Jump to content

Spock

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 2a0a:ef40:277:ff01:b090:1457:cf1b:6603 (talk) at 20:06, 30 May 2024. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

Spock
Star Trek character
Leonard Nimoy as Spock, holding a parabolic antenna, in a publicity photograph for Star Trek: The Original Series
First appearance"The Man Trap" (1966)
(The Original Series)
Created byGene Roddenberry
Portrayed by
Other
  • Carl Steven (1984; young)
  • Vadia Potenza (1984; young)
  • Stephen Manley (1984; young)
  • Joe W. Davis (1984; young)
  • Jacob Kogan (2009; young)
  • Liam Hughes (2019; child)
Voiced by
In-universe information
Full nameS'chn T'gai Spock
SpeciesHalf-Vulcan and half-human
Title
  • Ensign
  • Lieutenant
  • Lieutenant commander
  • Commander
  • Captain
  • Ambassador
Position
AffiliationStarfleet
Vulcan Government
Family
Significant others
ChildrenZar (son, Yesterday's Son)
OriginVulcan

Spock is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise. He first appeared in the original Star Trek series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise as science officer and first officer (and Kirk's second-in-command) and later as commanding officer of the vessel. Spock's mixed human–Vulcan heritage serves as an important plot element in many of the character's appearances. Along with Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) and Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley), he is one of the three central characters in the original Star Trek series and its films. After retiring from active duty in Starfleet, Spock served as a Federation ambassador, and later became involved in the ill-fated attempt to save Romulus from a supernova,[3] leading him to live out the rest of his life in a parallel universe.

Spock was played by Leonard Nimoy in the original Star Trek series, Star Trek: The Animated Series, eight of the Star Trek feature films, and a two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Multiple actors have played the character since Nimoy within Star Trek's main continuity; the most recent portrayal is Ethan Peck, who played Spock as a recurring character in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery and in Star Trek: Short Treks, and as a main character in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (both a Discovery spin-off and a prequel to the original Star Trek series). Additionally, Zachary Quinto played an alternate reality version of Spock in the feature films Star Trek (2009), Star Trek Into Darkness (2013), and Star Trek Beyond (2016). Although the three films are set in the aforementioned parallel timeline, Nimoy appears in the first two as the original timeline's Spock.[4]

Aside from the series and films in the Star Trek franchise, Spock has also appeared in numerous novels, comics, and video games.[5][4] Nimoy's portrayal of Spock made a significant cultural impact and earned him three Emmy Award nominations.[6][7] His public profile as Spock was so strong that both his autobiographies, I Am Not Spock (1975) and I Am Spock (1995), were written from the viewpoint of coexistence with the character.[8][9]

Appearances

Background

Born to the Vulcan Sarek (Mark Lenard) and the human Amanda Grayson (Jane Wyatt), Spock's backstory has been addressed during several episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series, the 2009 film Star Trek and the Star Trek: The Animated Series episode, "Yesteryear". His mixed heritage led to a troubled childhood; full-blooded Vulcan children repeatedly bullied him on their home world to incite the emotions of his human nature.[10][11] For a time, he grew up alongside his older half-brother Sybok, until the older brother was cast out for rejecting logic.[12] In Star Trek: Discovery, it is revealed that Spock has a human, adopted sister, Michael Burnham. According to the episode "Amok Time", Spock was betrothed to T'Pring (Arlene Martel) during his childhood.[13]

Sarek supported Spock's scientific learning and application to the Vulcan Science Academy, as mentioned in "Journey to Babel".[14] In the 2009 film Star Trek, Spock rejects his acceptance into the Vulcan Science Academy on the basis that they would never fully accept someone who was only half-Vulcan. Although this film set the Kelvin timeline scene in this and later films, writer Roberto Orci stated that he felt that the actions were unaffected by the changes in this timeline and so would have occurred in the same manner prior to The Original Series.[10][11] Because Spock did not enter the VSA and sought to join Starfleet instead, he did not speak to his father for the following 18 years.[14]

"The Cage" and the first season

Spock appeared as the science officer on the USS Enterprise in the first pilot for the series, "The Cage". This was not shown on television at the time, but the events of the episode were shown in the two-part episode "The Menagerie" of the first season, and Spock's previous 11 years of service on the Enterprise were described.[15] Spock was one of the members of the away team who joined Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) on a mission to Talos IV to investigate a distress call.[16] Spock did appear in the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before", but this was broadcast initially as the third episode.[17] During the events of that pilot, Spock became concerned at the risk to the ship posed by Lieutenant Commander Gary Mitchell (Gary Lockwood) and suggested possible solutions to Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner).[18]

The earliest appearance of Spock in the series as broadcast was in "The Man Trap", the first such episode.[19] When he needs to knock out an evil version of Kirk in "The Enemy Within", he uses a Vulcan nerve pinch. Spock and Chief Engineer Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan) work together to rejoin the good and evil versions of the Captain, which had been split following a transporter accident.[20] During "Miri", he finds himself to be the only member of the landing party to be immune to the physical effects of the disease affecting human adults on the planet. However, he realizes that he is probably a carrier and could infect the Enterprise if he were to return. Doctor Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) manages to devise a cure, allowing the team to return to the ship.[21]

Spock at the console of a shuttlecraft on the USS Enterprise

When Simon van Gelder enters the bridge armed with a phaser in "Dagger of the Mind", Spock subdues him with a nerve pinch. He later conducts a mind meld with van Gelder as part of the investigation into the activities of the nearby colony. After power to the colony is shut down, and a protective force field drops, Spock leads an away team to rescue Kirk.[22] Spock is reunited with Christopher Pike (Sean Kenney) in "The Menagerie". Pike had been promoted to Fleet Captain but suffered an accident, resulting in severe burns and confining him to a wheelchair and restricting his communication to yes/no answers via a device connected to his brainwaves. Spock commits mutiny and directs the ship to travel to Talos IV, a banned planet. He recounts the events of "The Cage" under a tribunal to Kirk, Pike and Commodore Jose I. Mendez (Malachi Throne). As the Enterprise arrives at the planet, Mendez is revealed to be a Talosian illusion. At the same time, the real Mendez communicates from Starfleet, giving permission for Pike to be transported to the planet, and all charges against Spock are dropped.[15]

Spock with Leila Kalomi

While the Enterprise is under threat in "Balance of Terror", Spock is accused by Lieutenant Stiles (Paul Comi) of knowing more about the Romulans than he admits when the alien's similar physical appearance is revealed. Spock hypothesizes that they are an offshoot of the Vulcan race. He saves the Enterprise, manning the phaser station and saves the life of Stiles in the process.[23] In "The Galileo Seven", Spock leads a landing party on the shuttlecraft Galileo, which is damaged and pulled off its course before landing on the planet Taurus II. Lieutenant Boma (Don Marshall) criticizes Spock's fascination with the weaponry of the natives after the death of Lieutenant Latimer (Rees Vaughn) at their hands. After Scotty uses the power packs of the party's phasers to supply enough energy to get the damaged shuttle back into orbit, Spock decides to dump and ignite the remaining fuel to attract the attention of the Enterprise. The procedure is successful and the crew on the shuttle are rescued.[24]

Spock is reunited with Leila Kalomi (Jill Ireland) in "This Side of Paradise"; after joining an away team to the planet Omicron Ceti III. After being affected by planet spores, Spock begins showing emotion and re-initiates his romantic liaison with Kalomi. The impact of the spores on him is cured after Kirk goads him into anger, and once freed of the effects, Spock is able to initiate a solution which cures the rest of the crew.[25] Spock attempts to mind meld with a non-humanoid Horta in "The Devil in the Dark", having initially suggested that Kirk should kill the creature. Following a second mind meld, Spock relays the history of the Horta and is able to create peace between the aliens and a nearby colony.[26] Both Spock and Kirk undertake guerrilla warfare against the occupying Klingon forces on the planet Organia, prior to the establishment of the Organian Peace Treaty in "Errand of Mercy".[27] To restore the timeline, he travels with Kirk back to 1930's New York City in "The City on the Edge of Forever". He uses technology of that period to interface with his tricorder over the course of the weeks they spend in the period before witnessing Edith Keeler's (Joan Collins) death.[28]

Season two and three

Spock with T'Pring

During the premiere episode of the second season, "Amok Time", Spock begins to undergo pon farr, the Vulcan blood fever, and must undergo a ritual mating in the next eight days or die. Kirk disobeys Starfleet orders and takes the Enterprise to the planet Vulcan so that Spock can undergo the mating ritual. When they arrive, he is reunited with T'Pring (Arlene Martel). She rather wishes to be with Stonn (Lawrence Montaigne), a full-blooded Vulcan. She demands the ritual kal-if-fee fight instead, and selects Kirk as her champion, who unknowingly agrees to a fight to the death with Spock. McCoy persuades T'Pau (Celia Lovsky) to let him inject Kirk with something to alleviate the issues with Vulcan's thinner atmosphere and make the fight fair. The fight begins, and Spock gains the upper hand, garroting Kirk and killing him. McCoy orders an emergency transport directly to sickbay, while Spock is told by T'Pring that it was all a game of logic which would let her be with Stonn no matter the outcome. No longer feeling the effects of the pon farr, Spock returns to the Enterprise where he discovers that McCoy had injected Kirk with a paralyzing agent which merely simulated death and that the Captain was still alive.[13]

Spock with his parents, Sarek and Amanda

Over the course of the encounter with the Nomad space probe in "The Changeling", Spock undertakes a mind meld with the machine. Kirk stops the meld when he realizes that Spock's personality starts to be changed by the contact.[29] Following a transporter accident which transports Kirk, McCoy, Uhura and Scotty to a Mirror Universe and swaps them with their counterparts in the episode "Mirror, Mirror", they encounter a different version of Spock. Sporting a beard, he grows suspicious of the activities of the suddenly changed personnel and under Starfleet orders, attempts to kill Kirk. Mirror-Spock is knocked unconscious, and is treated by McCoy while the others head to the transporter to attempt to return to their universe. Spock awakes and mind melds with McCoy to discover why Kirk did not have him killed. Discovering what took place, he agrees to help them return and as he mans the transporter controls, Kirk implores him to take control and save not only the ship but his Terran Empire from implosion at the hands of tyrants. The switch is once again successful, and the crew members return to their relevant universes.[30]

The Motion Picture and the film series

At the beginning of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Spock is no longer serving in Starfleet, having resigned and returned home to pursue the Vulcan discipline of Kolinahr. Unable to complete the Kolinahr ritual after he senses the coming of V'ger, he rejoins Starfleet to aid the Enterprise crew in their mission.[5] Spock, promoted to captain, is commanding officer of the Enterprise at the beginning of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982).[5] At the film's end, he transfers his "katra" – the sum of his memories and experience – to McCoy, and then sacrifices himself to save the ship and its crew from Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán).[5] The sequel, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), focuses on his crewmates' quest to recover Spock's body, learning upon arrival that he has been resurrected by the Genesis matrix after landing on the planet at the end of the previous film. At the film's conclusion, Spock's revived body is reunited with his katra.[5] Spock is next seen in Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986), which depicts his recovery from the after-effects of his resurrection. After saving planet Earth with his comrades, Spock reconciles with his father who has reconsidered his opinion regarding Spock's life choices and his friends. In the film's final scene, he joins the crew of the newly commissioned USS Enterprise-A under Kirk's command.[5] In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (1989), Spock and the Enterprise crew confront the renegade Sybok, Spock's half-brother.[5] Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991) reunites the Enterprise crew on a mission to prevent war from erupting between the Federation and Klingon Empire. Spock serves as a special envoy to broker peace with the Klingons after a natural disaster devastates their homeworld.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

After a period during which the production team avoided mentioning some aspects of The Original Series,[31] Spock was mentioned by name in Star Trek: The Next Generation in the episode "Sarek" (1990).[32] Executive producer Michael Piller later described this one act as "the breakthrough which allowed us to open the doors, that allowed us to begin to embrace our past".[31]

Spock appears in "Unification" (1991), a two-part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Set 75 years after the events of The Undiscovered Country, the episode focuses on Federation Ambassador Spock's attempt to reunite the Romulans with their Vulcan brethren. Filming of The Undiscovered Country overlapped with production of this episode, and the episode references Spock's role in the film. While Spock's initial unification campaign fails, he chooses to remain on Romulus in secret to help the movement.

Reboot films

Star Trek (2009)

Zachary Quinto as Spock in the 2009 Star Trek film

Spock's next appearance in the live action Star Trek franchise is the 2009 Star Trek film. Nimoy was given approval rights over Spock's casting and supported Quinto being cast as the role.[33] During the film's flashback, set 19 years after the events of "Unification", and as depicted in the comic miniseries Star Trek: Countdown,[3] Ambassador Spock (Nimoy) promises the Romulans he will use Vulcan technology to save them from a rogue supernova that threatens to destroy their Empire. He pilots an advanced starship equipped with red matter, a powerful substance able to create artificial black holes. The mission is only partially successful, and in the aftermath, Spock is pursued into the past by Nero (Eric Bana), a Romulan driven mad by the loss of his homeworld and family, setting into motion the events of the film.

In the film's opening act, Nero's ship emerges in the year 2233, and through its interaction with the inhabitants, inadvertently creates an "alternate, parallel 'Star Trek' universe".[34][35] Twenty-five years later, in the new reality, Spock's ship emerges and Nero captures him and the red matter. Stranded in the alternate past, the prime version of Spock helps the alternate, younger version of himself and Kirk (Zachary Quinto and Chris Pine, respectively) thwart Nero's attempt to destroy the Federation.

The film also features Jacob Kogan in several scenes depicting Spock's childhood, including his abuse at the hands of other Vulcan children due to his half-Human heritage, and his relationship with his parents (Ben Cross and Winona Ryder). The film also depicts Kirk and Spock's initial clashes at Starfleet Academy, and the gradual development of their friendship based on shared mutual respect,[34] what the elder Spock calls "... a friendship that will define them both in ways they cannot yet realize."[36] A major change in characterization from the primary timeline is alternate Spock's involvement with alternate Uhura (Zoe Saldana), his former student. At the end of the film, the young Spock opts to remain in Starfleet while his older self stays in the altered universe to aid the few surviving Vulcan refugees, as Nero had destroyed Vulcan, Spock's home planet.

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

In Star Trek Into Darkness, Spock Prime is described as living on 'New Vulcan' while the younger Spock remains aboard the Enterprise, struggling with the loss of his home world and as his relationships with Uhura and James T. Kirk. Spock nearly dies protecting a planet from an active volcano, but Kirk breaks the Prime Directive and saves him. Spock Prime is contacted by Spock on the Enterprise, to find out details on Khan. Spock Prime initially reminds his alternate self that he will not interfere with the events in the alternate timeline. That being said, he then informs Spock that Khan was a dangerous man, and the greatest threat that the Enterprise ever faced in his own timeline, and warns that he is likely as dangerous in Spock's alternate timeline as well. When asked whether Khan was defeated, Spock Prime answers that he eventually was defeated, but at great cost (referring to the events of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan). When Kirk contracts radiation poisoning and dies in front of Spock (a transposed parallel of events in the prime timeline where Spock dies in front of Kirk), an enraged and vengeful Spock attempts to kill Khan to avenge Kirk before Uhura informs him that Khan's regenerative blood can revive Kirk. Nearly a year later, Spock remains as Kirk's chief science officer and executive officer as the Enterprise departs on its first five-year mission of deep-space exploration.

Into Darkness would be Nimoy's final appearance as Spock Prime, as well as the last role of his career. He died in 2015, shortly before production began on Star Trek Beyond.

Star Trek Beyond (2016)

In Star Trek Beyond, Spock receives word that Ambassador Spock (Spock Prime) has died. Impacted by this, Spock later tells McCoy that he intends to leave Starfleet to continue the ambassador's work on New Vulcan. At the end of the film, Spock receives a box containing some of Ambassador Spock's personal effects, and reflecting on a photograph of the older crew of the Enterprise from the series' original timeline, he chooses to remain in Starfleet.

Star Trek: Discovery

Ethan Peck portrays Spock in Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

In August 2018, it was announced that Ethan Peck would join the cast of Star Trek: Discovery as Spock in the show's second season,[1] portraying a Spock younger than both Nimoy's and Quinto's renditions of the character, as Discovery is set several years before the Original Series and Kelvin Timeline films.

As of his appearances on Discovery, Spock is a Lieutenant, serving under Captain Christopher Pike on the Enterprise. Due to the trauma Spock suffered because of his visions of the "Red Angel", he is on leave from the Enterprise and under psychiatric care. His adopted sister Michael Burnham is attempting to help him recover.

The introduction to the second season episode, "If Memory Serves", uses archival footage of Nimoy as Spock from the unaired pilot episode "The Cage", and the third season episode "Unification III" uses archival footage of Nimoy again from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Unification II". The latter appearance is a holographic recording from the records of Jean-Luc Picard, and is shown to Michael Burnham after she travels to the 31st Century, a time in which the Romulan and Vulcan peoples remember Ambassador Spock as the cause of their reunification on the planet Ni'Var, the newly renamed Vulcan.

Star Trek: Short Treks

In 2019, it was announced that the character Spock, as played by Peck would appear in two Star Trek: Short Treks, along with Captain Pike.[37] He reprised the role in the episodes "Q&A" and "Ask Not".

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

In May 2020, it was announced that Spock (Ethan Peck) would return in the series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds alongside Captain Pike (Anson Mount) and Number One / Una (Rebecca Romijn).[38]

Development

The Original Series

The earliest known mention of Spock occurred during a conversation between Star Trek's creator, Gene Roddenberry, and actor Gary Lockwood, in which Lockwood suggested Leonard Nimoy for the role. The trio had previously worked together on Roddenberry's The Lieutenant, in the episode "In the Highest Tradition".[39][40] Roddenberry agreed to the idea, but was required to audition other actors for the part.[39] At the time, Roddenberry sought DeForest Kelley to play the doctor character in the pilot, "The Cage", but both NBC executives and director Robert Butler wanted Kelley to play Spock. Roddenberry offered the part to both Kelley and Martin Landau, but they both turned him down.[41] When offered, Nimoy accepted the part, but was apprehensive about the make-up, which had not yet been determined.[42]

During an interview segment of TV Land's 40th anniversary Star Trek marathon on November 12, 2006, Leonard Nimoy stated that Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play Spock was George Lindsey. Because of the flippant way Nimoy makes the comment, it has been suggested that he was joking. The claim Lindsey was offered the role is given more credibility when Lindsey's close friend Ernest Borgnine writes in his autobiography, "my hand to God – he turned down the part of Mr. Spock on TV's Star Trek, the role that made Leonard Nimoy famous."[43]

Nimoy as Spock in 1967

The character evolved from having a metal plate in his stomach, through which he ingested energy, to being a half-Martian in the original 1964 pitch, with a "slightly reddish complexion and semi-pointed ears".[44][45] Due to Roddenberry's concern that a Mars landing might take place before the end of the series, Spock's home planet was changed.[46] Lee Greenway conducted the initial makeup tests on Nimoy, but after four or five days, Fred Phillips was asked to take over. Phillips in turn asked John Chambers to create Spock's ears, as he was working on getting an appropriate shade of red for Spock's skin;[47] this idea was later abandoned in favor of a yellow hue because of the effects on black and white television.[47] Nimoy hated the ears, and Roddenberry promised him that if he was still unhappy by the 13th episode then they'd find a way to write them out.[48] The NBC executives were also concerned, as they felt it made the character satanic.[49]

At Roddenberry's insistence, Spock was the only character retained for the second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before". However, NBC demanded that he be only a background character,[50] and when it went to series, the tips of Spock's ears were airbrushed out on promotional materials.[50] It was during early episodes such as "The Corbomite Maneuver" and "The Naked Time" that Nimoy came to understand the nature of the character.[51][52] After eight episodes, NBC executives complained to Roddenberry that there was not enough Spock in the series; "Spockmania" had begun.[53] In response, Spock was moved to a more prominent role within the series, such as taking the lead role in "This Side of Paradise" over Sulu.[54] The popularity of the character caused frictions with Shatner,[55] and rumors spread that he was going to be dropped from the show and replaced as the lead by Nimoy as Spock.[56] A drawn out contract renegotiation at the start of season two resulted in Roddenberry considering whether or not to replace Nimoy and the character.[57] Both Mark Lenard and Lawrence Montaigne were seriously considered.[58]

The character continued to develop, with Nimoy creating the Vulcan salute during the filming of "Amok Time". This was based on a Jewish Kohen he had seen as a child.[59] During the course of the season, a rift grew between Nimoy and Roddenberry and by the end of the year, they only spoke through formal letters.[60] After the departure of producer Gene L. Coon and the stepping back of Roddenberry during the third season, Nimoy found that the writing of Spock deteriorated. In particular, he did not like the character being made a fool of during the episode "Spock's Brain".[61] The interracial kiss between Kirk and Uhura in "Plato's Stepchildren" had been intended by the writers to be between Spock and Uhura, but Shatner persuaded them to change it.[62] For his role as Spock, Leonard Nimoy was nominated three times Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series, and is currently the only Star Trek actor to be nominated for an Emmy.

Revival attempts and the film franchise

Quinto was cast as Spock for the 2009 Star Trek film and its two sequels.

Nimoy agreed to return to Spock during one of the early 1970s attempts to create a Star Trek film, entitled Star Trek: The God Thing, but dropped out after his likeness as Spock was used without permission to advertise Heineken beer.[63] He was persuaded to return to the role of Spock as the lead for the planned Trek film titled Planet of the Titans to be directed by Philip Kaufman.[64] When this project was killed in favor of a new television series, Star Trek: Phase II, Nimoy was reportedly just offered only a recurring part by Roddenberry, so refused to appear at all.[65] When the decision was made to turn the TV pilot script into Star Trek: The Motion Picture, director Robert Wise insisted Nimoy to return as the character,[66] which was only accomplished by Jeffrey Katzenberg forcing Paramount to settle the dispute with Nimoy over licensing use of his image. As on the series, Nimoy, calling on method acting training, would often not break character between takes.[67]

Dissatisfied with the first Trek feature, Nimoy was reluctant to return for Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan but was convinced by the promise of a dramatic death scene.[68] Nimoy enjoyed the production of the film so much that despite his character's on-screen death he wanted to return for a sequel.[69] The film's success allowed Nimoy to successfully negotiate to direct the next installment in addition to briefly appearing as a reanimated Spock.[70] The resulting film, Star Trek III: The Search for Spock was successful enough that Nimoy was asked to direct once more for Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.[71][72] The following film of the series, the William Shatner-directed Star Trek V: The Final Frontier was initially unacceptable to Nimoy because it called for Spock to betray Kirk and side with his newly introduced half-brother Sybok. Nimoy felt his character had already come to terms with his human-side thus Sybok would have no influence on him, and forced the script to be changed before signing on.[73] Nimoy subsequently organized Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, choosing the director, writers and producers.[74] To hand over to Star Trek: The Next Generation at the time of The Undiscovered Country, Nimoy agreed to appear as Spock in the episode "Unification".[75] Nimoy subsequently turned down the directing role on Star Trek Generations as he wanted to rework the script, and refused reprising the role of Spock for what was essentially a cameo appearance;[76] and his character's lines were subsequently given to Scotty.[77]

When recasting the role for 2009's Star Trek, Nimoy was asked his opinion. He highlighted the work of Zachary Quinto, as he felt he looked similar and could portray the inner thought process of the character.[70] Quinto became the first actor to be cast for the film,[78] and Nimoy agreed to return as the version of the character from the "Prime" universe.[79] Nimoy said that he returned because of the enthusiasm from director J. J. Abrams and the writers, and because it made him feel appreciated.[78] Nimoy made a final appearance as Spock in Star Trek Into Darkness as a favor to Abrams. At the time, he did not rule out returning again,[80] but he died prior to the following film.[81] In Star Trek Beyond, Quinto's Spock mourns the loss of Spock Prime, as played by Nimoy.[82]

Reception

"Given the choice", Nimoy said years after the show ended, "if I had to be someone else, I would be Spock."[83] He recalled, more than a decade after the show's cancellation:[84]

The "Star Trek" phenomenon continues to amaze and confound me. It was incredible, and it still is, although it is gentler now than it used to be. For a time, it was hysterical – it was so wild I had to be very careful where I went. If I went to a restaurant, I had to plan my entrances and my exits so I wouldn't be mobbed and hurt. Same thing in hotels and airports – any public place. It isn't that hysterical any more, but it is still a potent force.

From early on, the public reacted very positively—even fanatically—to his character, in what The Boston Globe in 1967 described as "Spockmania".[85] Headshots of Spock became popular souvenirs, with the rare ones of the actor laughing the most valuable.[86] Nimoy reported that "within two weeks after ["Amok Time"], my mail jumped from a few hundred letters to 10,000 a week".[52] When he appeared as Spock as grand marshal of a Medford, Oregon parade in April 1967, thousands gathered to receive autographs: "They surged forward so quickly that I was terrified someone would be crushed to death; and then they started pressing against the bandstand so hard it began to sway beneath my feet!" After being rescued by police, "I made sure never to appear publicly again in Vulcan guise", Nimoy stated.[87][88]

Fans asked Nimoy questions about current events such as the Vietnam War and LSD as if he were the Vulcan scientist;[89] one even asked the actor to lay his hands on a friend's eyes to heal them.[90] When a biracial girl wrote asking for advice on how to deal with persecution as "a half-breed", Nimoy responded that young Vulcans had treated Spock similarly and that she should, as he did, "realize the difference between popularity and true greatness".[91] The actor believed that the character appealed to viewers, especially teenagers, because[52]

Spock understands the trauma of human existence, for he is not home with earthmen or Vulcan; he can function only in the fabricated and neatly ordered society of the Enterprise. There, he knows who he is; he relates to his role very specifically, and this gives him a kind of cool.

To Nimoy's surprise, Spock became a sex symbol;[92] Isaac Asimov described the character as "a security blanket with sexual overtones" and Nimoy reported, "I've never had more female attention on a set before. And get this: they all want to touch the ears!"[52] (When a young woman asked "Are you aware that you are the source of erotic dream material for thousands and thousands of ladies around the world?", he replied "May all your dreams come true".) Nimoy speculated that Spock appealed to women because[93]

Down comes a stranger—tall, dark, thoughtful, alien and exotic. Somewhat devilish in appearance. He has a brilliant mind, the wisdom of a patriarch and is oh, so cool. With one raised eyebrow, he suggests he is above game-playing and role-playing—which are just hangovers from Earth's Victorian Age—that he and he alone understands the deepest needs and longings of the Earth female.

NASA made Spock an informal mascot. Nimoy was invited to be guest of honor at the March 1967 National Space Club dinner and to take an extensive tour of the Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, MD. The actor concluded from the warm and intense reception he received that astronauts like John Glenn and aerospace industry engineers, secretaries, and shareholders alike all regarded Star Trek, and especially the character of Spock, as a "dramatization of the future of their space program".[94][page needed]

An asteroid in the Eos family discovered on August 16, 1971, was named Mr. Spock after the discoverer James B. Gibson's cat (which had been named Mr. Spock, who was likewise "imperturbable, logical, intelligent, and had pointed ears").[95]

Spock proved inspirational to many budding scientists and engineers. Nimoy has said that many of them, on meeting him, were eager to show him their work and discuss it with him as if he were a scientific peer, as opposed to an actor, photographer, and poet. His stock response in these situations was "it certainly looks like you're headed in the right direction".[96]

In 2004, Spock was ranked number 21 in Bravo's list of The 100 Greatest TV Characters.[97] In 2008, UGO named Spock one of the 50 greatest TV characters.[98] According to Shatner, much of Star Trek's acting praise and media interest went to Nimoy.[99]

In 2012, IGN ranked the character Spock, as depicted in the original series and the 2009 film Star Trek, as the second top character of the Star Trek universe, with Kirk in the top spot.[100]

In 2016, Adam Nimoy released his documentary film For the Love of Spock, about his father and his iconic character.[101]

In 2017, Screen Rant ranked Spock the 5th most attractive person in the Star Trek universe, in between Michael Burnham and Seven of Nine.[102] In 2018, they ranked Spock as one of the top 8 most powerful characters of Star Trek (including later series).[103]

In 2018, CBR ranked Spock the 6th best Starfleet character of the Star Trek franchise.[104]

Reaction to Spock's death

The Wrath of Khan had its first public screening at a science-fiction convention in Overland Park, Kansas on May 8, 1982, almost a month before general release. Although Paramount executives were concerned that Spock's death would set fans against the movie, the audience actually applauded after Spock's death scene. "It was sensational. I hate to be given to superlatives but it absolutely reached everything we wanted it to. I couldn't ask for anything better," said co-producer Robert Sallin of the advance audience's reaction.[105]

Critical reaction to Spock's death was mixed. Film critic Roger Ebert lauded Spock's death: "He makes a choice in Star Trek II that would be made only by a hero, a fool, or a Vulcan. And when he makes his decision, the movie rises to one of its best scenes, because the Star Trek stories have always been best when they centered on their characters."[106] Conversely, The Washington Post's Gary Arnold states that Spock's death "feels like an unnecessary twist, and the filmmakers are obviously well-prepared to fudge in case the public demands another sequel."[107]

Twenty-five years later, Spock's death in The Wrath of Khan ranks number 2 on Total Film's list of 25 greatest Star Trek movie moments,[108] and number 1 on IGN Movie's top 10 Star Trek movie moments.[109]

Star Trek (2009)

Ty Burr of The Boston Globe described Quinto's performance in the 2009 film as "something special", and stated that Nimoy's appearance "carries much more emotion than you'd expect".[34] Slate said Quinto played Spock "with a few degrees more chill" than Nimoy brought to the original character.[110] Entertainment Weekly said that Quinto "... invests Spock with a new layer of chilly-smoldering sex appeal, [and] Quinto does a fantastic job of maintaining Spock's calm, no-sweat surface but getting quietly hot and bothered underneath."[111]

Cultural impact

Spock has been parodied by, and has also been the inspiration for, pop culture works in various media. Composer/keyboardist George Duke's 1976 Solo Keyboard Album features two tracks which pay homage to Spock: "Spock Gets Funky" and "Vulcan Mind Probe". Rock guitarist Paul Gilbert wrote the song "Mr. Spock" on his Space Ship One album. Swedish synthpop band S.P.O.C.K makes music heavily influenced by the Star Trek universe. Assuming the Spock character, Nimoy recorded a number of novelty songs, the first being "Highly Illogical", in which Spock pointed out the foibles of human thought, such as relationships, automobiles, and greed. A second song, "A Visit to a Sad Planet", was darker in tone and told the story of Spock visiting Earth in the future and discovering it had been ruined by war, violence, and environmental irresponsibility. According to comic book writer and editor Bob Budiansky, The Transformers character Shockwave was inspired by Spock.[112] Spock's utilitarian perspective that "the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few"[113] is cited in a legal decision rendered by the Texas Supreme Court.[114] Leonard Nimoy's second-season Spock costume shirt was expected to sell at auction for over $75,000.[115]

Spock's physical appearance in the Original Series episode "Mirror, Mirror" (1967) has itself spawned a trope of the "evil twin" archetype found in various fictional genres. In that episode, several members of the Enterprise travel to a parallel universe inhabited by evil versions of themselves. The parallel universe version of Spock is distinguished physically by his goatee.[116] Science fiction blog io9 said that Spock's beard in the episode introduced "the best shorthand ever for evil parallel universe duplicates".[117] Examples of the evil goatee's appearances in other media include the host segments of episode 611 of the TV series Mystery Science Theater 3000, Bender's "evil twin" Flexo in Futurama, and a 2009 episode of The Colbert Report featuring Stephen Colbert and Dan Maffei wearing fake goatees while pretending to be evil versions of themselves.[118] The name of progressive rock band Spock's Beard is a direct reference to Spock's goatee in this episode.[119]

Fan productions

In addition to television, feature films, books, and parodies, Spock has also been portrayed in non-canon fan fiction. Since 2004, the online fan production Star Trek: New Voyages has continued the further voyages of the canceled initial series. The fan-series' creators feel "Kirk, Spock, McCoy, and the rest should be treated as 'classic' characters like Willy Loman from Death of a Salesman, Gandalf from The Lord of the Rings, or even Hamlet, Othello, or Romeo. Many actors have and can play the roles, each offering a different interpretation of said character."[120]

The fan series Star Trek: New Voyages has featured three actors in the role of Spock. Spock was portrayed by Jeffrey Quinn for the pilot and first three episodes, by Ben Tolpin in episodes 4 and 5, and by Brandon Stacy in episodes 6 through 11. Stacy also served as a stand-in for Zachary Quinto in the 2009 Star Trek film.[121]

The independent online fan series Star Trek Continues featured Todd Haberkorn as Spock in three vignettes and eleven full episodes between 2013 and 2017.

In scientific illustrator Jenny Parks' 2017 book Star Trek Cats, Spock is depicted as an Oriental Shorthair.[122][123][124][125]

"Spocking" Canadian $5 notes

There has been a practice of altering the portrait of Wilfrid Laurier, Canada's prime minister from 1896 to 1911, on Canadian five-dollar notes to look like Spock. After the death of Nimoy in 2015, there was an increase in that practice.[126][127]

References

  1. ^ a b Whitbrook, James (August 14, 2018). "Star Trek: Discovery's Young Spock Will Be Played By Ethan Peck in Season 2". io9. Archived from the original on August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Star Trek III: The Search for Spock
  3. ^ a b Mike Johnson and Tim Jones (writers), David Messina (artist) (2009). Star Trek: Countdown. IDW Publishing. p. 98. ISBN 978-1-60010-420-6.
  4. ^ a b Weeks, Adam (July 25, 2007). "Zachary Quinto Is Spock". Moviehole.net. Archived from the original on October 26, 2019. Retrieved August 15, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g Okuda, Mike; Okuda, Denise; Mirek, Debbie (1999). The Star Trek Encyclopedia. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-53609-5.
  6. ^ "Leonard Nimoy: Biography". TVGuide.com. San Francisco, California: CBS Interactive. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  7. ^ Jensen, K. Thor (November 20, 2008). "Spock". UGO Networks. San Francisco, CA: IGN Entertainment, Inc. Archived from the original on September 13, 2008. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  8. ^ Nimoy (1975), pp. 1–6
  9. ^ Nimoy (1995), pp. 2–17
  10. ^ a b Orci, Roberto; Kurtzman, Alex; Abrams, J.J. (April 7, 2009). Star Trek (Motion picture). Paramount Pictures.
  11. ^ a b Pascale, Anthony (December 11, 2008). "EXCLUSIVE: Bob Orci Explains How The New Star Trek Movie Fits With Trek Canon (and Real Science)". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on March 30, 2015. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  12. ^ Loughery, David; Shatner, William; Bennett, Harve (June 9, 1989). Star Trek V: The Final Frontier (Motion picture). Paramount Pictures.
  13. ^ a b Sturgeon, Theodore (September 15, 1967). "Amok Time". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 2. Episode 1. NBC.
  14. ^ a b Fontana, D.C. (November 17, 1967). "Journey to Babel". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 2. Episode 10. NBC.
  15. ^ a b DeCandido, Keith (June 23, 2015). "Star Trek The Original Series: "The Menagerie" Parts 1 & 2". Tor.com. Archived from the original on August 5, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  16. ^ Roddenberry, Gene (November 27, 1988). "The Cage". Star Trek: The Original Series. NBC.
  17. ^ DeCandido, Keith (March 11, 2015). "Star Trek The Original Series Rewatch: "Where No Man Has Gone Before"". Tor.com. Archived from the original on September 15, 2016. Retrieved August 17, 2016.
  18. ^ Peeples, Samuel A. (September 22, 1966). "Where No Man Has Gone Before". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 3. NBC.
  19. ^ Cushman & Osborn 2013, p. 176.
  20. ^ Matheson, Richard (October 6, 1966). "The Enemy Within". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 5. NBC.
  21. ^ Spies, Adrian (October 27, 1966). "Miri". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 8. NBC.
  22. ^ Bar-David, S. (November 3, 1966). "Dagger of the Mind". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 9. NBC.
  23. ^ Schneider, Paul (December 15, 1966). "Balance of Terror". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 14. NBC.
  24. ^ Crawford, Oliver; Bar-David, S. (January 5, 1967). "The Galileo Seven". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 16. NBC.
  25. ^ Fontana, D.C.; Butler, Nathan (March 2, 1967). "This Side of Paradise". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 24. NBC.
  26. ^ Coon, Gene (March 9, 1967). "The Devil in the Dark". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 25. NBC.
  27. ^ Coon, Gene (March 23, 1967). "Errand of Mercy". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 26. NBC.
  28. ^ Ellison, Harlan (April 6, 1967). "The City on the Edge of Forever". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 1. Episode 27. NBC.
  29. ^ Lucas, John Meredyth (September 29, 1967). "The Changeling". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 2. Episode 1. NBC.
  30. ^ Bixby, Jerome (October 6, 1967). "Mirror, Mirror". Star Trek: The Original Series. Season 2. Episode 4. NBC.
  31. ^ a b Reeves-Stevens & Reeves-Stevens 1998, p. 119.
  32. ^ Nemecek 2003, p. 127.
  33. ^ John Hiscock, "Star Trek: J. J. Abrams Interview [2009]", in Brent Dunham, ed., J. J. Abrams: Interviews (Jackson: Univ. Press of Mississippi, 2018), 41-43. ISBN 9781496820457 and online at books.google.com/books?id=-fl0DwAAQBAJ&pg=PA41
  34. ^ a b c Burr, Ty (May 5, 2009). "Star Trek". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on January 30, 2015. Retrieved May 6, 2009.
  35. ^ Jensen, Jeff (October 18, 2008). "'Star Trek': New Movie, New Vision". Entertainment Weekly. p. 4. Archived from the original on November 4, 2008. Retrieved January 21, 2009.
  36. ^ Abrams, J.J. (Director) (2009). Star Trek (Film). United States: Paramount Pictures.
  37. ^ Liptak, Andrew (July 20, 2019). "Star Trek: Short Treks are returning to CBS All Access this fall". The Verge. Archived from the original on July 23, 2019. Retrieved July 23, 2019.
  38. ^ "CBS All Access greenlights 'Strange New Worlds,' a new Star Trek series about Pike and Spock". TechCrunch. May 15, 2020. Retrieved August 19, 2020.[permanent dead link]
  39. ^ a b Cushman & Osborn 2013, p. 49.
  40. ^ Roddenberry & Whitfield 1991, p. 33.
  41. ^ Cushman & Osborn 2013, p. 50.
  42. ^ Cushman & Osborn 2013, p. 52.
  43. ^ Borgnine, Ernest (2008). Ernie. Google Books: Citadel. p. Chapter 39. ISBN 9780806529424. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
  44. ^ Dillard 1994, p. 6.
  45. ^ Cushman & Osborn 2013, pp. 23–24.
  46. ^ Asherman 1988, pp. 230–231.
  47. ^ a b Cushman & Osborn 2013, p. 54.
  48. ^ Roddenberry & Whitfield 1991, p. 100.
  49. ^ Roddenberry & Whitfield 1991, pp. 108–109.
  50. ^ a b Roddenberry & Whitfield 1991, p. 110.
  51. ^ Dillard 1994, p. 15.
  52. ^ a b c d Diehl, Digby (August 25, 1968). "Girls All Want To Touch The Ears". The New York Times. p. 173. Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. Retrieved February 27, 2015.
  53. ^ Solow & Justman 1996, p. 235.
  54. ^ Gross & Altman 1993, p. 39.
  55. ^ Solow & Justman 1996, p. 236.
  56. ^ Solow & Justman 1996, p. 239.
  57. ^ Solow & Justman 1996, p. 319.
  58. ^ Solow & Justman 1996, pp. 320–321.
  59. ^ Gross & Altman 1993, p. 53.
  60. ^ Solow & Justman 1996, p. 237.
  61. ^ Nichols 1994, p. 188.
  62. ^ Nichols 1994, p. 194.
  63. ^ Gross & Altman 1993, pp. 83–84.
  64. ^ Anders, Charlie Jane (December 31, 2010). "Ralph McQuarrie's concept art for a Star Trek movie in 1976–1977". io9. Archived from the original on August 26, 2013. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  65. ^ Reeves-Stevens & Reeves-Stevens 1997, p. 28.
  66. ^ Reeves-Stevens & Reeves-Stevens 1997, p. 78.
  67. ^ Nichols 1994, p. 179.
  68. ^ Rioux 2005, p. 243.
  69. ^ Rioux 2005, p. 248.
  70. ^ a b Boucher, Geoff (June 12, 2010). "Leonard Nimoy riffs on William Shatner, George Lucas and ... Jimi Hendrix?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 14, 2010. Retrieved July 1, 2016.
  71. ^ Dillard 1994, p. 80.
  72. ^ Gross & Altman 1993, p. 123.
  73. ^ Gross & Altman 1993, p. 131.
  74. ^ Gross & Altman 1993, p. 139.
  75. ^ Gross & Altman 1993, p. 231.
  76. ^ Nemecek 2003, p. 309.
  77. ^ Nemecek 2003, p. 310.
  78. ^ a b Fischer, Paul. "Leonard Nimoy & Zachary Quinto Spock Star Trek Interview". Girl.com.au. Archived from the original on November 19, 2009. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  79. ^ Anthony Pascale (April 14, 2008). "Grand Slam XVI: Two Spocks Rock The House". TrekMovie.com. Archived from the original on April 16, 2008. Retrieved April 15, 2008.
  80. ^ "EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Leonard Nimoy Talks Star Trek Into Darkness". StarTrek.com. May 30, 2013. Archived from the original on June 19, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  81. ^ "Leonard Nimoy, Star Trek's Mr Spock, dies at 83". BBC News. February 27, 2015. Archived from the original on August 11, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  82. ^ Wilson, Sean (June 13, 2016). "Why Star Trek Beyond promises to honour the memory of Leonard Nimoy". Cineworld. Archived from the original on June 16, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2016.
  83. ^ Heffernan, Virginia (February 27, 2015). "Known as Spock, but He Explored Other Worlds". The New York Times. pp. A1. Archived from the original on February 3, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  84. ^ Kleiner, Dick (June 17, 1982). "Still Spock after all these years: Nimoy really loves the Trekkies". Williamson Daily News. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  85. ^ Burr, Ty (February 27, 2015). "Leonard Nimoy, 83; was TV's iconic Mr. Spock". The Boston Globe. Archived from the original on March 1, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  86. ^ Shult, Doug (July 3, 1972). "Cult Fans, Reruns Give 'Star Trek' an Out of This World Popularity". Milwaukee Journal. Retrieved March 4, 2011.[permanent dead link]
  87. ^ Nimoy, Leonard (1995). I Am Spock. Hyperion. pp. 79–80. ISBN 0786861827.
  88. ^ @TheRealNimoy (February 11, 2011). "The only time I ever appeared in public as Spock. Medford, Oregon Pear Blossom Festival. 1967 ? LLAP http://twitpic.com/3yr7hk" (Tweet). Retrieved August 25, 2015 – via Twitter.
  89. ^ "Rumors of Cancelation Stirs 'Star Trek' Fans to Protest". Victoria Advocate. Victoria, Texas. February 8, 1968. pp. 7B. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 29, 2011.
  90. ^ Michaels, Marguerite (December 10, 1978). "A Visit to Star Trek's Movie Launch". Parade. Retrieved May 2, 2011.[dead link]
  91. ^ Epstein, Leonora (March 11, 2013). "Spock's Advice To A Teenage Girl Will Make You Cry". BuzzFeed. Archived from the original on May 3, 2015. Retrieved March 1, 2015.
  92. ^ Kleiner, Dick (December 4, 1967). "Mr. Spock's Trek To Stardom". Warsaw Times-Union. Warsaw, Indiana. Newspaper Enterprise Association. p. 7. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved May 7, 2011.
  93. ^ "Women Spaced Out Over Leonard Nimoy". The Pittsburgh Press. March 9, 1977. pp. A-25. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved March 2, 2015.
  94. ^ Whitfield, Stephen E.; Gene Roddenberry (September 1968). The Making of Star Trek. Ballantine Books. ISBN 978-0-345-27638-4.
  95. ^ "Asteroid named after discoverer's cat named after Mr. Spock" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved February 28, 2015.
  96. ^ Angier, Natalie (February 28, 2011). "Natalie Portman, Oscar Winner, Was Also a Precocious Scientist". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved April 13, 2012.
  97. ^ "Bravo > 100 Greatest TV Characters". Bravo. Archived from the original on July 17, 2007. Retrieved November 11, 2006.
  98. ^ K. Thor Jensen (November 20, 2008). "Top 50 TV Characters: We list the fifty greatest characters in television history". Top 50 TV Characters. UGO. Archived from the original on February 4, 2010. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  99. ^ Shatner, William (2008). Up Till Now: The Autobiography. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-312-37265-1.
  100. ^ Top 25 Star Trek Characters - IGN, May 8, 2009, archived from the original on March 27, 2019, retrieved July 12, 2019
  101. ^ "Adam Nimoy's 'For The Love Of Spock' To Premiere At Tribeca Film Festival". March 16, 2016. Archived from the original on March 19, 2016. Retrieved March 27, 2016.
  102. ^ "Star Trek: 20 Most Attractive Characters". ScreenRant. December 15, 2017. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  103. ^ "Star Trek: 8 Most Powerful (And 8 Worthless) Characters, Ranked". ScreenRant. January 18, 2018. Archived from the original on July 15, 2019. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  104. ^ "Star Trek: The 25 Best Members Of Starfleet, Ranked". CBR. October 27, 2018. Archived from the original on June 20, 2019. Retrieved June 20, 2019.
  105. ^ "'Star Trek' fans accept Spock death". The Montreal Gazette. UPI. May 10, 1982. Archived from the original on April 16, 2021. Retrieved April 4, 2011.
  106. ^ Ebert, Roger (January 1, 1982). "Review: Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on September 16, 2008. Retrieved September 13, 2008.
  107. ^ Arnold, Gary (June 4, 1982). "Cashing in on the Spock market; 'Star Trek II' shows little enterprise". The Washington Post. p. D1.
  108. ^ White, James. "The 25 Greatest Star Trek Movie Moments". Archived from the original on September 4, 2015. Retrieved July 29, 2015.
  109. ^ Collura, Scott. "Top 10 Star Trek Movie Moments". IGN. Archived from the original on May 7, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2011.
  110. ^ Stevens, Dana (May 6, 2009). "Go See Star Trek". Slate.com. Archived from the original on January 15, 2011. Retrieved May 7, 2009.
  111. ^ Owen Gleiberman (May 9, 2009). "Why Spock rocks". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on May 11, 2009. Retrieved May 11, 2009.
  112. ^ "Bob Budiansky in Interrogative Forum". Rustingcarcass.yuku.com. September 28, 1958. Archived from the original on July 13, 2012. Retrieved April 6, 2011.
  113. ^ Greenwald, Marilyn S.; Joseph Bernt (2000). The big chill: investigative reporting in the current media environment. Wiley-Blackwell. p. 125. ISBN 9780813828053.[permanent dead link]
  114. ^ Robinson v. Crown Cork & Seal, Supreme Court of Texas No. 06-0714 Archived October 20, 2016, at the Wayback Machine (2008). online.wsj.com i.e. The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved March 3, 2015
  115. ^ "Rare 'Trek,' 'Star Wars' and 'Who' props up for auction (pictures) – page 4 – CNET". CNET. Archived from the original on August 30, 2015. Retrieved August 30, 2015.
  116. ^ "Top 40 Reasons Why We Love Star Trek". Archived from the original on May 2, 2009. Retrieved April 13, 2009.
  117. ^ Wilkins, Alasdair (December 26, 2011). "Ten plotlines you'll find in science fiction – over and over again". io9. Gawker Media. Archived from the original on January 7, 2012. Retrieved December 29, 2011.
  118. ^ "Better Know a District – New York's 25th – Dan Maffei". The Colbert Report. Season 5. April 7, 2009. Comedy Central.
  119. ^ Miguel Farah (June 9, 2002). "Spock's Beard Frequently Asked Questions List". Archived from the original on January 23, 2013. Retrieved September 23, 2012.
  120. ^ "Star Trek: Phase II About". Archived from the original on November 20, 2011.
  121. ^ Pascale, Anthony (November 18, 2008). "FanMade: Phase II Announces "Blood and Fire" Release + Casts a New Spock". Trekmovie.com. Archived from the original on February 22, 2009. Retrieved February 3, 2009.
  122. ^ Bender, Kelli (February 6, 2017). "Beam Me Up, Kitty! It's Star Trek with Cats". People.com. Time Inc. Archived from the original on February 23, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  123. ^ Clyde (February 20, 2018). "Star Trek For Cats". Cat Wisdom 101. catwisdom101.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  124. ^ Nevin, Will (March 2, 2017). "The serious absurdity (and purrfection) of Jenny Parks and 'Star Trek Cats'". OregonLive.com. Advance Publications. Archived from the original on February 21, 2018. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
  125. ^ I iz Cat (February 2017). "Cats have replaced the Star Trek cast in new epic adventure series". I iz Cat. iizcat.com. Archived from the original on February 26, 2018. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
  126. ^ Bank spokesman says writing on bills 'inappropriate' Archived January 29, 2019, at the Wayback Machine, BBC, March 3, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.
  127. ^ Canada: 'Spocking' $5 notes not illegal, but illogical Archived December 31, 2017, at the Wayback Machine, usatoday.com, March 4, 2015. Retrieved March 5, 2015.

Sources