If you are a follower of science, sci fi or more specifically -
Star Trek
Although I'm still not sure how it happened. My daughter has her MBA in Mechanical Engineering & her hubs has a PhD. I'm not a slouch. I'm a polyglot 5, excellent seamstress, expert cook & love to make homemade bread. I don't eat it. I give the bread to others, enjoy the aroma that permeates wherever I live. Having won recipe contests. When I had my catering service, my Lobster Chowder was legendary. Still can't do math to save my life. So happy I brought my daughter up on Star Trek. Her idea of fun is programming her 3D printer! So much fascinating science to explore.
I was so fortunate to be treated by people I used to know, to The Star Trek Experience in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2021 (?)
You may have been following it as it has been evolving over the past decade or four.
The Star Trek animated series didn't jazz me. It totally flew past. Then, Star Trek: The Next Generation
There were many perceived problems with it. Through all the adversity, it became a prominent series.
Eugene Roddenberry was unsure about having too many women playing recurring prominent roles in the series.
He also needed some convincing that a bald Frenchman with a British accent would be a believable starship captain.
His sexist attitude also surfaced in costumes. In the beginning, Counselor Deanna Troi was dressed in short skirts & dresses. She looked like a galactic cheer leader.
While the male cast members wore tight fitting uniforms & the women wore less.
The costumes styles evolved, became more believable.
Though Mr. Roddenberry had to be convinced, more women in recurring roles were added to the cast with actual substance & character development.
This had to be upped in game when some of the female cast members felt that their roles were constantly minimalized.
While the male cast members contributed more, went on missions, grinned & looked danger in the eyes.
The female characters were relegated to being afraid, almost motherly to the male characters, wanting to keep them safe.
Although she appeared in character in various roles, Majel Barrett, who later married Gene Roddenberry, had the longest running role. She was best known for portraying Lwaxana Troi, daughter of the fifth house, holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx, heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed.
Say THAT ten times fast!
Majel Barretts longest running role was the ships computers voice in STOS, STNG, ST Animated Series, DS9, Voyager. Also 5 Star Trek movies. She was also the only wife to Odo, the changeling of DS9.
Times were ah changin'.
Because the producer/writer Maurice Hurley & Gates McFaddin had a conflict, it led to her being fired. Hurley didn't like the character of Dr Crusher or Gates.
*POOF*
Suddenly there was a new doc on The Good Ship Enterprise.
JQ Public suspected something was up.
Sir Patrick Stewart (Captain Jean Luc Picard) saved the day, possibly even the show. He personally contacted Ms. McFadden, asked her to come back to the show. A meeting was scheduled; agreements were reached. The loyal watchers of the show were relieved. The show ran for 7 seasons, ending with the appropriate finale' - All Good Things.
There were a few more spin offs in the Star Trek franchise.
ST - Deep Space Nine
ST - Voyager
ST - Enterprise
ST - Discovery
ST - Picard
The most recent one, that I'm LOVING is ST Strange New Worlds.
Captain Christopher Pike whose character got a raw deal on the original series, has come back. Maybe just digressed.
Aside from his unique command style, he's also a very charismatic actor. Charismatic enough to be forgiven or forgotten by die hard trekkies that he made a movie (G Rated) with Britney Spears, also appeared in an episode of Sex and The City.
His long running series: Hell on Wheels was a smash hit! As Cullen Bohannon he was masculinity personified. YUM.
Tough as could be, sentimental at times, doing what was right except when the only way to win was unleashing his own demons, doing something violent or a bit wrong in the face when it was truly called for. As terrible as it may sound, using a leather strap to beat "The Swede" into tears of fear, submission. For me it was a bit hard to watch as it called to mind the beatings from my father, which I suffered through horribly when I was a child. The Swede deserved it, plus more as he kept on doing terrible harm to others.
Anson Mount gives us male eye candy - set phasers to stunning!
Although his character was introduced in the ST Discovery series, continuing in ST Strange New Worlds aka ST:SNW
From the very first episode. Whipping up pancakes in the morning for his lover. Then, the sight of him on an Arabian stallion, galloping through rolling hills, in an expanse of snow. He has a full beard, a suede leather jacket. He did it all, himself. As a girl who also loves the stallions, the equine sort. It impressed me that Anson Mount could ride.
Another actor role that had been under-utilized is the character of Spock. In ST flicks, Spock has been a running staple.
This new Spock is a fitting Science Officer. Also, many fans of the show refer to him as "Hot Spock".
Very fitting.
Mm Hm
Ethan Peck is the son of a decorated USMC Officer. Add to that, his grandfather was Gregory Peck. A heart throb during his own time. People who have met Ethan Peck irl have said that he's genuinely nice, well mannered, well spoken. When he was asked if he knew that his grandfather was a successful actor & heart throb.
He said: "To me, he was just grandpa. He taught me how to float on my back in the pool" I find that so charming, so genuine.
Ethan Peck has succeeded in his career on his own merit. He did, though, hit the genetic jackpot.
The series delves deeper than ever before, developing the character of Spock. In ST Disco, he taught me how to say, "I LOVE YOU" in his native Vulcan.
The persecution he faces regularly due to being half human - half Vulcan. Not just from other countries, his parentage consists of being from parents from 2 differing cultures from 2 different planets.
Very frowned upon by his fellow Vulcans. It also follows him in his romantic life. The mother of his fiance', T'Pring has a deep dislike of humans.
Personally? I'm hoping that Spock & T'Pring split up permanently. Having a mother-in-law from Vulcan hell, such as T'April can make life rather difficult. There's no fish in the seas of Vulcan. They are more fire than water. Spock has galaxies of lovelies to choose from.
Spock is more accepted by humans. He stands firm, stoic, using logic to navigate differences.
Hot Spock.
Cast member list aside. Something that Captain Pike has is a new twist of command style. Firm yet sometimes funny.
Yeah, he's very sexy, not exactly straight forward, rarely overt.
Though sometimes he is.
Just as the other Star Trek Ship Captains had their trove of phrases, as Spock would say - fascinating.
The first one is the different phrases each Captain has used to basically tell the helm officer to take off or jump to warp.
Capt. Pike sits in his command chair, legs crossed in such a confident, masculine way. A slight smirk on his face, he says:
Pike has many more one time phrases that he says, it seems to be more ad lib than scripted. It may be, in fact, ad lib. Am unsure.
Of course, just as Captain Picard had "Engage". Captain Pike has his own unique phrase. "Hit it!"
Some very Pike-ish phrases.
S1 E1
"Spock, are you naked?"
His answer to anything he doesn't want to talk about, even to Admiral April, "It's classified." 😃
"This is your Captain. We're a little early out of the gate. Hope we didn't catch anyone with your hair wet or your pants down."
(The bridge crew smirks, lightly shaking their heads as if to say, "Did he really say what I think he said!")
"We like to think that right until the very last instant somehow, some way, we'll cheat death."
"Right up until the very end, life is to be worn gloriously."
A few more memorable Pike-isms:
"Belief can be the difference between victory and defeat."
"There's surviving and then there's living. It's your choice."
Anson Mount, as an actor, has mastered facial expression, even those micro expressions that can say so much without speaking.
Pike as a Vulcan
So, yeah, I screwed that up.
Tell me, now.
Do you really eat that stuff?
Singing Klingons? Really?
Perhaps it's why in his totally silent role as Black Bolt, he completely nailed it.
People who have not gotten as deep into trekdom as I have, who haven't seen its appeal, often ask me why I like it so much.
Easy answer.
There's a lot to appreciate. The diversity. Life lessons.
Mainly, it draws me in because it's mostly clean or cleaner than many media forms out there in the world. It focuses on science, personal character, valuable life lessons, gaining deeper understanding.
Sexual scenes, topics, graphics, situations have saturated the media.
It's so common, it's no longer shocking or thrilling as it once was. Porn or soft porn is cheap & easily accessed. Clean content is less prevalent, less common. It appeals to me the most.
Far from prudish, I believe that the media shoves that which ought to be private, into the spotlight.
That which once was inappropriate has become common, dull.
This blog entry could turn into a 10 pager. Maybe it has piqued some interest from you, my dear reader. There are millions of trekkies out there, it has a wide fan base. Join us.
Although the endings of S3, E9 & E10 had me in tears, still, am excited for S4. I can hope.
(Self-confessed hopeless romantic & sentimental at heart)
It's rare when something in a TV show shocks me or elicits any reaction from me. It was actually a good feeling that those episodes moved me like they did.
Live long and.....well.....you know.
