Walter Koenig's Best Star Trek Moment Is Impossible To Forget

Walter Koenig probably never imagined that one TV show gig in the 1960s would change his life forever. After all, his Star Trek audition and subsequent hiring left him rightfully confused. How, then, could this program alter pop culture?

That's just what happened when Koenig jumped into portraying Pavel Chekov on "Star Trek: The Original Series" as part of the production's second season. Star Trek, of course, became a cultural phenomenon and Chekov became a key part of the franchise. Even later, amidst what Koenig has spelled out as the 'madness' of the first Star Trek film, his character resonated. To boot, when the "Next Generation" crew began headlining their own Star Trek movies, Koenig still appeared in the 1994 feature "Star Trek: Generations."

Alas, Walter Koenig has died at the age of 90. Passing of natural causes, Koenig leaves behind a tremendous personal and artistic legacy. That includes being at the center of some of the most memorable Star Trek moments ever; scenes that Trekkies around the world still quote today. Arguably his most entertaining and unforgettable scene came through his big screen exploits in 1986's "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home."

A sequence where Chekov jovially asks random San Francisco denizens about the location of "nuclear vessels" in his Russian accent is memorable for several reasons (it was during the Cold War, one must remember). It's a sublime demonstration of the immense comic chops and boisterous personality that Walter Koenig offered, and the moment is one of the franchise's best.

Though "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" and its whales initially left fans furious, when folks rank the Star Trek movies from worst to best today, "The Voyage Home" tends to be held in high regard. That's partially because the upbeat ambiance let the individual personalities of characters like Pavel Chekov really sing.

The scene with Chekov on those San Francisco streets shows the man's obliviousness to the '80s, Cold War and all, sure, but it also showed his dedication to his mission and his friends. Walter Koenig's performance wrings laughs out of this guy being a fish-out-of-water, but it doesn't turn him into a laughingstock. Koenig would never do that to his beloved character, or the fans.

Better yet, Koenig's chops in this "Voyage Home" scene were seen by a lot of people. When considering how much money various Star Trek movies made, "The Voyage Home" is one of the most lucrative entries in the saga. Those viewers "The Voyage Home" bear witness to Walter Koenig at his best — not to mention ruefully watching his sweet-natured character put through the wringer by paranoid officials during the rest of the story.

Everything about Walter Koenig's delightful work as Chekov left a profound impression on not just fans, but the pop culture world. From that puzzling audition to our memories of his unforgettable character (and even a foray into other beloved science fiction roles via "Babylon 5"), Walter Koenig enjoyed quite a ride through our lives and our hearts.