Remembering Leonard Nimoy and his brilliant creation, Mr. Spock

The sad news that Leonard Nimoy has died at age 83 is inspiring an outpouring of tributes to the actor/director. Though Nimoy went on to a long career after his breakout success playing Mr. Spock in "Star Trek," which originally aired from 1966 to 1969 on NBC, Nimoy's most brilliant creation remains the half-human, half-Vulcan science officer aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise.

Nimoy didn't come up with the idea for Spock, or write or direct episodes of the classic science fiction TV series-turned-movie franchise-turned-pop culture monolith (though he directed two of the "Star Trek" movies, "Star Trek III: The Search for Spock," and "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home.")

But Nimoy's wit, control and innate warmth made Mr. Spock one of the greatest pop culture characters ever. Whether lifting a bemused eyebrow at his Enterprise crew mates' all-too-human frailties, or dryly finding their behavior "fascinating," Spock was a character we couldn't get enough of.

While aspects of the original "Star Trek" series have inevitably dated -- those papier-mache boulders on strange new worlds, the new life and new civilizations that regularly consisted of babe-a-licious alien women with big hair and skimpy outfits -- Spock was a revelation.

He was a revolutionary character for the mid-'60s, in that his superior intellect and emotional reserve made him more elegant than Captain Kirk, with his womanizing ways; Chekhov, and his emotional outbursts; and Scotty, with his cries that the engines can't take any more strain.

Only Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Sulu (George Takei) came close to Spock's level of dignity, and all three characters stand as examples of "Star Trek" creator Gene Roddenberry's goal of using sci-fi to comment on the need for equal rights and to condemn intolerance of those considered "different."

Rather than being the butt of jokes for what would now be considered his geeky knowledge of science and technology (though Dr. McCoy did love to aim sarcastic barbs his way), Spock instead was respected and heroic because of his expertise. And in his occasional struggles to reconcile his Vulcan tamped-down emotions with his more unruly human impulses, Spock was noble, striving always to be the voice of thoughtful, considered reason.

It's to Nimoy's credit that Spock never became a caricature. The "Star Trek" movies gave him opportunities to further develop the character, and convey the human depth of feeling that lived within his cool exterior.

The most stirring example remains the wrenching climax of 1982's "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." Spock has sacrificed himself to save the Enterprise from an explosion. Near death from radiation poisoning, Spock is on one side of a glass wall, while Kirk (William Shatner) is on the other.

"I have been, and always shall be, your friend," Spock, his voice hoarse and fading, tells Kirk.

No "Star Trek" fan can watch the scene, or even think about it, without getting choked up.

Though Zachary Quinto has inherited his role in the contemporary "Star Trek" movies, Nimoy's Spock remains everlasting, as fresh and modern now as the day he first set foot on the Enterprise and came into our homes on the TV screen. There's a reason fans are sharing Spock's benediction, "Live long and prosper" all over social media today.

The words, and the actor who made them resonate, are immortal.

-- Kristi Turnquist