The Occasional Solipsist

So the miracle worker himself finally ran out of miracles yesterday.

James Doohan, fellow Canadian and actor best known as Montgomery Scott of Star Trek fame has succumbed to Alzheimer's disease at the age of 85.

Now I know that I've often made fun of his silly scottish accent over the years, and maybe he wasn't the coolest of the original cast. He certainly got the least amount of on-screen ass, so there's that.

But Scotty was a key member of the first Star Trek series, and he was cool, in his own silly way, and he should be sent off with all of the respect due a legend.

And he will be sent off appropriately too, as it turns out: He's going the route that The Great Bird of the Galaxy went a few years ago, with his ashes released from a satellite so that they'll burn up as they re-enter the Earth's atmosphere.

Not a bad way to go out.

Here's a list of some of my favourite Scotty quotes, to remember the guy in style:

• “Hello computer”
  (STIV)
  
• "Why ? How do we know he didn't invent the thing?"
  (STIV)
• "Admiral, there be whales here!"
  (STIV)
• Kirk: “How long to re-fit?”
  Scotty: “Eight weeks. But you don’t have eight weeks, so I’ll do it for you in two.”
  Kirk: “Mr. Scott, do you always multiply your repair estimates by a factor of four?”
  Scott: “Of course sir. How else to maintain my reputation as a miracle worker?”
  Kirk: “Your reputation is safe with me.”
  (STIII)
  
• “Laddie…don’t you think you should…rephrase that?”
  (ST:TOS "The Trouble with Tribbles")
  
• Kirk: (on communicator) Scotty?
  Scotty: Aye, Sir?
  Kirk: Did you find the engine room?
  Scotty: Right where I left it, sir!
  (STVI)
  
• Turbolift computer voice: Level please?
  Scotty (exhasperated): Transporter Room
  Computer: Thank you
  Scotty (under his breath): Up yer shaft!
  (STIII)
  
• Scotty: She’s all yours, sir. All systems automated and ready. A chimpanzee and two trainees could run her!
  Kirk: Thank you, Mr. Scott, I’ll try not to take that personally.
  (STIII)

And my personal favourite, spoken in the single worst rendition of his scottish accent ever, from The Undiscovered Country, after Kirk and McCoy receive a life sentence on Rura Penthe:

• "Better to kill them now, and get it over with"
  (STVI)
  

Labels: star trek