After Reconstruction... same crew?

[Temeraire]

Okay, we know in STTMP Kirk "rammed Star Fleet's throat" to get Enterprise back shortly before her recommissioning. But say a crewman/officer had been posted to the ship a few months before [she was cleared for] uprating. Considering the length of time (almost 2 1/2 years from drydock until recommissioning), would [or could] that same crewman/officer be serving aboard after the uprating?

 

[Timo]

Probably not. It may well be that Kirk pulled a few strings to keep the main hero-sidekicks like Sulu and Uhura and Chekov aboard. Or at least he no doubt recommended them highly for Decker originally. Scotty could stay on his own account, perhaps being enough of a valued expert on this ship class to pull a few strings of his own. But not all of the crew would see wisdom in stagnating and waiting for the refit to finish. McCoy and Spock didn't...

Frankly, it's a wonder that Sulu and Chekov stayed aboard at all, when in the very next movie they show indications of career mobility and ambition. Perhaps Chekov originally saw merit in staying under the tutelage of a legendary crew during his earliest career years. But why would the senior Sulu stay on this job? Perhaps he just had a thing for test-piloting, as evidenced by his ST4 chopper flying and all - so helming the first refitted Constitution might have seemed like a good move for him.

Uhura never showed much ambition, so her remaining is sort of logical. Chapel probably found it easy to get the prestigious CMO job aboard this particular vessel as she would come recommended by McCoy. Possibly Rand had similar ideas. And Scotty would just be set in his ways, having already achieved the exact position he wanted. Did we ever hear of anybody else from the old crew remaining?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[jddj34]

I believe Kyle (TOS Transporter chief) moved on as Rand had his position in TMP and he probably was on the pre-refit USS Reliant. Leslie also wasn't seen again in the movies. those are the only crewmembers I can remember from TOS who were in more than 1 Episode.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Frankly, it's a wonder that Sulu and Chekov stayed aboard at all, when in the very next movie they show indications of career mobility and ambition.

Sure, but the "very next movie" is set around 10 years after TMP. A lot could change in that time.

 

[Timo]

Well, basically all the extras who appeared twice or more were gone by the time of TMP. Riley, Lemli, DeSalle, Martine, Palmer, M'Benga...

Gone, too, were the one-off guest stars like Garrovick and Romaine and... Well, those were basically the only Starfleet guest stars who survived an episode yet didn't reappear. The others I would count as extras (too small a part to be a real guest), or part of the supporting cast (lots of appearances and lines), not as guests.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[jddj34]

oh i forgot about m'benga and DeSalle. I would think m'benga would have moved on but desalle is probably still aboard

 

[Red Ranger]

Well, given that it was a movie that was banking on its fans being familiar with the stars and co-stars, that's the real-world reason we saw Scotty, Sulu, Uhura, and Chekov come back.

As for an in-universe explanation, there might be some prestige in being on the command crew of a refit Constitution-class vessel that was about to embark on yet another long mission.

Scotty may have had something to prove. I would imagine he was integral to the resdesign of the refit Enterprise. And Chekov, as you may recall, did have a different role as security chief aboard Enterprise.

As for Sulu and Uhura, returning in their old roles did seem to be a bit of career stagnation. For Sulu esp., a command-track officer, it would seem that a transfer to another ship as maybe second or first officer would have made more sense for him. As for Uhura, she was probably content to be the chief communications officer of a starship.

Red Ranger

 

[starburst]

I would think the Refit Enterprise at the time of TMP would be for a 23rd Century officer what a Galaxy class would be for the 24th with every cadet and serving Starfleet wanting the chance to crew her.

So really Sulu, Uhura, Chekov ect show their worth by being selected to serve on the most advanced ship in the fleet at that time. Scotty seemed in charge of the refit and background material suggest that he had some part in her redesign (non canon though)


Best crew for one of the best ships, even if they were to send her out with a newly promoted Captain, Decker must have shown he was good enough for the job before being made Captain, was it in the movie or just the books that Kirk recommended him for the command (Im sure he says that either in Engineering or Kirks quarters)

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

was it in the movie or just the books that Kirk recommended him for the command (Im sure he says that either in Engineering or Kirks quarters)

Decker mentions Kirk having recommended him for the command in Engineering right after Kirk says that he's "sorry" for taking over the center seat.

 

[Alpinemaps]

As for Sulu and Uhura, returning in their old roles did seem to be a bit of career stagnation. For Sulu esp., a command-track officer, it would seem that a transfer to another ship as maybe second or first officer would have made more sense for him. As for Uhura, she was probably content to be the chief communications officer of a starship

Do we know who Decker's first officer was? Could it have been Sulu? I wonder if Sulu saw some opportunity for his career to advance, if he stayed in command track aboard Enterprise. He certainly wasn't first or second officer under Kirk - so I wonder if he had been promoted / promised first or second under Decker?

I never thought of it until you mentioned it.

 

[Timo]

Decker's first officer might have been a character we saw in the movie, or then somebody who wasn't aboard since the ship wasn't supposed to be going anywhere yet.

There's a warm fuzzy feeling associated with having Sulu as the XO, to be sure. But it's not as if he acts particularly "commanding" or "decisive" aboard the vessel
before Kirk arrives and rearranges the chain of command. If anything, Uhura is the one calling the shots on the bridge...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Nebusj]

Do we know who Decker's first officer was? Could it have been Sulu? I wonder if Sulu saw some opportunity for his career to advance, if he stayed in command track aboard Enterprise. He certainly wasn't first or second officer under Kirk - so I wonder if he had been promoted / promised first or second under Decker?

I never thought of it until you mentioned it.

I'm not quite sure what Sulu's role was in the Original Five-Year Mission: while most often Scott would be in command once Spock was out of the way, it's hard to overlook that Sulu was given the ship when the brief Klingon-Federation War did break out. And that Sulu had a habit of falling into the command chair when the camera tilt threw everyone around on the bridge.

 

[Timo]

On this old chestnut, one might argue that Scotty was only left in command when the situation called for the ship to be left idle on standard orbit; the Chief Engineer could afford an off day in those circumstances. Any exceptions to this rule? ("Friday's Child", arguably, with the threat of Klingon ships looming; but Kirk might have been counting on the power of the Organian peace treaty there.)

Timo Saloniemi