Hands down the coolest character on the original Star Trek was Spock.
And he was cool because of Leonard Nimoy, who died today at age 83. He was the best actor on the show and possibly in the whole franchise, short of Patrick Stewart. He brought grace and depth to a role that otherwise would have been a one-note joke. Think of it: a perpetual outsider with relentless logic who doesn't pick up on social cues. These days we'd call him Sheldon.
I watched the original Star Trek in reruns as a kid, and I realize now the crew member I most identified with was Spock. He was tall, I was tall. He could render opponents unconscious with a nerve pinch. I wanted to do that, too. (Still working on it.) He came from a stark planet. He had green blood. He mated once every seven years, in contrast to say Kirk, whose average was once every seven hours. Spock meant business.
Walking Dead fans often debate which character from the show they'd like to have with them in the zombie apocalypse. Daryl and Michonne are two of the most popular. If I could cross genres, I'd take Spock. He's got a phaser. He wouldn't freak out. And he would have sussed out Eugene from day one.
Better yet, I'd be Spock, even with the seven-year mating cycle. It's a long wait, but what a party. And it seems Nimoy, in a lifetime of grace, came to the same conclusion. Star Trek was only part of his legacy, which included Mission Impossible, In Search Of (which we can forgive him for), a career as a film director, awful music albums, and exploration of his Jewish heritage. In fact, he tried to escape Spock after the show was cancelled. He was larger than the role. But he came back, and the fans loved him. And as far as I know, he showed little remorse in his return. No "Get a life" moment there.
Nimoy wrote, according to the New York Times obit today, "If I had to be someone else, I would be Spock."
And he was.
