Hi.
(And this is a little long but I just felt like typing... It’s a Sunday, what can I say… )
Anyway, my earliest memories of watching Star Trek are from The Original Series syndication in the mid 70s. I remember always having to go with my parents to my great aunt’s house on Sunday afternoons, and while they were off talking I was in another room watching Star Trek on the local UHF station (WKBD, Channel 50 in Detroit). Looking back, that’s some of the fondest memories of my life.
I had to have been 5 or 6-years old, because I remember having the Mego Star Trek action figures. I was born in 1970 so it had to have been ’75 or ’76 because I believe they stopped making those around ’77 when Star Wars took over.
Fast-forward to 1987 and The Next Generation and… I don’t remember ever liking that. It debuted during my senior year in high school so it should have been right in my wheelhouse, but it just never connected. Unbeknownst to me, I suppose at the time I was gatekeeping in a way. I mean, it was obviously Star Trek, but it wasn’t very good Star Trek in my view. So I stopped watching after a few episodes. It wasn’t the original Star Trek, it wasn’t cool, it was just nerdy and boring as hell (again, in my view).
Moreover, it was like, “It’s 1987 and this is the best you can do? The show from the sixties looks better than this… way better.” I imagine my reaction was also a case and an example of liking what you first saw, what you were first introduced to, and anything that wasn't just like that wasn't going to work.
I’d of course always check in from time to time, but nothing. Out of the seven seasons of The Next Generation I may have seen a dozen episodes… maybe. The same for Deep Space Nine. Although, with Deep Space Nine I may have watched around 15 or 20 episodes because I remember really digging Sisko’s bald head and goatee. He looked cool. Voyager, like Next Generation, I may have watched a dozen episodes during it’s entire run. Enterprise, I have never watched a full episode of that, just bits and pieces of a few episodes.
Movies. I remember seeing The Motion Picture in theaters, I don’t remember much about it though. Oddly, I don’t remember ever going to the theater to see The Wrath of Khan. I may have or I may haven’t, I honestly don’t remember. And I honestly don’t remember if I’ve even seen the movie period. I know of it, obviously, but I really don’t believe that I’ve ever watched it because I don’t remember anything from it. Apparently, according to my mother, I have seen The Search for Spock. Although, again, I’m like, “I have? I don’t remember seeing that…” Generations I have seen… somehow. I seriously doubt it was at the theater, but I have seen it… at least some or most of it, I believe. I do know for a fact though that I’ve never seen any other Star Trek movie from the original cast or The Next Generation cast, outside of bits and pieces here and there over the years.
So, given my spotty history of Star Trek fandom, why am I here? Well, because I like Discovery and Star Trek ’09 and Star Trek Into Darkness.
Star Trek ’09 and Star Trek Into Darkness because of the visual eye-candy. Both were like... "Wow, now this is Star Trek!" And they had all of the aspect of Star Trek that I always loved (and then some), they checked everything on the list, and they looked cool on top of it all. Every character I enjoyed. And it was the first time ever that I liked Kirk more than I liked Spock, Both movies were damn near perfect to me. The only thing that I didn't like was that there wasn't a new episode the next week.
Star Trek: Discovery was/is to an extent the "new episode next week" that I wanted from the movies. It's not perfect, but it's pretty good. And I love Michael Burnham. Some critics call her a Mary-Sue or whatever, I don't care, I like her. The fact that she's black and I'm black has a great deal to do with it, I'm sure, but that's not the most important thing. I just like the character. I mean, I didn't care about Geordi. Again, I thought Sisko looked cool as hell but I didn't have any interest in the show, so... Tuvok... yeah, I didn't care about Voyager. Travis Mayweather on Enterprise I may have liked, but since I never watched the show I'll never know. Mikey Spock, though (yes, I love the name that those YouTube guys that hate Discovery gave her), is the bestest. If I had created a Star Trek character it would be her; only she would be male because it would be me.
Anyway, I think that's enough for this post...
TL;DR (As I put up my fan-barriers) - The only Star Trek series that I like are The Original Series (Yes, I refuse to abbreviate; it’s just my thing) and Star Trek: Discovery. And the only Star Trek movies that I like are Star Trek ’09 and Star Trek Into Darkness. And everything else Star Trek related I’ve seen next to nothing of simply because it didn’t interest me.
Oh, and yeah, favorite Star Trek episodes are “The Vulcan Hello” and “The Cage,” and I suppose by extension “If Memory Serves.” Also, "Where No Man Has Gone Before."
Favorite characters:
Michael Burnham
Spock (Discovery/Strange New Worlds version first, Kelvin Universe second, and The Original Series third)
Captain Pike (Star Trek unaired pilot version first, Discovery/Strange New Worlds version second, and Kelvin Universe version third)