Photo Essay 4/4

[aruan]

These are authentic, unaltered screencaptures or official promotional stills, and any text that appears in them is, with a single obvious exception, actual dialogue within the context of the scene pictured.

NOTE: I've done my best to reduce the size and quality while preserving the integrity of the images - none of them are over 60K - but there are still around twenty per post.

Love and Logic Aboard the Starship Enterprise IV

Though they try to hold each other in check:



They're often recklessly selfless with hurling themselves into harm's way for the other:



Especially Spock, whether by brute force:



As Kirk tends to get himself into:



...situations with alarming frequency.

Or via more refined methods, i.e. the Vulcan mind meld seen here, to erase Kirk's painfully conflicting emotions after being brainwashed with false memories of loving a female crew member:



The things these nemeses come up with to drive Kirk mad.

But to be fair, Kirk doesn't exactly slack on his end, either:



And what's any relationship without the occasional fight to the death?



And conversely, sacrifice of own life:



Kirk: Spock!
Spock: Ship... out of danger?
Kirk: Yes.
Spock: Don't grieve, Admiral. It is logical. The needs of the many outweigh...
Kirk: ...the needs of the few.
Spock: ...Or the one. I never took the Kobayashi Maru test until now. What do you think of my solution?
Kirk: Spock...
Spock: I have been... and always shall be... your friend. Live long and prosper. (transcript from tvtome.com)

For the record, the speech Kirk gives at his funeral: We are assembled here today to pay final respects to our honored dead. And yet, it should be noted that in the midst of our sorrow, this death takes place in the shadow of new life, the sunrise of a new world. A world that our beloved comrade gave his life to protect and nourish. He did not feel this sacrifice a vain or empty one. And we will not debate his profound wisdom at these proceedings. Of my friend, I can only say this: of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most... human.

Spock, through a series of incredible events, comes back to life and is rescued by Kirk and company, who deceived Starfleet, sabotaged a ship, stole another one, fought Klingons, and needed political asylum by the end of it all, to get him back:



Only Spock remembers nothing of Kirk or his previous life. But love conquers all even in the 23rd century, and they're both whole and together again by the end of the adventure.



After retiring from their busy schedule of going where no man has gone before, came to live back on Kirk's home planet of Earth where, though they're given an admirable amount of consideration for privacy by the paparazzi, we do get the occasional lovely candid like this:



They've also made time for other leisurely pursuits.



Mostly though, they prefer the quietude of their garden:



But neither never having been one to sit still for long, they've recently completed a joint novelization of some of their most illustrious adventures and went on a cross-country promotional tour:



They were previously immortalized as action figures:



Which they had a good laugh over but keep, unwrapped, on a shelf of their entertainment center. They even starred in a movie adaptation of their lives!



Aaw. I propose a toast!



To good times, and...



Live long and prosper.

And would you believe that's not even close to everything? If you'd like to get the whole story, go here. The love, people. The love is not to be believed in all its abundant canonical glory.

Many thanks to saturn92103, who was actually the first to get me thinking something other than the knee-jerk reflex about Trek in a dark, smoky bar in Boston. To the Sci-Fi Channel for its end-of-summer, six-hours-a-day marathon. Farfalla for her great site and bunches of others who host episode guides, screen captures, fan art, merchandise, etc. science_vixen for filling in the blanks. And finally, to walkingshadow, for always indulging my enthusiasm.

Comments

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

There is no denying it, really. I've said that about my fandoms before, but the complete and utter lack of reasonable doubt here is truly inspiring. No wonder they launched a whole new genre of fandom (not to mention fandom itself as we know it). Glad you enjoyed, and sometime, you'll have to tell me about your Next Gen boys. Also, why Sarek had occasion to mind meld with Picard.

[saturn92103.livejournal.com]

Sarek came on board the Enterprise for a Federation mission but they discovered that he was suffering from a diseae that caused him to lose control of his emotions. The illness was so severe that it was affecting other members of the crew (telepathically or empathically, I suppose). To help Sarek control his emotions on the mission, he and Picard did the mind meld. :)

[gjstruthseeker.livejournal.com]

Okay, coincidentally, one of yesterday's episodes was The Naked Time, titled somewhat dubiously but involving a plot device wherein people started acting like their baser instincts would have them, the result of which being a very painful sequence wherein we watched Spock fight tears and say "Jim, when I feel friendship for you, I'm ashamed" and owowow. My affection for that man might be inordinately deep. I also might have a point, and it's this: How did mind melding with Picard help Sarek? All it took on Kirk's part was a little slapping around of Spock, which, while more fun to watch, is a far-cry-less intimate.

[saturn92103.livejournal.com]

Sarek's disease was advanced and intense. Through the mind meld, they shared one mind or psyche. Picard was able to absorb all of Sarek's erratic emotions while Sarek tapped into Picard's control.