‘Spock owns a punk’ is the greatest moment in Star Trek history

I’m a proud Star Wars fan. At times throughout my life, I’ve participated in the sectarian conflict that pits Star Trek and SW fans against each other and I’ll throw my lot in with George Lucas’s brilliant franchise every time.

Admittedly, the characters in Star Trek never had the profound impact on me as a child that Han, Luke and Leia did. But growing up, I did watch the classic Star Trek episodes, and I was enamored with the remarkable chemistry between William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy (which must have been quite a feat considering how much of a dick Shatner was rumored to be on the set).

Upon hearing the sad news of Nimoy’s death today, I thought about one of my favorite scenes from the Star Trek movies, this one being from the fourth installment in 1986, The Voyage Home. It’s a great moment of bringing together ST and the modern world, and Nimoy nails it.

The scene is even more amusing when you hear about its backstory:

The character (credited as “punk on bus”) was played by Kirk Thatcher, an associate producer on the film. On learning about the scene, Thatcher convinced Nimoy that he could play the role; he shaved his hair into a mohawk and bought clothes to complete the part. Thatcher wrote and recorded “I Hate You,” the song in the scene, and it was Thatcher’s idea to have the punk—rendered unconscious by the pinch—hit the stereo and turn it off with his face.

Watch:

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.

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