Is it really that super unrealistic Kirks rank jump...

[JarodRussell]

Devon simply can't say "Yeah, they screwed that one up, but I don't care.", can he?
It's like the FTL rocket and sun implosion in Generations. Yeah, it's stupid, the writers didn't think it through, but I didn't care about it.

 

[Devon]

Devon simply can't say "Yeah, they screwed that one up, but I don't care.", can he?

No reason for Devon to, since they didn't screw up.

Changing something doesn't mean they "screwed up." This isn't hard guys.

 

[Set Harth]

Scotty has a working transporter that can send somebody up to about a light year

The normal transporter range in the TOS era was much smaller than that. Scotty's references to transporter range in his STXI dialogue may not necessarily match up with TOS, since he refers to beaming from one planet to an adjacent planet in the same system, but they still fall considerably short of a light year.

 

[Pauln6]

Scotty has a working transporter that can send somebody up to about a light year

The normal transporter range in the TOS era was much smaller than that. Scotty's references to transporter range in his STXI dialogue may not necessarily match up with TOS, since he refers to beaming from one planet to an adjacent planet in the same system, but they still fall considerably short of a light year.

You have to apply a bit of logic and assumption to the figures e.g. if the Starfleet outpost is 14km away from the escape pod landing site, how long is it likely to take to walk 14km through snowy terrain and how far can a starship travel at roughly warp 3 during that time?

Having looked at the time it took Oates to trek across Antarctica probably with more equipment than Kirk (14km per day) and taking into account that the distance to the outpost would be as the crow flies, plus adding in time to chat to Spock and modify the transporters, I think a light year is probably a conservative estimate.

I'm sure that others with more mathematical brains can work out the range of possible time frames and distances that could result in that set of variables.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Did Nero know Spock Prime knew of this formula?

 

[Yminale]

This is going to blow your mind's but Kirk's jump in GRADE (rank is grade plus experience) is actually plausible. During every war I can think of up to WWII, there are stories of young officers becoming Generals and Admirals.

Here's one famous example

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stephen_Decatur

and another

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Custard

Usually this is done in special circumstances. If you need an explanation, just say that for whatever reason the Enterprise is a reserve (not front line) vessel where an experienced commander isn't needed.

 

[JarodRussell]

During every war I can think of up to WWII, there are stories of young officers becoming Generals and Admirals.

So what's the WWII example?

 

[Pauln6]

Usually this is done in special circumstances. If you need an explanation, just say that for whatever reason the Enterprise is a reserve (not front line) vessel where an experienced commander isn't needed.

People have suggested that Kirk may have been promoted as a publicity stunt. Maybe he was tasked with a lengthy shakedown cruise and a number of local diplomatic missions ferrying people around to deal with the fallout from the Vulcan crisis. There is plenty to do within the Federation before Kirk and co might be sent on a dangerous 5-year mission to deep space.

 

[Sean Aaron]

There is plenty to do within the Federation before Kirk and co might be sent on a dangerous 5-year mission to deep space.

Maybe the five-year mission will turn out to be a punishment for some kind of diplomatic fuck-up?

 

[Pauln6]

There is plenty to do within the Federation before Kirk and co might be sent on a dangerous 5-year mission to deep space.

Maybe the five-year mission will turn out to be a punishment for some kind of diplomatic fuck-up?

Well how was he supposed to know she was the Ambassador's wife?

 

[JarodRussell]

There is plenty to do within the Federation before Kirk and co might be sent on a dangerous 5-year mission to deep space.

Maybe the five-year mission will turn out to be a punishment for some kind of diplomatic fuck-up?

Well how was he supposed to know she was the Ambassador's wife?

Especially Ambassador Sarek's new wife! "How... was I... supposed... to know... SPOCK!"

 

[Pauln6]

Maybe the five-year mission will turn out to be a punishment for some kind of diplomatic fuck-up?

Well how was he supposed to know she was the Ambassador's wife?

Especially Ambassador Sarek's new wife! "How... was I... supposed... to know... SPOCK!"

Perren was it? She must be, like 12 in 2260. Legal on Vulcan perhaps but I think maybe Kirk will be doing a different 5-year stint.

 

[malchya]

I knew someone was bound to bring up Custer! (I admit I wasn't expecting Decatur). The American Civil War was a unique period in history insofar as military promotion was concerned. The army bloomed overnight from a small peacekeeping force serving mostly on the frontier to a massive multi theater force. Top it off with about 1/2 of your serving officers retiring or defecting, and everything usual in military precedence goes right out the window. I don't see the parallels with Kirk's promotion. One that fits a little better from the same period would be David Dixon Porter's elevation from Commander to Rear Admiral almost overnight, but that one doesn't fit either as Porter had years of practical serving experience prior to the outbreak of war and the restructuring of the Navy.

And, in regards to Custer, we all know how that one ended, don't we? Is this really the career path we're opening for Kirk? If so, I might actually be a little more forgiving! The Enterprise as a 23rd century version of the Revenge under Grenville? That would be worth watching!

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I take it you're a using "step" as a euphemism for "order of magnitude"?

There's no reason at all to. The movie was right in line with the way Trek handles continuity.

 

[tighr]

I still don't like how the attack on Vulcan interrupts the hearing on Kirk's performance during the Kobayashi Maru test. Kirk never receives the commendation for original thinking; instead, they make it seem like he cheated.

 

[Cyke101]

I still don't like how the attack on Vulcan interrupts the hearing on Kirk's performance during the Kobayashi Maru test. Kirk never receives the commendation for original thinking; instead, they make it seem like he cheated.

That was my thought in the theaters, too. I was just waiting (WAITING!) for Admiral Madea to give the commendation. Sure, Kirk might have gotten it after the crisis was resolved, but I wanted to see it happen, especially after how nicely tense the verbal dual was between him and Spock.

 

[BillJ]

I still don't like how the attack on Vulcan interrupts the hearing on Kirk's performance during the Kobayashi Maru test. Kirk never receives the commendation for original thinking; instead, they make it seem like he cheated.

That was my thought in the theaters, too. I was just waiting (WAITING!) for Admiral Madea to give the commendation. Sure, Kirk might have gotten it after the crisis was resolved, but I wanted to see it happen, especially after how nicely tense the verbal dual was between him and Spock.

But then you wouldn't have the idiotic "sneaking him aboard the Enterprise" scenes.

 

[tighr]

But then you wouldn't have the idiotic "sneaking him aboard the Enterprise" scenes.

Good! The overall plot of the movie was horrid. I'm surprised Paramount let them go forward with that script.

It's still an enjoyable movie, but the script could have used some polish. It reminded me of "LOST... in space!" (not the show Lost in Space, but rather JJ's show LOST, set in space.)

 

[Sean Aaron]

I don't see the parallels with Kirk's promotion.

How many ships were in the Vulcan task force that got wasted? Who knows they might have lost half the Star Fleet!

 

[Skywalker]

I don't see the parallels with Kirk's promotion.

How many ships were in the Vulcan task force that got wasted? Who knows they might have lost half the Star Fleet!

Well, at least now they'll have a legitimate excuse for the Enterprise to always be the only ship within range.