By Marc W. Polite
Good evening, my readers. I am sure, most of you have heard by now that Patrick Stewart passed away. People around my age were introduced to him as Captain Jean Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation. This comes the same week when we lost Walter Koenig, who played Pavel Chekov in Star Trek: The Original Series. This was not an easy week for Star Trek fans in particular, and sci fi heads in general.
As a big fan of Star Trek, this really hits hard. ST:TNG came out when I was 8 years old, and I also used to watch reruns of the original Star Trek series a lot back then. Science fiction captured my imagination, and made me daydream of possible better days ahead. To me, Picard showed poise and dignity. Those of us who remember our antiquities lesson remember the concept of the “philosopher-king” – a ruler who thinks. Picard depicted a philosopher captain. One of my favorite Picard quotes is: “It is possible to commit no mistakes, and still lose. That is not a weakness. That is life.”
Of course, while us Trekkies are feeling like we are facing a critical hull breach, I want to also acknowledge the other fandoms who are going through it too. Let us also remember that fans of Dune, Babylon 5, and X-Men share these sentiments now. Although Koenig is most known for his Star Trek role, his depiction of the ruthless Alfred Bester in B5 is one of the most complex villains to be seen on television.
I was already planning to see Avengers: Doomsday, but that is going to be a hard watch now that Stewart is no more. Bring some extra napkins, and not just for your popcorn.
Hearing the statement “two to beam up” lands very different now.