Gillian Taylor in the 23rd century

[Mr. Laser Beam]

It's always been in my headcanon that the research vessel's mission includes the repopulation of the humpbacks, starting with George and Gracie and their newborn. Gillian may have never left the solar system.

Indeed.

Perhaps Gillian's ship was part of the Federation Naval Patrol?

I always figured that in the original history, without Kirk and company interfering

We can't assume there ever was such a history. For all we know, Gillian was always supposed to vanish from 1986, and there never was a timeline where she didn't. You can't prove that this isn't the case, anyway.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I've read a few fanfics about her. It's too bad she didn't merit a pro novel; that would have been fun to read.

Gillian in the 23rd-century had a plotline in Margaret Wander Bonanno's unpublished sequel to the film, "Music of the Spheres." (The published novel Probe, though it bears her name, was written by Gene DeWeese.) I don't recall, exactly, what her plotline entailed in Bonanno's manuscript, but it had to do with whether or not her disappearance in 1986-ish contaminated the timeline. (If I'm remembering, an earthquake in San Francisco essentially covered for her disappearance.) This whole plotline was excised in Probe.

Chris Claremont uses her in his graphic novel, Debt of Honor, that was published by DC Comics in 1992. She witness the birth of George and Gracie's calf, and she and Kirk appear to be in a relationship.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Her starship encountered the post-V'ger entity, and she spent the rest of her time with Decker raising the next step in our evolution.

I don't think I ever realized that 7th Heaven actually had seven children on the show. Oh, Aaron Spelling, you wacky punster!

I don't know if it's strictly necessary for Gillian Taylor to die in the unaltered timeline. She was probably just one of the thousands of people in the world whose life didn't make much of an impact on history.

 

[FormerLurker]

I don't think I ever realized that 7th Heaven actually had seven children on the show. Oh, Aaron Spelling, you wacky punster!

That picture is from about season four. If Spelling was working the pun, he was playing a long game with it.

 

[Timewalker]

I'd like to know how she was qualified to go on a research vessel. She turns up in the 23rd century and within a fairly short time gets a gig on a science ship - any degrees, phds etc she has are centuries out of date. Unless she was just along for the ride? Considering how the Ent-D crew treat a bunch of 20th century outcasts in "The Neutral Zone", I doubt she was doing the science.

Considering that nobody on Earth besides her has any real experience of humpback whales, I'd say her degrees being over 200 years old wouldn't really hinder her at all.

The Enterprise-D treated the 20th century people like shit because that's just how Saint Jean-Luc & co. are - insufferably smug on their self-erected "we're so enlightened" pedestals.

I would hope that the 23rd-century scientists with whom Gillian would be interacting wouldn't be quite that rude and arrogant. I'm sure she would have been given access to whatever courses and educational materials she needed to do her "catching up" - not to mention someone to mentor her through 23rd century social customs and expectations.

 

[Kilana2]

Did they found the DTI after Gillian appeared in the future?

Spoiler: DTI

They offered counseling for temporal displaced people. Gillian was not the only one. And the Enterprise D people received such counseling. Some had difficulties to adapt to the new timeline, though. I don't know about Scotty.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Gillian would've been a nice plot element in Star Trek V; she could've dive into the question of creation and the universe on her science ship. We could've discovered her thoughts on God, and Kirk would share his thoughts on the subject matter. Not sure God had to be an old white guy who can't seem to groom his hair. Gillian was the closet person to our time who the audience could relate to on the subject matter. Another blown opportunity to a movie which was more narcissistic driven by Shatner challenging Nimoy's accomplishments as a filmmaker then developing a compelling Star Trek story.

 

[Timewalker]

Gillian would've been a nice plot element in Star Trek V; she could've dive into the question of creation and the universe on her science ship. We could've discovered her thoughts on God, and Kirk would share his thoughts on the subject matter. Not sure God had to be an old white guy who can't seem to groom his hair. Gillian was the closet person to our time who the audience could relate to on the subject matter. Another blown opportunity to a movie which was more narcissistic driven by Shatner challenging Nimoy's accomplishments as a filmmaker then developing a compelling Star Trek story.

I can't fathom how Gillian's opinion of God could have improved that movie.

 

[Mytran]

In my mind, the removal of Gillian from 1986 is what actually led to the extinction of the humpbacks in the first place. It's a predestination paradox!

 

[Timewalker]

In my mind, the removal of Gillian from 1986 is what actually led to the extinction of the humpbacks in the first place. It's a predestination paradox!

Because she wasn't there to fight some crucial piece of legislation or prevent something more drastic? That's sad, but plausible.

 

[Mytran]

Pretty much, yes.
And it is tragic

 

[Herbert]

If anyone is interested, Gillian shows up briefly in this graphic novel.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Did they found the DTI after Gillian appeared in the future?

Canonically speaking, there's no official (i.e. onscreen) evidence as to when the DTI was founded.

In the novelverse, the DTI's beginnings were laid during the 2270's, shortly after the time of the original series. I highly recommend @Christopher's DTI novels (particularly Watching the Clock) for a more detailed exploration of this idea.

As for Gillian, I'm sure the DTI would indeed want to have a sit-down with her (even though it's obviously not her fault that she ended up in the future), and I'm also sure that counselors would be available to help her acclimate to the 23rd century. Although Gillian seemed quick enough on the uptake that she probably adjusted without too much trouble.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

In my mind, the removal of Gillian from 1986 is what actually led to the extinction of the humpbacks in the first place. It's a predestination paradox!

Because she wasn't there to fight some crucial piece of legislation or prevent something more drastic? That's sad, but plausible.

And Nicholas Meyer wanted the Gillian character to stay in 1986 for exactly that reason, to show that it was up to us to make a better planet for ourselves now, and not wait for our 23rd Century heroes to fix it for us 300 years later.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

BTW, this thread title is constantly making me flash on this:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Which of course, reminds me of this:

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[Guy Gardener]

If you like Stephen Collins, you should check out Tales of the Gold Monkey. It's an adventure series that wasn't bad.

No one is allowed to like Stephen any more, because of the kiddy fiddling.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Collins#Sexual_abuse_allegations

Some more context would be nice, but this man is dead to me.

 

[Timewalker]

And Nicholas Meyer wanted the Gillian character to stay in 1986 for exactly that reason, to show that it was up to us to make a better planet for ourselves now, and not wait for our 23rd Century heroes to fix it for us 300 years later.

So why didn't she stay in 1986? Who overruled Meyer?

No one is allowed to like Stephen any more, because of the kiddy fiddling.

I don't condone what he did. But that has nothing to do with his portrayal of the main character in Tales of the Gold Monkey.

I loathe Mel Gibson, but I still enjoy his portrayal of Hamlet.

Marion Zimmer Bradley looked the other way when her husband committed awful sexual assaults on children. But I'm not burning my Darkover books.

In short, I can separate the individual from their body of work. How many here have destroyed their TMP DVDs because of Stephen Collins? Not very many, I'd wager.

So kindly don't tell me who or what I'm allowed to like. I didn't take this from my grandfather when he tried to dictate my reading when I was a teenager, and I am not going to take it from anyone on this forum. I'm more than old enough to make those decisions for myself.

 

[Guy Gardener]

As long as you remember to "hiss" and "Boo" now and then, it's probably fine.

 

[Refuge]

So kindly don't tell me who or what I'm allowed to like. I didn't take this from my grandfather when he tried to dictate my reading when I was a teenager, and I am not going to take it from anyone on this forum. I'm more than old enough to make those decisions for myself.

Agreed.

 

[Timewalker]

As long as you remember to "hiss" and "Boo" now and then, it's probably fine.

Seriously, just stop. You're free to like, dislike, or hate whomever you want, for whatever reasons you want.

You don't get to make those decisions or set conditions for anyone else, and I don't need your permission for what I like or don't like.

For the sake of civility and friendship, let's get back to Gillian Taylor.