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Stardate: March 26, 1931. In Boston, Massachusetts, a young boy named Leonard Simon Nimoy was born to Orthodox Jewish immigrants from the Soviet Union. He would grow up to one day portray one of pop culture’s most iconic aliens, the half-Vulcan, half-human Spock, on one of the most feverishly celebrated television and film series of all-time, Star Trek. Today, at the age of 83, Nimoy bid farewell to this mortal coil, never to be forgotten in this or any other galaxy.
As Trekkies the multiverse over mourn the loss of the man who delivered the unforgettable mantra “Live long and prosper,” we at Decider take a look back at the best work of his career currently available to stream. (Yes, there will be things other than Star Trek on this list, I assure you.)
'Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan'
Nimoy’s character, Spock, was beloved because he represented kindness, honesty, and intelligence. Perhaps the hardest part for Star Trek fans today is having to relive the tragedy of Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. At the end of the film, Spock sacrifices himself for the Enterprise crew. He claims he did it because it was the logical thing to do, but as he shares his final moments with his Captain and best friend, James T. Kirk, it becomes obvious that the Vulcan did it all out of love. It’s one of the most emotionally heart-wrenching moments in Star Trek history.—Meghan O’Keefe [Watch The Wrath of Khan on Netflix]
(RELATED: Read our Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan Throwback post, originally published in July 2014.)
'The Twilight Zone': "A Quality Of Mercy"
“A Quality of Mercy” is one of the most memorable episodes in the entire run of The Twilight Zone, so much so that it was adapted for the first segment of the infamous Twilight Zone: The Movie.(Yes, the one that resulted in actor Vic Morrow’s death.) In this episode, Nimoy does not play the lead, but rather one of the soldiers in Dean Stockwell’s outfit fighting in the Phillipines. It was released nearly 55 years ago, but remains as compelling today as it was then. [Stream “A Quality of Mercy” on Netflix]
'The Simpsons'
Nimoy appeared not once but TWICE on The Simpsons, notching appearances in two stone classic episodes: “Marge Vs. The Monorail” and “The Springfield Files.” The delivery of his famous line below will never fail to make us laugh. [Watch The Simpsons on the FXNOW app]
'Fringe'
Fringe was a slow-burner of a series, but those who got wrapped up in its many charms got wrapped up DEEP. On it, Nimoy portrayed the very mysterious William Bell, former lab partner of lead character Walter Bishop (John Noble). Bell served as the founder and leader of Massive Dynamic, the shadowy corporate monolith whose business practices and research had, you could say, multi-dimensional ramifications. [Watch Fringe on Netflix]
'Star Trek': "Journey To Babel"
Of course, we wouldn’t close out this list without referencing at least one episode of the series that made him a star. Many Trekkies cite this season two episode of Star Trek, “Journey To Babel,” as being the best Spock episode of all-time. Without giving too much away, the episode introduces Spock’s estranged father and fills in a lot of blanks about his personality and life. It’s a must-see even for non-Star Trek fans. [Watch “Journey To Babel” on Amazon Prime Instant Video]
Farewell, Leonard. To paraphrase a famous quote of yours, “we have been, and always shall be, your friend.”
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