Random First Impression: Star Trek: The Original Series

Star Trek is one of the biggest cult phenomenons to occur in our human history. The Trekkies, fans of the show, were perhaps the biggest geeks of the time and they blazed the way for the subculture of fandoms. Star Trek introduced a new era of science fiction and the fallout of this show was the focus on space exploration. Yet Star Trek didn't even have to occur in such a futuristic setting to portray its intent, it could've happened in a prehistoric era or somewhere else. Gene Roddenbury, the creator, only wanted to depict the human nature and have themes of morality and ethics litter the episodes, similar to how Rod Sterling envisioned "The Twilight Zone" to be. Of course, Star Trek blazed its way into our culture today with its idiosyncrasies. So I finally got the time to start watching it and I've started with the original series. Keep in mind I've only watched two episodes: the pilot and the first episode.

So after coming into the show expecting so much, what did I get? Being a huge geek/nerd myself, I instantly gravitated to its sci-fi feel to it. I've always loved "The Twilight Zone" for revealing the dark parts of humanity when subjected to the right amount of pressure. With Star Trek we have genuine dilemmas that seem believable given the era the show takes place in. So it's kind of like the love child of "The Twilight Zone" and space. The show value doesn't seem that high given that there wasn't a huge budget being pumped into the show as the show is to be carried on by dialogue primarily. So the creativity really can't express itself since the planets and the ship itself frequently use paintings or cheap props to immerse the viewer. Yet there is a sense that you can get drawn into the world they portray. The plot itself from episode to episode doesn't seem to be that complicated as the episodes seem to just be separate adventures for the Enterprise crew.

One thing I have to praise is the acting. Seeing as how most of the show is carried by the characters, the actors do a fantastic job illustrating the characters. Every character seems believable and the diversity among the characters allow for them to play off each other. It's a breath of fresh air from today's television since TV shows tend to have a huge emphasis on the effects while Star Trek chooses to focus only on the importance of the story.

Another thing that is amazing is that you can actually see the genre being defined. For one of the first times, space was a major focus. The original concepts of space exploration are somewhat crude yet it's fascinating that a series that doesn't choose to focus exclusively on the science fiction somehow sparked the nerdy part of fans to love the world that was being created.

So far, I like the series a lot. I like how it chooses to focus on the story and the characters unlike "Doctor Who" which has rather weak writing and weak characters. I'd say that Star Trek is shaping up to be one of my favorite TV shows.