I watched Star Trek Beyond last week, and I was shocked at how much I enjoyed it. It’s just a great adventure film, punctuated by a particularly moving birthday party for Kirk at the end. I’m sure many other people have discussed how Kirk’s words “To absent friends” mirror his statement in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock. It’s touching to see Kirk reminisce about the father he lost the day he was born. And it’s even more poignant when you consider that Star Trek Beyond is dedicated to the memory of the two members of the old and new Star Trek casts (Leonard Nimoy and Anton Yelchin) who lost their lives between the last film’s release and this one’s.

I know the filmmakers didn’t intend to be quite so literal in their choice of words, but I can’t help hearing Kirk’s statement as, “Two absent friends.” I’ll probably always hear it that way as I rewatch the film in the coming years. That’s all I want to share about the sad loss of these two fine actors. May they live long and prosper in the undiscovered country beyond the veil.