September 08, 2014

Influences: Star Trek

Today is the 48th anniversary of the first broadcast of Star Trek in 1966. It seems a fitting day to celebrate the influence the show has had on my life.

Yes, you read it right. My life.

I was only one when the show originally began airing on NBC. But I did catch it when it entered syndication and was a kid during the massive explosion of popularity that Trek enjoyed during the early and mid 1970s (complete with plenty of toys, books, and other merchandise). And I can tell you the moment I fell in love with Star Trek.

The scene that first hooked me on Star Trek is in the clip below. I'd seen a few episodes of Trek before and enjoyed the action scenes and the futuristic technology and weapons. But this scene closed the deal. It is from an episode that seems extremely cheesy by today's standards of production. But the heart of the show is encapsulated in its message. And, for me, that message was - and is - part of the ultimate appeal of Star Trek.

The plot: An outpost of humans on a distant planet is massacred by alien attack and the Enterprise chases down the offending ship. A battle begins. But the Metrons, a race of advanced people with nearly unlimited mental powers, halt the ships and the battle and condemn both parties for their barbarism. Suddenly, the captains of both ships are teleported to a desolate planet to engage in mortal combat. The Metrons will release the victor and his ship. The loser's ship will be destroyed. Using makeshift weapons, the two captains slug it out until Captain Kirk gains the upper hand over his reptilian opponent, the Gorn captain. What happens next turned my nine-year-old sensibilities on their ear. Watch it.



I was stunned. Kirk didn't kill the Gorn? This blew my mind. I'd watched enough monster movies to know that monsters get killed by the hero. It ends the threat. That's how it worked.

But here I was shown another way: Recognizing the value of every life, regardless of its outward appearance. Mercy. Communication, identification, and possible reconciliation. Self-determination. Refusal to be used by self-appointed authorities. And Star Trek championed that way. After my initial surprise I was suddenly inspired. Ennobled, even.

This was how I wanted to live.

(You can watch the entire Season 1 episode, "Arena," on Netflix.)

Another key contribution Star Trek made to my life was a fascination with the inner workings of the production of entertainment. Contrary to popular opinion, we Trekkies don't believe the Star Trek universe is real. Quite the opposite. Many of us are acutely aware that it is developed and maintained by a large group of talented professionals, each with an impressive degree of industriousness, creativity, and resourcefulness. We love to learn how each step of the process works. From the writing of an episode, to the all the way down to the guy who designs the images on the computer screens - we love to learn how it's all done.

To be sure, this fascination has been a tremendous asset to me when I have written, directed, and acted in volunteer theater for church and other venues. But it has also given me a heart for teamwork and creativity in many other areas of life.

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