Fans Don't Let Friends Wear Red Shirts

Day 229: As an avid fan of Star Trek from its very first season in 1966, I was shocked and horrified when the Next Generation debuted almost twenty years later. What were they thinking, I wondered, to trespass on hallowed ground? I actually rebelled against the thought of our old friends being supplanted by a batch of upstarts in stretchy Spandex uniforms, and I flatly refused to watch any of the first season. When the show returned for a second year, I sneaked a glimpse, feeling ever so much like I was compromising myself. The first episode I saw raised my hackles. "Imitators!" I swore, "Rip-off!" but I went back for a second look. It didn't take long before I was hooked.

Of all the following iterations of Star Trek, I have to admit that the Next Generation was my favorite series, although I felt it suffered greatly with the loss of Gene Roddenberry, the Great Bird of the Galaxy. Still, I watched every episode religiously, went to every movie, and attended almost every Trek convention held in the Seattle/Portland area. Sadly, as the various series concluded, the number of "cons" diminished and finally faded entirely away. Star Trek, it seemed, had put on the red shirt and died.

Then in 2009, I heard a rumour about a new movie with an entirely new cast playing younger versions of the Original Series characters. I walked into the theater prepared to be disappointed. I walked out two hours later utterly enthralled.

Four years! Has it actually been four years? I went to see the newest movie yesterday, and if you're expecting spoilers here, go somewhere else. The only things I will say are that in my opinion, this is the best movie yet, and that you'll want to watch all the previous films in order to catch the subtle cross-references this alternate timeline presents. In fact, I am anxious for it to come out on DVD so I can watch it several times in a row in the hopes of picking up those I missed. That said, you don't have to be a fan of the previous movies to enjoy this one, but being well-versed in Star Trek's future history will add an enormous depth to what this movie offers.

Fans don't let friends wear red shirts. Star Trek...a brave new world of Star Trek...lives!