The Spock/Uhura romance in STID was disappointing.

[Trekkin]

Nothing except a brain transplant could have saved a lot of those red shirts.

Seriously guys, after the tenth guy has died via 'patrolling by himself on a weird planet', you need to realize there's a reason why Kirk always partners up with someone. Although I could probably blame Kirk for continuously sending them off on their own.

 

[Amaris]

This professionalism thing is most definitely a recent development. It's a child's idea of how adults are supposed to behave: super serious, cause this is super duper important adult stuff we have to do.

If a middle-manager and a lower-level coworker (like a secretary) were going out, and they started having a lover's quarrel in the middle of a serious business meeting, do you really think that's appropriate? Do you think they'd still have their jobs the next day? It's highly egotistical/narcissistic to put your own personal drama ahead of the business at hand, but of course, we're living in yet another me-decade so it just seems normal to bring your baggage into the board-room.

If a high-ranking naval officer was screwing a lower-ranking officer and, in the middle of negotiating some tense situation in the Straits of Hormuz, the lower-ranking female officer starts bitching out the officer, do you think that's appropriate? It's wrong on multiple levels, starting with raising questions about proper chain of command vs. nepotism vs. exploiting a power-imbalance.

You're damn right it's important adult stuff and that kind of behavior is selfish, irresponsible, and childish. There's a time for being responsible and a time for personal stuff. Keep your personal stuff for your off-hours.

The only reason it gets a free pass is that it's showbiz. Fantasy version of reality. And in JJ's case, he didn't want to let the films breathe enough to have real character-building moments so he has to wedge them in the middle of one long Transformers style chase-scene.

It's simply not the same as the kind of thing we saw in TOS because the pace was nowhere near as break-neck.

The reason there's as much inter-crew romance in Trek is because there doesn't seem to be anything interesting for civilians to do if they aren't a member in Starfleet. So at times it feels like everyone within Federation society is a fellow member of Starfleet and so it encourages more of an informal lifestyle overall, despite attempts here and there (like Wrath of Khan) to establish more pomp and circumstance. But in most cases, the relationships were back-story (Decker and Ilia and #1 and Troi were exes). The active relationships never ever worked, IMHO. It was better to have tension without it ever leading anywhere (like between Picard and Crusher). Having leads hookup like this is best left for cheap fan-fiction. It's too convenient and lazy.

Nope.

 

[Trekkin]

No shit people give out free passes to the less-than-realistic parts in a work of fiction. It doesn't really matter who or what institution is making it.

Picard kept his therapist right next to him on the Bridge, Now, we can think up a million examples of why Troi should have been useful to have there, and they would be reasons other than just keeping constant tabs on the crews apparently fragile state of mind.

But I know if I continuously walked into my bosses office and saw they kept a therapist glued to them, I would be having way more doubts about their ability than if I'd just caught him in an one-off argument. And in reality, we generally are willing to let breaches of etiquette/rules etc go if you have a good working history, which Spock and Uhura apparently do.

And let me get this straight - a relationship unlike what we've seen before in Trek is 'cheap and lazy.' So the solution is to do exactly what they've done before, and in ways which also had (and still do have) fans whining about them? Based on all the kissing, occasional bouts of jealousy, and near-boinking, even early seasons Troi and Riker were only 'over it' exes when it was convenient. Later on, I seem to recall them practicing some alien cultural practice called mawiaaaage, or something like that.

 

[Jedi_Master]

Throwing in the quick Transformers dig is tipping your hand.

We get it - JJ and Michael Bay are the AntiChrist(s).

Starfleet has never been portrayed as pure military, so those kind of apples to apples comparisons don't work. Having worked in several environments with couples, including those with differing levels of authority I can attest to the fact that "unprofessional" behavior can and does happen, with wildly varying consequences.

 

[borgboy]

Troi wasn't exactly on the bridge to give Picard therapy sessions. She was giving insights into people they encountered, and her empathic abilities were a tool Picard used to his advantage.

 

[Trekkin]

Pretty certain I did mention that. But the point I was making was its not enough to say 'this is wrong and context doesn't matter.' Ethics and professionalism are rarely binary concepts, even in the real world.

Using Troi to pry into the brains of crew members and whomever happens to show up on the view screen is also pretty ethically screwy, but that's a conversation for somewhere else.

 

[JoeZhang]

Nothing except a brain transplant could have saved a lot of those red shirts.

Seriously guys, after the tenth guy has died via 'patrolling by himself on a weird planet', you need to realize there's a reason why Kirk always partners up with someone. Although I could probably blame Kirk for continuously sending them off on their own.

one of the tie-in books explains this - Kirk is secretly turned on by writing those "Mrs. Klang, your podson was a fine officer" letters which is why he so often asks officers to explore naked and unarmed in dark caves while he waits in the shuttle.

 

[Crazy Eddie]

This professionalism thing is most definitely a recent development. It's a child's idea of how adults are supposed to behave: super serious, cause this is super duper important adult stuff we have to do.

If a middle-manager and a lower-level coworker (like a secretary) were going out, and they started having a lover's quarrel in the middle of a serious business meeting, do you really think that's appropriate?

I take it you've never worked in a small business situation.

Do you think they'd still have their jobs the next day?

Are they the owners of the business and/or the two best friends of of the company President, who just finished having this exact same argument with one of them a day and a half before?

The only reason it gets a free pass is that it's showbiz.

No, the reason it gets a free pass is because it's STAR TREK. This has happened before on the show and it will happen again in the future.

The reason there's as much inter-crew romance in Trek is because there doesn't seem to be anything interesting for civilians to do if they aren't a member in Starfleet.

That and the fact that there's no reason for people who AREN'T members of Starfleet to be on the Enterprise.

Besides, both history and human nature reflect the fact that people tend to form relationships -- even romantic ones -- with people around them. The reason there's more inter-crew romances in Starfleet is because Starfleet officers rarely get a chance to MEET anybody else.

Except for Kirk. Kirk has a girl in every starport.

 

[Trekkin]

Funny story - my employer at one of my jobs is married one of my fellow minions. They still work together and she does boss him around a bit about personal matters ( like taking his snuck-in junk food out of the break-room fridge and chucking it). Yet somehow the rest of us restrain ourselves from constantly gossiping about the scandal of it all.

Coz you know, a) We really don't care and b) worrying about it isn't exactly professional either. So long as it's not illegal or harming anyone, it's all gravy.

 

[eyeresist]

the vibes I get in the 'farragut' scene, from the moment Uhura hears it and then confronts Spock, is that she knew it was Spock's fault (and that he changed her assignment) and was ready to kick his a$$ and when she gets to him he has this 'uh oh' moment

Whatever the reason for Spock's behaviour, when Uhura confronts him he is definitely experiencing a moment of quiet panic. That's really the source of the humour in that scene.

 

[Pauln6]

Yet somehow the rest of us restrain ourselves from constantly gossiping about the scandal of it all.

Coz you know, a) We really don't care and b) worrying about it isn't exactly professional either. So long as it's not illegal or harming anyone, it's all gravy.

Ha ha - yeah but a lot of professional organisations, including the military have rules about partners working together, particularly when in the same chain of command. The risk of hesitating or having impaired judgment is thought to be tangible.

Having said that, it's clear that Trek has no such express rules. This has been stated expressly more than once. Even in TOS, we have a ship-board wedding.

 

[fireproof78]

Yet somehow the rest of us restrain ourselves from constantly gossiping about the scandal of it all.

Coz you know, a) We really don't care and b) worrying about it isn't exactly professional either. So long as it's not illegal or harming anyone, it's all gravy.

Ha ha - yeah but a lot of professional organisations, including the military have rules about partners working together, particularly when in the same chain of command. The risk of hesitating or having impaired judgment is thought to be tangible.

Having said that, it's clear that Trek has no such express rules. This has been stated expressly more than once. Even in TOS, we have a ship-board wedding.

Precisely so, which is why the argument of "professionalism" feels hollow to me, as it does not fit precisely with what has gone on with Trek before. Starfleet is not presented as 100% military, which means it often plays fast and loose with the rules like fraternization that are often cited for the modern military.

I get why it doesn't set well with people, but that doesn't mean it does not work in the story and world as presented.

 

[Trekkin]

If it was the TNG era, we could say that Starfleet trusts it's officers to be 'evolved' enough for favouritism, hesitation etc to be a non-issue. I think the idea of perfect humans is ridiculous, but the characters in-universe obviously don't.

Kirk's parents were also a case of the first officer being married to a subordinate.

 

[BillJ]

Kirk's parents were also a case of the first officer being married to a subordinate.

We really don't know? She could've been a civilian attached to the Kelvin for some reason or just hitching a ride back to Earth.

 

[eyeresist]

^ Inconsiderate of her not to wear her uniform while giving birth.

 

[Nerys Myk]

^ Inconsiderate of her not to wear her uniform while giving birth.

Total lack of professionalism.

 

[eyeresist]

"You're an officer on board this ship and I require you to perform your duty!"

[/picard]

 

[martok2112]

"You're an officer on board this ship and I require you to perform your duty!"

[/picard]

"Yes, sir!" (moan.....spwat...) /Winona (.waaaaaaaaaaa!) /Jim
And James T. Kirk is born.

 

[Pauln6]

^ Inconsiderate of her not to wear her uniform while giving birth.

Total lack of professionalism.

Yup, I see no reason why one cannot breast feed while repeating the computer.

 

[Trekkin]

That's because you worked out that in order to do so, the female officers would practically have to take off their entire uniform.

Not a lot of elbow room inside those dresses.