The Star Trek franchise lost two stalwarts in one week – Walter Koenig, who brought the young Pavel Chekov to screens in the 1966 Star Trek: The Original Series, and Sir Patrick Stewart, who took the captain’s chair as Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

The Stereo Geeks have loved the Star Trek franchise all their lives. In this newsletter, Ron shares her fond farewell for Koenig, and Mon writes an ode to Stewart’s lasting legacy.

— By Ron Roy Mohan

I was Pavel Chekov. I navigated the Enterprise through the stars, side by side with my best mate, Hikaru Sulu. I admired Captain Kirk for his bravery, and Spock for his logic; Uhura awed me with her knowledge. Scotty made me laugh, and McCoy scared me a little.

Well, I wasn’t actually Chekov, but as a child watching Star Trek: The Original Series, I found a deep kinship with the young navigator. Chekov seemed like the person I could become. Full of wonder, questioning, passionate, friendly. Not a huge fan of fights. As much as I loved Spock, I would wait for Chekov episodes, even though there weren’t many.

When we found the films, I would search for the moments where Chekov got to shine. But the more Star Trek films I saw, the more I watched Chekov, and Uhura, for some reason, get sidelined.

But even when Koenig got older and his Chekov rose up the Starfleet ranks, amongst the crew of the Enterprise, he was still the kid. Still hilarious, observant, and a joy to watch. He managed to maintain Chekov’s youthful energy, even as his hair turned grey and a few more wrinkles appeared. 

No matter how much time passed, in Chekov I could always see myself. It’s similar to how I felt about Wesley Crusher on The Next Generation; he was young, curious and a bit of a nuisance, but he was similar to how I was, and how I felt, than the rest of the older crew I loved. 

We’ve lost a lot of the original Enterprise crew; only William Shatner and George Takei are holding the fort down now. And sadly, they don’t get along very well. Blame Shatner. 

They’re also the only Star Trek: TOS actors we’ve seen in real life. It’s sad that we never got to see Leonard Nimoy, Nichelle Nichols, and now, Walter Koenig. I was hoping I would at least get the chance to see Koenig one day, and hear his adventures at the helm of the most famous fictional starship. 

I didn’t know much about the man behind Chekov, but I know how comforting and enjoyable it was watching Chekov. The 60s were a time when the US and Russia were at loggerheads, and Gene Roddenberry’s vision of a united Earth brought a Russian helmsman to everyone’s homes. It was quite the revolutionary act and one I would only understand when I was older; just like I didn’t understand how revolutionary it was for Nichols to be on the bridge. As far as we were concerned, these were the coolest characters we’d ever seen, going on amazing adventures as a family, and it didn’t matter where they were from and what they looked like.

Koenig, very much American, gave his Chekov a strong accent based on what his own family sounded like. He brought a wide-eyed, competent, and curious young man to our screens. And he gave little me someone to aspire to be. 

May your journey to the stars be smooth. For one last time, Warp Factor 6, Mr Chekov.

— By Mon Roy Mohan

It’s hard to pinpoint a time when Star Trek wasn’t a part of our lives. The Enterprise warped to our screens as children, and never left. The crew of Star Trek: The Next Generation especially seemed to me like an immortal lot who’d be around forever. Unfortunately that’s not the case. 

Sir Patrick Sterwart passed away the same week as Walter Koenig. It’s genuinely impossible to believe that the man who played Captain Picard and brought Professor Xavier to the big screen isn’t around anymore to bring more of their stories to life. He was always part of our lives, long before we knew his name or before he became enmeshed in not one but two of our favourite franchises. 

Watching TNG as a child, I didn’t understand just how revolutionary Picard was. He was a renaissance man. A character and performance that you wouldn’t expect in a genre production. Sir Patrick brought his Shakespearean skills to play a man that was aspirational, vulnerable, charismatic, and unique. I love so many Star Trek characters, but the complexity of Picard is hard to replicate. The writing and direction helped, but Sir Patrick gave him the personality that makes him such a favourite. 

But Sir Patrick wasn’t just Captain Picard. He was also Professor X. He will probably always be Professor X, irrespective of who else plays the character. The moment X-Men began playing with Sir Patrick’s distinctive voice talking about mutants, I was in love. Ron and I went into the cinema to watch a random film, and we came out having found our new greatest loves, the X-Men. Sir Patrick as Professor X was so kind and assured. He was 100% behind this character and understood the plight and difficulty the mutants faced—without that commitment the film and franchise wouldn’t have worked. Him working opposite his longtime friend, Ian McKellen, as Charles’ frenemy Magneto, was a match made in heaven. The two were an unstoppable force. Their chemistry and theatre experience brought a grandeur and credibility that perfectly fit the gravity of the X-Men’s story. For some reason, I am more than crushed at the thought that Sir Patrick won’t be able to witness the fanfare of Avengers: Doomsday in what will be his last performance, than anything else. But Professor X and the X-Men’s return will be ever more emotional after his loss. 

I can’t say I know a ton about the man behind the characters, but I do know that as a child he witnessed domestic violence and that certainly changed him and his perception of the world. I believe he did his part to make space for domestic violence survivors, and to talk about the subject, instead of hiding it away. Again, a renaissance man on screen and off. 

My most enduring memory of Sir Patrick is when Ron and I had the wonderful pleasure of attending his panel at the Dubai International Film Festival many years ago. You’ve never heard a more measured and eloquent speaker. It didn’t matter what part of his career he talked about, he talked about it with enthusiasm and grace. Whatever understanding and love I had for Star Trek and X-Men grew immeasurably as he discussed the art and love behind it. The way he described putting his hand up again to play Professor Xavier (in Logan) turned a veteran actor into a giddy little boy. He was such a delight. 

But nothing will ever reach the heights of the end of that session. Sir Patrick, extolling the virtues of Shakespeare and his love for the stage casually broke into the St. Crispin’s monologue from Henry V. He didn’t just tease us with a couple of lines, no he performed the whole scene. Sitting in his chair, looking on at the audience, he gave us an impromptu Shakespeare performance that left us all speechless. I still can’t believe the talent and passion for Shakespeare that he shared with us that day. 

To the stars, Sir Patrick. Thank you.