The Spock/Uhura Thing: Either Way, Someone Doesn't Look Good

Discussion in 'Star Trek Movies: Kelvin Universe' started by Kirk1980, Jun 6, 2009.

  1. indranee

    indranee Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2003
    ^well, then thank you for being a male trekkie (I think?) and sticking up for Uhura!

    she did nothing wrong and everything right. I'd have done exactly the same.
     
  2. Lumen

    Lumen Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Sep 30, 2005
    Location:
    Halifax, NS, Canada
    Spock does look pretty bad, though.
     
  3. Anticitizen

    Anticitizen Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Nov 16, 2008
    Location:
    Black Mesa Research Facility
    All I did was point out that BOTH actions are probably against regulations. I entered this discussion merely to point out that fact. I'm not holding anyone to 'standards'.

    I am opposed to the Spock/Uhura relationship, but for completely different reasons - emotional Spock, doesn't jive with the original character, etc.
     
  4. KimMH

    KimMH Drinking your old posts Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jan 14, 2009
    Location:
    other space

    The challenge for both now is how to overcome/get past/ correct this issue. Loving the movie; this still bothered me and if I were a colleague of either I suspect it would bug me more. People make mistakes they find are so much harder to get out of than into all the time. How one resolves the situation is the indicator of the person's character. Seeing how they get out of this pickle will be more interesting to see than how they got into it. Longing looks and lush kisses on the transporter notwithstanding.
     
  5. Franklin

    Franklin Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2006
    Location:
    In the bleachers
    I wonder if Spock was trying to get out of it by assigning Uhura to the Farragut.

    I wouldn't call their relationship a mistake. But given their positions, it is awkward. Still, if it doesn't compromise them professionally, sobeit, I guess.
     
  6. Sci

    Sci Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 2, 2002
    Location:
    Montgomery County, State of Maryland
    I found plenty of problems with it; please do not make assumptions about my evaluation of the film. But I found enough problems with it without having to make up more problems than actually existed.

    No, it's not. She was the best applicant and she deserved the best possible posting, the Enterprise. To post her anywhere else was to unjustly give a better posting to a less-qualified applicant and to deny the best applicant what she had legitimately earned.

    1. There were no other Constitution-class starships visible in the fleet.

    2. Every single character made it clear that the Enterprise, as the Federation flagship, was the most prestigious posting possible.

    1. They did not know that Earth was threatened. If you were paying attention to the film, you will no doubt recall that the Narada had been blocking subspace communications from Vulcan, and that as such Starfleet believed that the fleet was warping in to assist with a local natural disaster of some sort, not an enemy vessel capable of destroying entire planets.

    2. At a time when Earth is supposedly threatened, the Federation flagship should not be denied the most qualified applicants and given less-qualified ones.

    I do not know whether it was preconceived, but it really does sound like you are just looking for reasons to dislike the film and ways to spin morally unobjectionable choices negatively. There's no rational reason to object to Uhura's wanting the Enterprise post, or to assume that she got it because of her relationship with Spock.
     
  7. wew

    wew Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 31, 2001
    Also remember, Pike told McCoy that later he would have a discussion about Kirk's presence on the Enterprise. So in theory McCoy didn't get off scott free.
     
  8. Captain Fine

    Captain Fine Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Mar 1, 2002
    Location:
    Toronto, ON
    I think this is sad but true, and reflective of the misogynistic attitude of many men, not just Trekkers (but certainly not excluding Trekkers).

    And it's unfortunate that this point of view is espoused at all.

    If it was a guy arguing that he was well-qualified and deserved a position, no one would label him negatively, they'd just say he was being assertive in a good way.

    I say good for Uhura for standing up for herself.
     
  9. indranee

    indranee Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2003
    yep. it's the reason many fans hated Kira in DS9. she stood up for herself.
     
  10. Kirk1980

    Kirk1980 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2006
    Location:
    Connecticut
    McCoy's BS to get Kirk aboard was pretty lame, too.

    I was just focusing on BOTH Uhura and Spock's actions. Either one of them looks bad in my opinion.

    I thought the movie was grossly stupid in hindsight. It's not boring, it's just weakly plotted, written and characterized.

    There were PLENTY of male characters whose actions I find objectionable but as they've already been covered at length, I chose this topic.

    And just as you requested of me, please don't put words into MY mouth, either.
     
  11. M'Sharak

    M'Sharak Definitely Herbert. Maybe. Moderator

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2002
    Location:
    Terra Inlandia
    That was one of the things I liked about Kira.
     
  12. pookha

    pookha Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2002
    Location:
    pookha
    there is no such evidence.
    they could have gotten together after she had been his student.

    she was in the graduating class.
    the point still is and has been stated here that she showed logical reasons why her abilities as a communication officer far out weighed it looking like favoritism for her to be on the ship.

    i dont blame her at all for sticking up for herself and listing all of the reasons why she had earned her post.

    heck from what we see in balance of terror evidently starfleet dosnt have problem with a surprior officer dating a subordinate in certain situations until they get married.

    and on the ship with communications considered more of engineering and support services spock i dont think is her immediate surperior any way...
     
  13. Kirk1980

    Kirk1980 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2006
    Location:
    Connecticut
    He was shown as being in charge of ship assignments.

    And nope, I've only seen it once but it still doesn't change my opinion that she acted entirely unprofessionally. They were clearly being assembled for something urgent. She should be more concerned about doing her job aboard ANY ship she gets assigned than worrying about how her service jacket looks.
     
  14. pookha

    pookha Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 26, 2002
    Location:
    pookha
    she wanted the position for which she earned.
    perhaps she felt that she could be of more service if she served aboard one of the more technically advanced ships.

    and as i pointed out evidently in tos it was ok for a superior officer and subordinant to date.

    and even if spock made the ship assigments he didnt change hers back (she was originally assigned to enterprise) until she once again made the point why she was qualified.

    and we dont know..
    i doubt if spock made all the assignments for the entire ship.
    i suspect departmant heads played some role.
    as did pike and other starfleet officials.
    heck for spock to have changed her assignment it makes it appear someone else originally thought she was qualified and chose her for the ship.
     
  15. Kirk1980

    Kirk1980 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 16, 2006
    Location:
    Connecticut
    TOS doesn't enter into it. I never mentioned TOS. Please keep comments confined to Trek 09. Others have talked about what was okay in other Trek shows and I mentioned another instance in TNG I found stupid where someone was more worried about their career than saving lives.

    Her demanding Enterprise was not justified, in my opinion. Professionalism would dictate she do her duty WHERE she was assigned. If she wants to lodge a protest AFTER the crisis, I'm sure that could have been done.

    But no, instead of going to her assigned posting, she whined to her boyfriend about it.
     
  16. Franklin

    Franklin Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2006
    Location:
    In the bleachers
    Yes, they were being assembled for something urget. But her argument with Spock took all of ten seconds or so to make and was valid. Spock made the mistake. As I posted above, what Spock did is almost a textbook example of why relationships like that are problematic and generally discouraged in such atmospheres.
    In the "real world" there may have been a better time or way to approach Spock or a superior about her assignment. She probably wasn't the only cadet upset with her posting. But in a movie, where brevity is important, she challenged Spock on the spot. And, I still don't think that's such a bad thing. She did him a favor, really. It kept him out of trouble. She did nothing wrong and it was not unprofessional. Spock was unprofessional in the worst way.

    The more I think of it, Spock was one fucked up dude in this movie.
     
  17. seniorsleuth

    seniorsleuth Lieutenant Red Shirt

    Joined:
    May 15, 2009
    Anyone who says she should have taken the Farragut is really saying she ought to be dead. And also, I guess Kirk shouldn't have gotten onto the Enterprise either, since he wasn't assigned. If either Kirk or Uhura hadn't made it onto the Enterprise, Nero would not have been defeated and the Enterprise probably would be no more.
     
  18. Franklin

    Franklin Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 22, 2006
    Location:
    In the bleachers
    No. Because, they didn't know that going in. That's how events unfolded afterwards. It's probably also why no one is going to care much in retrospect how Kirk got aboard the Enterprise.

    What anyone who thinks Uhura should've taken the Farragut is saying is she should've protected Spock, who just committed an actionable offense against her. He even admits it to her, saying he's doing it to avoid the look of favoritisim. He has no other basis for doing it.

    Let's see, he's holding back her career so he doesn't look bad.

    Uhura: I'm qualified to be on the Enterprise. You know that.
    Spock: You will go to the Farragut. And, oh by the way, baby, if you still want to snuggle, I can arrange for us to have shore leaves at the same time.
    ^^^^^^
    Is that how it's supposed to go?

    Geez, if she can't fight a superior who's thinking that way, then there are no individual protections in the 23rd century.
    I still can't get over how stupid Spock was. STOOOOOPID, I tells ya!
     
  19. Bobatiel

    Bobatiel Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Feb 11, 2000
    Location:
    Hamilton,Ontario,Canada
    I saw it differently.

    I thought Uhura was supposed to have been assigned to Enterprisre, and that Spock changed it to Farragut for some unspecified reason (such as concern that Enterprsie had a more dangerous assignment than Enterprise, or that Spock didn't want the distraction as he knew Enterprsie was going to be in the thick of it, whatever)

    Her reaction said, to me, that she was being deprived her just due. All she did was assert herself and right a wrong, by reassuring Spock that her being on Enterprise would be all right.

    In fact, Pike relieving the original comm officer reaffirms that.
     
  20. indranee

    indranee Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 20, 2003
    me too. but there're plenty people who don't. believe me, I've had an earful about how she's "always on the rag" etc for years...

    she's one of my favorite Trek characters.