I Have Been and Always Shall Be His Fan

Of the half-dozen or so significant Star Trek characters whose deaths have been depicted on-screen, Mister Spock's was by far the most affecting. Even though I was pretty sure he'd be back in the next movie (or at least the one after that), Spock's death scene in The Wrath of Khan is one of Star Trek's greatest moments. It's probably the ultimate embodiment of the character dynamics that make Star Trek more than a parade of outlandish plots and helped it endure for decades.

Leonard Nimoy turns 80 today. Like his co-star William Shatner, who himself celebrated his 80th birthday a few days ago, Nimoy has spent more than half his life as a pop-culture icon. Having directed two of the movies and contributed to the writing of at least one more, Nimoy is doubtless one of the most influential figures in Star Trek's history. This in turn makes him a big influence on the pop-culture of the past half-century. In recognition of that, here are some of Mr. Spock's finest stardates.

Mirror Mirror: Whether they came from mirror universes or alternate timelines, the history of of Star Trek is full of alternate versions of familiar characters. It was "bearded Spock" who set the standard for them, as well as spawning an enduring joke about how to tell whether a character is good or bad.

Star Trek (2009): Nimoy's appearance as "Spock Prime" easily could have been a gimmicky distraction in this re-launch. Instead, his presence was very much key to the story. Not only did his past/future actions drive the plot, he was also instrumental in helping his younger version and Kirk bring out the best in each other so they could achieve their destinies.

The Menagerie: This clever re-purposing of Star Trek's original un-shown pilot was the first time we saw Spock willingness to risk his life to save a friend. As we know, it wouldn't be the last.

Star Trek IV - The Voyage Home: The movie itself makes me question the conventional wisdom that even-numbered Star Trek films are better than odd, but Nimoy has at least one great moment as Spock opposite Mark Lenard as his father Sarek. Near the end of the movie, Sarek concedes that he may have been wrong in opposing his son's choice to enter Starfleet and praises the Enterprise crew as people of good character. Spock replies "They are my friends", as if it was the most obvious (and yes, logical) thing ever. That scene between the two Vulcans was a great understated reminder that, at its heart, Star Trek is a story about people who truly care about each other and will do anything for them.