Back in the Cone-Zone

Last night, Conan O'Brien made his debut as host of "The Tonight Show"— giving hardcore fans some overdue time with the zany redhead and introducing him to a new demographic of viewers. While I can't speak for the latter, longtime viewers were thrilled to have O'Brien back on television after he had handed the "Late Night" torch over to Jimmy Fallon in March.

As one of my friends put it, "This is what I have been missing for the last three months of my life— my life is complete now that Conan's back on." Amen, sister. I got chills when the gravity-defying loop of hair peeked onto the stage followed by O'Brien himself. The number of viewers who tuned in last night has yet to be reported, but if the Nielsen ratings are to be believed, "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" blew the competition out of the water.

Watching O'Brien dance around the stage and banter with his first-ever guest, Will Ferrell (sorry, no Leprechaun striptease) felt tenderly familiar and eased my worry that LA and the earlier time-slot would change the tenor of the show. But while some details have remained unaltered, others have changed. Here's a shorthand list of what's new and what's the same:

1. Classic: Max Weinberg, LaBamba and the rest of the gang have followed O'Brien to California.
New: They're no longer called the Max Weinberg 7, but The Tonight Show Band.

2. Classic: The opening music is the same little ditty.
New: The montage features images of LA instead of NYC (well, duh)

3. Classic: O'Brien still films hilarious little shorts, like taking his '92 Ford Taurus for a spin and hosting a Universal Studios trolley tour (sorry no links for either of those; NBC.com is slow uploading videos).
New: It's unlikely that any of these shorts will feature the more colorful recurring characters from "Late Night"— is the Masturbating Bear still on the lam with Carrie Fisher?

4. Classic: O'Brien still bounces parts of his monologue off a costar.
New: With Andy Richter back as the announcer, we might see fewer exchanges with Max Weinberg whose chill demeanor and blank stares enhanced O'Brien's exuberant humor.

5. Classic: O'Brien still does his invisible string dance despite Stephen Colbert's attempt to steal them back in February (the two are now in competing time slots, boo).
New: No sizzling nipple caresses...at least not yet.

Still want more Conan? Check out these surprising facts that a friend e-mailed me— the superhero stint is hilarious. The second episode of "The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien" airs tonight at 11:35 p.m. with guests Tom Hanks and Green Day.

Bringing Trekkie Back

DISCLAIMER: I was a Trekkie (hem hem, technically a "Trekker") long before the new Star Trek film was even in production, so you might want to take my subsequent gushing with a grain of salt.

Back in 2005, I heard rumors that J.J. Abrams was in talks for creating a new Trek movie that would feature the crew from the original series as young adults. Reports said it would be, "The O.C. meets Star Trek." I was terrified. Mixing the mature, philosophical Trek with a melodramatic teen show seemed as good of an idea as mixing orange juice with milk. I couldn't have been more wrong.

In a single word, Star Trek is amazing. Sure it's also fun, thrilling, sexy and (yes) fresh, but "amazing" is the only way I can describe the pleasant shock that kept my mouth agape during most of the film. Abrams, who was already a sci-fi whiz ("Lost," Cloverfield, "Fringe"), has outdone himself: He breathed life into a wayward franchise while still honoring the Trek mythology. You don't need to be a Trekkie (heck, you don't even have to know what the U.S.S. Enterprise is) to enjoy the film, yet there are plenty of old-school allusions for the fans.

Surprises and plot twists are half the fun of Star Trek, so I will be sparing in the details I share. Despite the smooth special effects and the imaginative glimpses of alien worlds, the highlights were definitely in the performances. Karl Urban nailed the cantankerous "Bones" McCoy to an eerie (yet hilarious) degree that made me think he was channeling DeForest Kelley himself. Chris Pine's portrayal of James T. Kirk proved that this pretty boy can act — he embodied Kirk's devil-may-care attitude toward rules without the hokey Shatnerisms. And while Kirk was portrayed as a sort of Casanova on the television series, his womanizing habits are a great source of humor in the film. Funnyman Simon Pegg clicks as the clever and colorful Scotty while Zoe Saldana adds some feistiness to Uhura while maintaining her quick wit and compassion.

But out of all the cast, Zachary Quinto shines the brightest as a young Spock who must continually struggle with his emotions while questioning which world — Vulcan or human— he truly belongs to. The actor held his own, quite a feat considering the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy, made an appearance. In addition to Nimoy, Winona Ryder, Ben Cross and Jennifer Morrison from "House" have cameos. Perhaps they are closet Trekkies?

All the strings that might have constrained Star Trek in past are cut here. In the various television incarnations, plot continuity and fixed budgets kept the stories grounded; in previous films, the age of the actors (usually in their 50s and up) kept the action safe. But there are no limits in Abrams' reimagining of Gene Roddenberry's original vision — and that's Trek at its best.

Still not convinced to give Star Trek a try? Then check out Jimmy Fallon's interview with the two Spocks (Quinto and Nimoy) and learn how to act during a starship attack.

Until next time, live long and prosper.