Shatner's own words about Kirk's death in Generations

[TrickyDickie]

”Kirk had to die – why? I asked the Producers. They gave me all kinds of answers none of which made sense to me – but then I was prejudiced. How to die – that was the question – shot in the back was what the script called for – What? No Tympanys? No bugles? – No, shot in the back. How do any of us die – in panic? Our body remorsfully trying to stay alive – sucking in a ragged breath – silently screaming not yet not yet. I don’t know how it’s going to go with me but for Kirk I wanted him to go with dignity. Actually I wanted him to go with awe and wonder. Yes I had played those emotions time and time again in the series and in the movies. I thought I could play that when he passed – and so I did. I added a ‘Oh my’ at the end as he saw death approach – what does death look like? Some grotesque alien or some benign God. Maybe it’s a grotesque God or on the other hand it might be a benign alien – Kirk saw it – looked on with Awe and wonder and expired."

 

[Dukhat]

Well, I have no idea what that piece of paper is or if it's even legit. But it's common knowledge that the original ending where Kirk gets shot in the back by Soran was reshot because test audiences reacted negatively to it. So I can only assume that Shatner was more satisfied with that ending than the original. And why did Kirk need to die? Because it was just one item on a laundry list of inane things Paramount wanted done in ST:Gen; the destruction of the Ent-D being another.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

And why did Kirk need to die? Because it was just one item on a laundry list of inane things Paramount wanted done in ST:Gen; the destruction of the Ent-D being another.

Back in '91, rumors were circulating that Kirk would be killed in STVI, a true way of ending TOS once and for all. Of course, history knows that didn't happen, and instead we had a wonderful wrap-up of the series. It always felt like someone said "NO, wait! We take it back!!" and offed Kirk to ensure the torch passing to TNG. It never sat well.

The truth is by 1994, TNG had ALSO run its course and sailed into the sunset in just as fitting a way as TOS. I really wish they'd left well-enough alone for both series. The world wouldn't be a substantially different place without four failed TNG movies.

 

[Balok's Decoy]

I really love Kirk's death in Generations. I had read this story before of Shatner's "Oh my" line choice. I think it's great. GEN is probably the most underrated Trek movie, imho.

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I think a death like George Kirk's (ST09) would have been more fitting for James T. Kirk.

Both GEN versions were seriously anticlimactic to say the least.

 

[Vger23]

I loved the way Shatner acted that final scene.

 

[Commander Kielbasa]

Generations to me is not canon. YMMV. But Kirk to me is alive and well somewhere in the late 23rd century.

 

[FormerLurker]

The truth is by 1994, TNG had ALSO run its course and sailed into the sunset in just as fitting a way as TOS. I really wish they'd left well-enough alone for both series. The world wouldn't be a substantially different place without four failed TNG movies.

It needn't have. If they'd brought in new writers, as had been planned, the show could have run another seven years, or even seven after that.

TNG was initially intended to be about the ship, not the characters, with any or all of them being replaced as the actors moved on, while the ship kept on its mission. When the first season really got going, and it became clear that most or all of them would be staying for at least their first complete contracted run (except for Denise Crosby, of course), they began to push the characterization and people stories. It was only when some of the writers began to feel burnout that they began looking at ending the series.

Of course, they kept the entire writing staff for VGR. I don't remember how long that lasted, but it was obviously too long.

 

[PureCrimson]

He has a good point, why did he have to die? They could've just left 6 alone and had a mostly satisfying ending without pissing everyone off.

They didn't show Picard dying yet... why is that okay? Better get that filmed soon, as Stewart is getting up there! We need to see EVERYTHING!!! [/sarcasm]

 

[Maurice]

The show ended in a big part because it was a case of diminishing returns for Paramount. Above the line costs (notably cast) go up every season, so the show gets more expensive to produce. Sign new contracts when the originals expire and you're looking at a huge cost increase.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Kirk had a heroic death... on the Enterprise saving the new crew who apparently go on joyrides where the most important components are not installed until Tuesday. WTH is going on here??? After that film, I could never enjoy anything Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore had written after. I'm sure everyone in this forum could've thought up a demise which would've honored Captain James T. Kirk.

They blew it 3 folds, had a chance to redeem the shot in the back but... decided to have him fall off a bridge??? Those 2 men are bastards.

 

[Commishsleer]

I'm wondering why an actor wrote such a thing. Do they always do this?
I'm thinking Shatner did this because the writing was so bad. He had to justify the end of a legend.
Did Nimoy write such a memo about Spock's death scene.

 

[fireproof78]

Generations to me is not canon. YMMV. But Kirk to me is alive and well somewhere in the late 23rd century.

Don't worry. It isn't canon for Shatner either

 

[johnnybear]

If they hadn't have killed Kirk during Generations then Shatner would have wanted to be in on First Contact and Insurrection I'm sure!
JB

 

[Mytran]

TNG was initially intended to be about the ship, not the characters, with any or all of them being replaced as the actors moved on, while the ship kept on its mission.

I've never heard this before but sounds a fascinating concept - do you happen to know the source?

 

[FormerLurker]

I've never heard this before but sounds a fascinating concept - do you happen to know the source?

I wish I did. It's been so long I don't even remember if I read it, or saw a story on ET, or heard it on the radio. Most likely it was a story in Starlog, or a similar magazine, or even People Magazine. I just don't remember.

 

[Roundabout]

I'm wondering why an actor wrote such a thing. Do they always do this?
I'm thinking Shatner did this because the writing was so bad. He had to justify the end of a legend.
Did Nimoy write such a memo about Spock's death scene.

I, too, am curious to know if that letter was authentically written by Shatner. Who was the letter meant for anyway, his memoirs? his fans? Whatever the case, he made some good points.

Kirk didn't go out with a proverbial bang, instead he went out with a whimper. He deserved a more fitting ending. Spock got an appropriate ceremony at the end of TWOK with pomp and circumstance. Kirk got a bunch of rocks as his memorial and no one else but Picard to say goodbye.

And the irony was that Spock returned to life (and future movies) whereas GEN was in all likelihood the definitive end of Shatner's Kirk.

I prefer to remember Kirk's last moments as the one where he rode off to "the second star to the right and straight on til morning" rather than what happened in GEN.

 

[suarezguy]

Though the filmmakers probably should have just not a done a crossover film (really hard to please fans of both series) it makes sense that in one the older generation character would die-it would seem too worshipful of the original series and Kirk that he could travel another century into the future and adjust well and seem to not ever die-and also too unbalanced and original series-worshipful if the Enterprise-D was destroyed but Kirk didn't die and would still always be a captain (and alternately if the new ship wasn't destroyed or Kirk lived but decided to retire that would be really underwhelming).

 

[Nyotarules]

I had no problem with Kirk dying, but a battle with those Klingon sisters might have been more fitting. He always expected to die alone, dying in the arms of those buxom ladies would have been hilarious!

 

[Paradise City]

The lead actors often write notes about the trajectory of their characters.

I think they should not have bothered killing off Kirk and just leave his fate open ended. TUC hit the right note and so there you go. In the end, Kirk's death was contrived and I think the TNG writers who basically wrote that film just didn't know what to do with such an iconic hot potato character tbh. They had Kirk's "I'll die alone" prophecy from TFF bubbling in their heads but it was Spot the Cat's survival that elbowed Captain Kirk off centre stage at the end. So I think that was all quite clumsy.