It’s no surprise that I don’t get out of the house much these days, but I travel widely via television, telephone, United States Postal Service and thoughtful visitors. In spite of this more sedentary lifestyle, I don’t think my life has changed a whole lot except for one area — I think I may be turning into a Trekkie.
It’s been a few years since William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy and all those other brave adventurers set out in the Enterprise to go where no man has gone before, and I wasn’t interested. Not then.
Recently most of the television stations available to those of us without cable or satellite seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel for programming to replace that which has been canceled or delayed by the pandemic. When I tire of sports, politics and Mayberry U.S.A., there’s little left but inane game shows, idiotic “athletic” challenges, soap operas and Star Trek.
I find myself watching Star Trek for a number of reasons. To start with, I missed it the first time around because I thought it was just for children and bored teenagers. The early shows with Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock were pretty uninteresting to an adult, but the later ones became more complex, more thought-provoking, more related to the problems and fortunes of real life on planet Earth and its human inhabitants.
I watch it mainly because the scheduling is dependable. I can be certain that I can tune in to the same station at the same time every day and find what I expect to find instead of being surprised by a rerun of some old black and white situation comedy that disappeared from the screen (thank goodness) 50 or more years ago.
And I watch it because I have a crush on Mr. Spock. I find his ears and eyebrows very sexy and his voice unforgettable. And I’ve always admired Leonard Nimoy as an actor, though I wish he had been cast in some more admirable and memorable roles in some more prestigious productions that made better use of his talents.
I find myself appreciating metaphors, such as in an episode entitled “The Trouble With Tribbles” as a reference to addictions, and some more subtle references to present-day problems, such as prejudice, in the real world.
I rely on the “racial” characteristics of the characters from different worlds and different planets. Their traits as portrayed are consistent and predictable, as are certain characteristics of present-day earthlings with distinct if misguided, instincts and philosophies.
The series works on at least three levels that impress and entertain me. The first impression is the leap of imagination it took to create the settings, situations and characters. I realize that much is borrowed from the works of the people who created Buck Rogers, Spiderman, and a score of other fanciful beings and situations. The writers of Star Trek, however, have integrated the ideas into a complex and seemingly workable universe of likable and hate-able souls that sustains a degree of interest and near-belief. One can’t help but admire the cleverness of their efforts.
Aside from the imaginations of the writers, I am fascinated by the creative makeup, costumes and settings. Like the white and black cowboy hats of early westerns, the appearance of each character usually suggests his or her disposition. We know, almost at first glance, whether we are looking at a human, an android or a changeling whose face is as vague and expressionless as his imitation of humanity. Landscapes, sometimes grotesque or threatening, are never as unbelievable as a Daliesque landscape. While I’ve never understood the reason that doorways are rounded rather than angular, I accept them as characteristics of spaceships and future technology.
Finally, I find that, unlike soap operas, most game and reality shows and 50s re-broadcasts, the plots in Star Trek seem to be ones I can relate to. If you shut your eyes and just listen to the stories, you’ll see what I find so likable about the programs. They are not so far removed from the reality of my own life, and point out and deal with today’s problems better, perhaps, than with the problems they face in the distant future they attempt to portray.
I seem to be at least a generation behind the times, but I suspect I’ve become an octogenarian Trekkie.
A former volunteer and substitute teacher in the Solon schools, Milli is an artist and poet who lives near Morse where she also creates unique greeting cards and handmade books.