#644 – Nerdy Farewells

Saying goodbye sucks.

One of my dearest friends is moving this week and I am very much going to miss her and her husband. While I firmly believe Michael W. Smith that friends are friends forever if the Lord’s the Lord of them, I still hate saying goodbye.

Here are some nerdy farewells.

Frodo

I’ve read The Lord of the Rings but prefer the movie versions. They’re not nearly as dense and far more accessible. I’ll probably read the books again at some point but I know I’ll watch the movies many more times. One of the best parts about the movies is the transformation of Frodo. Elijah Wood did an amazing job of showing the toll being a ring bearer took on him. Because of the psychological and physical damage done by his ordeal, Frodo was allowed to enter the Undying Lands with Gandalf, Bilbo and the Elves. He said goodbye to his truest friends and left all of his possessions, including Bag End, to Sam. It was a great moment in The Return of the King, even though it was like the third or fourth ending of the movie.

The Cylons

I really want to watch Battlestar Galactica again. Right now I’m working my way through the original Star Trek (for the first time, I’m such a bad nerd). Perhaps when I’m finished with Kirk and crew I’ll revisit Admiral Adama, Starbuck, Apollo and that weasel, Baltar. Spoiler alert, after they get to the planet we know as earth, the humans say goodbye to the Cylons and they leave to explore space on their own. After years of running from the Cylons, it was nice to see things patched up and the Cylons sent on their merry way. If our long lost ancestors really did come from the 12 Colonies, I’m going to be rather upset when the Cylons come back and try destroying humanity again.

Wesley Crusher

I liked Wesley Crusher a lot more once he left the Enterprise’s crew. I really enjoyed a lot of his episodes through the later seasons especially “First Duty”. Wesley’s goodbye, though, left me scratching my head. In an episode that had the Federation displacing some Native Americans, the Traveler showed up and convinced Wesley to leave Starfleet and travel through the universe. I really like how Wesley’s character arc was bookended by the Traveler. In the first season the Traveler is the one who recognizes how special Wesley is and tells Picard to encourage his development. When Wesley says goodbye, the Traveler is also there inviting Wesley to go where truly no one has ever gone before.

Saying goodbye is never fun but, as followers of Jesus, we have something Frodo and the Cylons don’t: a connection that runs deeper than proximity. I’ve had a number of friends move away but the separation isn’t as big when our foundation is in Christ.

Still having a transporter would make it much easier.

What other nerdy farewells made you tear up?