When the Captain's Away: TOS Version

Who was the best commander of the Enterprise in Kirk's absence? I'm not counting Stocker or Decker, just members of the command crew.

Who was the best by way of tactics, diplomacy, sheer badassery? Spock, Scotty, or Sulu?

 

Tough call because I believe all had their moments.

Went with Scott because he is an incredible badass in military situations.

 

I voted for Scott because he was much more in line with how Kirk would've reacted to situations than Spock. Sulu had the bridge from time to time, but usually was still at the helm all nervous about the away team being in danger.

 

Came extremely close to voting for Spock for that time he threatened to relieve Decker, but he wasn't really acting Captain at the time and, besides, it just didn't quite measure up to "No sir, I won't lower the screens!"

 

I am surprised that I was the first to vote for Spock.

 

Not voting because I prefer anonymous polls, but I'll say Scott anyway. He's in full badass mode in "A Taste of Armageddon".

 

Spock of course.
Remember in Triskelon and "That Which Survives" Scott and McCoy would have never have found the missing Kirk and his landing party.
There are plenty of other cases where only Spock in command saved the day.

 

All apologies. This is my first attempt at making polls and I'm not quite an expert. If anyone knows how to set a poll anonymous after it has begun, I will definitely rectify this.

 

No worries. I've yet to be able to successfully make a poll or a hidden spoiler.

 

It sure as hell wasn't Lieutenant DeSaulle.

It's gotta be Scotty. Spock may have been first officer, and later even the Enterprise captain outright, but (as he himself admitted multiple times) he also lacked the intuition to make for a true starship commander. On many occasions even as late as "The Tholian Web", Spock's unsuitability for command is in evidence. Scotty on the other hand repeatedly shows how it's done, and just fits the role like a glove.

 

I went with Spock as well for the same reasons, but it is really a tie with Scotty for me. It would really depend on the situation as to which would be better.

 

Went with Scotty. This vote should've been Spock, but every time he commanded, it seemed like the writers seemed to point out his differences in style that chafed with the rest of the crew. Scotty just seemed to gel better with his people.

 

I voted for Scotty, mainly because of Spock's poor command performance in The Galileo Seven. Recall that Scotty came up with the idea of using the phaser batteries to power the Galileo, not Spock, which showed an ability to think outside the box that Spock often lacked. Also, Scotty would have understood the need to bury their fallen comrades with honor, and also the need to kill the ape-men rather than trying to simply scare them off. And, despite any personal disagreements he may have had, Scotty still stood by Spock when the rest of the landing party seemed ready to mutiny, and even defended him against Boma's insubordination.

I still love Spock, but Scotty was simply the better acting Captain, in my opinion, and it really shows in Galileo

 

I chose Scott. But in the Galileo Seven it took both Spock and Scott for the landing party to survive. It was Spock who ignited the fuel in an attempt to gain the attention of someone out there who could help them.

 

I went with Scotty. I have no doubt that Jimmy Doohan imparted some of his own past military experience (He was a Canadian soldier on the D-Day landings on Juno Beach) into the part whenever he had command. His bearing in those situations was spot on.

 

Scotty over Spock all the way, for all the reasons listed.

 

I always felt like it was clear in TOS that the only reason Scotty wasn't the XO was that he couldn't be spared away from the engines that frequently. (Plus, Spock's struggles with command and human culture provided interesting dramatic opportunities.) Scotty was nevertheless better in the chair hands down; as others have put it, he just had the instincts and intuition that Spock, for all his competence, lacked.

Also, +1 to this:

 

Scotty doesn't back down! He seems more confident and natural than the others... Sometimes I feel like Spock is too connected to Kirk and feels like he's usurping Kirk's role.
In fact, Spock admits that he doesn't want the command a few times.. Even as his savage alter ego in Mirror Mirror.