Comfort at Warp Speed

Special thanks to just rojie for today’s writing prompt.

What’s your go-to comfort show when you’re tired?

It’s interesting—and very timely—that this prompt came up today, as I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately.

When I’m tired, I generally turn the TV off. But if I’m having trouble falling asleep—or relaxing enough to drift off—I turn on the original Star Trek, or “TOS” (The Original Series), as it’s often referred to by the fanbase. Specifically, I turn on Season One.

The Shadows of the Final Frontier

Most fans will admit that the quality of the series progressively diminished as it went on. That’s a polite way of saying the show got worse, which I suppose is a common trend for many nostalgic television series. But in that first season, there is a sense of “newness” and a darker atmosphere—literally, in how the sets are lit—that makes space feel truly unexplored. You can feel the crew discovering things for the first time.

The truth is, I’m a much bigger fan of The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, and even Strange New Worlds. However, some episodes of those series are heavy—they provoke thoughts that can actually keep you awake at night. TOS, by comparison, is television from a different era.

The Comfort of the Campy

TOS turns 60 years old this fall. By today’s standards, the overall presentation feels “hammy.” Most actors back then were theatrically trained, so they were used to exaggerating their dialogue and physical gestures. You can even see the writers and actors, like Leonard Nimoy, still trying to figure out the characters’ “rules,” which leads to some funny inconsistencies.

As a result, you get the melodramatic gesticulations of William Shatner. Looking through a modern lens, that melodrama makes for fairly lighthearted material. I don’t think the show was ever intended to be campy, like Batman (1966), but that’s how it plays out today. There’s a certain sense of comfort in watching Kirk fight the Gorn in “Arena,” knowing it’s just a guy lumbering around in a rubber lizard suit.

Banger After Banger

I didn’t actually dive deep into TOS until the COVID lockdown. By now, I recognize the episodes as quickly as a Brady Bunch rerun. When I really need to unwind, there is one particular run in Season One that delivers “banger after banger.”

From “The Corbomite Maneuver” through “The Menagerie,” “The Conscience of the King,” “Balance of Terror,” “Shore Leave,” “The Galileo Seven,” “The Squire of Gothos,” and “Arena”—it is easily the greatest sustained run of excellence in the series. It’s where the legendary Kirk/Spock/McCoy dynamic really starts to form. If I’m having a rough night, I’ll put on one or all of these episodes. It’s the perfect way to head into the final frontier of sleep.

What about you? What’s the “rubber lizard suit” of your favorite comfort show—that one thing that’s a bit silly or dated, but always makes you feel at home? Let me know in the comments!

Rebuilding a life takes grit, consistency, and a lot of ‘Option C’ thinking. Whether I’m closing in on 1,000 consecutive days of blogging or reflecting on the decade of work that brought me here, the mission remains the same: No glitz. Just the work. New to the blog? Start your journey here to see the blueprint and the ‘Tricorder’ perspective behind the rebuild.

Today’s post is inspired by the WordPress Daily Prompt. While I’ve taken the topic in my own direction for the Road to 1,000 Days, you can find more responses to today’s prompt HERE .

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