Last week, many were saddened to learn that Leonard Nimoy, best known for playing Mr. Spock in the original Star Trek series, had passed away at the age of 83. Although I my first and fondest memories were from The Next Generation, when it came to the original series, Spock was still my favorite character. The most interesting crew members in any Trek series are often the non-human characters, the outsiders looking in. Spock was where it all started, paving the way for more great characters like Next Generation's Data, Deep Space Nine's Odo, Voyager's EMH, and to a lesser extent Enterprise's Phlox. They all find their own humanity and embrace it, and show that even if you're different than everyone else, you still have a place in society.
I've decided to take a moment and look at some highlights from Nimoy's performances throughout Star Trek, both in the Original Series and afterwards.
The Naked Time
A strange plague is spreading throughout the Enterprise, causing infected crewmen's personalities to do a 180. It's notable because when Spock is infected, he makes a desperate attempt to fight against it and maintain his composure, only to break down sobbing when his logic fails him. I believe it's the first moment outside of the pilots where we see him give into emotion.
The Menagerie
Christopher Pike, Spock and the Enterprise's former Commanding Officer, suffered severe radiation poisoning to save a group of cadets from the same fate. As a result he's completely paralyzed and confined to a beeping chair. Recounting the events of The Cage, Spock commandeers the Enterprise in order to return Captain Pike to Talos IV, home to an alien race who's illusory abilities are so powerful, that Pike could live out the remainder of his life as if he was healed. However, first contact with the Talosians convinced Starfleet that Talos IV was off-limits, and returning there would constitute the death penalty. Spock is put on trial for his actions, and he pleads for his life and Pike's well-being with footage from the pilot episode. His loyalty to his former Captain is really quite touching, especially since it predates his own friendship with Kirk and McCoy.
This Side Of Paradise
The Enterprise is sent to a planet to assist a colony they expected to have died out long ago, only to find that they're all alive and healthy. Among them is an old flame of Spock's, their relationship having failed by his inability to express emotion. The reason for their health and euphoria is exposure to some unusual plant spores, and when Spock is afflicted, he suddenly finds himself capable of happiness and love. The spores find their way onto the Enterprise and begin spreading to the crew, all of which abandon ship to live in the colony. The only way to break free is anger, which Kirk manages to pull out of Spock. Nimoy puts in a fantastic performance, and it must have been refreshing for him to break out the usual stoic routine.
The Galileo Seven
Spock is leading an away mission when their shuttlecraft crashes onto an unknown planet. His leadership style puts him at odds with the rest of the landing party and he is faced with some difficult choices to get the shuttle working again and keep them alive until the Enterprise can rescue them.
Court Martial
When Kirk's actions during a crisis mismatch with the computer logs of the incident, he is placed on trial to prove his innocence in order to keep his command. Although the episode is centered on the Captain, Spock plays a crucial role when he discovers he is able to beat the computer at chess. At best, he should have only been able to reach a stalemate, revealing that the ship's computer has been tampered with, throwing it's testimony into question and proving that it was all a set-up by the officer who had allegedly died during the crisis.
Amok Time
Spock's blood is burning from Pon Farr and it's driving him mad, so it's time for him to return to Vulcan in order to reunite with his fiancee and consummate, or he will die. However, when T'Pring refuses him he has to fight to the death for her hand...against his own Captain. Not only is this another great performance from Nimoy, it features one of the best musical pieces ever to come out of classic Star Trek. And I can't help but smile with Spock when he discovers he didn't kill Kirk after all.
Journey To Babel
This episode introduces Spock's parents; Ambassador Sarek and his human wife Amanda. Spock and Sarek had a bit of a falling out after Spock joined Starfleet instead of enrolling at the Vulcan Science Academy. The two of them nonetheless reconnect by the end of the episode, and it's nice to see. The rest of the episode involves diplomats being murdered by a spy aboard the Enterprise.
The Enterprise Incident
Kirk's irrational streak places the Enterprise smack dab in the middle of the Romulan Neutral Zone. The ship is quickly ambushed by the Romulans and held hostage. Spock seemingly betrays Kirk and kills him with the Vulcan Death Grip, and subtly seduces the beautiful Romulan commander. As it turns out, it was all a ruse so Starfleet could get their hands on a cloaking device.
The Tholian Web
When Captain Kirk vanishes along with a derelict Federation Starship, he is nearly presumed dead and Spock has to take command. As with The Galileo Seven, several of his decisions put him at odds with McCoy.
All Our Yesterdays
The Enterprise is sent to assist in the evacuation of a planet whose star is about to go nova. They're surprised to find the planet already evacuated, with the exception of the librarian Atoz, who has been sending the populace through time in order to save them. He sends Kirk to what looks like the Victorian era, while Spock and Dr. McCoy are send to the ice age. While there, Spock's logic begins to fail him, and primitive survival instincts kick in. He eats meat (Vulcans are typically a vegetarian species), and grows close to a cave woman who was sent there by Atoz. But since they weren't prepped for their journey, our heroes have a short window to return to their own time. It's another episode where we see Spock outside of his element, and appropriately for the penultimate episode of the Original Series.
Yesteryear
In this animated episode, Spock must use the Guardian of Forever to travel back in time to his youth and save his own life during his kahs-wan maturity test. While he succeeds in saving his younger self, another life his still lost. Spock's family pet sehlat I-Chaya is poisoned saving the boy from a le-matya, and brings a healer out to the desert. However, I-Chaya is too far gone, and the young Spock makes the hard choice of having him put to sleep. It's a great performance from Nimoy, and a powerful look into Spock's childhood, as we see firsthand his hardships as a half-human growing up on Vulcan. There's also a very poignant quote that seems appropriate in light of Nimoy's passing. "Every life comes to an end when time demands it. Loss of life is to be mourned but only if the life was wasted."
The Slaver Weapon
An unusual animated episode in that Kirk and the Enterprise are nowhere to be found. It instead focuses on Spock, Sulu, and Uhura as they try to keep an ancient weapon away from a crew of Kzinti pirates. It still stands out as a great adaptation of a science fiction short story.
The Pirates Of Orion
Spock comes down with an illness, easily treated for humans but fatal to Vulcans. The Enterprise attempts a rendezvous with another Starship for the cure, only for it to be pillaged by a crew of Orion pirates. Kirk makes every attempt to retrieve the drug and save his First Officer.
Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan
No list of Star Trek recommendations would be complete without this movie. Amazing music and imagery, and a heroic sacrifice by Spock in order to save the Enterprise from a Genesis explosion. Spock's death scene and subsequent funeral hit all the right notes and make this film stand out above all the others.
Star Trek III: The Search For Spock
Taking place right where the previous film left off, Kirk and the crew steal back the Enterprise and return to the Genesis Planet, where Spock's body against all odds has regenerated, while his consciousness is trapped inside Dr. McCoy. Nimoy himself isn't in the movie much until the very end, but was instead makes his directorial debut here, and he delivers. Just as Spock's death in the previous movie will bring you to tears, so will the destruction of the Enterprise and David's death, but all is made well when Spock returns to life and reunites with his friends and shipmates.
Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home
Rounding out the trilogy, the crew travels back in time to the 20th century to save humpback whales from extinction so they can communicate with a probe disabling Earth technology. Nimoy's directing again is wonderful and out of all the movies, this comes closest to replicating the tone of the Original Series, with a mixture of drama, humor, and heart. Despite his resurrection, Spock's not quite the man he used to be just yet, and over the course of the movie, has to reconnect to his human side.
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
When their moon blows up, the Klingons are left in a difficult position, and must find a way to end their conflict with the Federation. Kirk is hesitant (especially after his own son's death), but Spock sees it as a necessity. Negotiations are tense, but the Klingon Chancellor seems hopeful and wins Kirk over to some degree. However, all of this is jeopardized when the Chancellor's ship is fired upon, seemingly by the Enterprise. The Chancellor dies, and Kirk and McCoy are arrested and sentenced to life on the frozen mining world of Rura Penthe. Spock remains in command of the Enterprise and investigates the assassination. It's revealed that his own protegee, Lieutenant Valeris, was among the conspirators, a joint effort between Klingons and Starfleet officers (Section 31 maybe?) to keep the conflict going.
Reunification
This two-part episode of The Next Generation involves Ambassador Spock's attempts to encourage peace between the Romulans and Vulcans due to their common ancestry. However, since his mission is not authorized by the Federation, there are concerns that Spock has gone rogue and defected to the Romulan Star Empire. Captain Picard and Commander Data infiltrate Romulus and meet up with Spock. This episode also marked the death of Sarek, and has some powerful interactions between Picard and Spock as they remember him.
Star Trek
Say what you will about the new films. I personally enjoy them. They're a great way to introduce Star Trek to a new audience. Leonard Nimoy returns as Spock Prime, passing the torch from the old universe to this new alternate reality. His scenes are one of the biggest highlights of the movie, particularly when he meets his alternate self. It feels like a great cap to his character. Nimoy gets one final scene in Star Trek Into Darkness, which was somewhat superfluous, but still very much appreciated.
Star Trek Online
Spock narrates the tutorial section in this online role-playing game, still set in the Prime universe after the events that led to the destruction of Romulus, and Spock and Nero being sent to the alternate past. Nimoy's narrations can also be heard whenever the player enters a new sector block. After the announcement of Nimoy's death, players have gathered around the fountain on Vulcan and held a vigil in his memory. The developers will be adding an official memorial to the game in the coming days, paying respects to both the character and the man.
Non-Canonical Material
Spock vs. Q
Leonard Nimoy and John DeLancie engage in an in-character battle of wits in two live audio recordings, and it is hilarious.
Futurama
Leonard Nimoy's head appears in verious episodes of the series. Most notable is "Where No Fan Has Gone Before" which pays tribute to Star Trek and reunites Nimoy with most of his original castmates. A must-see for any fan of either series.
Leonard Nimoy's albums
You might be surprised that Nimoy was actually a very good singer. And in addition to singing some popular songs of the era, he has several songs where he's in character as Commander Spock analyzing humanity. "Highly Illogical" does it humorously, while the "Visit to a Sad Planet" gives a poignant spoken word monologue that could have been the teaser sequence for a classic Star Trek episode. I personally can't help but love those pieces as well as the "Ballad of Bilbo Baggins" recounting the events of The Hobbit.
The Big Bang Theory
There's an episode where Penny buys old toy transporters for Leonard and Sheldon, and both are hesitant to play with them because they're mint in box. Sheldon is convinced to play with his by a dream sequence where his Spock action figure (voiced by Nimoy) talks to him, and then belittles him after he breaks his and replaces it with Leonard's unbroken one.
It's difficult to express in full the impact both Spock and Leonard Nimoy had on his friends, family, and fans, but the world was undoubtedly made a better and more logical place thanks to him.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory."
-Leonard Nimoy, 1931-2015
