Why, exactly, was the Enterprise and her crew decommissioned?

[TimeIsAPredator]

We definitely saw an Intrepid class on DS9.

Wow I remember the episode but not the ship. Thanks for helping cure some of my 20 year old anger

 

[fireproof78]

We definitely saw an Intrepid class on DS9.

With one shot with the Voyager name and registry. Sorry, Voyager. You will be remembered...briefly.

 

[Amasov]

Wow I remember the episode but not the ship. Thanks for helping cure some of my 20 year old anger

Was about to say, this IS the TrekBBS, right?

 

[The Wormhole]

It has always driven me absolutely nuts that we never saw a Sovereign or Intrepid class in DS9. If it was being made nowadays there would definitely be an episode where the Enterprise swoops in and we get a Picard view screen scene or something similar

Ira Behr wanted to include a Sovereign class in the WYLB battle. Paramount wouldn't allow it, fearing if they showed a Sovereign class on TV no one would go to theatres to see the TNG movies.

Of course, no one went to theatres to see the TNG movie anyway...

 

[TimeIsAPredator]

Of course, no one went to theatres to see the TNG movie anyway

I did at least for the first 2. I still think FC is an incredible film especially for the sound track

 

[STEPhon IT]

I never really gave this much thought until a recent viewing of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. It wasn't clear to me why the crew and the Enterprise were decommissioned. The real world explanation is obvious: it was the final TOS film, but, within the movie itself, it seems completely out of the blue.

Early in the film Kirk mentions to Spock the crew is due to "stand down in three months." Spock even mentions that it will be his final voyage aboard the Enterprise. Everything clearly suggests the crew is going to be retiring soon (if that's what "standing down" is supposed imply), but, it seemed to have been expedited at the very end. At one point, I even thought it was Starfleet, essentially, punishing the crew for failing to obey their orders by returning to report back to spacedock.

Anyone have thoughts on this?

Probably right. It was a time of the essence tale and everything in the movie was whizzing by at a break neck pace without thinking of the enormity of the matter and the scale of time this plot needed. Maybe Nicholas Meyer didn't remember or ignored the Enterprise was a new vessel; going with the ship he last journeyed in Star Trek II and went there. Although he did co-script TVH he still showed resentment of Spock's resurrection or at least opening the door to that which he protested that lead him not helming III, which I felt was a shame. TSFS is the worst Star Trek movie I'd ever seen and may goodness I still, to this day, wished the story went with the tale about the Romulans. As unmilitary as it was, Meyer wanted his Enterprise to be old and look that way as well YAWN, I've been aboard older military US vessels and from my view those ships look as new and pristine as if they came right out of the ship yards. The whole matter of the Enterprise being decommissioned was bullshit, but heck we knew this would be the last time we see this version of the ship and sigh who the hell cared at that point.

TNG Enterprise was coming along with her gallant crew.

 

[Grant]

The actual real reason? They wanted something dramatic to say at the end of Star Trek 6 so Spock could say "if I were human I would say go to hell."
If you look at the final draft script of Star Trek 6 there was no mention of the ship being decommissioned only the crew retiring. There were a couple of lines of additional Shakespeare and they decided at the last minute to get rid of those and add some dialogue about the ship being decommissioned so that Spock could say his famous last line.