Kirk's behaviour in The Ultimate Computer

[Alrik]

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.

This isn't a bad summation. However, the biggest example of Kirk's 'need' to be in command was probably in TMP in the way that he snatched command of the Enterprise right out from underneath Decker.

 

[Brutal Strudel]

And the humorlessness he displays for much of the film is a side-effect: it's hard to have a twinkle in your eye when you are disgusted and disturbed by your own obsessive high-handedness.

 

[Iowagirl]

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.

My thoughts exactly. And, there is Kirk's famous intuition - much has been said about it. He somehow feels from the beginning that this scenario will end in disaster, and he's trying to avert it by not letting a machine take over full control. His own control he has over the ship and over life-threatening situations he finds himself and his crew in, his intellect, combined with his high moral standards and his loyalty towards others, made him the efficient captain he was.

 

[KeepOnTrekking]

Actually, this is one of my favorite episodes!! It's definitely underrated but it gives great insight on the characterization of Kirk and hints at what trips him up by STTMP.

Let's face it, Kirk has already dealt with defective machines (The Changeling; I, Mudd ) and defective machine-gods ( The Return of the Archons; The Apple) to know by this point that they definitely have their limitations. They don't possess a soul and they can't feel.

McCoy was absolutely right when he questioned that the ship was undermanned if something should happen to go wrong!! It wasn't just Kirk!
People sometimes complain that McCoy is too hard on Kirk (like STTMP) but we see here McCoy digging his spurs into Daystrom after the M5 messes up and holds Daystrom to blame for it.

Kirk also had his insecurity about giving up command but was aware enough to voice his concerns to McCoy. Whereas some see Kirk as being a jerk about issuing unnecessary commands, I see Kirk trying to take a logical crack at the situation and decided to keep issuing the orders as a point of reference in evaluating the performance of the M-5. Did it responds quicker, slower or the same as human responses. If they do have ship's recorders all over the ship, like in ST III, maybe Kirk wanted something on the record (besides the ship's log) in case something did go wrong.

A great insight into Kirk's character and Spock's quiet admission about the ship running on loyalty to one person and nothing to replace that loyalty or the Captain. An average plot lifted up by some great characterization.

 

[trevanian]

I think the episode makes Starfleet look bad and Kirk look good.

All episodes of TOS featuring Starfleet characters from outside the Enterprise make them look bad and Kirk look good.

Except this one, since it is the decency and humanity of the other guy that saves all of the enterprise folks. I'm sure Kirk can excuse the dunsel remark in light of Wesley not blowing them all to hell.

 

[Admiral2]

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.

The stupid thing offed a friendly starship and tried to take out a bunch more. Cuz it was jealous. Like it's daddy.

Kirk's behavior is enthusiastically excused.

 

[Wingsley]

If you look at the teaser for "The Ultimate Computer", Kirk's indignation is completely understandable. He's the captain of a starship-of-the-line, underway in deep space, and suddenly he's told to divert to a space station, disembark 95% of the crew under his command, and prepare the ship for refit. All with no explanation given, and apparently he was told this was to be done pronto.

Any ship's captain (particularly the skipper of a starship in the context of TREK) would be very concerned, and predictably upset when he gets on the horn to HQ and can't get any answers. You can bet that by the time the Enterprise reached the space station and Kirk still didn't have any satisfaction, he would officially have reached "fit to be tied" status. The brief dialogue between Kirk and Commodore Enwright should make it abundantly clear that Kirk had indeed been repeatedly asking Starfleet for answers and getting nowhere, and that Kirk was fed up with getting the runaround. It makes perfect sense to assume that the captain of a Constitution-class starship does not get treated in this fashion.

It's also a cinch that the next step would be for Kirk to confront "the explanation" arriving in his transporter room: Commodore Wesley. (Note that Kirk finally cooled off a little once Wesley filled him in.)

James T. Kirk is depicted in STAR TREK as a responsible captain of a powerful Federation starship-of-the-line. He's a driven, hands-on career command-grade officer who rose through the ranks by getting up pretty early in the morning... and maybe skipping a good night's sleep. He's expected to be protective of his ship and his crew. One of the more common lines in TOS was Kirk expressing concern for "my ship". That's why Starfleet sent Wesley to greet him. They expected Kirk to demand an explanation. It is Kirk's job to be concerned about what is happening to his ship, even if it means being an "asshole".

 

[trevanian]

If the OP or somebody wants to find a hardcore -- umm, make that serious -- 'jerk' moment in TOS, try TRIBBLES. Kirk is REALLY grouchy in the early part of that.

 

[Wingsley]

And again, he's being a jerk because that's his job.

 

[Brutal Strudel]

I think the episode makes Starfleet look bad and Kirk look good.

All episodes of TOS featuring Starfleet characters from outside the Enterprise make them look bad and Kirk look good.

Except this one, since it is the decency and humanity of the other guy that saves all of the enterprise folks. I'm sure Kirk can excuse the dunsel remark in light of Wesley not blowing them all to hell.

Especially if you interpret the Captain Dunsel remark as commiseration via dry gallows humor rather than a gratuitous dig. Commodore Wesley is himself, apparently, a starship commander. If the M5 works, he too is out of a job.

 

[Doug Otte]

A great insight into Kirk's character and Spock's quiet admission about the ship running on loyalty to one person and nothing to replace that loyalty or the Captain. An average plot lifted up by some great characterization.

...and by brilliant acting by William Marshall.

Doug