Posts by Mike:
- Batman wasn’t originally “grim and gritty.” At least not really, and not for too long. Weldon deftly dismantles received fan wisdom that Batman was doing just fine as a brooding loner prowling Gotham’s shadows until Adam West ruined it all by dancing the Batusi. “After all,” Weldon points out, “Batman had tangled with werewolves, vampires, and death rays even in his very first year.”
- Batman wasn’t all that original to begin with. “Nothing about the character was new,” Weldon asserts, and presents evidence that backs him up. What was new about this “crude, four-color slumgullion of borrowed ideas and stolen art” was the speed with which he entered popular culture off the comic book page (and Weldon wins extra wordsmithing points for introducing me to the word slumgullion; I’d have guessed it was the name of a crook in Batman’s rogue gallery).
- Sometimes, Bob Kane showed absolutely no shame. I was aware Kane downplayed and denied artist Bill Finger’s role as Batman’s co-creator, but didn’t appreciate how hard Kane worked to make sure the public saw him alone as the Dark Knight’s daddy. When the 1966 TV show was all the rage, Kane would “sketch” Batman in front of live studio audiences by tracing drawings that had been prepared by artist Joe Giella “beforehand in a light blue pencil that the television cameras couldn’t pick up.”
- Tim Burton was going to direct a Batman stage musical. Long-time listeners of the Sci-Fi Christian podcast will recall the Batman “live experience” Matt, Daniel and Ben endured so the rest of us didn’t have to. But at some point the Dark Knight was on course for the Great White Way, in an honest-to-Gotham book musical with splashy production numbers and catchy tunes. Weldon only mentions the musical in passing, relegating it to a footnote (see page 217); I’d love to know more. Will we ever get at least a concept album? (Of course, considering Spider-Man’s disastrous big Broadway adventure, maybe we’re all better off not knowing more…)
The 1960s Batman TV show wasn’t a parody, and Tim Burton’s 1989 Batman wasn’t dark. Once again Weldon upends conventional wisdom. Batman the TV series, he argues, was less an adaptation of the character and more a visual transliteration of the comics. As for the 1989 movie’s much-vaunted return of Batman to his shadowy roots? Not so much. Weldon shows how Batman is a 1980s action movie, not a Batman movie. “And any film that contains a scene like the one in which a bereted Joker defaces an art gallery while shaking his fifty-one-year-old moneymaker to Prince’s contractually required ‘Partyman’ can only make the 1966 television series look like Requiem for a Dream.” - Black actors got “nudged aside” when director Joel Schumacher took the film franchise’s reins. Why didn’t Billy Dee Williams reprise the role of Harvey Dent? Because Schumacher wanted Tommy Lee Jones. Similarly, Marlon Wayans was tapped to play a “tough, streetwise mechanic version” of Robin until Schumacher brought in Chris O’Donnell. Weldon doesn’t directly accuse Schumacher of racism, but these recasting incidents offer sober reminders that, like the 2015 and 2016 Oscars, #HollywoodBatmanSoWhite. (Weldon mentions Lucius Fox the character once, but not Morgan Freeman’s delightful portrayals of him in director Christopher Nolan’s films.)
- The hero-to-be hears a call to adventure—“Forget everything you think you know”
- The hero at first resists—Cumberbatch, channeling Han Solo from the original Star Wars in a credible Yankee accent, insists he doesn’t believe in “fairy tales about chakras or energy or the power of belief”
- The hero finally returns to the world with a boon for its healing—“There are other ways to save lives”
- The meticulous creation of the rebels’ Massassi Temple base on Yavin 4—I would call it a “recreation,” but the setting is more fully realized here than it was in A New Hope
- Genevieve O’Reilly reprising her role, left on Episode III’s cutting room floor, of Mon Mothma—she’s the spitting image of Caroline Blakiston in Return of the Jedi
- The spectacular sight of a Star Destroyer cruising past the newly completed Death Star
- AT-ATs lumbering their destructive way through desert oases instead of over ice plains—any sight of familiar Star Wars elements in unfamiliar environments (like X-wings soaring over the water in The Force Awakens’ teaser trailer) makes everything old feel new again
- Ben Mendelsohn as an Imperial officer in a spiffy white uniform—he looks too young to be Admiral Yularen, who wore an outfit like that in his post-Clone Wars career. Whoever he is, he wades into that water looking like he means business
- A dark-robed figure kneeling before the Emperor (I presume)—a sure sign sinister Sith schemes are afoot
- Donnie Yen showing off some samurai action—fitting, given the influence Kurosawa’s Hidden Fortress exerted on George Lucas when he dreamed up Star Wars four decades ago
“The Man Trap” at 50: Seven Reasons Star Trek’s Premiere Still Holds Up
September 8th, 2016In his 1983 television special Star Trek Memories, Leonard Nimoy said NBC chose “The Man Trap” as Star Trek’s first-aired episode (it was the fifth produced) because network executives thought it was “‘proper’ science fiction, with a ‘proper’ monster threatening folks.”
“The critics didn’t like us,” Nimoy said, “and rightly so.”
Really? Nimoy sided with Trek’s first-time-out haters?
Not so fast, Spock!
While most of the buzz around Star Trek’s golden anniversary is celebrating the franchise as a whole, and rightly so (including the countdown list J.W. Wartick and I collaborated on this week), today is the perfect—one might even say, logical—chance to revisit “The Man Trap” at 50.
Did it serve as a strong beginning for Star Trek? And does it still hold up a half century later?
“The Man Trap” – Synopsis
In case you haven’t seen the episode recently, or ever:
The Enterprise arrives at rocky, ruin-strewn planet M-113 to pay a “house call” on archaeologist Robert Crater and his wife, Nancy—“that one woman” from Dr. McCoy’s past whom he loved, lost, and never forgot. But the mysterious deaths of two crew members—their faces now marked by bizarre red mottling, and their bodies completely depleted of salt—change a routine mission into a murder investigation.
Unbeknownst to anyone but Crater, “Nancy” is actually a shape-shifting creature who survives on sodium. The creature, “the last of its kind,” took the form of the real Nancy after she died years before, and has been Crater’s companion ever since.
Wearing one of its victim’s forms, the creature comes aboard the Enterprise. Suspense and death, including Crater’s, ensue. In the end, Kirk and Spock, intent on destroying the alien, corner it in McCoy’s cabin:
Thus ends the last of the M-113 “salt vampires.”
Not Exactly Flawless
First things first: Not even the golden glow of Star Trek’s 50th anniversary can hide the fact that this episode is far from perfect.
The fact that not one single member of the Enterprise crew thinks to offer the creature salt except as bait is an inescapable, inexplicable, inexcusable plot hole.
Is sodium chloride such a scarce commodity in the 23rd century the Federation can’t spare the occasional salt lick to keep this “salt vampire” alive, especially given that it’s likely the last of its kind? (You never know, some may have gotten off-planet, as this one does…)
None of our heroes display any curiosity about or compassion for the creature. In fact, when, in the guise of McCoy, it suggests it could simply be fed salt without tricks, Spock makes the assertion (a remarkably cold-blooded one, even for an ostensibly emotionless character), “Your attitude is laudable, doctor, but your reasoning is reckless.”
Kirk accuses Crater of having protected the creature for selfish reasons, but it’s Kirk—who allows his desire to punish the creature for killing his crew—who emerges as less than admirable. I wonder whether Crater, in the end, offered himself willingly to it, since the Enterprise crew was intent on killing it—and whether it finally reveals its true form as a way of begging for swift death.
Contrast “The Man Trap” with “The Devil in the Dark,” later in this first season, to see how much more faithfully that episode embodies Star Trek’s ideals of mutual understanding and peaceful co-existence. Or remember Spock’s words in Star Trek IV (words his younger self, here, needs to hear): “To hunt a living creature to extinction is not logical.”
But I still maintain:
As first impressions go, Star Trek could have made a much worse one.
Not a Bad First Trek At All
So what is there to like about “The Man Trap” at 50? Quite a lot, I think.
For the time being, here are 7 points in its favor.
1. A strange new world
Sure, it’s painfully obvious M-113 is a soundstage (dig those multiple shadows), but the scenic design is imaginative and evocative. The soundscape goes a long way toward establishing an exotic atmosphere, too—the low howl of the wind (as though it’s mourning the death of the planet’s creatures); the soft chimes, always just on your hearing’s horizon. Every week in his opening narration, Captain Kirk promises “strange new worlds.” This first week, Star Trek certainly delivered.
2. The diversity of the Enterprise crew
Watch the scene in which Sulu calls General Quarters. We see a diverse crew bustle through the corridors: men and women of several ethnic backgrounds, wearing more than one style of uniform. And when Uhura decides the Swahili-speaking man she met must have been the creature, she tells Yeoman Rand, “I would have remembered a crewman like him”— because he matched whom she thought of when feeling lonely, not because he was black. Diversity is simply a given aboard the Enterprise.
3. Memorable Guest Stars
This episode helped establish the Trek tradition of first-rate guest talent. Both Jeanne Bal and veteran stage and screen star Alfred Ryder (he once understudied Laurence Olivier) deliver compelling performances—she, as the understandably frightened and increasingly desperate sole survivor of her species; he, as a supposedly belligerent, single-minded scientist who is revealed, as the hour progresses, to be philosophical and compassionate. Bal in particular makes small but significant choices in bringing her character to life; note, for instance, the way “Nancy” caresses McCoy’s face at several points, foreshadowing how we will see the creature attempt to “feed” on Kirk in Act IV.
Bruce Watson plays “Green” (more accurately, the creature disguised as Green) with a hesitant physicality and intense stare that makes Rand’s suspicion he’s gone “space-happy” eminently believable. And in his one brief scene, Vince Howard (frequent TV guest star well into the ’90s) makes a lasting impression as Uhura’s Swahili-speaking “dream crewman.”
4. The “Triumvirate” Front and Center
That’s what they were often called in 1970s and ’80s fan writing about the show: the Big Three of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. Each man enjoys substantial attention over the course of the hour. We glimpse the depth of Kirk and McCoy’s friendship, and we hear (from Uhura) that Kirk is “the closest thing [Spock] has to a friend.” These aren’t generic placeholders, but people with real emotions—even Spock (who flirts with Uhura! The 2009 movie didn’t pull that pairing from nowhere!) (Frankly, supporting players Uhura, Sulu, and Rand get better moments in “The Man Trap” than the second-tier cast usually does; early Trek episodes anticipated the ensemble feel The Next Generation would perfect.)
5. A rich science fiction core
Yes, “The Man Trap” is a “monster” story, but it’s one with a solid science fiction center. How might the last member of a truly alien species adapt to ensure its survival? Wah Chang’s design for the “salt vampire,” with its disheveled appearance and deep-set eyes, conveys not only menace but also melancholy. It has become a minor pop culture icon (a version of the vampire even came close to appearing in the 2009 Star Trek, and it appears in this year’s Hallmark “Magic” Star Trek Christmas ornament!).
6. The Nostalgia Trap
True to Trek form, “The Man Trap” prompts some intriguing questions, if we’ll let it.
Is the monster the real trap, or is nostalgia? (he asked, not unaware of the irony on the 50th anniversary of an old TV show). “You have such strong memories of me,” “Nancy” tells McCoy as she seeks refuge. Although McCoy acknowledges, early on, the human tendency to idealize the past—“Granted, I may have been seeing her through a romantic haze”—even he is not immune to the creature’s talent for exploiting its prey’s memories. The creature is described as having a “hypnotic or paralyzing power,” an apt description of how our past can have a detrimental hold on us when we don’t keep it in proper perspective. Some nostalgia is natural, even healthy. But if we’re not careful, our “strong memories” can drain us of clear insight, strength, and purpose as surely as the M-113 creature saps its victims of salt. Sometimes we must simply “pull the trigger” on it, as McCoy does, to ensure our safety and the safety of those for whom we care.
7. Dominion and Stewardship
Another question to consider: What responsibility, if any, does humanity bear toward other, endangered life forms? The M-113 creature is posited to be “the last of its kind,” acting as it does simply to stay alive; yet no one apart from Crater and the creature itself seriously entertain thoughts of preserving and protecting it. When Crater asserts there is “no difference” between the creature and the buffalo, Kirk retorts, “There’s one difference: it’s killing my people.” Humanity’s right to life takes precedence over all other concerns—a position unusual for Star Trek. It’s a position at odds with Christian faith, too. God gave human beings “dominion” over other animals—not a license to dominate or destroy them (Genesis 1.28). By their very existence, God’s other creatures offer God praise, and we dare not casually silence their choruses.
(Incidentally, the North American bison still lives, mostly within the boundaries of Yellowstone National Park. It was, however, extinct east of the Mississippi by 1883. “Buffalo Tales: The Near-Extermination of the American Bison” by Shepard Krech III, available to read at the National Humanities Center website, provides a solid introduction to these magnificent creatures’ story.)
Conclusion: “The Man Trap” at 50 is Fine!
Anyone watching “The Man Trap” at 50 will see it lacks the high-minded philosophy that animates the very best Star Trek. It does, however, remains a suspenseful and entertaining introduction to Star Trek’s characters and their world. Certainly, it hooked enough viewers a half century ago tonight that Trek, while never a ratings powerhouse, eventually managed to live long and prosper.
Which is more than we can say for the salt monster.
I respect the late Leonard Nimoy a lot, but “The Man Trap” at 50 or any age is better than he made it out to be. It’s one of the episodes I’ve watched repeatedly, and I’ll be watching it again tonight, grateful that it got my favorite science fiction series off the ground.
Images found at http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/props-re-used.81174/page-15; http://www.startrek.com/database_article/man-trap-the; http://io9.gizmodo.com/hallmark-has-truly-outdone-itself-with-this-new-star-tr-1783376413
Top 25 Trek Moments (Times Two): 5-1
September 8th, 2016
Star Trek turns 50 today! And The Sci-Fi Christian’s resident unrepentant Trekkie, Mike, has teamed with up J.W. Wartick, author of the Always Have a Reason apologetics blog and fellow Trek fan, to celebrate.
J.W. and Mike have been cross-posting their 25 personal favorite moments from the length and breadth of the Star Trek franchise.
From the original series to the Kelvin timeline, these 50 moments in total are among the highest highlights Trek has to offer.
Some are iconic scenes that show Trek’s true heart. Others have special resonance for Christian Trek fans. Still others are just a whole lot of fun.
In keeping with the 50th birthday theme, Mike and J.W. have limited their comments about why they chose these moments to 50 words or less. (It wasn’t always easy!)
We hope you enjoyed counting down to Trek’s golden anniversary with us!
SEPTEMBER 8
Today’s the big day! And some of Star Trek’s biggest and most iconic moments makeup the final installment of our countdown. We hope you’ve enjoyed it, and will tell us about some favorite Star Trek moments of your own in the comments!
5.
J.W. – Pretty Much All of It (Star Trek: First Contact, 1996)
It’s difficult to pick a single moment from First Contact, which is my favorite Star Trek film. As a kid I found myself looking up at the sky outside to see if Borg were descending on me that very moment. Watching it now, I enjoy the strong plot and characters.
Mike – Captain Borg (“The Best of Both Worlds, Part I,” TNG, 1990)
Composer Ron Jones uses Alexander Courage’s classic Trek fanfare to ironic and chilling effect as the camera reveals Locutus of Borg, formerly our hero, Jean-Luc Picard. It’s a moment that fires on all cylinders, heralding Trek’s coming-of-age as a modern storytelling force to be reckoned with.
4.
J.W. – “KHAAAAN!!” (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, 1982)
It appears all is lost for Kirk and gang as Kirk yells his rival’s name bitterly into his communicator. In reality, Kirk has once again cheated the system, and it is this revelation that made the movie, to my younger self, utterly compelling. It remains captivating to this day.
Mike – The Kobyashi Maru Scenario (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, 1982)
Viewers who dreamed of attending Starfleet Academy vicariously got their wish watching Saavik learn that “how we deal with death is… as important as how we deal with life.” (It’s also a brilliant fake-out, “killing off” Spock so fans lowered their guard before the movie lowered the real boom later.)
3.
J.W. – Klingon Jesus Appears (“Rightful Heir,” TNG, 1993)
Worf goes to find himself but ends up finding the long-awaited Kahless has returned. Not only that, but Kahless specifically calls him back to an enlivened faith. Kahless turns out to be a clone, and the episode remains thought-provoking and intense throughout.
Mike – “The Meld” (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 1979)
Jerry Goldsmith’s lush score accompanies some of Trek’s most beautiful special effects as Decker, Ilia and V’Ger achieve transcendence. One of the franchise’s highest concept moments, dramatizing a yearning to “join with the Creator” that we Christians believe God perfectly fulfilled by coming to us (not vice versa) in Christ.
2.
J.W. – Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra (“Darmok,” TNG, 1991)
Although it seems obvious a species that can only communicate through metaphor would have problems building spaceships, this episode poignantly portrays the struggles to communicate cross-culturally while serving up some choice quotes. Not watching this is like Shaka when the walls fell.
Mike – The Phoenix Takes Flight (Star Trek: First Contact, 1997)
The movie makes up for Zefram Cochrane’s earlier, cringeworthy name check of the franchise by showing us humanity’s first warp-powered spaceflight, accompanied by the strains of Steppenwolf’s “Magic Carpet Ride.” It’s thrilling and inspiring, and a heck of a lot of fun—as Star Trek’s future, at its best, always is.
1.
J.W. – Picard Lives a Second Life (“The Inner Light,” TNG, 1992)
Picard lives an entire lifetime’s memories in just a few short minutes “real time.” Coming to, he realizes it was all the memories of a lost civilization, and the episode ends with him playing a flute from the lost world alone in his cabin. It’s absurdly beautiful.
Mike – Stealing the Enterprise (Star Trek III: The Search for Spock, 1984)
The heist is perhaps out of character for our heroes and the franchise, but friendship is at stake. Horner’s scoring is masterful, the cast’s acting is tops, and Kirk’s determination to go even when warned he’ll “never sit in the captain’s chair again” reminds us what really matters in life.
Top 25 Trek Moments (Times Two): 10-6
September 7th, 2016Star Trek turns 50 tomorrow! And The Sci-Fi Christian’s resident unrepentant Trekkie, Mike, has teamed with up J.W. Wartick, author of the Always Have a Reason apologetics blog and fellow Trek fan, to celebrate.
Since September 4, J.W. and Mike have been cross-posting their 25 personal favorite moments from the length and breadth of the Star Trek franchise. From the original series to the Kelvin timeline, these 50 moments in total are among the highest highlights Trek has to offer. Some are iconic scenes that show Trek’s true heart. Others have special resonance for Christian Trek fans. Still others are just a whole lot of fun.
In keeping with the 50th birthday theme, Mike and J.W. have limited their comments about why they chose these moments to 50 words or less. (It wasn’t always easy!)
We hope you enjoy the penultimate day of our countdown to Trek’s golden anniversary!
SEPTEMBER 7
One theme that shows up a lot today’s choices is the power of the past. The choices we’ve made and the choices made by others shape our lives. From the fictional fallout from Cardassia’s occupation of Bajor to the bitter, real-life legacy of societal racism the U.S. struggles with still, Star Trek teaches us that past choices have consequences, for better or worse, for our present and future. But it also affirms that new and better choices remain real possibilities.
10.
J.W. – Worf is Shunned (“Sins of the Father,” TNG, 1990)
One of the most poignant scenes in TNG is the Klingon High Council all turning their backs on a lonely Worf in the middle of a circle. It’s a radically unfair moment that contrasts Worf’s true honor with the subterfuge of his rivals.
Mike – “What does God need with a starship?” (Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, 1989)
Yes, really. Kirk shows us the importance of iconoclasm—challenging false gods—with this wonderful question. He may not believe in God, but he at least knows enough to “test the spirits” (1 John 4.1). Not every claimant of our ultimate trust, obedience and worship is deserving. Discernment is demanded.
9.
J.W. – Dealing with a Violent Past (“Duet,” DS9, 1993)
The Cardassian/Bajor conflict was apparent all through DS9 and certainly parts of TNG as well, but here it comes into true focus in beautiful ways rarely explored on Star Trek. It remains one of the better episodes of Star Trek across all series.
Mike – “I won’t kill him!” (“Arena,” TOS, 1967)
Kirk relies on his intelligence, ingenuity and mercy to survive, refusing to kill the Gorn he earlier wanted to destroy. He proves to the Metrons’ satisfaction (but not Spock’s) that humanity is “a most promising species.” One of the classic series’ most iconic and memorable hours, and deservedly so.
8.
J.W. – Invading Fleet “Can’t Stand It” (Star Trek: Beyond, 2016)
The latest Trek movie has all kinds of fun moments, but the self-referential humor of blowing away an invading fleet with music that hearkens back to the first reboot film tops them all. Tune into a modern classic to fight baddies.
Mike – Spock Melds with the Horta (“The Devil in the Dark,” TOS, 1967)
In a day when science fiction on TV often meant scary monsters (as in TOS’ own first-aired episode), Trek challenged the idea that the unknown, the alien, the “other” must, by definition, be the enemy. Innovative costuming and Nimoy’s empathetic acting sell the series’ most memorable moment of first contact.
7.
J.W. – We Learn What’s Important (“Family,” TNG, 1990)
Picard must try to reconcile with his brother back home in France as viewers get not only a tantalizing look at life on Earth in the future, but also an education in what’s important. Hint: it’s the episode title.
Mike – Benny Russell Dreams (“Far Beyond the Stars,” DS9, 1998)
Trek’s most direct assault on racial bigotry remains too timely in 2016. Sisko, in a Prophet-induced vision, learns the dangers of being black in 1950s America. It’s also one of the franchise’s most stirring affirmations of hope’s power: “You can pulp a story, but you cannot destroy an idea!”
6.
J.W. – That’s How You Premiere a Series (“Emissary” DS9, 1993)
“Emissary” was a rare moment for me- a pilot episode of a Star Trek series that was genuinely amazing. Sisko’s backstory was intriguing, all the other characters gave hints of potential, and the tension was ratcheted up with the discovery of a wormhole.
Mike – Tasha’s Farewell (“Skin of Evil,” TNG, 1987)
While Trek’s theology of immortality (living on in others’ memories) offers less hope than the Gospel, Tasha’s memorial shows the power of ritual and the necessity of community when coping with grief. Ron Jones’ score sings with heartbreak but also, as if by grace, healing. Season one’s most beautiful moments.
Top 25 Trek Moments (Times Two): 15-11
September 6th, 2016
Star Trek turns 50 this week! And The Sci-Fi Christian’s resident unrepentant Trekkie, Mike, has teamed with up J.W. Wartick, author of the Always Have a Reason apologetics blog and fellow Trek fan, to celebrate.
Through September 8, J.W. and Mike will be cross-posting their 25 personal favorite moments from the length and breadth of the Star Trek franchise. From the original series to the Kelvin timeline, these 50 moments in total are among the highest highlights Trek has to offer. Some are iconic scenes that show Trek’s true heart. Others have special resonance for Christian Trek fans. Still others are just a whole lot of fun.
In keeping with the 50th birthday theme, Mike and J.W. have limited their comments about why they chose these moments to 50 words or less. (It wasn’t always easy!)
We hope you enjoy counting down to Trek’s golden anniversary with us!
SEPTEMBER 6
Didn’t you get the memo? Today is Star Trek IV day! No, not really—but 2016 does mark not only Trek’s 50th anniversary, but “The One With The Whales”’ 30th. No fewer than three moments from the film show up on J.W.’s and my lists today. Remember, we made our lists independently, so today is a real testament to Star Trek IV’s success and staying power—not just as a piece of comedy, but as a statement about our responsibility, as human beings, to be better stewards of God’s good creation.
15.
J.W. – Ro Chooses Sides (“Preemptive Strike,” TNG, 1994)
Ro Laren had been in and out of TNG for several episodes, and her Bajoran roots linked her plot with what was happening on DS9. Here, we see her go from favored protégé of Picard to betraying his trust to follow what she feels is the greater good.
Mike – Worf’s Bedside Manner (“Disaster,” TNG, 1991)
Pressed into medical service after catastrophe strikes the Enterprise (as it does), Worf makes ready to set a crewman’s broken leg with this blunt assessment: “This will hurt. Prepare yourself.” Afterward, he praises his patient: “You bore that well.” A pitch-perfect note of character-based comedy, at which mature TNG excelled.
14.
J.W. – Finally Home (“Endgame,” Voyager, 2001)
Though we may not get as much of the story as we’d like, fans finally got to see the return of Voyager to, approximately, home. The whole premise of the show was based on the culmination of this event, and the payoff is emotionally captivating.
Mike – “Hello, computer!” (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 1986)
It’s hard to pick a favorite funny scene in a film full of them, but Scotty’s (admittedly unrealistic) ignorance of a 1980s computer—”The keyboard; how quaint”—is always a contender. The scene is also the template for Spock Prime’s “invention” of transwarp beaming for Scotty in Star Trek (2009).
13.
J.W. – Blue Shirt? Kill me now! (“Tapestry,” TNG, 1993)
Picard must relive moments of his life that he would like to change as Q guides him to the realization that those choices made him who he was. The best part: when he ends up a blue shirt, he immediately demands death instead of continuing as a lowly science officer.
Mike – Khan Revealed (Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, 1982)
Ricardo Montalban’s performance as an older, crazier Khan so riveted me, I memorized much of it, including this scene. Montalban swings from nostalgic bitterness (“On Earth… 200 years ago…”) to unbridled outrage (“This is Ceti Alpha Five!”) All memories of Mr. Roark evaporate; here is the Trek films’ greatest villain.
12.
J.W. – “Would you mind stopping that noise?” (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 1986)
Kirk asks a punk on the bus to turn off his boombox; in response, the punk turns it up. So Spock shuts him down and the bus applauds. This is one of the most memorable moments in all of Star Trek, in my opinion.
Mike – U.S.S. Enterprise, NCC-1701-A, Revealed (Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home, 1986)
A cathartic moment that restores order to the recently chaotic Trek universe. The unveiling of the new Enterprise, to the strains of Alexander Courage’s fanfare, is arguably the franchise’s first overt acknowledgment that (as Roddenberry’s own, unused lyrics to the old theme say), this “star trek will go on forever.”
11.
J.W. – Data is a Person (“The Measure of a Man,” TNG, 1989)
Riker must try to demonstrate Data is not a person, and does so by taking an arm off… he thinks. But Picard’s case comes out on top and Data is demonstrated to be a person with all the rights that entails. It’s a suspenseful, heartwarming moment early in TNG.
Mike – “This is 13 years ago…” (“The Menagerie,” TOS, 1966)
Gene Roddenberry faced the unenviable “no-win scenario” of needing to air the show’s unsold, radically different first pilot episode in order to fill out TOS’ first season. His solution was elegant, enveloping it in a frame story that instantly gave the Trek universe a “pre-history” and Spock a richer backstory.
Top 25 Trek Moments (Times Two): 20-16
September 5th, 2016
Star Trek turns 50 this week! And The Sci-Fi Christian’s resident unrepentant Trekkie, Mike, has teamed with up J.W. Wartick, author of the Always Have a Reason apologetics blog and fellow Trek fan, to celebrate.
Through September 8, J.W. and Mike will be cross-posting their 25 personal favorite moments from the length and breadth of the Star Trek franchise. From the original series to the Kelvin timeline, these 50 moments in total are among the highest highlights Trek has to offer. Some are iconic scenes that show Trek’s true heart. Others have special resonance for Christian Trek fans. Still others are just a whole lot of fun.
In keeping with the 50th birthday theme, Mike and J.W. have limited their comments about why they chose these moments to 50 words or less. (It wasn’t always easy!)
We hope you enjoy counting down to Trek’s golden anniversary with us!
SEPTEMBER 5
Today’s chosen moments again lift up Trek’s flair for wearing either the mask of tragedy or comedy, as the story demands. From Lwaxana’s deep and painful grief to Kirk’s tribble-induced exasperation, these moments give a sense of the franchise’s wide emotional range. They also show us how Trek can spark deep thought on unresolved ethical issues still shaping our society, for good or for ill, from racism to eugenics—and the place of religion in it all. Trek remains as relevant today as ever.
20.
J.W. – Odo Can Turn Into ANYTHING (DS9)
Okay, it might not quite be true to say that Odo can turn into anything, but close enough. Throughout the course of DS9 fans see Odo shapeshift into all kinds of strange things, from vases to a combadge. The combination of ability and campiness makes Odo an intriguing character.
Mike – Spelled Out in Black and White (“Let That Be Your Last Battlefield,” TOS, 1969)
When I was younger, I dismissed classic Trek’s most overt criticism of racial prejudice as “about as subtle as a sledgehammer.” Now, sadly, I’m not so sure white Americans don’t need as many blunt reminders about the dangers and sheer stupidity of racial prejudice and intolerance as we can get.
19.
J.W. – Tribbles (“The Trouble with Tribbles,” TOS, 1967)
There’s a reason everybody remembers this episode. It may not be the greatest piece of film shot for Star Trek—far from it—but it got nominated for a Hugo award and is some of the most straightforward fun I’ve had watching an episode of Star Trek.
Mike – Fizzbin (“A Piece of the Action,” TOS, 1968)
Kirk’s knack for fast thinking and fast-talking his way out of tough spots has never been on more hilarious display. His impromptu “rules” aren’t internally consistent even as he makes them up, which only adds to the fun. Shatner’s clearly having a good time, and viewers do, too.
18.
J.W. – Learning How to Mourn (“Dark Page,” TNG, 1993)
Lwaxana Troi, one of my least favorite characters, is given an astonishingly sympathetic role as one suffering mental trauma from the loss of a child. As a viewer, you learn that sometimes, there is little you can do to help but weep with those who mourn.
Mike – “Don’t Destroy the One Named Kirk (“Balance of Terror,” TOS, 1966)
McCoy encourages a self-doubting Kirk by putting him in his cosmic place: “In this galaxy, there’s a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, three million million galaxies like this. And in all of that, and perhaps more, only one of each of us.”
17.
J.W. – Eugenics = Bad (“The Masterpiece Society,” TNG, 1992)
Star Trek is sometimes at its best when introducing ethical questions, and “The Masterpiece Society” asks many. In particular, what price are we willing to pay for alleged perfection? It’s an ethical quandary that takes center stage in this thought-provoking episode.
Mike – Ambassador Kollos (“Is There in Truth No Beauty?,” TOS, 1968)
The semi-corporeal alien deemed too hideous to behold is one of classic Trek’s most truly “science fictional” aliens—and Dr. Miranda Jones’ impassioned challenge of conventional wisdom (“Who is to say whether Kollos is too ugly to bear, or too beautiful to bear?”) is an eloquent plea for embracing diversity. IDIC!
16.
J.W. – The Power of Religion (“Accession,” DS9, 1996)
Though it could be faulted for portraying a somewhat pragmatist view of religion, “Accession” also shows at several points that faith is something that goes beyond simplistic stereotypes and into deeper aspects of personhood. It’s a moving episode that sees Sisko reinstalled as Emissary.
Mike – “The Klingon Battle” (Star Trek: The Motion Picture, 1979)
Another standout musical moment from Goldsmith. The insistent clacks of his heavily percussive Klingon theme underscore the doomed aliens’ encounter with V’Ger, “voiced” by the wonderful “blaster beam.” Spectacular new Klingon ships, a high-tech Federation space station, and an immediately gripping threat to Earth, all in a few minutes’ time.
Top 25 Trek Moments (Times Two): 25-21
September 4th, 2016
Star Trek turns 50 this week! And The Sci-Fi Christian’s resident unrepentant Trekkie, Mike, has teamed with up J.W. Wartick, author of the Always Have a Reason apologetics blog and fellow Trek fan, to celebrate. Through September 8, J.W. and Mike will be cross-posting their 25 personal favorite moments from the length and breadth of the Star Trek franchise. From the original series to the Kelvin timeline, these 50 moments in total are among the highest highlights Trek has to offer.
Some are iconic scenes that show Trek’s true heart.
Others have special resonance for Christian Trek fans.
Still others are just a whole lot of fun.
In keeping with the 50th birthday theme, Mike and J.W. have limited their comments about why they chose these moments to 50 words or less. (It wasn’t always easy!)
We hope you enjoy counting down to Trek’s golden anniversary with us!
SEPTEMBER 4
Today, both lists begin with some up-to-the-minute moments, testifying to Star Trek’s continued vitality, five decades after its debut. They also spotlight Trek’s abilities to tickle viewers’ funny bones as well as prompt them to deeper thought.
25.
J.W. – Trek is back to TV… kind of (Star Trek: Discovery Announced, 2016)
Finding out that Star Trek was returning in series form was massive news for Star Trek fans. It’s always been the format Trek has excelled in, and I know that the announcement of a new series was one of the best moments I’ve had with Star Trek.
Mike – “Is that classical music?” (Star Trek Beyond, 2016)
The perfect fusion of “nuTrek” and old: Instead of firing phasers or photon torpedoes, our heroes unexpectedly use music as a weapon against Krall’s “bees”—and the song of choice? The Beastie Boys’ “Sabotage,” a callback to the 2009 film. (We all like the beats and the shouting, Jaylah!)
24.
J.W. – Data is an A-Bomb (“Thine Own Self,” TNG, 1994)
Data shows up at in a village with no memory of who he is, or that he’s carrying a container full of radiation poisoning. When the camera pans onto that case with the radiation warnings on it, it is one of the more chilling moments in TNG.
Mike – The Tragedy of Red Squad (“Valiant,” DS9, 1998)
One of Trek’s most haunting examinations of war and its costs. Jake and Nog’s friendship is tested past the breaking point aboard a Starfleet vessel crewed by cadets who want to become (depending on who you ask) heroes or martyrs. A powerful, not preachy morality tale in Trek’s finest tradition.
23.
J.W. – Seven of Nine is Revealed (“Scorpion, Part 2,” VOY, 1997)
The Borg are perhaps the most feared of all Star Trek villains, and for good reason. Here, however, viewers are introduced to a character who would later become a seeming paradox: a sympathetic, rehabilitated (?) Borg.
Mike – Tribbles Keep Fallin’ On Kirk’s Head (“Trial and Tribble-ations,” DS9, 1996)
An overrated TOS episode is redeemed with witty scripting and ingenious, seamless editing just in time for Trek’s 30th birthday. We learn those fuzzballs kept raining down on Kirk because, off camera, time-traveling Sisko and Dax were tossing them aside in order to find a bomb!
22.
J.W. – Data is Impersonal (“In Theory,” TNG, 1991)
Data experiments with humanity, but it turns out that much of his work is just that—experimentation. When his girlfriend breaks up with him, his utterly bleak—and apparently inhuman—reaction is to delete the program routine he wrote to date her.
Mike – Captain Proton to the Rescue!!! (“Bride of Chaotica,” VOY, 1999)
Buck Rogers and zap guns are an often overlooked part of Trek’s DNA, but not here! The pulp sci-fi tradition is on full, garish black-and-white display as Tom Paris’ B-movie holodeck program goes terribly—and hysterically—wrong. The “Voyager” cast always shone when set free to unleash their comedic chops.
21.
J.W. – I turned on the wrong channel (“Qpid,” TNG, 1991)
A rollicking good time in this episode of TNG, wherein Q attempts to give Picard a love interest by transporting him and select crew members to Sherwood Forest. If you start this episode in the middle, you’d be confused about what you’re watching.
Mike – “Why are they banging their heads?” (“Little Green Men,” DS9, 1995)
Arguably the funniest of Trek’s many trips to the past, wherein we learn that none other than Ferengi crashed in Roswell in 1947. “I’d always heard primitive hew-mons lacked intelligence,” Quark observes, “but I had no idea they were this stupid!” Out of the mouths of extraterrestrials.
Why Glen Weldon’s New Batman Book, The Caped Crusade, Matters Right Now
June 2nd, 2016I was dreading Glen Weldon’s new book, The Caped Crusade: Batman and the Rise of Nerd Culture.
Not because Weldon’s a bad writer. He’s not; he’s outstandingly good. A movie, book and comic book critic for NPR and all-around bona fide pop culture expert, Weldon’s a smart, engaging, frequently very funny author.
When he brought all that talent to bear on Superman in 2011, I was thrilled. You can read my review of his Superman: The Unauthorized Biography and see: I thought the book was great. Of DC Comics’ first two superheroes, Superman is and always has been my first choice. Weldon’s account of the Man of Steel and his mythos was not only a good book in its own right but also felt like a validation, a vindication, when so much of pop culture has been all about the Bat for so long.
So when Weldon announced his next book would be all about Batman, too, I felt an irrational pang of betrayal. Et tu, Glen?
But I loved Glen Weldon’s new Batman book, from first page to last. I had such a good time with it, I started my second reading as soon as I finished my first. In fact, I probably enjoyed Weldon’s take on the Dark Knight even more than his take on the Man of Tomorrow (just please don’t tell Superman, okay?).
Things I Never Knew About Batman
Maybe I enjoyed The Caped Crusade so much because it taught me a lot I never knew about Batman, and challenged a lot I thought I did.
Bat-Fandom: A Cautionary Tale
But I ultimately appreciated The Caped Crusade for more than the Batman trivia it taught (or re-taught) me.
First, Weldon makes an immediately compelling argument about what really makes Batman Batman. It’s not his physical prowess. It’s not his vast fortune (which Weldon, as have others, fingers as Bruce Wayne’s real superpower.) I’ll leave it to you to read Weldon’s book and find out what it is, assuming you don’t already know; perhaps other writers and fans have singled out Batman’s sine qua non before, but Weldon does it with gusto and grace, and demonstrates on several occasions how it keeps our hero on a meaningful quest instead of a personal vendetta.
Second, and most important, Weldon (as his book’s subtitle signals) concerns himself with not only the character of Batman but also the fandom—the unrelentingly rabid fandom—Batman has inspired. And this insight, more than any other, powers Weldon’s book, as surely as atomic batteries powered the TV Batmobile: Bat-fandom as we know it emerged almost entirely as backlash against the Adam West series.
If you never thought the 1966-68 series with its corny catchphrases, kooky camera angles, and crazy cameos mattered as anything more than (as Weldon says) a “gateway” to superheroes in general and Batman in particular— think again. Weldon makes his case clearly: “Until Batman’s premiere [on January 12, 1966], that virulent strain of devotion—the conviction that one’s love of a character entitles one to ownership of it—remained a sentiment in search of an outlet.” But when the ABC series proved a ratings smash, veteran fans of comic book Batman
could condemn the show and the hordes of fresh, fair-weather Batman fans it bred. They began to shape, for the very first time, the sentiment that all nerds who followed them would employ whenever they found their niche interests embraced by the mass culture: “You do not appreciate this thing you profess to love in precisely the same way, to precisely the same extent, and for precisely the same reasons that I do.”
Or, more simply, “You’re doing it wrong.”
The sickness Weldon diagnoses as nerd culture’s affliction is a strain of the same malady currently plaguing our larger society—a virulent variation on the old, intolerant theme, “We are unalike; therefore, you must be wrong.”
I confess I’ve felt that self-righteous indignation sometimes. I felt some twinges of it after watching Batman v Superman: “Harrumph. Wasn’t my Superman.” I felt more of it after watching Star Trek Into Darkness: “Harrumph. Not my Star Trek.” Yes, at times, I’m the Grumpy Old Fan, yelling at young whippersnappers to get off my lawn.
But in my better moments, I remember (eventually) that someone else’s way of enjoying characters, stories, or fictional worlds does me no harm. If anything, these narratives’ ability to spawn and sustain multiple versions testifies to their richness. No one is forcing me to forget “my” version—and if I tell myself they are, I’m only cheating myself out of the chance to try something new.
Where “nerdclinations” are concerned (to borrow Scott Higa’s wonderful word), very little is at stake. But when the same attitude creeps into personal relationships, public discourse, and politics, we drift into treacherous waters.
The nerd culture wars Weldon describes mirror the culture wars we in the United States have been fighting for decades. Increasingly unable even to tolerate those who are different from ourselves, much less take positive delight in diversity, we distance ourselves from and demonize others, telling ourselves and them that, because they aren’t just like us, they must be wrong.
Weldon’s nerd culture narrative does end on a hopeful note. Batman the Idea escapes the clutches of those who would keep him exactly as he was in 1938, or 1969, or 1986. “The world has accepted hard-core fans’ argument,” Weldon concedes. “Batman… is serious. And awesome. And definitely not gay. And, most importantly, now and forever, badass.”
But at the same time, more people than ever are enjoying Batman—through cartoons, through Lego Batman, through snarky Internet memes. Some people, at least, have found a way to let all Batmen be Batman—and, Weldon suggests, they’re having a better time than “true fans” ever will.
I hope we Americans will find a way to bring more of that all-embracing spirit into our relationships with each other. Certainly, our convictions matter. And those of us who are Christians believe some truths are non-negotiable; we are not to be like “children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine” (Ephesians 4.14, NRSV). But living by one’s principles is no license to dismiss or threaten other people—real human beings, also created in the image of God, also sinners for whom Christ died—who disagree or who are simply different. If we speaking the truth in love (again, Ephesians 4.14), we aren’t cutting off conversation, or closing off relationships—we are encouraging them.
As we at The Sci-Fi Christian say all the time, stories matter. Our reactions to those stories matter, too. Glen Weldon’s new Batman book shows us two ways of responding to Batman’s story, and one is a heck of a lot more fun than the other—and reflects a more joyous, faithful and excellent way of responding not only to each other’s stories but also to each other in real life.
What version of Batman do you respond best to, and why? Let’s talk in the comments below!
(Ad from Action Comics #12 found at http://www.dialbforblog.com/archives/389/. Image of Burt Ward as Robin and Adam West as Batman found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batman_(TV_series)#/media/File:Batman_and_Robin_1966.JPG.)
What Can Christians See in the New Star Trek Series Teaser Trailer?
May 19th, 2016As The Sci-Fi Christian’s resident unrepentant Trekkie, I’d be falling down on the job if I didn’t offer my two cents quatloos about CBS’ unveiling of the teaser trailer and logo for its new Star Trek series. The first episode will debut on the Tiffany Network before the rest of the series beams over to CBS’ online streaming service.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xXpPweAooeE
My first thought? Even for teaser trailers, this one’s pretty skimpy. No one reading this blog is likely surprised to learn a new Star Trek series is on the way, but this “trailer” amounts to little more than an announcement of the news.
My second thought? Although there’s not much here, what is here is, visually, very engaging (with apologies to Captain Jean-Luc Picard). It’s major influence is, without question, the closing credit sequences of the J.J. Abrams Trek films—a warp-speed, whiplash fly-by of worlds unknown, including that one planet frozen in mid-explosion (maybe it’s supposed to be Praxis, the Klingon Empire’s doomed energy moon?)—but it also evokes the weekly opening credit sequence of Star Trek: The Next Generation. Still, it’s a dazzling ride, beautifully realized. If we get to see effects work like this on a weekly basis when the series arrives, we’ll really be in for a treat.
Behold, Star Trek Is Doing A New Thing…
My third thought? Despite the welcome presence of Alexander Courage’s original series theme at the trailer’s end, this series will—and should—be something new.
For the first time in three decades, since “Encounter at Farpoint” premiered, a new Star Trek series will have no overt ties, beyond its title (in a harsh, angular typeface that mashes up the original series’ and The Next Generation’s title fonts), to what has gone before. The onscreen tag line sets a high bar:
New crews. New villains. New heroes. New worlds.
Not even “Encounter at Farpoint” aimed to break so completely with Star Trek’s past: It was set aboard a U.S.S. Enterprise, had a prominent Klingon character, and included a cameo by DeForest Kelley.
But the 2017 Star Trek series will, if it keeps this trailer’s promise, be something different. Sure, the familiar Starfleet delta shows up—but notice that fracture on the right-hand side, through which some Abrams-worthy lensflare streams? It’s as though the light of something new will not be denied—the future as an unstoppable, illuminating force, breaking through what’s comfortable and known in order to reveal new vistas of possibility.
Okay. Maybe that’s a lot to expect from a TV series that is, in the end, another iteration of a fifty-year old franchise, however much I happen to love it (even when, as in recent years, it’s driving me bonkers).
But it’s not too much to expect from God. God is in the business of breaking through what’s comfortable and known, what’s familiar and safe, in order to bring us into a better future. As God announced through the prophet Isaiah:
Do not remember the former things,
or consider the things of old.
I am about to do a new thing;
now it springs forth, do you not perceive it?
—Isaiah 43.18-19 (NRSV)
Everyone’s A Star Trek Fan—Even You
In Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, Captain Kirk tells Spock, “You want to know something? Everybody’s human.”
Do you want to know something?
Everybody’s a Star Trek fan.
Hear me out.
Like a lot of Star Trek fans—or fans of Star Wars or Superman or any well-established property, for that matter—we all tend to want what we’ve always known, what we’ve always enjoyed, what’s always made us happy before. That’s human nature. And there’s nothing necessarily wrong with wanting security and stability—unless and until it gets in the way of our welcoming the light of God’s future, which is on a direct interception course for us and for the world.
We’ll see how truly new CBS’ Star Trek series will be. But we’ve already seen—most clearly, in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ—that God’s in the business of doing truly new and different things. May we, God’s people, be in the business of welcoming them.
What are you looking for from the new Star Trek series? Leave a comment below to join the conversation!
The Best Bit In The First Doctor Strange Trailer
April 13th, 2016The first trailer for Marvel Studios’ Doctor Strange, starring Benedict Cumberbatch, debuted on Jimmy Kimmel Live! last night. It’s a beauty:
I know little about Doctor Strange in the comics. I’ve only met him once, in the all ages-friendly pages of Marvel Adventures Spider-Man when my then-five-year-old son and I were discovering comic books together. But I think I know what sets Strange apart from most superheroes: His superpower is magic.
He’s not an alien. He’s no mutant. He’s not even interested, as Reed Richards is, in pseudo-scientific talk of quantum realities or extra-dimensional planes of existence. He’s just unapologetically all about spells and chants and trances and amulets, and you can take it or leave it—he’s good either way.
The Doctor Strange trailer promises us the movie will show us how he became this no-nonsense wielder of weird arts.
“Teach Me!”
Sure, the trailer feels familiar—and not just because the special effects, while impressive, conjure up more than a few memories of Inception. This movie will be an origin story, one that sticks closely to the Joseph Campbell monomythic pattern:
But the best bit about the Doctor Strange trailer is the moment near its end. The Ancient One—played, in an odd (at best) casting choice, by Tilda Swinton (as Angry Asian Man discusses)—tells Strange, “So much you don’t know.” Strange, his wide eyes hungry for wonder, pleads in reply, “Teach me!”
That honest zeal for new knowledge and understanding may be Strange’s most heroic trait.
When the world doesn’t conform to our preconceptions—when, viewed through our own particular “keyholes,” it won’t make sense—how often do we assume the fault is with the world instead of with us?
When God doesn’t measure up to our expectations—when prayers seem to go unheard, when problems are unresolved, when our questions remain stubbornly unanswered—how quick are we to think that it’s God, and not us, who doesn’t know so much?
Everyone needs experience-based, reliable models of the world. How could we, how could society, function without them?
And believers benefit from disciplined theological reflection, the testimony of Scripture, and the wisdom of church tradition.
But we also need to leave room for surprise and for mystery. Without despairing of ever knowing anything about the world or God for certain, we must remember that “now we see in a mirror, dimly” (1 Corinthians 13.12, NRSV).
“Nothing will be impossible with God,” the angel Gabriel told Mary, Jesus’ mother (Luke 1.37). When we remember that there is so much we don’t know, and ask God to teach us as eagerly as Stephen Strange asks the Ancient One to teach him, then our futures, like his, are full of possibility.
Doctor Strange opens November 4. Are you looking forward to it? What did you think of the trailer? Let’s talk in the comments below!
Will Rogue One Ask the Question No Star Wars Movie Has?
April 8th, 2016There’s a lot of fun, cool, exciting stuff that makes the nerd hair on the back of my neck stand up in the teaser trailer that debuted yesterday for Rogue One: A Star Wars Story:
But Felicity Jones as Jyn Erso commands the most attention.
I know nothing about Jyn Erso beyond what this trailer tells and shows us, but I know I like her already. She reminds me of Rey: a tough, smart loner who’s used to fending for herself. Jyn also reminds me of Ezra from Star Wars Rebels. She’s got a talent for finding trouble—and, like Ezra (at least as of this writing, when Rebels’ second season has just wrapped up), she may be facing a close encounter with the Dark Side of the Force. Assuming the trailer’s close is a true clue rather than mere misdirection (granted, not a safe assumption), the ominous chords of “The Imperial March” underscoring the sight of Jyn in a TIE pilot’s uniform suggest that her mission to find the Death Star plans will put her at risk of losing herself.
“What Will You Become?”
Forest Whitaker’s question at the trailer’s end—again, presumably directed to Jyn—raises the same disturbing possibility: “What will you do when they catch you? What will you do if they break you? If you continue to fight, what will you become?”
We haven’t seen Star Wars ever really take on the truth that war changes people.
The prequels hint at it. We watch the Jedi change from peacekeepers to soldiers. We see the Republic die (“to thunderous applause”) and rise in mutated form as the Empire. But neither the Jedi nor the Republic are institutions in their prime when the prequels start, so we never feel the full force of their downfall.
Anakin Skywalker changes during the prequels, too, but his change isn’t driven so much by the war as by his own fears of losing Padme and his desire for control. (Of course, the animated Anakin, on TV’s The Clone Wars, is a much more engaging character than live-action Anakin, so perhaps war changed him by bringing out his best.)
Certainly, war changes no one—not one person—during the classic trilogy. The rebels are heroes and the Imperials are villains, from the first frame of Episode IV to the last frame of Episode VI. Yes, Darth Vader experiences redemption—but because of the internal conflict Luke senses within him, not because of the war itself. (I suppose Lando becomes a bona fide hero as a result of his wartime experiences, but, considering he plays key roles in both rescuing Han and destroying the second Death Star, he doesn’t register much as a character in Return of the Jedi.)
The Force Awakens gives us our first substantial look at war changing someone in the Star Wars universe. FN-2187 refuses to participate in the slaughter on Jakku after watching his comrade die. The Force seems to be at work, too, in Finn’s case, but the bloody smears his fallen brother-in-arms leaves on Finn’s helmet mark the first honest acknowledgment of war’s high cost in a Star Wars movie. Still, even Episode VII focuses more on changes motivated by other factors. Leia and Han changed because of their broken relationship. Ben Solo became Kylo Ren, not because war raged across the galaxy, but because Snoke led him astray. Luke retreated into seclusion after his fledging Jedi revival was destroyed—a devastating but isolated battle, not a campaign in a star-spanning conflict (at least, so far as we currently know).
I admit I may be reading too much into the Rogue One teaser trailer—but what else are teaser trailers for? I’m intrigued by the possibility that Jyn Erso may represent Star Wars’ first onscreen in-depth examination of how war can change someone.
In the Star Wars universe, war is a constant fact of life (hence the franchise’s title). The good guys win one day, the villains win the next—generation after generation. It makes for exciting space fantasy, but it also exposes the futility of violence, even violence undertaken for a good cause. Destroy the Death Star—thirty years later, you’re up against Starkiller Base. Can the bloody, “gotta be a way to blow it up” cycle ever be broken?
Apparently not in the Galaxy Far, Far Away. But what about the real world you and I live in? Will Rogue One be the Star Wars movie that finally makes us stop and ask ourselves, during the film itself, “If we continue to fight, what will we become?” That would be a subversive question for a series built on special effects-laden space battles to ask.
We’ll find out in December.
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