Can you be a Star Trek and Star Wars
fan? Indeed, you can! There has been a debate about this question for decades
now, and I can tell you that I have always been a fan of both; however, there
are the purists among us who are set on the notion that you must choose sides.
This is mostly based on their fierce allegiance to one over the other, but that
only deprives them from enjoying the fine content that they are missing.
My History
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| 'Lost in Space' Robot |
When I was a kid, the debate was more a question about
Lost
in Space (1965-1968) and Star Trek
(1966-1969). I was very young and since LIS came first, I was attracted to the
young boy Will Robinson (Bill Mumy) and the Robot (Bob May’s voice). I wished I
could be like him on a spaceship with my family.
ST came out the following year, and this is when silly
controversies started. I was not going to watch ST at first, but after hearing
other kids talk about it, I gave it a chance. There was simply no comparison
between the two. My young mind was more attracted to ST right away. The
Robinsons in LIS were always stranded on the same planet, while Kirk (William
Shatner), Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and the rest of the crew were planet hopping
every week. Series creator Gene Roddenberry set the standard for a science fiction television series.
Star Wars
Changes the Game
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| Some 'Star Wars' action figures |
In 1977 there were a good many old ST fans waiting in
line to see the first Star
Wars (now called A New Hope) movie. I was
enthusiastic about seeing the film because I read somewhere that ST was a big
influence on George Lucas. In a more
recent interview, Lucas admitted that Star Wars
“stood on the shoulders” of Star Trek. I really appreciate George being
a fan of ST and admitting it.
I was blown away by the first movie. Just as I was a
little kid like Will Robinson in LIS, now I was a teenager like Luke Skywalker
(Mark Hamill). There was planet hopping galore in this film, great space
battles, and the thing that really set it apart from ST – this thing called the
Force and the Jedi who used it and lightsabers to battle evil.
Looking Back
When I think about it now, I never made a choice
between ST and SW. As the Trek movies started to come out, I went to see
them. When the SW movies came out, I did the same. I was a fan of both because
I loved both galaxies. I never made a choice because I did not have to.
How I Feel Now
My son has been big Star Wars fan since he was
young. We watched the first six movies and then went to see the sequel trilogy
as each film came out. We watched SW: The Cone Wars, SW Rebels, and even
SW Resistance (all animated series). Along the way, Disney+ came into
being and thus we had access to all SW content including new shows like The
Mandalorian and Ahsoka.
Watching Trek Al Over Again
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| Main characters from 'StarTrek' original series |
Earlier this year, my son brought up ST. He wanted to
know why we never watched it. I admitted that I did not want to go into that
storyline when he was younger – yes, I guess I dropped the ball there, but in
my defense, there was just so much content, and I was not sure how to fit it in
because we watch other shows and films as well.
At this point we have watched the original series and
six movies associated with it. He became very attached to the original
characters and the Enterprise itself. When the ship blew up in the third
film, he was genuinely upset (as was I all over again).
We are now watching the first season of ST: The Next Generation (thank you Paramount+). My son has gravitated toward the character of Wesley Crusher (Wil Wheaton) who
is a teenager like himself trying to navigate in a world of adults. The first
season is particularly hard on Wesley, and I can see why my son is hoping for
him to succeed.
A Gift
Watching ST and SW has been a gift to my son and me,
because we are bonding over films and TV series that have been part of my life
for many years. Seeing him excited about the content of both brings me joy. We
are also collecting new figures and sets from the ST galaxy, but since he has
so many more SW items, we have a long way to go before there can be some
balance.
Give The Other Side a Chance
All I can say to those of you out there who are avid
fans of ST or SW and vehemently opposed to watching the other, please try to
give the other galaxy a chance. You are missing so much storytelling, great
characters, and truly enjoyable experiences.
So, to SW fans, I hold up my hand with my middle and
ring fingers split apart and say, “Live Long and Prosper.” To ST fans, I put my
hand over my heart and say “May the Force be with you.” Now it is up to you to
cross over and give yourself a chance to explore that other galaxy. I promise
you that you will be glad that you did.
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