Remembering Walter Koenig (1936-2026) and Patrick Stewart (1940-2026)

 

Us Trekkies have lost two of our favorites this week.  Walter Koenig and Patrick Stewart have passed away.

Walter Koenig, born September 14, 1936 in Chicago, Illinois, began acting in 1962 on Combat! in an uncredited role. He was cast as Anton Chekov on Star Trek (the original series) in 1967 due to his resemblance to Davey Jones of the Monkees.  The producers of Star Trek wanted to attract a younger, feminine crowd.  He reprised his role as Chekov in the Star Trek movies, video games, and the many new Star Trek television programs.  He appeared as a PsiCorp instructor on Babylon 5.  

He passed away October 15, 2026 from natural causes.

Sir Patrick Stewart, born July 13, 1940 in Yorkshire, England, began acting in 1964 when he appeared on the television show Story Parade.  He was cast as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987. He reprised his role as Picard in the movie versions of the Next Generation.  Stewart appeared in the X-Men movies as Professor Charles Xavier.  

Sir Patrick has been nominated for four Primetime Emmys and eight Saturn Awards, winning five.  He won Best Genre Actor for Star Trek: TNG in 1990, Best Supporting Actor for Logan in 2018, and Best Actor in a television series Star Trek: Picard in 2021 and 2024. He won the Lifetime Achievment Award in 2024 with the rest of the TNG cast.

He died October 28, 2026 from dementia. 

Babylon 5 episode "Mind War" airs 1994

The sixth episode of the first season of Babylon 5 Mind War first aired March 2, 1994.  I loved this episode because of its portrayal of the Psi Corps.  Jason Ironheart (William Allen Young), Talia Winters' (Andrea Thompson) instructor and former lover, arrives on Babylon 5.  Right behind him are Psi Cops hot on his tail.  Walter Koenig appears for the first time in his recurring role as Alfred Bester.

Star Trek episode "The Immunity Syndrome" airs 1968

Episode 18 of the second season of Star Trek (the original series) The Immunity Syndrome aired January 19, 1968.  The crew of the Enterprise (sans Sulu since George Takei was filming The Green Berets) encounters a large dark area of space where the stars have gone out.  They find an enormous amoeba draining energy from everything around it.

Kirk has to choose between Spock and McCoy to send into the amoeba with a shuttlecraft to study it and find a way to destroy it before it kills them all.  Scotty, Uhura, Chekov and Nurse Chapel appeared in this episode.

"Star Trek Generations" released 1994

The movie that bridged the gap between the original Star Trek series and the Next Generation premiered November 18, 1994.  In Star Trek Generations, Captain Picard must join up with Captain Kirk to stop a madman (Malcolm McDowell) from destroying planets to gain immortality. 

Star Trek Generations got mixed reviews but it was a box-office success!

Spock, Bones, Uhura and Sulu did not appear in this movie.

Star Trek episode "The Tholian Web" airs 1968

The ninth episode of the third season of Star Trek (TOS), The Tholian Web, aired November 15, 1968.  The crew of the Enterprise finds another Constitution-class spaceship, Defiant, which had been presumed lost.  It appears to be in flux between two universes.  Captain Kirk is assumed to be dead when he is aboard the Defiant when it finally disappears.  Before they can wait for an opportunity to rescue him, they are attacked by a Tholian ship.  They return fire and disable it, but a second ship appears and the two being to weave an energy web around the Enterprise.  Spock has to also deal with a growing epidemic of violence aboard.

The Tholian Web is one of three episodes that does not have a single guest star.  It is one of the few episodes to star all of the second and third season regulars: Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, Chekov and Chapel.  An uncredited Barbara Babcock provided the voice of the Tholian commander Loskene.

The Tholian Web was nominated for an Emmy for special effects.  SyFy ranked it as one of the top ten essential episodes of the original series.  The Hollywood Reporter ranked it as the 75th best episodes of all the Star Trek franchise television shows (prior to Star Trek: Discovery), but not the movies.

Star Trek episode "Assignment: Earth" airs 1968

Star Trek episode Assignment: Earth aired March 29, 1968, a pilot for a television series that never got off the ground.

The crew of the Enterprise is observing Earth history in 1968 when they intercept a transporter beam from a source at least a thousand light-years away.  A humanoid alien 'Gary Seven' and his black cat Isis appear on the ship.

He warns them that he needs to accomplish a mission to save Earth.  Kirk and Spock soon learn Isis change change into a beautiful woman.  The Enterprise crew must determine if they can trust Gary Seven.

Along with the regular cast, this episode starrred Robert Lansing as Gary Seven, Teri Garr as Roberta Lincoln and Barbara Babcock as the voice of the computer and the cat.  Playboy Playmate of 1968 Victoria Vetri played the human form of Isis.

According to imdb.com, Teri Garr had an unpleasant time filming this episode that she refused to talk about Star Trek again.

It was a good episode but since it was meant to be a pilot, the regular crew had little more than cameos.  A pity, because it seemed like it would have been an interesting series.

"Star Trek: The Motion Picture" premieres 1979

Ten years after the television show went off the air (but only four years after the events in the Turnabout Intruder), Star Trek: The Motion Picture was released onto the big screen December 8, 1979.  Us Trekkies were excited to see our crew again but underwhelmed with the movie.  I remember discussing it in high school and we agreed it was just a glorified television episode.   It also seemed to me it was written by someone who didn't like Star Trek.

Still, it managed to restart the franchise, which is going strong today.

"Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country" opens 1991

The twice Oscar-nominated movie, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country opened December 6, 1991.  Much to the relief of Trekkies like myself, this movie stood head and shoulders above its predecessor Star Trek V: The Final Frontier.  It brought back all of the regulars (William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelly, Walter Koenig, George Takei, James Doohan and Nichelle Nichols), including recurring characters Mark Lenard as Sarek and Grace Lee Whitney.  Michael Dorn appeared as the grandfather of his Worf character from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine.  Rene Auberjonois, who would play Odo on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had an uncredited cameo as Colonel West.

It received Oscar nominations for Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing and Best Makeup.

According to imdb.com, Gene Roddenberry passed away within 48 hours of viewing this movie.

Happy birthday, Walter Koenig!

Walter Koenig, probably best known for playing Pavel Chekov on Star Trek, the original series and the movies following after the cancellation of Star Trek, Koenig picked up a recurring role as Bester, a moderate a**hole Psi Corps cop, celebrates his birthday today.  I always found it interesting that he was cast to appeal to a younger audience, i.e. girls, because the producers wanted someone like Davy Jones from "The Monkees" which was extremely popular at the time. He certainly got better looking as he aged.

I was glad to see him on the TV screen in the 1990's as Bester, even though he played a heavy. 

Happy Anniversary, Star Trek!

The first episode of Star Trek, The Man Trap, aired September 8, 1966.  Just look at what Gene Roddenberry created!

According to imdb.com, this is the first episode in which Dr. McCoy says, "He's dead, Jim."

Favorite Quote:

Mr. Spock: Well, since it is illogical for a communications officer to resent the word 'frequency'... I have no answer.
Uhura: No, you have an answer. I'm an illogical woman, who's beginning to feel too much a part of that communications console. Why don't you tell me I'm an attractive young lady, or ask me if I've ever been in love? Tell me how your planet Vulcan looks on a lazy evening when the moon is full.
Mr. Spock: Vulcan has no moon, Miss Uhura.
Uhura: I'm not surprised, Mr. Spock