March 19, 2003
The Sunshine of Life
"Friends are the
sunshine of life.“
-- John Hay (1871)
Friendship is a basic element of Human existence. All of us need friendship in some form, whether it be lifelong bonds or casual acquaintances at school or work. Indeed, no man (or woman) is an island. As part of it’s exploration of Humanity, Star Trek has portrayed numerous examples of solid friendships.
In “The Original Series” the most famous example was the friendship between Captain Kirk and Spock, transcending death itself. Spock’s delight at seeing his friend alive at the end of “Amok Time” is a joy to behold, showing us how much he valued Kirk. Likewise, Kirk’s sacrifices to rescue Spock from the Genesis planet shows that the comradeship is mutual. It’s summed up best when Sarek confronts Kirk and addresses Kirk’s actions by saying, “At what price? Your ship. Your son.” Kirk replies with “If I hadn’t tried, the cost would have been my soul.”
On “The Next Generation” we see the friendship that develops between Geordi and Data. The android even proclaims that he had not known what friendship was until he met Geordi. The reactions by the crew when Data is believed to be dead in “The Most Toys” shows what an impact he had on their lives.
“Deep Space Nine” is loaded with friends. The long friendship that Sisko has with the Dax symbiont and three of it’s hosts spans decades. His affectionate term “old man” that he uses with Jadzia and Ezri shows the deep friendship he has with all three. Julian and Miles form a solid friendship over the years, battling their way through many holosuite adventures, despite Miles’ initial dislike of the brash young officer. The Doctor forms another unique friendship with Garak, and as the years go by he gradually learns more and more about the enigmatic Cardassian. And of course there is the friendship between Jake and Nog. At first frowned upon by both of their fathers, who believed the cultural differences may be too great to bridge; these two go on to prove in the best tradition of Star Trek that no gulf is so great as to prevent a common ground and understanding. Though their lives take very different paths, their friendship remains strong as the years go by.
“Voyager” showed us the friendships that developed between Tom and Harry, The Doctor and Kes and Janeway and Chakotay to name a few, with many in the audience hoping over the years that the latter would lead to something more. I think it’s safe to say that regardless of the fact that many on Voyager started off as enemies, their shared experiences has allowed them to bond and they will remain friends for life.
In the near two years of “Enterprise” we have already seen some examples of a strong friendships. Archer and Tucker share a bond that seems to go back many years. A simple scene showing them sharing a drink while watching sports in a typical “male bonding” moment was one of the more Human moments on the show and spoke volumes of their history as friends. Archer also seems to be cultivating a friendship with T’Pol, and in doing so sheds many of his prejudices concerning Vulcans. Tucker and Reed also seem to developing a strong bond, and after the shared experiences of “Shuttlepod One” and “Two Days and Two Nights” they have obviously grown closer as friends.
These are just a few of the examples of friendship in Trek, but it doesn’t stop there. Even off the screen Star Trek brings people together. Whether it be via conventions, snail mail or the internet, Trek has brought people together in a shared interest like no other TV show in history and many of those people remain friends forever. Speaking from personal experience, Trek has allowed me to make many new friends…and not just internet acquaintances, but real people who have proven to be there for me when I needed a friend and fit the description by Hay above. I’m sure many of you have similar tales to tell.
So here’s to our friends. Where would we be without them?
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