The Star Trek franchise is celebrating its incredible 50th anniversary this year, and so the time has come to look back to the original 1960s series that started it all. Leonard Nimoy was a key member of the first Enterprise crew as Mr. Spock, and it was arguably Spock's dynamic with his foil Captain Kirk that powered the original through three seasons and a handful of movies. Nimoy sadly passed away in early 2015, but not before revealing his favorite episode of the original series. Here's what the late, great actor said about it.
"Devil in the Dark" I thought was a wonderful episode about the fear of the unknown, how we fear and even hate something that we don't know anything about. Learn who your enemy is and maybe that is no longer your enemy. Interesting episode.
Leonard Nimoy shared his favorite episode of Star Trek for the 50 Years of Star Trek documentary that will air on History later this year (via IGN). It marks his final filmed interview before his death, and I can't help but feel that it was a fitting last appearance on camera. Nimoy influenced the lives of millions in his role as Spock, and Star Trek fans will certainly appreciate one last look into the mind of the man who helped make the franchise a success.
"The Devil in the Dark" was an episode of the first season of Star Trek that aired back in March of 1967. Kirk, Spock, and the rest of the Enterprise crew visited a mining colony to help the miners deal with a mysterious creature responsible for the deaths of 50 people and the destruction of a great deal of valuable equipment. Most of the folks in the colony - including Kirk after the death of one of his ill-fated red-shirted crew members - wanted the creature killed, but Spock wanted the seemingly one-of-a-kind critter spared. When they discovered that the creature was a silicon-based sentient life form known as the Horta, they realize that they misunderstood an entity that was not a true enemy at all. The Horta only wanted to protect its eggs.
The episode included everything that was so great about original Star Trek. Kirk and Spock started out with different viewpoints, then came to meet in the middle in their efforts to save as many lives as possible. Dr. McCoy dropped a classic one-liner, a redshirt died, and everybody learned a good lesson by the end. There was a lot to love, and this first season episode is a fantastic example of what helped make the Star Trek series unlike anything else on television. "The Devil in the Dark" was actually one of the first Trek episodes I ever saw, and I was tickled to see that Leonard Nimoy had such a long-standing appreciation for it.
To see the rest of the 50 Years of Star Trek documentary, tune in to History at 8 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 14. Take a look at our fall TV premiere schedule to find what else you'll be catch on the small screen in the near future. And, of course, live long and prosper.
