I think that "The Ultimate Computer" is the one time where Kirk is depicted as a genuine jerk/asshole. His behaviour at the start of the episode was inexcuseable. He was shown acting like a petulant child, inserting himself into testing matters where a more reasonable commander would have backed off. I think that early part of this episode makes Kirk look very bad. This being a 60's show, and he being the hero...it was necessary for him to be proven right. However, that still does not excuse him for his actions prior to the M5's malfunction.
Kirk's behaviour in The Ultimate Computer
- Thread starter Gotham Central
- Start date
I think this might be a bit strong. Granted, this wasn't one of Kirk's better episodes characterization wise, but his opinions/actions did serve an important purpose in the episode. He represented the "anti-technology taking over humanity" perspective. This was needed to balance the story, especially Starfleet's initial optimism about the M-5 unit.
There was nothing in his life that he'd rather do than captain a starship. He felt that his reason for being was threatened. It's completely understandable that he reacted the way he did.
I think the episode makes Starfleet look bad and Kirk look good.
Individual excellence will always trump organizational (today, read: corporate) leashes. IMO.
Anyway, I'm always for character assassination. Too much of the same-o is a bad way to carry a character for years upon years of TV show, and it's only reasonable that our heroes who must cope with a high-stress environment every two weeks would eventually snap, and emerge changed.
Worf became much more likeable and interesting when he was established as a crazed, bloodlusty murderer. Riker gained some edge as a character when he lost all edge as a Starfleet officer. Old Kirk the tired cold warrior was a nice outgrowth of young Kirk the high-brow hero, too... IMHO.
Timo Saloniemi
Worf became much more likeable and interesting when he was established as a crazed, bloodlusty murderer. Riker gained some edge as a character when he lost all edge as a Starfleet officer. Old Kirk the tired cold warrior was a nice outgrowth of young Kirk the high-brow hero, too... IMHO.
Timo Saloniemi
How does Kirk look good in this episode? The script required that he be right, but his attitude at the begining was just awful. His attitude was so bad that Spock on several occasions had to step in and add a bit of rational reasoning to the discussion. Kirk's only reply to that was some insecure whining about Spock obviously liking machiines more than people.
What was really bad was his insistance on issuing orders during the middle of the computer test, in direct contravention of the purpose of the test. A rational person would have sit back and let the test run its course. His obvious insecurity and need to be in control made him look exceptionally bad. He kept issuing orders even when they were essentially asking him to stop.
I think that the most personally amusing moment for me was having the computer point out how unnecessary it was for him and Dr. McCoy to go on a routine away mission when they brought nothing to the team. It was sort of a nice acknowldgement that it made no sense for the Captain and the 1st officer (to say nothing of the CMO and Chief Engineer) to all go on those missions.
trevanian
Rear Admiral
I thought he was always played that way. What interested me about Worf was when they let him go low and subdued ... in SKIN OF EVIL, stating the goal was not to fuck up the oil slick, but to rescue the crewmembers. THAT was a Worf I'd like to see more often (along with the one-liner Worf ... 'nice planet,' NOT 'irving berlin.')
I think this episode handled Kirk's inner conflict quite well, actually. He just knows in his gut that this is a very bad idea (a feeling that I'll bet has saved his and his crew's collective asses on more than one occasion) but he still has enough self-doubt to wonder if his gut is reacting to a genuine, serious threat or if he really might just be overreacting to his own worry about his own job.
It's not only Kirk knows it in his gut, clearly so does McCoy. "If this thing doesn't work there aren't enough men aboard to run the ship." After four failures why did Starfleet expect M5 to work well enough to put lives at risk? Some deskbound paper pusher needs to be drawn and quartered.
It's interesting when people complain about how much of an obsessive, steamrolling jerk Kirk is in TMP. Um, have those guys ever watched the show?
trevanian
Rear Admiral
Well, there's no twinkle or indication Kirk is 'on' in TMP. very little, anyway. Whereas in the series we've just seen him do his thing the week before, so maybe he just hasn't had his coffee this next episode.
Kirk was a wonderfully flawed character. That's what made him so interesting, unlike the automatons of certain later series.
All episodes of TOS featuring Starfleet characters from outside the Enterprise make them look bad and Kirk look good.
Exactly. Kirk was completely in character. He was just in a different situation than we had seen him in before.
He behaved believably; he knew something was 'wrong' about the M-5 project (even if we don't understand how he knew, he was proven right). His talk with McCoy in the corridor was quite frank and open, so it's not like he was being petulant about it either.
His orders on the bridge were irrational given the nature of the test, but I think of that as more for the audience's benefit.
His orders on the bridge were irrational given the nature of the test, but I think of that as more for the audience's benefit.
I think this is just a good example of how the TOS characters, while living in a more advanced world than ours, were still fundamentally human. Kirk was a great leader, but he wasn't perfect. He had his insecurities and his flaws just like everyone. And that makes him all the more believable and enjoyable to watch.
I think throughout Star Trek we've seen plenty of evidence that one of Kirk's greatest insecurities in life is losing command. He doesn't know anything else. He doesn't feel fulfilled doing anything else. And he thinks that he would just grow old and be useless. We saw that in this episode, but we also saw it in The Deadly Years, in TWOK, in Generations, etc.
I think his behavior here was perfectly reasonable for the character. Here's a man who's ordinarily a great leader, but when confronted with one of his deepest insecurities -- the fact that something might come along to replace him and rob him of his command -- he behaves in a very human manner.
I think throughout Star Trek we've seen plenty of evidence that one of Kirk's greatest insecurities in life is losing command. He doesn't know anything else. He doesn't feel fulfilled doing anything else. And he thinks that he would just grow old and be useless. We saw that in this episode, but we also saw it in The Deadly Years, in TWOK, in Generations, etc.
I think his behavior here was perfectly reasonable for the character. Here's a man who's ordinarily a great leader, but when confronted with one of his deepest insecurities -- the fact that something might come along to replace him and rob him of his command -- he behaves in a very human manner.
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