Do think Sulu ever got to captain the Enterprise?
- Thread starter Jayson
- Start date
There's no ndication that the Exceslior was a "lesser" ship than the Enterprise Bee.
And Harriman wasn't incompent, he was ordered to take a unready ship on a "safe" publicity cruise, and then responded to a distress call with said unready ship, as any Starfleet captain would.
And Harriman wasn't incompent, he was ordered to take a unready ship on a "safe" publicity cruise, and then responded to a distress call with said unready ship, as any Starfleet captain would.
There's no ndication that the Exceslior was a "lesser" ship than the Enterprise Bee.
And Harriman wasn't incompent, he was ordered to take a unready ship on a "safe" publicity cruise, and then responded to a distress call with said unready ship, as any Starfleet captain would.
Yur a meeny.
There was already a Sulu on the Enterprise-B. No need for two as Hikaru was already forging his own legend on Excelsior.
I also tend to think that after his agreeably disasterous first mission, Harriman picked himself up, put the incident behind him, and ultimately proved himself as a captain worthy to command a ship named Enterprise countless times over.
I also tend to think that after his agreeably disasterous first mission, Harriman picked himself up, put the incident behind him, and ultimately proved himself as a captain worthy to command a ship named Enterprise countless times over.
I didn't think it was ever implied that he captained an Enterprise.
And Harriman wasn't incompent, he was ordered to take a unready ship on a "safe" publicity cruise, and then responded to a distress call with said unready ship, as any Starfleet captain would.
Only because the overused "only ship within range" excuse popped up again. It was supposed to be just "a trip around the block" and they were the only ship in range??? Seriously??? How many times have we heard that?
And Harriman wasn't incompent, he was ordered to take a unready ship on a "safe" publicity cruise, and then responded to a distress call with said unready ship, as any Starfleet captain would.
Only because the overused "only ship within range" excuse popped up again. It was supposed to be just "a trip around the block" and they were the only ship in range??? Seriously??? How many times have we heard that?
Nope. He didn't get the Enterprise. As for Harriman's ""safe" publicity cruise" - very plausible. 'Dog and Pony shows' are often done for the press/politicians/public. I'll leave the poetic license of "the only ship in range" alone. It didn't bother me.
Poetic license? One that's been done to death. Think about it. Starfleet headquarters is on earth, and yet they only have a single ship, one that's not even ready for it's shakedown cruise, nearby?
It's called "poor writing" not "poetic license."
We should start a thread of all the instances where the Enterprise was "the only ship within range."
Unless they mean ship available that we don't need to pull off an ongoing mission or task and is space worthy enough and of a class capable for the mission to be completed with success. Starfleet could have plenty of ships in the area that could be reassigned from a mission.
Except they don't.
COMMUNICATIONS OFFICER: We're picking up a distress call, Captain.
HARRIMAN: On... On speakers.
COMM VOICE: This is the transport ship Lakul. We're caught in some kind of energy distortion. Two ships in our convoy. ...We're trapped in a severe gravimetric distortion. We can't break free. We need immediate help. It' tearing us apart. This is the trans...
SCIENCE OFFICER: The Lakul is one of two ships transporting El-Aurian refugees to Earth.
HARRIMAN: Ensign Sulu, can you locate them?
DEMORA: The ships are bearing at three one zero mark two one five. Distance, three light years.
HARRIMAN: Signal the closest starship. We're in no condition to mount a rescue. ...We don't even have a full crew aboard.
NAVIGATOR: We're the only one in range, sir.
HARRIMAN: ...Well, then, ...I guess it's up to us.
Bad writing aside, I would assume Harriman has no freedom to do ship reassignments or would not have knowledge of fleet dispositions in order to do so. As far as his ship is concerned it's the only one close enough to respond to the distress before the endangered ships are lost.
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And Harriman wasn't incompent, he was ordered to take a unready ship on a "safe" publicity cruise, and then responded to a distress call with said unready ship, as any Starfleet captain would.
Only because the overused "only ship within range" excuse popped up again. It was supposed to be just "a trip around the block" and they were the only ship in range??? Seriously??? How many times have we heard that?
Nope. He didn't get the Enterprise. As for Harriman's ""safe" publicity cruise" - very plausible. 'Dog and Pony shows' are often done for the press/politicians/public. I'll leave the poetic license of "the only ship in range" alone. It didn't bother me.
Like a certain president landing an aircraft on an aircraft carrier with San Diego in the background so they had to go farther out to sea. Mission Accomplished! though, so it's all good after a billion dollars a week for 10 years. Heckuva job. Just sayin.
The Haynes Enterprise manual that came out a bit ago has a bit on Harriman being the supervising captain of the Ent-B's construction, more of a paper pusher type, and that's why he wasn't up to the task of the rescue. Kinda makes sense, and it brings to mind the TOS episode where some Commodore took command of the Enterprise and violated the Neutral Zone due to lack of command experience.
Actually, it doesn't make sense for Starfleet to give command of any ship to someone who hasn't proven themselves capable of the job. They might as well be giving them to civilians in that regard.
^ Man, is there no end to the Harriman hate? 
There is NO indication that he was to be the long term captain of that vessel. In all likelihood he was a training captain, assigned to the vessel for the initial break-in period before it was to be assigned to long term missions with an appropriately seasoned captain. The Enterprise isn't a "newbie" ship. People do their time to eventually earn the chance to serve aboard her. For all we know, the training crew aboard was just helping out with the initial break-in period, ironing out all the kinks/issues before the ship would be sent on official assignments.
There is NO indication that he was to be the long term captain of that vessel. In all likelihood he was a training captain, assigned to the vessel for the initial break-in period before it was to be assigned to long term missions with an appropriately seasoned captain. The Enterprise isn't a "newbie" ship. People do their time to eventually earn the chance to serve aboard her. For all we know, the training crew aboard was just helping out with the initial break-in period, ironing out all the kinks/issues before the ship would be sent on official assignments.
There's NO indication of any of that. Harriman was the captain of the Enterprise. Simple as that.^ Man, is there no end to the Harriman hate?
Now, it's more than likely he wasn't the only person to command that vessel during its operational lifetime, but we don't know how long the ship was in service or how many captains had a turn at her helm. Of the original Enterprise, we can only officially say it was Pike, Kirk, Decker (during its refit), and Spock, with Kirk "commandeering" the ship at the very end.
Maybe for a year or two before Exceslior.
That's basically what the Haynes manual says. It wasn't his long term assignment, and frankly it would have been better had the writers put that on screen. As soon as the crisis hit, have Harriman tell Kirk that he was the construction supervisor and that an actual commander needs to take over.
^^^
That sounds even worse than what we got onscreen, but then the ship would likely have been still under construction in drydock and not even commissioned yet in such a scenario.
That sounds even worse than what we got onscreen, but then the ship would likely have been still under construction in drydock and not even commissioned yet in such a scenario.
And Harriman wasn't incompent, he was ordered to take a unready ship on a "safe" publicity cruise, and then responded to a distress call with said unready ship, as any Starfleet captain would.
Only because the overused "only ship within range" excuse popped up again. It was supposed to be just "a trip around the block" and they were the only ship in range??? Seriously??? How many times have we heard that?
I think the even worse offender was in TFF, the Enterprise was barely space worthy and there were other ships available but they wanted Kirk. Couldn't they simply have allowed Kirk to take temporary command of a ship that was in full working order.
Ah my mistake, otherwise the movie would have gone something like :-
Kirk: "Transport Room, beam up the hostages"
Transporter: "Aye, Hostages are onboard Capain."
Kirk: "Helm lay in a course for Earth""
Helm: "Course laid in"
Krik: "Warp six, Engage"
The End
