Away Teams

So I get why a captain shouldn't always beam into an unknown place, but isn't it equally as foolish to have the entire command staff go instead? Seems like every time they beam down they have everyone but the captain go.

[CorporalCaptain]

Back on TOS it was clear cut.

Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov could all safely beam down together, because if there was any actual danger, they were conveniently accompanied by a contingent of redshirts who could stand in front of them.

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No seriously, the OP is absolutely right. Sending the first officer plus command staff is just as bad as sending the captain.

For realism's sake, they should have had separate away team specialists all the way, something like "science marines," with the only bridge officer among them being the away team commander. But that would have entailed a radical change in the show's format and a highly ensemble cast.

[Loskene]

Enterprise is in reality very short staffed. It has about a dozen crew who pilot the ship, run engineering and give commands, six or seven rotating security officers, a doctor with a couple of nurses and one thousand people who push buttons or walk towards buttons to push.

If those buttons are not pushed the ship will explode so the less important have to make do beaming down.

CorporalCaptain wrote:

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For realism's sake, they should have had separate away team specialists all the way, something like "science marines," with the only bridge officer among them being the away team commander. But that would have entailed a radical change in the show's format and a highly ensemble cast.

True, I just find it funny that Riker is like, "No captain it is too dangerous for you,. Come on Data, Geordi, Worf, Crusher, Yar, Pulaski, Troi, Crusher, Guinan, O'Brien, Ro, Quark, Kim, Spock, Gowron, Sela..."

[Worf'sParmach]

SimpleLogic wrote:

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True, I just find it funny that Riker is like, "No captain it is too dangerous for you,. Come on Data, Geordi, Worf, Crusher, Yar, Pulaski, Troi, Crusher, Guinan, O'Brien, Ro, Quark, Kim, Spock, Gowron, Sela..."

[Flake]

At the end of Datalore in TNG someone calls for security to help defeat Lore and who turns up phasers at the ready? Picard, Riker and Yar :P

Infact I think they would have androids everywhere by the 24th century but Trek cant do that now because of star wars. They can do the dirty work so Picard can put his feet up and sip Tea.

[Pavonis]

Enterprise (any of them) is overstaffed. The producers of the series (any of the series) should have had a smaller crew if they wanted to justify the main characters participating in the dangerous situation of the week without the likes of us wondering where the rest of the crew is and why they're not along.

[Melakon]

To rationalize the bridge crew always on away missions, the Enterprise would have had to be the size of 1936's Flash Gordon rocketships.

[Bigjoe]

The show would have been a little dull if we had unknowns on away missions all the time.

[USS Excelsior]

But if they were on away teams all the time then they wouldn't be unknowns anymore!

[Lance]

I always found it amusing that they had this pretense where Picard would give Riker the authority to pick and choose whomever he wanted to take with him... but nine times out of ten Number One would just pick Worf and Data anyway. I can imagine Ensign Crumbum in the background thinking "Geez... and I was so sure he was gonna pick me over the android and the Klingon this time!".

[USS Excelsior]

Obviously it's convenient for the TV show. You wouldn't need that many crew members and certainly not anyone doing manual labour or physical security.

If you wanted to repair the ship it should be more like how that Repair Station did it with high speed and automation, and replicating replacement parts along the way.

[Dale Sams]

The problem is that TNG tries to make TOS look silly, and as you say replicates the problem...when it really wasn't silly of TOS to let Kirk on the away teams. If TOS is..say...British explorer ships, then most of the TOS away team selections make perfect sense. Whereas TNG are modern warships, and of course you arn't going to see Captain Picard of the Aircraft Carrier Midway disembarking to fight some terrorists.

I don't know where that leaves Archer...a Polynesian canoe chief?

[Captrek]

SimpleLogic wrote:

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True, I just find it funny that Riker is like, "No captain it is too dangerous for you,. Come on Data, Geordi, Worf, Crusher, Yar, Pulaski, Troi, Crusher, Guinan, O'Brien, Ro, Quark, Kim, Spock, Gowron, Sela..."

The captain often orders the XO to take a “minimal away team” — typically the android and the Klingon to avoid risking any more real people — when the situation is deemed especially dangerous.

In the more common case, the situation is deemed relatively safe and the bulk of the command staff may be included on the away team. Though the situation isn’t especially dangerous, there is a possibility of a catastrophe resulting in the loss of the entire away team. In that event, the captain is the person best qualified to oversee continuing ship operations and assemble a new command staff.

It’s kind of similar to the USA Continuity of Government policy, “During large, pan-government events, such as the State of the Union Address, and presidential inaugurations, one member of the Cabinet is removed to a remote, safe, COG-designated location.” Only in this case it’s the captain rather than a Cabinet member.

[Nerys Myk]

Hey! Androids and Klingons are real people too!!!!!!