You can call me a Trekkie. I grew up constantly watching repeats of the original Star Trek. I loved the Next Generation. Deep Space Nine. Voyager. Most of the movies, especially The Wrath Of Khan. I’ve moved on from reading the books, but, when they first started being published, I read them religiously, either buying them or getting them at the library. Over time, I probably purchased or borrowed 60-70 Star Trek books, most of them revolving around either the original Trek universe or pre-Kirk times. I still have a few around, though I donated most to the local libraries here in Wake County when I moved about 6 years ago or in Brielle, NJ, when my parents cleaned everything out to move to their smaller retirement house.
But, now we get to the reboot. I enjoyed the way JJ Abrams made it happen by splitting off to a new time line (though, if we look at the original timeline, there is no way in hell children and babies, as well as pregnant women, would be on a starship traveling into the far reaches of dangerous space, which was the whole point of the original program, per the books….yeah, geek mode on). Here’s: the problem:
..the whole thing breaks down when you realize that Kirk hadn’t even gone through the full course for Star Fleet Academy, and was still essentially a “young adult”, when he’s given command of a starship, the equivalent of giving a 1st year Annapolis cadet command of a carrier.
That’s the comment I left over at the UK Independent for their film review of Into Darkness (via BenK’s news dump). I can’t get beyond that part. Kirk had barely started as a cadet when they had this call up for everyone to get on a ship and go fight. He hadn’t graduated. He hadn’t even commanded a shuttle. Maybe he has the mental ability to do the job, and demonstrated that, I guess, but was there no one else in the chain of command to take over the Enterprise than a kid who had no experience, and surely hadn’t had time to “learn why things work on a starship”? Does anyone think that Star Fleet Command would hand over the US Navy equivalent of a carrier to Kirk once the emergency was over, promoting him to captain? Or would they have assigned someone who had been around for awhile, and perhaps fast tracked Kirk, once he frigging graduated, to becoming a command officer, sticking him on a small ship as a 2nd or 3rd officer to learn under someone who has, you know, experience?
It makes no sense, and, yeah, I know, movie. But, there’s pushing the boundaries of believability and then there’s flying several galaxies beyond. So, yeah, I have no intention of seeing the movie, nor renting it on DVD.
IMHO, New-Kirk was several years in to his training. There is no sense as to how much time has elapsed since he jumped on the shuttle as a beaten up young adult and when he and his mates were sent off to war.
However, if you take in that he was being put through his Kobayashi Maru testing, then he would have had to had extensive military and officer corps training. Do you think they would put a 1st year cadet through the Kobayashi Maru? And in the role of the Captain?
And, he had already taken that test a number of times.
He was an officer by rank. Maybe he wasn’t the 3rd in line behind Lt Commander Spock, but he had the eye of the current Captain. And based upon his drive and determination and his inter-dimensional ability to face unexpected circumstances and not freeze up, he was able to become that which he dreamed of – a captain.
I understand your points, but someone who hasn’t even graduated would never be left in charge for the long term. A low ranking officer might end up in charge if the chain of command breaks down, but the powers that be would never give an ensign permanent captaincy of a carrier.
Ok… after exhaustive and extensive research (wiki), it would appear that Kirk was still a cadet, as he was enrolled in the OFFICER’S Academy.
His actions during the Test, were a tad bit cocky compared to what you’d expect Kirk to be. I did not like that part. It was fake. Not believable.
The only rank they’ve told of him, were that he was a Cadet. Even Uhura was a Cadet before relieving the on-duty communications officer, a Lt.
However, the ST crew were officers. Pike referred to Kirk as Mr. Kirk until Pike left the ship. He placed Spock in charge as acting Captain, and promoted Kirk to 1st Officer. Meaning, then, he was second in charge. Thus, when he confronted Spock and relieved him of duty, he “rightfully” assumed command as Captain.
And McCoy, also inherited the position due to the death of previous Chief Medical Officer.
A bit, OT, what was the point of the overly massive ball of Red Matter??? when only a drop was necessary for the single mission for Spock?
The Kobiashi Maru was actually pretty close to what the books (geekdom!!!!!) described, except, if memory serves, in the new ST he eats an apple or something, which did not happen in the books.
I’ve forgotten about the red matter, I saw it in the theater, and once on DVD, haven’t watched it since.
So, you are going to kill a whole new re-write because of how he got in to the seat? You have to agree though, being the trekkie (ADMIT IT!!!), that they had to jump over his cadet training, his being deployed and several years of service on cargo(?) ships, to then serving as Captain of his own ship (not enterprise), to then being “given” the seat to the Enterprise.
So, they, condensed it. Like Orange Juice.
Please don’t ban me Teach, but I actually kind of sort of liked the last Star Trek film. I guess I didn’t see it as a continuation or a prequel of anything but rather thought of it as 2 hours of escapism that didn’t have to make sense in context with the other films.
Everything Wrong With Star Trek (2009) In 5 Minutes Or Less
While I too wondered about the big red ball of stuff, I also wondered about Starfleet’s fastest ship – the one that Spock flies. Is it only me that wondered why you have a drive system with a rotating mass in the back that is not turning the body of the ship in the opposite direction in accordance with Newton’s law?
And as much as I thought the film was a fun escape, what the heck was up with all the lens flares?
Sheez.
Maybe it wasn’t as good as I thought.
OMG that was hilarious gitarcarver. And yeah, I agree with it.
Hey, STOP BRINGING UP REALITY AND PHYSICS!!
I thought about smart-a$$ Kirk being made captain too. I was thinking that old Spock must have had a chat with Star Fleet Command about how universe-ending bad things would happen if Kirk wasn’t made Capt.
After all, old Spock was in the building unescorted, you’d think that security would have picked him up on sensors, called him cupcake and thrown his Vulcan butt into a holding cell if they didn’t know exactly who he was.
Oh yeah, remember the battle right before the Enterprise entered the fight? Star Fleet lost a lot of ships and crews, there had to be a critical shortage of qualified officers. Kirk had more command experience than any cadet in his class. And while he did scrape the fenders on Enterprise, he kicked Romulan butt in an outstanding manner. Admirals like captains like him at their parties.
“So you’re going to kill a whole new rewrite…”
Yes :)
I would never ban you over a disagreement about Star Trek, GC. Now, if you said one of your favorite movies was The Sisterhood of The Traveling Pants….
Yeah, you’ve got some good points, Armed. Just not buying that they’d give him command permanently of a starship. The character has to be under 23. Maybe a little scout ship
Well Teach, he was an early developer. He was in fact driving at the age of 12. Don’t forget he was able to defy gravity and push opposing forces away from him when necessary (like during a car chase). Don’t you think the Federation would really not take advantage of that? I mean, they use pointy-eared intellectuals that had green blood in their science rooms, don’t they?!?
The humans of that day are more of an enlightened species than we are. Don’t forget, they’ve already gone through a few world wars, near starvation, and an attack from a strange alien space ball. They’ve learned to accept people of all types and ages. They’ve EVOLVED into a one world government where everyone is equal, everyone in the same class, everyone gets along, and there’s no need for material things.
In that new peaceful social world of peace and love, man can grow and evolve. Just ask John.
I’m also bummed that Rachel Nichols, who played the hot green chick, is not back.
now that ain’t right.
(btw, your comment section is back to not remembering sign-on creds again, even with browser open)
No hot green chick?
I think I’ll wait ’till it’s on DVD now.