Thoughts on Star Trek

CBS Action started showing Star Trek at 5pm on weekdays. In a development which should surprise no one, I found myself in front of the TV most afternoons to watch it. They’ve moved on to TNG now, unfortunately. I wish they were still showing the original at some point during the day, but the early episodes of TNG are close rivals with the original series for cheesiness and bad special effects (and bad acting).

My mum is a huge fan of TOS (as it is referred by those in the know– that is to say, huge geeks). When I was a kid, she watched taped episodes over and over again, so there are a handful that I practically know by heart. I’m not sure why I’m embarrassed about being a Trekkie kid, given that I have publicly stated how much I enjoy playing Dungeons and Dragons. I’m a huge geek any way you slice it.

And now, some thoughts:

• Turns out there are actually more than the episodes my mum used to watch when I was a kid. (There are 79!?)
• That said, “Amok Time” is still one of the best, running a close second to “The Trouble with Tribbles.” “City on the Edge of Forever” is shit, though. And Harlan Ellison is a dick.
• Yes, I know the names of Star Trek episodes. What of it?
• There seems to be a Doomed Romance Subplot for pretty much every main cast member. James T. Kirk: Intergalactic Gigolo has about twenty.
• LOL THE 60s. Goofy hair. Blue eyeshadow. Flared trousers. Space hippies.
• Speaking of space hippies, Star Trek is really sanctimonious. I know it was fairly progressive for the times, but jeez, tone down the clumsy metaphors and high-handed sermonising about peace, love, and understanding. What’s so great about those things anyway?
• Spock has surprisingly revolutionary and communist leanings.
• He is also surprisingly popular with the ladies. Hey, I’d hit it.
• On that note, I had actually forgotten completely about the Star Trek reboot film until just now. I think this says a lot.
• Kirk is really rubbish at fighting. Obviously this is the fault of the fight choreographers back then (if they had them), but it still makes me laugh every time he has a tussle with someone.
• The Enterprise (Original and Next Generation) is apparently the easiest ship ever to take over. Boy geniuses, omnipotent aliens, space hippies– it seems like all they need is a quick minute of exposition about How the Ship Works, and they become capable of rerouting the controls to wherever and locking the captain out. Might want to fix that bug.