RIP James Montgomery Doohan.
The one and only Scotty.
Another one gone.
It wasn't unexpected - ill men of 85 tend to die sadly - but Star Trek fans around the world will feel a twinge of sadness today. And it is a stark reminder that even the biggest of characters are mortal in the end.
The dream of seeing the original crew together again for one last adventure died along with Deforest Kelley (Dr Leonard "Bones" McCoy), back in 1999. Neverthless, we still harboured the hope that individual stars of the original Star Trek might reprise their legendary roles one last time. George Takei (Sulu) took command of the USS Excelsior in a special ST: Voyager episode in 2001; Leonard Nimoy (Spock) appeared in a 2 part episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. And Scotty himself worked a last miracle in the ST: TNG episode "Relics", the series that Bones helped launch way back in 1987.
As recently as last year, negotiations were under way for Bill Shatner to reprise the role of Kirk in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, but the series was cancelled before it happened. Walter Koenig (Chekov) has just finished filming an amateur fan-based production.
Sadly however, time marches on. Bones and Scotty are now gone. Kirk, Spock and Sulu are now over 70. Chekov is chasing them and Uhura - well one doesn't ask a lady her age. The golden-era of Star Trek is all but over. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic, but with Star Trek "resting", I can't help but feel that we've said our goodbyes to these wonderfull friends.
But they will still live on in our imaginations. It is said that at any time of the day on any day of the year, somewhere in the world, Star Trek is showing. Somewhere in the world, Scotty will be breaking the laws of physics and warning that "She canna take much more".
As for me - I think I'll dust off the DVD of Star Trek IV tonight - the one with the whales - and see Jimmy Doohan at his best, one last time.
