My top 10 Pop Culture Moments of 2018!

Hey all, welcome to my top whatever pop culture moments of 2018! This article will obviously have spoilers for the films, tv shows, and games that will be discussed! So, I guess you're warned?

SPOILERS WILL FOLLOW:

1. Killmonger's death speech; Black Panther:

This scene was so well acted, and really made you feel for Erik Killmonger. It does help that Killmonger wasn't a stereotypical villain in any sense, and that he made a lot of very valid points about Wakanda. Even if you haven't seen the film, this death scene is worth watching, which you can do here.

2. The Snap; Infinity War:

Of course, Infinity War was going to be on the list, this might not be its only appearance (it's a great film with great moments)! Just when the heroes were starting to make some actual progress, Thanos takes out Vision and gets the final stone. All seems lost, then bam! Thor appears, his new axe, Stormbreaker, passes easily through Thanos's attack and strikes him solidly in the chest. All seems safe and secure! Then Thanos, through the pain, says: "You should have gone for the head." *snap*
You can watch that scene here.

3. Deimos is who?? Assassin's Creed Odyssey:

Assassin's Creed Odyssey is probably the best Assassin's Creed game I have played (sorry Origins), and surprisingly, one of the better RPGs. For the first time, Ubisoft allowed players to chose their protagonist, either Kassandra, or Alexios. Since the release, Ubisoft has came out and said that Kassandra is the canon protagonist of the game, which I really liked because she's awesome. The game starts with you learning about a cult that has taken control of large parts of Greece, and has a violent interest in your family. You learn that they have a Champion known as Deimos. You then meet Deimos and learn that he's your long lost brother that you saw get killed ages ago.

4. Sabrina slits a witch's throat; The Chilling Adventures of Sabrina:

The Netflix adaptation of the Archie Comics Horror series, has been spectacular so far. Sabrina has been toeing the line between going full witch and keeping her human life. Then this happens. Long story short: her boyfriend's brother gets killed and she needs a sacrifice to bring him back, so she slits the throat of one of her school rivals. Not to worry, she had a plan to bring Agatha, the now dead witch, back to life. This moment showed how far Sabrina was willing to go, and did a ton for character development.

5. Clone Wars coming back!

In a surprise announcement at Comic Con, fans rejoiced to learn that Star Wars: The Clone Wars would be coming back for the originally planned final season. Not only was it announced to be happening, there was trailer dropped at the same time. You can watch that trailer here.

6. Speaking of Star Warss, The Mandalorian was announced:

Just thinking about the directors lined up for this show has me excited, never mind the amazing cast. Not much is known plotwise, but the story will focus on a Mandalorian that we have not seen before (sorry Boba), and will star Pedro Pascal as the titular character.

9. Patrick Stewart is returning to Star Trek as the beloved Captain Picard:

Literally nothing is known about this show right now, other than it will star Stewart as his legendary character. A writing room has been assembled, and is at work on the scripts as we speak!

10. The fight scenes in Daredevil season 3:

I can't just pick one of the amazing fights in the third (and sadly, final) season. First there was the magnificent prison escape fight, this season's one shot. Matt was alone, and just in a normal suit with enemies on all sides. Then there was the amazing fight between Daredevil and Bullseye in the Newspaper office. And finally, the three way fight between Daredevil, Bullseye, and Wilson Fisk. You can watch the Daredevil vs Bullseye fight here.

Top Pop Culture Moments of 2017!

It's a new year, so let's reflect on 2017's best pop culture moments! This list will cover films, television, and games from January to the end of December, so there will be spoilers! Consider yourself warned! 

The list will be numbered, but it's all arbitrary--numbers just make things easier! 

1. Logan: Laura's big reveal

We knew going in that X-23 would be making her film debut in Wolverine's last outing. What we didn't know was how amazing it was going to be. The film itself is full of heartbreak and real emotion. It's pretty hard not to cry during several of the film's more emotional moments. On the bright side, it was pretty hard not to cheer when Laura popped her claws for the first time, and even harder not to when she showed off her talons.

You can watch the scene here. 

2. Wonder Woman: No Man's Land

If you've seen the movie, you already knew that this would be on the list. In this moment, this wonderful moment, Wonder Woman is fully realized. This scene shows perfectly who she is, and what she fights for. I had goose bumps watching this scene in theatres, and I felt a similar thrill watching it again at home.

You can watch the scene here (and I really think you should).

3. Game of Thrones: Loot Train Attack

Picking a single moment from season 7 of Game of Thrones was a hard thing to do. There were several scenes that were in contention, but the loot train attack won out in the end. This was the first time that the dragons were truly and fully unleashed upon Dany's enemies, and the battle where the Lannisters found out what their new enemy was capable of. And to be frank, their new enemy was way more capable than them. Fun side note: HBO broke the world record for most stuntpeople on fire for this scene! 

You can watch the scene here. 

4. Mass Effect Andromeda: Arriving in Helios

Say what you want about the latest entry in the Mass Effect franchise, but that opening scene and mission was epic. The hopeful colonists arriving in a new galaxy only to find out nothing is how it's supposed to be, and no contact from the other ships? Everything really felt hopeless, and that feeling only grew when Alec Ryder, your characters father, and humanity's Pathfinder, died. Alone, leaderless, and trapped in another galaxy? This was a huge shake up to the franchise. 

The whole thing takes a fair amount of time to play through, so instead I'll leave the trailer here, and a scene with one of my favourite lines here. 

5. Guardians of the Galaxy Volume 2: Yondu's Sacrifice

Volume 2 was all about family. Peter Quill finally met his biological father (who turned out to be a dick), and then realized that Yondu had been his dad this entire time. As Yondu himself put it: "He may have been your father, boy, but he wasn't your daddy." Volume 2 was full of emotional beats, and I almost went with Yondu's funeral, but I feel like his sacrifice stands out just a little more. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need a tissue for an unrelated reason. 

You can watch the scene here. 

6. Wolfenstein The New Colossus: Starting the Second American Revolution

Wolfenstein takes place in an alternate history where the Nazis won WWII. Not only did they win, they conquered the entire planet. Your character, doesn't think that's right, and with the help of a few like minded individuals they start a revolution in Europe, and in The New Colossus, they bring that fight to America. The game is full of newspaper articles and postcards that fill in the fictional history and bring the world to life. And, bonus kinda, with how the real world was in 2017, it was cathartic to mow down fictional Nazis. The game is surprisingly emotional and heavy for a shooter, but it does have plenty of moments that get the player revved up! Especially the ending. You kill the Nazi general that's been your main rival for the past 2 games on live national television, and then your partners give a rousing speech to the American people. And then the credits roll. 

You can watch the scene here.

7. Star Trek Discovery: Cadet Tilly Swearing

Discovery is the first new Star Trek TV series since Enterprise went off the air. The showrunners wanted to create a series that reflected Trek's vision, and make it a show for the modern audiences. I personally think they have achieved this goal. One of my favourite moments of the first season was a simple one. Cadet Tilly, Specialist Burnham, and Lieutenant Stamets were doing some sciencey stuff, and Tilly got excited at a discovery. She called it "fucking cool". Star Trek has dropped some swears in the past, not many though, and never the f-bomb. But it worked. 

You can watch the scene here. 

8. Stranger Things: Steve giving Dustin hair advice

I loved Steve and Dustin's banter in the second season of Stranger Things. Steve grew into an amazing character, and was so protective of the kids. I loved listening to Steve and Dustin complain about the women in their lives, but it was was when Steve gave Dustin hair advice, that I really fell in love. 

You can watch the scene here. 

9. Star Wars the Last Jedi: Throne Room Fight

I'm not going to go super into this one, because I know there are still people who haven't watched the latest Star Wars, and would get upset if I ruined something this cool. 

So instead of the scene, here's one of the trailers. 

10. Spider-Man Homecoming: Peter meets Liz's Dad

I saw someone else describe this scene as the moment Peter realizes he can't be a normal teen and Spider-Man at the same time. I think that's a good thought. Personally, I see it as the moment Peter realizes that even the bad guys can have families, and that maybe life isn't black and white. But no matter how you interpret the scene, it is fantastically done. 

You can watch the scene here. 

11. Thor Ragnarok: literally the entire thing

This entire movie is wonderful. The character's relationships, the cast's chemistry, the writing. Everything. So many quotable lines, so many stunning shots. Every scene with Korg. Thor and Loki being brothers and adversaries. Go and watch this movie. Right now. Seriously. 

Here's a random scene with Korg to watch! 

Alright, those are my top 11 pop culture moments from 2017! I hope you enjoy! Here's looking forward to what 2018 will bring! 

 

A list of happy things from 2016

I was going to write out my thoughts on Luke Cage (it’s amazing), but I’m not qualified to really get into it. I can’t discuss how accurate or inaccurate it is to the modern Black American experience—I know nothing about that, I’m white. Instead, I will just say this: it is an amazing show with terrific actors and phenomenal writing. And the soundtrack is well-worth multiple listens.
The world is a complicated place right now, and it is hard to focus on the good in the world right now. That’s what this post is going to do though. We’re gonna look back at 2016, and I’m going to list (kinda) the things that made me happy this year.
- Deadpool: might as well start with the low hanging fruit since it’s just dangling there anyways, flaccid in the wind.
- Tom Holland’s Spider-Man: Finally, a comic’s accurate Spider-Man played by a teenager, who is sarcastic, actually poor, and has an aunt who looks like a normal aunt and not a great-grandmother.
- Bucky and Falcon’s banter: “Can you move the seat?” “No.” Classic.
- Ant-Man’s reaction to seeing Steve Rogers
- Basically all of Civil War
- Wonder Woman and her electric violin intro: by far the best thing DC has put out all year in the film department. I mean, the way she smiles before she jumps into the fray? Amazing. And the only time someone smiles in that movie.
- Saskatoon Pride 2016: just an all-around great time with some great people.
- Getting back into the Pokémon TCG: I’m a nerd, yeah. Get over it.
- Star Trek’s 50th anniversary: Always nice to see loved ones survive the test of time.
- Star Trek Beyond: A return to form for the Star Trek franchise that included using science to defeat the enemy instead of phasers.
- Starting a hilarious and amazing DnD campaign with some great people (plus Hudson): seriously, it’s kind of hilarious. My character had a fling with a bear.
- Luke Cage: I already talked about this, why would I say more?
- Mending relationships with old friends (one in particular)
- Thanksgiving at the sister’s: it was great. Plus we beaked her one friend so hard and she never picked up on our sarcasm.
- Partying with a bunch of directors at a small after party: great times, but man can they drink.
- Hitting one hundred vlogs and getting all the nice letters people sent: Seriously, that was awesome.
- Summertime swimming: nothing is better than Canadian summers spent at a beach.
- Starting a new job: new adventures are always fun. And other clichés. But seriously, I’m enjoying it.
- New Harry Potter: From the screenplay of The Cursed Child to the release of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, it’s been a good year for the Potter-verse.
- Joe Biden memes: while not new to this year, they become more relevant.
- Expanding my musical horizons: to include actual musicals. And more varied hip-hop.
- Reading The Expanse series: finding and falling in love with new science fiction is always a good thing.
- Preacher: more Dominic Cooper is never a bad thing.
- Season 2 of Supergirl: SUPERMAN SMILED AND WAS NICE TO PEOPLE. Don’t tell Zak Synder.
- Jason Momoa’s Instagram.
- The Rock’s Instagram.
- My Instagram.
- Spending time with loved ones.
- Writing pieces that resonated with people and made a difference.
- Being able to make positive changes in people’s lives
- -Being Canadian: That makes me happy every year, but with everything that happened south of the border this year, I was especially happy about that fact this year.
- Coming out about my gender.
- Being honest about mental health.
- The sun.
- Hanging out with the puppers, and going camping with her.
- And a bunch more probably.
2016 was a rough year, but there has been good stuff too. Tell me what made you happy in the comments!  

A list of Sci-Fi!

                I’ve been having difficulties with writing lately. I just can’t get my thoughts to coalesce, let alone get them on paper. With that in mind, today’s post will be another list! You all like the lists, right? In light of President Obama releasing his favourite science fiction movies, I will be doing something similar! If you’re going to copy someone, why not Obama (a sentiment sadly not shared by many)? A slight twist, I will be listing my favourite genre films and television series! I’m saying genre so I can list some fantasy and stuff instead of just science fiction.  As usual, this list will be in no particular order, and for a change the list will counting up from one! WHAT?! Okay, it’s not that exciting. I just—never mind, on with the list!

1. Star Trek: First Contact

The first of a “few” Star Trek entries that will be on this list; First Contact has long been my favourite Star Trek film. When I was younger I appreciated it for the action scenes and space combat, but as I aged I began to appreciate and understand the moral complexities that were at the heart of it. From Picard coming to accept and overcome his unrelenting hate of the Borg, to Data accepting that he didn’t need to become human to be perfect. The film is possibly the darkest Star Trek film, reaching Deep Space Nine levels of moral questions and ambiguity. And the acting! Patrick Stewart was in top form playing the emotionally haunted and damaged Jean-Luc, with Alfre Woodard playing the perfect foil and moral centre. Plus the film was the debut of the Enterprise-E, one of the most gorgeous ships in Star Trek history.

2. Children of Men

Alfonso Cuaron is an amazing filmmaker. His films are filled with beautiful visuals, and amazing talent. Children of Men is no exception. The film features a dystopian future where the youngest person on the planet is celebrating his 18^th birthday—in case that went over your heard, no one has been born for 18 years. The tension is tight, and the film does not let you go. If you’re looking for a smart sci-fi that makes you question basically everything, give this a watch. I honestly don’t want to go into the plot so I don’t ruin anything. Clive Owen shines in his role, and Michael Caine plays a cynical hippie, what more do you need?

3. Captain America: Winter Soldier:

I’m picking this Marvel movie over some others simply because its themes are the most relevant and plausible in today’s world. A shadowy government agency that is spying on everyone and recording their every move? An agency that is judging people’s future actions based off an algorithm? The lines between fiction and real-life got real blurry in this movie. When the real-life actions of the NSA, CIA, CSIS, C-SEC, and other agencies are being used as the inspiration for an illegal and immoral group, you know things have gotten bad. Plus that fight scene in the elevator. It was beautiful.

4. Guardians of the Galaxy:

Marvel’s beautiful space opera, and most blatant sci-fi film is easily one of my favourite movies of all time. I watched it five times in theatres. I never watch movies more than once in a theatre, but I couldn’t stop watching Guardians. The film had me, and most of the audience, in tears within the first couple minutes, and then a few other times throughout the film. I still tear up at “We are Groot”, and I can basically recite the film. The CGI is beautiful. The aliens look amazing. The action is phenomenal. Chris Pratt takes his shirt off. The bad guy is defeated by the power of friendship and a dance-off! Seriously, this is the greatest movie of all time. It’s the G-MOAT. I’m so gonna watch it this weekend now. Not only is the film outstanding, the soundtrack is out of this world (I had to. I had to say it.).

5. Orphan Black

Remember, I said films and TV shows! The first thing you need to know about Orphan Black is this: Tatiana Maslany is the most talented person to ever grace a television series. And that’s not just my opinion; it’s the opinion of everyone who knows anything about the industry. The series follows Sarah as she discovers she is part of a large conspiracy involving clones. Which she plays all of. There are episodes where she plays 6+ vastly different characters. Characters with different accents, mannerisms, ways of speaking, gaits, languages, EVERYTHING. Outside of Tatiana’s stellar acting is the story. The story is deep and complex, and leaves the watchers asking questions.

6. Battlestar Galactica (2004):

A lot of people were confused when, then, SciFi decided to reboot the gloriously goofy 70s sci-fi series. It was an odd choice. Sure, it had grown to have a large cult fanbase, but it didn’t seem like a good fit for a reboot. Well it was. During its four seasons it was consistently considered by critics to be the best written show on television. The series explored morality, ethics, robotics, genocide, warfare, PTSD, slave labour, and survival. The show was constantly asking its viewers how far the human race would go for survival—and the answer was usually something we didn’t want to admit. To this day, Battlestar Galactica stands out as an example of what a well executed television series can do. Even if the finale left a bad taste in some people’s mouths.

7. Firefly/Serenity:

I can’t have a list like this and not mention Firefly and Serenity, it’s just too shiny. Plus, one of my all time favourite quotes comes from it: “When you can't run, you crawl, and when you can't crawl - when you can't do that... You find someone to carry you.”

8. Star Trek Deep Space Nine:

“And if I had to do it all over again - I would. Garak was right about one thing: a guilty conscience is a small price to pay for the safety of the Alpha Quadrant.” DS9 did something that no other Trek had done: it went dark. It explored the grey areas of the human psyche, it explored the affects an occupation had on a people, and it explored racism in a way that was, at times, uncomfortably real. It wasn’t the shiny future of The Original Series or The Next Generation; it was a Star Trek that was real and grounded. It portrayed a humanity that had fixed everything on Earth by projecting all of the bad into space. It was groundbreaking for its time. The themes that it explored were ones that most shows wouldn’t begin to explore until a decade after DS9 was off the air. Its portrayals of PTSD are some of the best that have ever been put on film.

“What I want to know is, out of all the stories you told me which ones were true and which ones weren't?”

“My dear doctor...they're all true.”

“Even the lies?”

“Especially the lies.”

9. Arrow

Arrow kicked off the golden age of superhero television. Smallville was over and all but forgotten, and the crime procedural was king. The only genre shows were on cable. Then along came Arrow. Arrow proved that superheroes being superheroes could work and thrive on television. Not only that, Arrow sparked a whole universe of spin-offs: The Flash, Legends of Tomorrow, and Supergirl. Even NBC’s short-lived Constantine was brought into the fold with crossovers and mentions.

10. Star Trek (2009)

The introduction of the Kelvin Timeline revitalized the franchise, and brought Star Trek back into the public eye. The recasting of the iconic Original Series characters was pitch perfect, and helped ease a lot of worried fans. For many (me) seeing the Enterprise up on the big screen again was a religious experience. One that sent chills down my spine and stayed with me for weeks afterwards. The Kelvin timeline has had a couple missteps, but it has allowed Star Trek to come back to life in a huge way. 

Happy Birthday Star Trek

Today is the day: Star Trek’s 50^th birthday. To some it may seem strange to be celebrating the 50^th birthday of a television series, but Star Trek was never just a television series. Star Trek has always been about the future, and what humanity can accomplish when we move past racism and discrimination. Star Trek, at its barest roots, provides one thing: hope. Growing up I watched Star Trek and I saw a world where the colour of your skin didn’t matter. I saw a world where your gender did not define you. And I saw a world where your sexuality was just that, yours. That is the world I have always wanted to live in, and that is the world that I want to strive to create.

                On a segue that’s a terrible transition; there is a lot of pop culture that I like. I like Star Wars, I like superhero stuff, I like Firefly, but there is very few things in pop culture that I love. In fact, I can only think of two: Star Trek and Mass Effect. And to be very honest, I love Mass Effect because of how much it reminds me of Star Trek. I like Star Wars because it’s exciting, but that’s all it is. The plots are simple, the dialogue basic, and the morals in it are quite literally black and white. Star Trek makes you think. It makes you look at your own morals and ethics and question things you never thought you would have to question. And, as I said before, Star Trek gives people hope.

                I could talk about the real world, physical changes that Star Trek has given us: from laptops and tablets to cellphones to the space shuttle; but I want to look at the other, less noticeable impacts it has had. Star Trek created a sense of wonder in multiple generations that led so many people to pursue science as their career paths. The inventor of the modern cellphone did so because he wanted a communicator like Captain Kirk’s! But for the young children watching it for the first time in the 60’s, there was something much more important that it showed: people of different cultures and skin colours working together. At the height of the cold war there was a Russian officer, at the height of racial tensions in the States there was a Black officer who happened to be a woman. These things did not go unnoticed! Nichelle Nichols, the actress who played Uhura, was considering leaving the show at one point, and was convinced to stay on the show by none other than Martin Luther King Jr. Nichelle had been offered a role on Broadway and was considering leaving the show. She says this of Dr. King’s visit:

“I was a singer on stage long before I was an actress, and Broadway was always a dream to me. I was ready to leave Star Trek and pursue what I’d always wanted to do.

“Dr. Martin Luther King, quite some time after I’d first met him, approached me and said something along the lines of ‘Nichelle, whether you like it or not, you have become an symbol. If you leave, they can replace you with a blonde haired white girl, and it will be like you were never there. What you’ve accomplished, for all of us, will only be real if you stay.’ That got me thinking about how it would look for fans of color around the country if they saw me leave. I saw that this was bigger than just me.”

What Star Trek did in the 60s was groundbreaking, and cast members are often asked what Gene Roddenberry was trying to accomplish with his diverse cast, but he wasn’t really trying to accomplish anything. The multicultural cast was just a reflection of the world that he believed in, and he wanted everyone to see it.

                Actress Whoopi Goldberg grew up in the 60’s and she recalls the first time she saw Star Trek: "Well, when I was nine years old Star Trek came on, I looked at it and I went screaming through the house, 'Come here, mum, everybody, come quick, come quick, there's a black lady on television and she ain't no maid!' I knew right then and there I could be anything I wanted to be."

                Stories like this are so common in the Star Trek community. You hear stories of people who were bullied because they were smart, but held onto hope because Star Trek showed them that intelligent people are the ones who save the day; you hear about people who grew up without friends, but Star Trek showed them a future where everyone was accepted so they held on. There’s a quote from Futurama that rings true for almost every fan: “... it taught me so much. Like, how you should accept people, whether they be black, white, Klingon or even female... But most importantly, when I had no friends, it made me feel like maybe I did.”

                There is a reason that Star Trek resonates so strongly even after 50 years. There is a reason why Star Trek is still important. Most pop culture isn’t actually important, sure it can give a glimpse into what life was like in a certain time period, but it is rarely truly important. Star Wars, while entertaining and good, is not important in a significant, cultural way. Star Trek is. It is rare that one can watch a television series from the 60s fifty years later and still get inspired by the future it portrays. Star Trek is especially important now when most science fictions show a bleak and desolate future where humanity is struggling to survive: there is no hope in that. But Star Trek continues to provide that hope. Even in its darkest moments, even when its characters made decisions that were wrong, it still provided hope.

                My entire sense of justice and what is right and wrong comes from Star Trek. It showed me why racism is both wrong and pathetic. It showed me why hate hurts everyone involved. And it showed me that helping someone is never wrong. Star Trek taught me to be true to myself, and it taught me that society should accept me for whom I am, and not force me into something else.

                People sometimes find it odd how emotional I can get when seeing the Enterprise on the screen. Every time the Enterprise is shown for the first time in a film I get emotional; my heart starts racing and tears form in the corners of my eyes, and the people around me can probably feel my love for that ship radiate off of me. You see, seeing the Enterprise fly across a television screen is one of my oldest, fondest, and most significant memories. We often forget our memories from when we were toddlers because they aren’t significant—we may remember the lessons we learned, but we rarely remember how we learned them—but seeing the Enterprise for the first time has never left me. I remember crying when the Enterprise was shown in space for the first time in Star Trek 09, feeling emotionally drained for days afterwards, and seeing it floating there every time I closed my eyes. It may seem odd or pathetic to you that I get so emotional other a fictional ship, but seeing it reminds of the first time when I was watching my dad’s favourite show with him, it reminds of me of every lesson I learned from the franchise, and it reminds me of who I want to be.

                I love Star Trek. I love each of the series and the films. The first real adult novel I ever bought and read was Star Trek Voyager #18: Battle Lines. The first video game I ever finished was Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force (great game). The first graphic novel I ever read was Star Trek The Next Generation: The Gorn Crisis.

                To me, and many others, Star Trek not just a science fiction franchise, but the reason we haven’t given up. I believe in the world that Star Trek portrays. I believe in Star Trek.

                Here’s to the next fifty years, and to a ship called Enterprise. We have many more adventures to come, and I think Kirk said it best: “This is the final cruise of the Starship Enterprise under my command. This ship and her history will shortly become the care of another crew. To them and their posterity will we commit our future. They will continue the voyages we have begun and journey to all the undiscovered countries, boldly going where no man - where no one - has gone before.”

The Captain's Chair: A short story

“I’m gonna miss this chair. From here I have seen so much. Ushered in peace, and navigated through the treacherous waters of war. From here I have seen friends die.” He smiled ruefully, “It was a chair, very much like this one, where I discovered who I really am. To think, everything this chair has seen, and it’s being left to gather dust in a museum. I was sitting in that chair when you and I first met, old friend. Do you remember? Of course you do, that brain of yours doesn’t forget a thing, does it? You know, the only time I was ever truly sad sitting here was when I thought I had lost you. I remember coming back up here after your funeral and sitting down. I couldn’t get comfortable. Nothing seemed right, and my mind… my mind would not focus on anything. I felt no joy feeling that surge of power as we began to move. The wonder I have always held of the stars was lost without you.”

                He turned away from the chair and walked to navigation console, leaning forward on it, with his hands firmly planted. “Bones said I went a little crazy after you died, and I guess I had to have been a little crazy. How else could’ve I stolen the ship to come find you? Sitting in that chair again, high with the hope of finding you, I was excited again. I was happy to be in that chair, to be home again. And being on that planet, with you by my side as it was destroyed; I didn’t feel an immense sadness. The old girl had done all I had asked of it—it brought you back to me, old friend. Even in that rust bucket we took from Kruge, that chair felt right because you were by my side again.”

                He smiled, honestly this time. “I’m going to miss this chair. It was far more comfortable than the first one.” He turned to his friend, who was standing off to the side watching and listening with his hands behind his back. “Well, Spock, aren’t you going to say anything? I know the chair won’t mean as much to you, but the ship, and the name, must mean something to you!”

                “I have never understood the connection that humans make to inanimate objects, as a Vulcan. However, the human part of me does feel a longing to stay. It is, however, illogical to miss a starship. It is far more logical to miss the people I have spent time with on this ship. The human side of me will reminisce about Chekov’s unsubstantiated claims of Russian dominance in classic literature, while the Vulcan side of me will urge me to continue on and not live in my past.” Spock paused, and looked over at the science station, his science station. “I will, however, miss the opportunities that my position on the ship allowed me. And you, Jim. I will miss you on the day that we part for the last time.”

                Jim Kirk smiled at his old friend, “Bones would say that that would be damned illogical for a cold-blooded, pointy eared bastard like you.” Kirk laughed at his own joke, while Spock merely raised his eyebrow quizzically. “Don’t worry Spock, it’s going to be a long time before we part ways. I’m heading out for the shakedown cruise with the Enterprise-B, and then I’ll be back doing god knows what. Do you remember what you said to me while you were dying? ‘I have been and always shall be, your friend.’ I mean to hold you to that.” Kirk clapped his hands and headed towards the turbolift, “Now, I have to get ready for that shakedown. I’ll see you when I get back, supper that night?” Kirk smiled as he entered the lift, knowing that he had many more years to spend with his friend.

                Spock stood by the captain’s chair, a place he had so often stood before, and looked around the bridge, one last time. He remembered the banter between Sulu and Chekov. He remembered Uhura’s professionalism, and the way she would shake her head at the antics that went on around her. He remembered Scotty’s determination to this ship. And most of all, he remembered the way that Bones, Jim, and he would talk; the humans laughing at some joke while he stood beside them, never fully understanding why something was funny, but never feeling like he was the joke. Spock would miss this ship. It was just something he would not admit to Jim. Not yet. Perhaps when Jim returned.

                But Spock would not see Jim again. 

Star Trek Beyond

I watched Star Trek Beyond this weekend, as I said I would, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. After the sour taste of Into Darkness, Beyond was wonderfully Star Trek. The story wasn’t based off of an older film or television episode, but it still felt like Trek. Simon Pegg, the writer/Scotty, grew up with and loves Star Trek, which really came across in the script. The cast remains perfect, and there is a heartfelt tribute to both the original cast and to Leonard Nimoy.

                As many of you know, this year marks Star Trek’s 50^th anniversary, and many fans were holding onto hope that Paramount would release something worthy of this milestone, and I’d like to think that they did. Certainly it was a better celebration of the franchise than Skyfall was for Bond. The plot took many typical action movie routes, but it also harkened back to the roots of Star Trek with the discussion of morals and grey areas, and science. Best of all, the feeling of hope that the television series were known to impart was back in full swing. I left the theatre happy and hopeful, which is something that hadn’t happened in a long time. Don’t get me wrong, I usually leave the theatre happy and content, but the feeling of hope isn’t something one usually leaves a theatre with, and it certainly wasn’t something I left Into Darkness feeling.

                There was a great moment right at the start of the third act that could’ve just been a typical action movie moment, but the script from Pegg and Doug Jung elevated it by the simple inclusion of science in the dialogue. The humour and heart that was the soul of Star Trek came back in full swing for this film. The banter between Kirk, Spock, and McCoy felt plucked from The Original Series, and it was flawless. Every insult that McCoy threw Spock’s way came from a place of deep respect, and the viewer could pick up on that. From the way Kirk interacted with all of his crew, you could see the trust he has in them. And the easter eggs. Oh my goodness, the easter eggs. From references to the MACO and Xindi wars to the cast of TOS, the easter eggs were plentiful and amazing. If I have one gripe with the script, it’s an extremely nerdy one. At one point Scotty mentions that the crashed ship they find, the USS Franklin, was the first warp 4 capable ship, unfortunately, according to its registry number (and the fact its captain fought against the Xindi before becoming a captain) it was built after the Enterprise NX-01, which was the first warp 5 capable ship. Casual viewers won’t pick this up, but it did take me out of the movie for a moment, especially since the new Trek films have mentioned the NX-01 before.

                Nerdy griping aside, the film had a beautiful tribute to Leonard Nimoy’s passing woven into the story. Early in the film, Spock finds out about the passing of Ambassador Spock, and decides that he is going to leave Starfleet and go to New Vulcan to finish Ambassador Spock’s work. He believes that this is what the Ambassador would want. But at the end of the film he is given a package that contains several items from Ambassador Spock. Included in these items is a photograph of the original cast taken during the filming of their last movie together. This is the part where my eyes started welling up. The credits say that the film is in memory of Leonard, and following that was the simple message: “For Anton.” That’s where I actually cried a little. The Star Trek family lost two members in its fiftieth year, and instead of cashing in on that, Star Trek Beyond pays them a beautiful tribute that was full of hope for humanity. This message of hope is something that our real world, with its daily terror attacks and mass shootings, sorely needs. 

The greatest influence in my life

                Arguably the most important science fiction franchise in history turns 50 this year. Sorry Star Wars, but you wouldn’t exist if Star Trek hadn’t paved the way with its clearly superior writing and acting. Now, I’m a fan of many sci-fi franchises: Star Trek, Star Wars, Stargate, Battlestar Galactica, and those are just the ones with ‘star’ in the title. Yet, if I had to choose just one franchise to watch, read, and write about for the rest of my life, the choice would be startlingly easy: Star Trek. I learned so much from it, so many of my morals, my ideas about right and wrong, they come from Star Trek. My understandings of justice and acceptance, my ability to hold onto hope! My belief that things can get better, they all come from Star Trek.

                Star Trek debuted in the sixties. In a time of international tensions, and race riots, it portrayed a future where humanity was united. Where the country of your birth and the colour of your skin didn’t matter. At the height of the Cold War, it had a Russian officer working alongside American officers. At the height of the racial divide in the States, it had a black woman as an officer working alongside and in harmony with white people. For these reasons alone, it was ground breaking. Like all good science fiction, the stories the series told held up a mirror to society. Science fiction has the benefit of critiquing everything in a way that people don’t notice on the surface. Through episodes dealing with xenophobic aliens, it critiqued the Cold War. Through episodes dealing with alien races, it critiqued the racial divide in America.

                Star Trek portrayed a universe where people were always given a chance to prove themselves. A universe where people were judged only for their actions, not their appearance. It taught me that this is how people should act. I grew up watching a world where skin colour didn’t affect how you should look at people, and through that I became a person who doesn’t judge others by that. I’m sure my parents had a little to do with that, but this is about Star Trek, not them.

                Deep Space Nine taught me that the world isn’t in black and white. It taught me that morals weren’t black and white, and that if something was the right thing to do for one group of people it wasn’t necessarily the right thing for other groups. Through characters like Dr Bashir, who through no fault of his own was an illegal eugenic, I learned that I could accept myself for who I was. Through Kira I learned that being religious was okay, but that I shouldn’t blindly follow it if something felt wrong. Through Sisko I learned that leadership and respect is earned through actions, and not just because of status. It taught me that even good people will do bad things if they believe it’s the right thing to do. And in the end, it taught me that victories of any sort only come through sacrifice.

                The Old testament in the bible has some interesting thoughts on justice, including that the sins of the fathers can be passed on to future generations. Star Trek showed me that this was wrong. It allowed me to see that no one should be tied to the wrong doings of their families or of their people. The most obvious example that springs to mind is when Jadiza Dax was put on trial for the supposed actions of Curzon Dax. The accusers argued that because Jadiza was the new host of the Dax symbiont, she should be held accountable for the actions of Curzon. Odo once said that “The law? Commander, laws change, depending on who's making them - Cardassians one day, Federation the next. But justice is justice,” which took me a while to fully grasp. It’s something that I get now. Everywhere in the world, there are unjust laws: from the gun laws in the States, to some of the laws involving First Nations in Canada. Are the people affected by those laws receiving justice? No, they aren’t, and because of Star Trek, I learned to truly appreciate the fact that laws do not always equal justice.

                Star Trek was a world that I wanted to live in. A world where everyone was accepted, and for a time, I felt like I could live in that world. I truly embraced my inner trekkie. Then I moved and got teased and bullied for it, so I hid it. I still loved Star Trek, but it became something I enjoyed in secret. The irony is apparent to me now, but it was necessary at the time. I always found it so odd that Star Wars was something people could love openly, but Star Trek wasn’t. It was because Star Trek was always something that made you think, and thinking was something nerdy. Because Star Trek was smart, it wasn’t “cool”. The real world was so biased and base, that people weren’t even being accepted because they liked things that required thought. But Star Trek gave me hope that this would change, so I held onto that hope, and I continued to love Star Trek. The Vulcan philosophy of Infinite Diversity in Infinite Combinations gave me the belief that anything is possible, because there is literally an infinite amount of choices that we can make. I watched all the series, I read the books, I played the games.

                Then I fell away from it for a bit. The real world got too dark and depressing, and I didn’t want things that made me think, so I fell into a world of bright colours and flashing lights to distract myself. The lessons I learned from Star Trek were still there, but I distanced myself from the franchise. I still watched the movies, but I didn’t read the books anymore. I quit watching the TV series. I was denying myself of something that was literally part of me. But outside of my parents, Star Trek was the biggest influence on my life. I grew up with it. I was molded by it. And yet I denied myself of it. I don’t know why, other than I thought people would judge me by it. But Star Trek taught me to be true to myself. To not hide who I am.

                And I’m a trekkie. Star Trek is possibly the most important science fiction franchise ever made. It has made real world changes: from technological advances, to how we view others. It has influenced the lives of countless people through its portrayal of humanity and a better world. Even Martin Luther King Jr believed that it was important. I will argue forever that is a better franchise than Star Wars in every aspect (except in money making), and we all know that Star Wars wouldn’t even exist if Star Trek hadn’t paved the way. For Star Trek’s 50^th birthday, they have added the their first canonically gay main character, who just happens to be a person of colour, and they’ve announced the return of Star Trek to television.

                I, for one, am excited, and will definitely be going to watch Star Trek Beyond next weekend; even if I have to drive to another city to see it (our theatre here is terrible). In case you didn’t pick it up, Deep Space Nine is my favourite series. Followed by the Original, then The Next Generation. Wrath of Khan is my favourite film, followed by First Contact, then The Undiscovered Country.

                Qapla’ and Live Long and Prosper.

                That’s right, I snuck some Klingon in. 

The Importance of Star Trek

     I forgot to post yesterday... oops. Sorry about that, I just kept getting sidetracked by things. Mainly Star Wars. I mean, very professional, adult things. Yup, not Star Wars at all.

     ahem

     It`s no excuse, I know. I`m very sorry. 

     Anyways, because I started this off with Star Wars I`m going to talk about Star Trek in this blog. Logic! Don`t question my logic, I`m pretty much a Vulcan, so I know more about logic than you. Unless you`re an actual Vulcan... In which case, please message me so we can hang out in space and stuff. 

     Star Trek is very important to our culture and to the modern age. But Zak, you interrupt rudely, it was just a tv show! How is it important?

     Well, ignorant fool, it was a whole franchise of TV shows, 5 live-action with a sixth being worked on, and 12 movies with the 13th coming out next summer. So, not just a tv show. Gosh. Star Trek inspired generations of scientists, philosophers, and politicians. Cellphones were invited because people wanted the communicators from The Original Series. The Next Generation inspired laptops and tablets. Deep Space Nine explored the the human psyche on levels most television would have never dared to!

     One of the most culturally significant aspects of Star Trek comes from The Original Series. It was a show, that during the height of race riots and the Cold War, featured a black woman and Russian man as main characters. Not just main characters either, officers who held crucial positions on the flagship for Earth`s fleet. Uhura became an icon. Young Black girls in the 1960`s got to watch a series every week that showed them that they could do whatever they wanted. Uhura and Chekov showed a future where race didn`t matter because we were all human. 

      One of the most significant, and radical things Star Trek did, was to showcase the first, the very first, inter-racial kiss on television. For the first time in television history, a white man was shown kissing a black woman. It was revolutionary! And ridiculously controversial. 

      And Star Trek stayed controversial. It touched on subjects like same-sex relationships, poly-amorous relationships, racism, xenophobia, PTSD, consequences of war, torture, and so many more. They never did for publicity, all the things came up through clear and consistent story-telling, and were always done with grace.   

       There`s a section of my memoir dedicated to Star Trek where I go in-depth into the personal significance it holds. I love Star Trek. And I will say that it is the most important piece of pop culture ever produced until I fall into my grave. 

      That`s it for today. Tomorrow I have an interview with the longest running film festival in North America, so the tone of tomorrow`s blog will probably hinge on that...