Promotions in the new film?

[Kruge]

Something I didn't understand after watching Star Trek on Thurs....

Having watched pretty much every episode of every series, I don't understand the command structure in this new film...I'm no expert, but still...

When Capt. Robau shuttles over to the Narada, he tells Kirk "You are Captain now"...likewise, Capt. Pike "promotes" Kirk to First Officer, and tells Spock "You're the Captain now"

It was my understanding that First Officers are supposed to take over the ship in the absence of the Capt., but that doesn't make them the Captain...for example, Riker is promoted to Captain in TNG only after Picard is considered lost in one episode...Scotty and Spock have taken turns helming the Enterprise, but they aren't Captains (yet...maybe "acting Captains")

Is this because both Robau and Pike didn't expect to come back alive? I just don't understand...isn't part of the duty of the First Officer to take over in the absence of the Captain? Maybe this was done for dramatic effect?

 

[Small White Car]

There are two kinds of Captain.

Captain is a rank. You must earn that by being promoted.
Captain is also a position. It's the person in charge of the ship.

Let's look at TNG. When Captain Picard goes to bed and Commander Riker is in charge, he is "Commander Riker, Captain of the Enterprise" for the night.

That's what's going on in this movie. People are being given the position of Caption, but not the rank of Captain.

 

[Kruge]

There are two kinds of Captain.

Captain is a rank. You must earn that by being promoted.
Captain is also a position. It's the person in charge of the ship.

Let's look at TNG. When Captain Picard goes to bed and Commander Riker is in charge, he is "Commander Riker, Captain of the Enterprise" for the night.

That's what's going on in this movie. People are being given the position of Caption, but not the rank of Captain.

Aha!! Gotcha....thanks!

 

[Morpheus 02]

For me...who ARE the first officers...or did that position even exist on each ship?

That confused me.


Even moreso (and I was trying to find the thread on it)...hw did Kirk jump all the way to Captain after only his first post-Aademy mission. Did i miss something?

 

[Trekker4747]

People are being given the position of Caption, but not the rank of Captain.

 

[Kruge]

For me...who ARE the first officers...or did that position even exist on each ship?

That confused me.


Even moreso (and I was trying to find the thread on it)...hw did Kirk jump all the way to Captain after only his first post-Aademy mission. Did i miss something?

First Officers are second-in-command (kind of like the XO in the Navy, the Executive Officer) there to replace the Captain when necessary and to tell him he's not going on an away mission even though he will anyways

Spock was First Officer on the Enterprise (he doubled as Science Officer), Riker on the D and E, and so forth...

As for the leap to Captain...meh, could've been worse

I'm pretty sure if you save the earth, you get a little bit more than a medal, let's put it that way

 

[Trekker4747]

I'm pretty sure if you save the earth, you get a little bit more than a medal, let's put it that way

It may also be possible many fine officers were lost in the battle over Vulcan so perhaps Starfleet was hard-up for crew?



I don't though, see why they could't have flash-forwarded another five years or so to Kirk's taking the Enterprise from Pike and bringing in the rest of the cast who're close/still in touch over the intervening time.

 

[Natural]

Dramatic effect. Don't try to understand the command system in this movie, rather just try to watch and enjoy it. If you try to think about how Kirk went from cadet to captain of the flagship in a day, and how the entire senior staff of the flagship is made up of cadets, it'll just make your head hurt

 

[SolkaTruesilver]

Dramatic effect. Don't try to understand the command system in this movie, rather just try to watch and enjoy it. If you try to think about how Kirk went from cadet to captain of the flagship in a day, and how the entire senior staff of the flagship is made up of cadets, it'll just make your head hurt

This is my major beef with the movie. Generally, it was interesting and pleasant. But putting an un-commissioned cadet in command of a Starship?

There is a difference between marking a cadet for exceptional skill, and doing something stupid. I though you'd need some serious experience in the Command department before being allowed to Captain.

The newly commissionned cadets having the senior posts on the Flagship is also annoying.

 

[General Shran]

I don't though, see why they could't have flash-forwarded another five years or so to Kirk's taking the Enterprise from Pike and bringing in the rest of the cast who're close/still in touch over the intervening time.

I've only seen it once, so my memory isn't 100% clear, but is there any way the final scenes of Kirk taking command could have actually been a few years later? Or was it clearly just after the Nero crisis and I just missed it?

 

[nx1701g]

I don't though, see why they could't have flash-forwarded another five years or so to Kirk's taking the Enterprise from Pike and bringing in the rest of the cast who're close/still in touch over the intervening time.

I've only seen it once, so my memory isn't 100% clear, but is there any way the final scenes of Kirk taking command could have actually been a few years later? Or was it clearly just after the Nero crisis and I just missed it?

It was meant to be immediately after the Nero crisis. It was established with Pike turning command over to Kirk at the end of his court martial for original thinking.