From the Shuttlecraft Galileo, Spock Encourages Fans to Live Long and Prosper

I have always been a fan of Star Trek, so when the original series began running in syndication again when I was in fifth grade, I was thrilled. Suddenly, it seemed like Star Trek was everywhere. That Christmas, my favorite commercial was the one in which Leonard Nimoy stopped into a Hallmark and patiently listened as the clerk enthusiastically described the new Shuttlecraft Galileo ornament. When her spiel was finished, the man who Is or Is Not Spock, depending on which autobiography you read, flashed her a gesture familiar to any good Trekkie. “Oh, I know, ‘Live Long and Prosper,’ right?” she gushed. “No,” Nimoy smiled. “I’ll take five.”

Undoubtedly Nimoy knew a lot more Trekkies than we did and had a lot more money to plunk down for Hallmark ornaments. But we did buy one, and every year it’s one of the ornaments I most look forward to hanging up. The ornament is inspired by the season one episode The Galileo Seven, which finds Spock, McCoy and Scotty, along with four redshirts, on a dangerous mission on board the titular shuttle. The episode first aired in 1967, while this ornament was released in 1992.

The ornament is simply the shuttlecraft, which is light gray in color, except for the underside and the nacelles, which are dark gray. The gold loop for the hook is the only thing on the flat top of the shuttle. The slanted front has three gray windows, “Galileo” in red script and “U.S.S. ENTERPRISE” in black print below that. The two sides are mostly identical to each other, with “Galileo” in the same red font near the front and “U. S. S. Enterprise” in the same black font near the bottom, surrounded by a red stripe. Above that is “NCC-1701 / 7,” also in the black print. The only difference between the two sides is that one has a double door. “NCC-1701 / 7” is also in black on the nacelles, surrounded by a red stripe. Along the back of the shuttle is a row of windows, this time actual holes rather than representations in paint.

After 17 years, the words have shown a little bit of wear, but it’s still easily readable despite the slightly speckly appearance. No part of the shuttle, which measures three and a half inches long and one and a quarter inches high, has broken. Of course, as much as I like the shuttle itself, my favorite element of this ornament is the “Magic Voice and Light!” promised by the box. Light-up features are always fun, but what I really love is hearing Spock’s voice coming out of the ornament.

Just plug the green plug into a Christmas light port and press the button, and you can hear him say, “Shuttlecraft to Enterprise, shuttlecraft to Enterprise. Spock here. Happy Holidays. Live long and prosper.” Now, one might argue that logical Spock would be unlikely to open hailing frequencies for such a frivolous statement. But this episode ends with the crew chuckling over Spock making a rather emotionally motivated decision, so it seems somewhat episode-appropriate. And if you really want to get silly, plug it into a string of blinking lights and hear his transmission break up (though the box instructions frown on this).

This ornament is large enough that it stands out but small enough that it’s not awkward to find a place where it will hang on the tree easily. And if you want to keep the shuttlecraft set up year-round, it stands easily on flat surfaces. I’ve admired many Star Trek ornaments over the years, and I’ve owned three. This one is my favorite. If you love Spock as much as I do, the Shuttlecraft Galileo might just be worth a trip to eBay or www.hookedonhallmark.com, where it is currently available for $10. Have a very prosperous Christmas!

Celebrate Star Trek With Bobblehead Spock

Last week, Star Trek, probably the one movie this year I was most looking forward to, came out in theaters. I've been a Star Trek fan for as long as I can remember and have always been especially fond of logical, selfless Spock. I made the trip to Burger King last week hoping to nab a Spock glass and kids' meal toy; neither was available at the time, so my quest continues. But on Friday, I stumbled upon a Star Trek display in Hollywood Video and discovered an even cooler trinket: a talking Spock bobblehead.

We have a couple of bobbleheads scattered across various shelves in our house. Former Governor Tom Ridge sits cheerfully near the computer, the result of a peculiar baseball game giveaway. Davy Jones, rescued from the Spencer's bargain bin, grins over my desk, tambourine in hand. It's probably no big loss that Ridge comes unequipped with a sound chip, though I'd love to hear Davy burst randomly into Daydream Believer. Alas, he's perfectly silent, but not chatty Spock. This half-Vulcan Starfleet officer has plenty to say.

Spock comes in an attractive cardboard box that discusses his character traits. The bobblehead itself is mounted on a light brown plastic platform on the front of which "SPOCK" written on a small plaque, next to a Starfleet insignia. Spock is made of sturdy plastic, with black shoes and pants and his blue uniform shirt. His right hand is molded into the "Live Long and Prosper" gesture, while his left is balled into a fist. Both of his hands are articulated at the shoulders. The serene face with the jet-black hair and arched eyebrows bears more than a passing resemblance to Leonard Nimoy, whose voice emanates from the figure, and the ears are appropriately pointed.

Spock has three phrases in rotation: "Fascinating," "Live long and prosper" and "You are, after all, essentially irrational." Three seems like a good number; it's also how many phrases most of McFarlane's LOST figures have. (I can't understand why they waited until after the line was cancelled to heavily promote the figures via the oddball LOST Untangled mini-films in season five...) As with most of the LOST figures, I think one of the quotes is less iconic than others. The "irrational" quote is the longest, and it sums up Spock's attitude well, but as a catch-phrase I would be more inclined to expect "illogical". Still, minor quibble.

The idea with this bobblehead is that you set him down and give him a few taps on the head to set him bobbling, which triggers the sound chip. There's no set-up involved, which is a relief after all the annoyances I went through with the LOST figures. But you also can't just press a button to get Spock going, and just because his head is bobbing, it doesn't necessarily mean he'll talk. More notably, he has a habit of piping up at the most unexpected of times. For a couple of days, we had him sitting on the microwave, and almost every time we closed the door, we could count on commentary from him. Now, he's migrated to a less sensitive location, but every once in a while, completely out of the blue, we'll hear "Fascinating" or "Live long and prosper". I find the randomness hilarious, but if you like absolute control over your talking toys, you may not be so amused.

Online, seven-inch-tall Spock, weighing in at about a pound, goes for twelve dollars; I bought him for ten. As far as I can tell, there are four Wacky Wobblers in this series: Captain Kirk, which is certainly expected, but also, as another testament to these toys' randomness, the reptilian Gorn and blue-faced Andorian. Both are among the most identifiable aliens in the original series, but they're not exactly significant characters, and they don't have anything to say either. Perhaps this is an ongoing line, and there will be more; otherwise, I can't understand why Funko didn't make Scotty and Bones instead. And if they're going to have those four, why not go all the way and include Uhura, Sulu and Chekov? It's probably just as well for me, though, if they stop the line where it is; I can resist Kirk, the Gorn and the Andorian, but I don't know if I could say no to the rest of the crew. I'm already in trouble since my trip to Amazon revealed that this summer, a deluxe electronic Kirk-in-the-command-chair-surrounded-by-tribbles action set will be released. Curse you, Amazon, and your dangerous suggestions! Must... not... buy.

But I did spring for Spock, who is both much cheaper and much more compact. And given the laughs he's provided in just a week, I'd say it was well worth it. This bobblehead might not be logical... but it certainly is fascinating.

Beam Aboard the Starship Enterprise With Zachary Quinto and Company

This weekend, two of my all-time favorite televisions shows are united on the big screen. LOST creator J. J. Abrams helmed the 2009 theatrical reboot of Star Trek, perhaps my most anticipated film of the year, bringing with him fellow LOST head honchos Damon Lindelof and Bryan Burk, along with composer Michael Giacchino and Greg Grunberg, whose part in the film, while even tinier than his brief turn as the doomed pilot of Oceanic 815, is certainly memorable, though you'll probably have to consult the credits to figure out who he is. I watched Star Trek regularly with my family when I was growing up, and Spock was one of the first fictional characters I came to adore whole-heartedly. No matter who was involved in this movie, I would have been standing in line on opening night, but the LOST connections sweetened the deal.

From the time I first heard about this new Star Trek, I was pleased by all the attention being lavished upon Spock but slightly nervous about the casting, since Zachary Quinto also plays Sylar, who sadistically sliced open many an unsuspecting head on Heroes before I gave up on the series. I imagine the reason for Quinto getting so much of the spotlight is two-fold: in full regalia (including, of course, the pointy ears), he bears an extraordinary resemblance to the original Spock, and the logical half-Vulcan - the only holdover from the show's first pilot - really is the glue that holds Star Trek together. The more I saw of Quinto's Spock in magazines and late-night interviews, the more I embraced him as Leonard Nimoy's successor, so that by the time my latest issue of Entertainment Weekly arrived with a cover bearing a crystal-clear headshot of New Spock, I could gaze at it enthralled and not be remotely reminded of the hated Heroes villain.

Still, looking the part and acting it are two different things, so I reserved total acceptance until the movie, in which Spock is every bit as central a character as I'd hoped. Quinto's Spock has slightly less control over his emotions than Nimoy's; for the most part, he is the same calmly detached officer, a cool voice of reason rising above the flaring tempers among his crewmates. But there is conflict within him, and never are his human emotions so strongly roused as in matters concerning his mother. The tender relationship the film presents feels like one of many throwbacks to Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home. Spock, it transpires, is a bit of a mama's boy, but that doesn't stop him from being one of the most brilliant minds Starfleet has ever known.

Quinto conveys each subtle inflection of his genius masterfully while keeping us aware that Spock's feelings are submerged rather than nonexistent. Speaking in a gentle but authoritative tone, he is polite and precise and, when the occasion calls for it, droll. And thankfully, writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman give him plenty of compelling material, not to mention opportunities to whip out many Spock trademarks, including the Vulcan salute, nerve pinch and mind meld and the acknowledgement that something is "fascinating".

Spock also lifts quotes from specific moments in the series and subsequent movies, my favorite of which is the touching "I have been, and always shall be, your friend." This line is uttered not by Quinto but by Nimoy, whose appearance midway through the film is the audacious anchor upon which the plot rests, allowing Abrams wide creative license as he proceeds with the series. The movie is loaded with references meant to appease long-time fans, but Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan offers especially integral inspiration for the plot, from the revenge-driven crusade of tattooed Romulan Nero (Eric Bana) to the unpleasant interrogation method he uses. The nod that excited me the most involves a cocky young James Kirk (Chris Pine) taking a casual bite out of an apple as he takes the Academy's no-win scenario test for the third time.

The movie is hardly a collection of catch-phrases, but each of the major seven characters gets some time in the limelight, and there were cheers in my showing each time the officers uttered a familiar command or exclamation. Keep an ear out for Kirk saying, "Beam me up"; communications officer Uhura (Zoe Saldana) opening hailing frequencies; helmsman Sulu (John Cho) putting the ship into warp speed; ensign Chekov (Anton Yelchin) talking about "wessels" and "Wulcans"; engineer Scotty (Simon Pegg) bellowing, "I'm givin' it all she's got!" and Dr. McCoy (Karl Urban) snapping, "I'm a doctor, not a physicist!" Keep an eye out, meanwhile, for a man of little consequence dressed all in red and a surprising song credit rewarding longtime fans who stick around after the movie is over. Even with my eyes peeled, I missed the cameo of late Last Lecture author Randy Pausch, an avowed Trekker, early in the film; I'm sure that the next time I watch it, I'll catch plenty of other Easter eggs too.

Fans should be pleased with all of these opportunities to prove their prowess, and newcomers aren't likely to be distracted by them. While they miss the fun of the in-jokes, they have the advantage of not constantly comparing new with old and wondering whether these incarnations are betrayals. I have little issue with the acting in terms of these characterizations. More eyebrow-raising are some of the details written into these characters' histories and personalities. The aforementioned critical plot point explains some of the discrepancies, but there's also an extent to which these characters are being reinvented.

This is most evident in the cases of Uhura, Sulu and Chekov, whose personalities were always less developed than the other four. Saldana, who I first saw as an unabashed Trekker in The Terminal, makes sweet Uhura quite a bit feistier, especially in run-ins with Kirk. I appreciate the emphasis on her smarts but found it annoying that demure Uhura evidently wasn't good enough the 21st century. However, I like her much better once she gets on the ship, at which point another surprising aspect of her character emerges. It gels more with the tender, compassionate woman Nichelle Nichols played, and mostly I'm okay with it, though it strikes me as a controversial direction to take. Cho lacks the vocal gravitas to have me entirely convinced that he's Sulu; of the main seven, he's the only one whose casting I question. His role is mostly light, and while he does contribute in important ways on a couple of occasions (I especially like the way his established fondness for fencing is integrated), he seems a little greener to me than he should. Chekov, meanwhile, doesn't seem green enough. In the original series, I tended to think of him as capable but ultimately little more than comical eye candy. This time around, he's a Wesley Crusher-esque wunderkind, just as funny and adorable as always but considerably more indispensable. Of the three second-tier characters, he is my favorite, both then and now.

I had doubts about Karl Urban as the irascible Bones, since I previously knew him as Eomer, who I found just about the most boring character in Lord of the Rings. Then again, he didn't make much of an impression on me in the book, either, so I wasn't sure if that was really the actor's fault. Bones gets almost as much screen time as Kirk does, particularly toward the beginning, and thankfully, my worries were unfounded; he absolutely nails the good doctor's drawl and good-natured crankiness and gets many of the movie's biggest laughs. Particularly funny, especially considering classic Kirk's unending aversion to Sickbay, is the sequence in which he chases Jim around the ship, attempting to administer a series of unwanted treatments. It feels most appropriate that the film establishes the two as firm friends long before they serve together on the Enterprise.

Hot-headed, libidinous Jim Kirk was always my least favorite of the Enterprise Seven. He may have been brave and heroic, but his lack of respect for authority and his arrogance always got on my nerves. Unsurprisingly, the early-twenties version is even more obnoxious. Like everyone else besides Quinto, Pine bears no especially striking physical resemblance to his predecessor, but he captures his mannerisms well. I also have to offer kudos to the writers and young actors alike on the scenes depicting Kirk and Spock in childhood. Rabble-rousing Kirk's (Jimmy Bennett) is hilarious, exhilarating and the first of several action sequences that seem inspired more by Star Wars than Star Trek. Contemplative Spock's (Jacob Kogan) stands in stark contrast, though it also demonstrates the half-Vulcan's struggle to come to terms with his opposing natures, exemplified by an amusing exchange with some older students causing my brother to exclaim, "Spock's bullies would get beat up by the bullies on any other planet in the universe!" Instrumental to Kirk's development this time around is Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood), whose stern but kind mentorly role I love. Greenwood seems a little on the old side to be playing this captain who was in command in the show's original pilot, but the relationship feels believable.

That just leaves Pegg's Scotty, who takes so long to turn up I started to half-wonder if we were going to see him at all. Our introduction to him is a comical highlight, and he continues to steal the screen whenever he pipes up, usually with a cheerful assertion of some sort. I would speculate that of the seven, Pegg had the most fun; the Scottish engineer seems positively giddy throughout most of his all-too-brief appearances. I also like his interaction with one of the movie's few non-humanoid aliens. Few fans would argue with the statement that in the battle of Star Trek versus Star Wars, the latter has the coolest aliens. Abrams and his team seem determined to amend that, or at least remain open to the idea of a more diverse Federation. My favorite example of this is the disgruntled creature who finds himself lodged between Kirk and Uhura in the disastrous bar scene reminiscent of Top Gun in which he meets and puts the moves on her.

Giacchino's stirring score blends neatly with the action most of the time, with some of the more emotional moments containing hints of music we've heard on LOST. The special effects are impeccable, aside from a few moments that seem to be overdoing it just a little. I'm not too used to Jedi-style sword fights and escape from enormous hostile creatures on this series. Those new to the franchise at least aren't likely to complain that the movie lacks action. The movie offers something to love for viewers at any point along the previous Star Trek experience spectrum; as for me, I'm already looking forward to the sequel.

From Furballs to Barroom Brawls, The Trouble With Tribbles Has it All!

I have a large collection of stuffed animals that always is threatening to take over the house. Some of my cuddly friends have now moved into the attic, while countless others have dejectedly made their way to garage sales and church nurseries. I still have dozens out in public view, however. One of the smallest, plainest yet downright strangest in my collection is a little ball of fur with no distinct features whatsoever. That is, until you squeeze it, and it makes an odd trilling noise that sounds something like a cross between the squeaking of a guinea pig and the purring of a cat. It is a tribble, given to me by my parents on my 18th birthday. It's not alive, and if it were, I wouldn't have any idea how to feed it, since it doesn't seem to have a mouth. So I don't have to worry about my house being over-run with furballs. A tribble is a nice sort of thing to have... when you can have just one.

For the less geeky among us, tribbles are the titular creatures in The Trouble With Tribbles, a second-season episode in the original Star Trek series. We're introduced to them when Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), out for a little shore leave shopping with Chekov (Walter Koenig) on a space station Captain Kirk (William Shatner) has been coerced into guarding, sees comically shifty inter-galactic trader Cyrano Jones (Stanley Adams) trying to sell one to a merchant. She's so charmed by its tranquilizing trilling that Cyrano offers her one, thinking her enthusiasm will lead to dozens of future sales. Except when she gets to the ship, it turns out that her precious little pet was in a family way, and before Dr. McCoy (DeForrest Kelley) has a chance to discover that tribbles are hard-wired for reproduction - "born pregnant," as he so delicately puts it - the ship is inundated with the furry creatures until there are enough that every crew member could have a dozen pet tribbles for free if they wanted. Except by this point, of course, they just want to get rid of the things, especially Spock (Leonard Nimoy), who observes with disdain that they don’t seem to serve any practical purpose.

This all comes about because the space station to which Kirk was summoned with a pseudo-emergency is holding a large quantity of quadro-triticale, and overzealous bureaucratic agriculture undersecretary Nilz Baris has the authority to hold the Enterprise in this sector until the highly prized grain is safely on nearby Sherman’s Planet. To add to Kirk’s frustration, Klingon commander Koloth (William Campbell) shows up with a ship full of Klingons in need of a vacation, meaning the Starfleet folks will be forced to interact with these historically antagonistic aliens while attempting to enjoy shore leave. Chekov certainly has no love for these fierce warriors, and if anyone’s going to start a scuffle, he seems the most likely candidate. Good thing Scotty (James Doohan) is accompanying him; the chief engineer is bound to keep him in line, right?

The Trouble With Tribbles is one of my favorite Star Trek episodes because it’s just so light-hearted. There’s the verbal sparring between Kirk and the endlessly irritating Baris, witnessed with understated amusement by a dead-pan Spock. There’s the physical sparring between the Klingons and the Starfleet contingent - initiated when Scotty, restraining Chekov against throwing a punch to defend the honor of Starfleet and Captain Kirk, is enraged into action when the Klingons call the Enterprise a “garbage scow”. And then there are the tribbles, who are such inherently silly creatures. All they do is eat, reproduce and lull anyone nearby into a idyllic state - except the Klingons, around whom they make loud, unpleasant screeching noises.

With some of the best one-liners in the Trek canon and shining moments involving most of the main characters - except Sulu - The Trouble With Tribbles is a highly satisfying episode. Trek fans’ laughs will multiply almost as quickly as those prolific little tribbles.

With Episodes Like This, Star Trek Should Have Lasted Forever

Our local Fox station has recently begun playing re-runs of Star Trek. Years ago, we got them once a day, at which time we managed to tape half of the series' episodes, though I often botched the job, and we ended up pitching the tapes, which were already suffering tracking problems after only a couple of viewings. Bummer. But now I can watch them again, and it was my good luck that one of the first ones I caught was the iconic The City on the Edge of Forever.

It's a bad day on the U. S. S. Enterprise. The ship, sent to explore some wacky time-space anomalies emanating from nearby, finds itself right in the middle of these tears in time, which shakes the ship, which causes Dr. McCoy (DeForrest Kelley) to accidentally inject himself with a large amount of a dangerous drug, which makes him go stark raving mad. Convinced everyone around him is out to get him, he beams down to the surface of the troublesome planet and finds the Guardian of Forever, an intelligence that keeps track of history and allows visitors to leap into the past, which McCoy does, with disastrous consequences.

Captain Kirk (William Shatner), Mr. Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and the rest of the landing party, unable to halt his flight, are in for a shock when the Guardian informs them that he has changed something that has negated the existence of the Enterprise and the Earth as they know it. Their only hope lies in time travel, which means approximating the time of McCoy's jump, pin-pointing his calamitous interference and putting a stop to it.

So it is that Kirk and Spock find themselves in New York City during the Great Depression, hopelessly out of place, scarcely able to explain away Spock's ears ("They got caught in a mechanical rice picker"), little knowing how to go about their essential task in such a strange land with nothing in the way of tools but what Spock disdainfully calls "stone knives and bear skins." Yes, they're in a tricky spot, and the inevitable culture clash is rich with comedic possibilities, while a romantic angle develops when Kirk turns on the charm with visionary humanitarian Edith Keeler (Joan Collins in an atypically virtuous role).

But the trouble really begins when Spock discovers what it is that McCoy has changed, creating a painful moral and ethical crisis. We get more emotion from Shatner than usual in this episode, while Nimoy has some hilarious scenes. Though Kirk is the one experiencing the anguish in this episode, Spock has to deliver the bad news to his captain, which he does with characteristic detachment, though in the aftermath, he exhibits something that looks an awful lot like sympathy.

The City on the Edge of Forever is a sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, always thought-provoking tale from Star Trek's first year. Watching episodes like this, it's hard to believe the original series only lasted three seasons.

The Good of the Many...

After the floundering "Star Trek: The Motion Picture" (couldn't they have come up with a better title than THAT?), "The Wrath of Khan" is a glorious triumph. Following up on an episode in the show's first season, the movie centers around Khan, a criminal exiled to Seti Alpha 5 by Captain Kirk. With his band of shipmates from Botany Bay, an Australian penal colony, Khan had been wandering through space cryogenically frozen for two centuries before he encountered the Enterprise. Unfortunately, after leaving Khan and crew on the ideal planet, no one ever checks back to see what has happened to them. An astronomical disaster on Seti Alpha 6 lays waste to Seti Alpha 5 shortly afterward, turning it into a desert.

Mr. Chekov and another officer are sent to the planet to scan it for life. If it is uninhabited, it will be the test site of the Genesis Project, which will attempt to create life from scratch. While surveying the planet, they discover a hideout and Chekov sees the words "Botany Bay" printed inside. He realizes too late the dangerous situation they have stepped into.

Khan inserts a parasite into one of each of the officer's ears, thereby rendering them under his control. Using them as the bait, he plans to trap Captain Kirk and get revenge for his abandonment which led to the death of his wife. Kirk's own conflicts with his aging self, his newfound son, and his dull position as admiral take the backseat as he fights for his life, and that of his entire crew.

The most moving of the Star Trek movies, "The Wrath of Khan" tackles such issues as creation, aging, and friendship. There are many great lines, especially among Bones, Kirk and Spock. The death of Scotty's nephew towards the beginning is the first tear-jerker in this movie. The lush beauty of Genesis coupled with the orchestral soundtrack are stunning, but it is the ultimate sacrifice at the end that makes the film so memorable.

A must-see for any Star Trek fan, it is guaranteed to leave you weeping. With its underlying themes of friendship and new life, it can be enjoyed by anyone, Trekkee or not. And it also made "The good of the many outweighs the good of the few or the one" a welcome well-known phrase...and philosophy.

Down to Earth Humor

"Star Trek IV" is the contender for best Star Trek movie. It is as hilarious as "The Wrath of Khan" is touching. And it provides us sophisticated 20th-century folks with a look at our society of fifteen years ago. Have we changed that much? Hmm...

And beyond being hilarious, it also has a wonderful message. The Earth is being destroyed by a probe which is searching for hump-backed whales. The whales became extinct in the 21st century, and Earth's only hope is to go to the 20th century and bring a couple of hump-backed whales to the future. It shows just how important the protection of endangered species is.

Each of the crew members has a special task when they reach Earth. Chekov and Uhura have to try to find the Alameda naval base. Sulu gets a crash course in flying a helicopter. Scotty and Bones have to find plexiglass for their makeshift aquarium. And Spock and Kirk take on the mean streets of San Francisco to convince a marine biologist to let them beam the whales in her care on board.

From the moment Kirk and company land their cloaked Klingon bird of prey in the park, this movie is nonstop laughs. Experience all the "colorful metaphors," "dark age" medical technology, and other 1980s phenomena as seen from the viewpoint of our favorite folks from the future as they race to save Earth. And watch as Spock becomes a bit more human in the process.