Herwig Mannaert

Oh Captain, my Captain. Rest in Peace, mon capitain, @SirPatStew - watching "The Chase" (TNG S6, Ep 20) in your honor tonight. Thank you for everything. You were my inspiration to always "Make it so." In the summer of 1993, I had the great opportunity to freely meander around the Paramount lot on Melrose Ave in Hollywood with a kid friend of mine. During that day, we witnessed a couple of scenes being filmed for Wayne's World 2, with both Mike Myers and Dana Carvey in full Wayne and Garth getup! Out of the shadows, Lorne Michaels suddenly appeared and shook our hands and welcomed us to the set. We said hi to Wayne and Garth. Myers and Carvey were hysterical in each of the takes and it was fascinating to see them improvise on the spot. Being able to watch firsthand how a movie is being filmed was a moment I'll cherish forever. It certainly also allowed a long-gestating seed to germinate. Observing the gaffers of the lighting department alone was worth the visit. For the hours they were taping, I was surprised how little of that actually ended up in the theatrical release of Wayne's World 2. Then, a series of extraordinary events happened in short sequence; we walked by an open soundstage door and decided to walk inside. Suddenly, we stood in front of a life-size shuttle craft of the U.S.S. Enterprise 1701-D with carpenters busy working on its hull. To our delight, pretty much everything was made of wood. The rest of styrofoam and plaster. Indistinguishable from the real thing. Magic. It was an unforgettable treat to observe the deep diligence each of these impeccable craftspeople displayed in skillfully executing their mastery. We saw another door, walked through, and suddenly found ourselves inside one of the curved corridors located in the saucer section of the U.S.S. Enterprise... with turbo lift doors and everything! We were stunned! We had the whole place to ourselves... I also swear that we heard the comforting "engine hum" of the Enterprise in the background... Then we exited into the sun and as we walked down one of those alleyways between the massive back lot soundstages, out from a door on our right, in sequence, and in full Starfleet regalia, appeared Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Lieutenant Worf, and Commander Will Riker... on their way to the Commissary for lunch. Our mouths and eyes opened with delight (I think my jaw fell to the floor and clickety-clacked across the alley) and as each of them passed us, they each smiled, said "Hello!" and waved their hands at us. In Starfleet uniform. As die-hard TNG fans, we were ecstatic. (...we may or may not also have sat on the Captain's chair on the bridge of the Enterprise that day, but that's a story for another time.) No cellphones existed in 1993. Our brains were our picture and video takers. This one's seared forever. My condolences to Sir Patrick Stewart's family and friends. Thank you for the decades of entertainment and inspiration. You were one of the greats. Thank you for all of it. Live long and prosper, and engage. 🖖