Star Trek Strange New Worlds, what did you think?

[Morrus]

I kinda think the reputation of Kirk as some kind of gung-ho maverick is a bit of a retcon created by the Abrams film, where they turned him into Han Solo. He's never struck me as a maverick before. He's always been pretty by the book. When he stole the Enterprise in STIII, that was a big deal.

 

[DJThunderGod]

I don't know... it was revealed in Wrath Of Khan that he'd beaten the Kobyashi Maru test, and the only way he could have done that was by cheating. He was also Starfleet's youngest ever captain at the point we first meet him in ST, so he's not strictly "by-the-book" at any point, but he's always more thoughtful in TOS than his later reputation.

 

[Morrus]

He always struck me as pretty professional and by the book. The Kobayashi Maru was the exception -- it was supposed to be surprising. He frequently did his duty when he didn't want to -- putting Spock on trial, for example. He is in no way a maverick.

 

[DJThunderGod]

He always struck me as pretty professional and by the book. The Kobayashi Maru was the exception -- it was supposed to be surprising. He frequently did his duty when he didn't want to -- putting Spock on trial, for example. He is in no way a maverick.

Agreed. Jim Kirk was indeed never a "maverick". He just had the ability (and the backup from the likes of Spock, Dr McCoy and Scotty) to circumvent problems and be a lot more flexible than his contemporaries.

 

[billd91]

I don't know... it was revealed in Wrath Of Khan that he'd beaten the Kobyashi Maru test, and the only way he could have done that was by cheating. He was also Starfleet's youngest ever captain at the point we first meet him in ST, so he's not strictly "by-the-book" at any point, but he's always more thoughtful in TOS than his later reputation.

Yeah, to be the youngest captain, he’s gotta be pretty active and dynamic in the things he does to attract that kind of attention to move up the ranks. He never struck me as “by the book”.

 

[Arilyn]

In the TOS episode Shore Leave, it is revealed that Kirk was very serious and bookish during his academy days. He loosens up but is still very dedicated to his ship and crew. I think the womanizing maverick comes from 1960s tv and less from Roddenberry's vision of Kirk.

He does think outside the box, which is why he can beat Spock at 3d chess.

 

[Morrus]

Yeah, to be the youngest captain, he’s gotta be pretty active and dynamic in the things he does to attract that kind of attention to move up the ranks. He never struck me as “by the book”.

Quite the opposite. He’s got to be pretty by the book to be appointed as a captain, especially the youngest one. No admiral ever said “hey that guy’s really young and reckless and disobeys all the orders, let’s encourage that behaviour and give him our flagship!”

 

[billd91]

Quite the opposite. He’s got to be pretty by the book to be appointed as a captain, especially the youngest one. No admiral ever said “hey that guy’s really young and reckless and disobeys all the orders, let’s encourage that behaviour and give him our flagship!”

He doesn’t have to be reckless or disobey orders to not be “by the books”. He’s gotta be creative and effective. There are going to be LEGIONS of officers who are “by the book”. None of that is distinctive. Something has to distinguish Kirk other than being as conventional as everyone else.

 

[Mort]

He doesn’t have to be reckless or disobey orders to not be “by the books”. He’s gotta be creative and effective. There are going to be LEGIONS of officers who are “by the book”. None of that is distinctive. Something has to distinguish Kirk other than being as conventional as everyone else.

Keep in mind, in TOS, he was the youngest Starfleet captain ever AT 35. Meaning it still would have taken 13-14 years (checked the timeline, it took 10 - which is REALLY fast but believable).

The movies made it ridiculous, because he goes straight from the brig to being the captain. Right out of the academy. Abrams REALLY changed that around, and IMO not for the better.

 

[billd91]

Keep in mind, in TNG, he was the youngest Starfleet captain ever AT 35. Meaning it still would have taken 13-14 years (checked the timeline, it took 10 - which is REALLY fast but believable).

The movies made it ridiculous, because he goes straight from the brig to being the captain. Right out of the academy. Abrams REALLY changed that around, and IMO not for the better.

Abrams really doesn’t care much about time and space.