts and a great cast (especially the lead trio). Some of the subsequent shows have been truly excellent (most notably THE NEXT GENERATION, but give me Kirk and Company every time.

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  3. He does a sort-of replay of this speech in "The Savage Curtain," an episode that would have worked well as the final installment of the original series, given the fact that it ends with Kirk noting that there's still so much of Lincoln and Surak's work left to be done in the galaxy.

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    1. "Savage Curtain," despite its goofiness, is one of my favorite 3rd season episodes. I don't remember that speech, though. Is it out there in cyberspace and can you supply a link?

      Hope all's well in Glennworld!

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    2. I couldn't find a video clip, but I was able to find a transcript. Here's the relevant section:

      KIRK: Gentlemen, as you know, Mister Spock and I have been invited to beam down to the planet surface with him. Any comments on that?
      MCCOY: Yes, a big one. Suddenly, miraculously, we see a small spot of Earth-type environment down there. Now is it really there, or do we just think we see it down there?
      SCOTT: You might beam down into a sea of molten lava.
      KIRK: But why would he want to kill only two of us?
      SPOCK: It would be illogical. With such abilities, they could as easily trick us into destroying the entire vessel.
      MCCOY: Are you implying, Mister Spock, that it's probably safe to beam down there?
      SPOCK: No, I'm not, Doctor. There's no doubt they want us down there for some hidden purpose. Otherwise, they would have revealed some logical reason for all of this.
      KIRK: Why Lincoln, Spock? Any speculation on that?
      SPOCK: Speculation is unnecessary, Captain. The answer is clear. President Lincoln has always been a very personal hero to you. What better way to titillate your curiosity than to make him come alive for you.
      KIRK: But not only to me, Spock.
      SPOCK: Agreed. I, too, experienced his charm. It is a magnificent work of duplication.
      MCCOY: But he holds a special involvement to you, Jim. I think it's interesting, in as much as you're the one who's going to make the decision whether to beam down or not.
      SCOTT: Don't do it, Captain.
      KIRK: The very reason for the existence of our starships is contact with other life. Although the method is beyond our comprehension, we have been offered contact. Therefore, I shall beam down. Mister Spock, as for you
      SPOCK: Captain, since I was included in the invitation to make contact, I must beam down with you.
      MCCOY: You're both out of your heads!
      SCOTT: Aye, sir.
      KIRK: And you're on the edge of insubordination.
      MCCOY: Would I be on the edge of insubordination to remind the captain that this smells of something happening to him that I might not be able to patch together again?
      SCOTT: Aye!
      KIRK: Gentlemen, your concern is noted and appreciated. Mister Spock, standard dress, tricorders and phasers. We will guide President Lincoln to the transporter room. We'll beam down immediately.

      And here's the bit at the end:

      SPOCK: It would seem that we were held in the power of creatures able to control matter and to rearrange molecules in whatever fashion was desired. So they were able to create images of Surak and Lincoln after scanning our minds and using their fellow creatures as source matter.
      KIRK: They seemed so real. And to me, especially Mister Lincoln. I feel I actually met Lincoln.
      SPOCK: Yes, and Surak. Perhaps in a sense they were real, Captain. Since they were created out of our own thoughts, how could they be anything but what we expected them to be?
      KIRK: It was so hard for me to see him die again. I feel I understand what Earth must have gone through to achieve final peace.
      UHURA: Captain Kirk, the planet has resumed its normal appearance.
      KIRK: There's still so much of their work to be done in the galaxy, Spock. Mister Sulu, break us out of orbit and continue to our next assignment.
      SULU: Aye, aye, sir.

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    3. Thanks, Glenn! I'm going to have to dig out the DVD and watch that episode again ASAP.
      (By the way: some have also speculated that this episode was the inspiration for the original Marvel Comics Secret Wars mini-series.)

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  4. While we're on the subject of Star Trek, Marc--

    I recently picked up a Near-Mint copy of Marvel's STAR TREK #18, the last issue of the series--written by you!

    The art was a little dicey, but the story was pretty strong (the writing for that original Marvel series was VERY inconsistent, but I always felt that your story was one of the standouts).

    It got me wondering--all the years that DC had the license, and you were working for DC at the same time (on the JL titles), and you never wrote any issues of the DC run. How the hell did that happen, given how much you love TOS and how ideal you would have been to write the comics????

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    1. Wow. That was a long time ago! Glad the issue holds up. I had a long way to go yet in your journey as a writer when that story was written.

      As for DC: Y'know, nobody ever asked me to contribute to the series...and I never thought to ask. Weird, huh?

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  5. I always thought that if the show hadn't been cancelled, the best way to end it would be to kill off everyone... except one red shirt, who is now marooned on a far off planet and worchipped as a god.

    Wishing you nothing, but goodwill and hipness from here to the stars,
    (Can you guess?)

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    1. That's VERY funny, Jack! Goodwill and hipness right back at you.

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