10 Star Trek Moments That Always Make You Smile
7. Jim!
There are of course so many moments in The Original Series to pick from that it becomes a bit of a challenge to choose - what makes us smile the most? Is it literally every scene that Uhura is in? Is it all of the McCoyisms that populate the show? Or is it Chekov’s frequent assurances that a Russian person will always be the one responsible for innovation?
Here, it is a simple thing. It’s Jim Kirk’s death. Yep, that’s it, that’s the entry. Next.
Technically, we’re not lying. In Amok Time, Spock fully believes that he’s killed Kirk, Kal If Fee and all, Lirpa in hand. The fact that Kirk survives does nothing to dull (initially) Spock’s emotional outbursts - as evidenced in sickbay toward the end.
On Vulcan, Kirk is pronounced dead. Regardless of his Vulcan blood, Spock understands his crime. He leaves to face the music - except a certain very living Kirk is there to throw a fairly massive spanner in the works.
Howiya Spock, what’s the story?
JIM?!
To this day, it’s hard not to break out in a massive smile when the stoic first officer finally lets loose. He may almost immediately reign everything back in but in that moment, we see the stoic first officer lose all emotional control, overcome with joy and happiness.
Spock, in that moment, you become us all. For that, we are eternally grateful.