Chekov in the center seat?

[Gorn Captain]

I just saw the scene in STVI when Kirk invites Gorkon to dine aboard the Enterprise. Kirk goes to leave the bridge, passing Spock, who does not leave with him. Yet when Chekov delivers his line "Guess who's coming to dinner?" he is sitting in the captain's chair?

Why?

 

[Pauln6]

Chekov should never have sat in the captain's chair in my view. He struck me as an intellectual with pretty limited command ability, particularly when you compare him to Uhura whose air of authority was ten times what he had! It was largely due to his being used as comic relief due to that wacky accent.

I always thought it was odd that he was meant to be security chief in TMP too. He was short, often beaten up in TOS, and wasn't a great shot with a phaser. Weapons officer makes sense but security chief? And as vindication of my opinion, just watch his shambolic investigation in STVI where he has to be led by the nose by Valeris who has no real interest in seeking him locate the culprits!

First officer on a science vessel was where Chekov's career should have halted in my view!

 

[F. King Daniel]

Chekov was left in command of the Enterprise in Star Trek V when Kirk and co went down to Nimbus III, and more recently his 17-year old alternate self was briefly left in charge of the Enterprise when Spock beamed down to Vulcan.

Like it or not, he's a command officer.

 

[LeadHead]

My money is on that they wanted Uhura in the background of that shot. Nichelle Nichols absolutely refused to saythe line, so they gave it to Koenig. The angle from the navigators station might not have ben good for the shot.

 

[Timo]

That sounds rather likely, yeah. I can't fathom why Nichols was so worried about this "character assassination" thing. Faulty characters who see wisdom at the end of the story are usually very charming...

As for the reason Chekov was in command, rather than Spock... It seems rather possible that Spock wasn't in the chain of command of the ship at all. Remember that he was aboard in the capacity of "having opened a dialogue with the Klingon Empire" first and foremost - and possibly solely so. He just happened to be a competent science officer on the side, so naturally he helped Kirk in that capacity during the fight against Chang (a fight that wasn't exactly a Starfleet operation, not a condoned one at any rate, and thus wouldn't have collapsed in a heap of legal problems even if a Vulcan privateer sat at the Science Station). But he need not have been in charge of the ship at any time. His status might merely have been that of a trusted advisor and mentor who'd help Chekov and Valeris (the seniormost officers who weren't specialists in some non-command field) get through the difficult times.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Pauln6]

That sounds rather likely, yeah. I can't fathom why Nichols was so worried about this "character assassination" thing. Faulty characters who see wisdom at the end of the story are usually very charming...

As for the reason Chekov was in command, rather than Spock... It seems rather possible that Spock wasn't in the chain of command of the ship at all... His status might merely have been that of a trusted advisor and mentor who'd help Chekov and Valeris (the seniormost officers who weren't specialists in some non-command field) get through the difficult times.

Timo Saloniemi

I suppose we have to take into account the era in which Nichols grew up. I would have taken it as an homage to a great movie and a great actor; I guess she saw it differently. I suppose she didn't like equating a black character with a racist but she makes other racist comments in the movie. Maybe that one was just a bit too close to home.

I wasn't all that happy for Chekov to be left in charge of the bridge in NuTrek either. He may be a command officer but they were in the middle of a crisis and he'd just graduated. Uhura was older and more senior in rank and she can't be the only one on board. It was a dappy example of just wanting to use the principle characters instead of applying some common sense.

As a command officer overall, I would say Chekov is on par with Troi. Harsh but true. Tapestry showed us that age and experience are no guarantee of promotion if you lack the wow factor. Both their command ceilings should have been Lt-commander in my view. Uhura makes a much more commanding character and it bites that Chekov beat her to the chair on more than one occasion.

 

[Mr Silver]

As for the reason Chekov was in command, rather than Spock... It seems rather possible that Spock wasn't in the chain of command of the ship at all. Remember that he was aboard in the capacity of "having opened a dialogue with the Klingon Empire" first and foremost - and possibly solely so. He just happened to be a competent science officer on the side,

This is a good point, we all know most of the crew were about to retire

*Scotty had bought a boat in preperation for retirement
*Uhura was going to Starfleet Academy as a teacher
*Kirk was retiring (although who knows what he was going off to do instead)
*Spock was leaving to pursue a Diplomatic career

Spock may not have even been a member of the Enterprise-A crew at the time, after all we know he was involved with Klingon diplomacy (he was still a Starfleet Captain, which allowed him to "Assume Command") instead as Timo pointed out, Spock may have just been on the Enterprise-A to escort the Klingon Party (although he made himself useful in between Diplomacy by acting as Science Officer) that means, since theres no real indication that Chekov was finished with Starfleet, that Chekov was the Senior Bridge Officer (when Kirk was off duty)

Or

Chekov was the Senior on Duty at the time when Qo'nos 1 came into sensor range and Kirk and Spock popped in to answer their hails, before heading to the Transporter Room

 

[Gorn Captain]

1. I thought it was the line "Yeah, but would your want your daughter to marry one?" line that Nichelle refused to say, not the "Guess who's coming to dinner?" line.

2. "This will be my final voyage aboard this ship as a member of her crew. I intend you to replace me." Spock to Valeris, this movie. He was a member of the crew.

3. Kirk referred to Spock as his first officer when speaking to General Chang. So he was first officer at the time as well.

So why would Chekov have the conn when Spock was still on the bridge? Maybe the rendezvous time with the chancellor's ship came during the "late" shift, so to speak, when Chekov was the pre-designated command officer for that shift. So Kirk comes and goes, and perhaps Spock stays and perhaps he doesn't, but Spock isn't necessarily on duty at that time?

 

[Cadet49]

Chekov should never have sat in the captain's chair in my view. He struck me as an intellectual with pretty limited command ability, particularly when you compare him to Uhura whose air of authority was ten times what he had! It was largely due to his being used as comic relief due to that wacky accent.

I always thought it was odd that he was meant to be security chief in TMP too. He was short, often beaten up in TOS, and wasn't a great shot with a phaser. Weapons officer makes sense but security chief? And as vindication of my opinion, just watch his shambolic investigation in STVI where he has to be led by the nose by Valeris who has no real interest in seeking him locate the culprits!

First officer on a science vessel was where Chekov's career should have halted in my view!

...and let's not forget, he didn't even seem to know in ST VI that if you fire a phaser on vaporize, and alarm goes off (in the galley Re: the gravity boots, he says, "Vhy not just waporize them?") - Academy graduate Valaris had to show him! Some security chief! NuChekov in ST XI seems to have inherited more brains! (I think someone once suggested on this forum that Chekov in ST XI must have had at least one different parent, since he seems quite different than original Chekov, who was definitely no "boy genius" - maybe one of his parents in the prime universe was a crewmember on the Kelvin when Nero attacked, and was killed - the other parent remarried and named their child "Pavel" anyways?

Who would win in a fight between security chiefs - original Chekov or Worf? Keep in mind how Ensign Chekov did against the Klingons in the bar fight in "Trouble with Tribbles" - those punches didn't do much!)

 

[Pauln6]

Chekov should never have sat in the captain's chair in my view. He struck me as an intellectual with pretty limited command ability, particularly when you compare him to Uhura whose air of authority was ten times what he had! It was largely due to his being used as comic relief due to that wacky accent.

I always thought it was odd that he was meant to be security chief in TMP too. He was short, often beaten up in TOS, and wasn't a great shot with a phaser. Weapons officer makes sense but security chief? And as vindication of my opinion, just watch his shambolic investigation in STVI where he has to be led by the nose by Valeris who has no real interest in seeking him locate the culprits!

First officer on a science vessel was where Chekov's career should have halted in my view!

...and let's not forget, he didn't even seem to know in ST VI that if you fire a phaser on vaporize, and alarm goes off (in the galley Re: the gravity boots, he says, "Vhy not just waporize them?") - Academy graduate Valaris had to show him! Some security chief! NuChekov in ST XI seems to have inherited more brains! (I think someone once suggested on this forum that Chekov in ST XI must have had at least one different parent, since he seems quite different than original Chekov, who was definitely no "boy genius" - maybe one of his parents in the prime universe was a crewmember on the Kelvin when Nero attacked, and was killed - the other parent remarried and named their child "Pavel" anyways?

Who would win in a fight between security chiefs - original Chekov or Worf? Keep in mind how Ensign Chekov did against the Klingons in the bar fight in "Trouble with Tribbles" - those punches didn't do much!)

I think Alexander could take Chekov. Worf could just stand there and let him throw punches until he's tuckered out.

 

[Chaos Descending]

Perhaps Chekov was just the on-watch Officer of the Deck. He was there because it was simply his turn.

If so, he would be in the center seat, and would only have to give it up if directly relieved by the next section or the Captain himself.

In the US Navy, the on watch Officer of the Deck doesn't cease being in operation control of the ship just because the XO or the CO happens to also be on the bridge. I don't know why that would change in Starfleet. Unless 23rd Century science has done away with the need for humans to sleep it's very unlikely that the CO and XO would be doing 12 hour shifts at the Conn.

 

[sariel2005]

Chekov was the first officer of the USS Reliant in TWOK. It seems logical to assume he has sat in the centre seat for starfleet many times.

 

[Gorn Captain]

Perhaps Chekov was just the on-watch Officer of the Deck. He was there because it was simply his turn.

If so, he would be in the center seat, and would only have to give it up if directly relieved by the next section or the Captain himself.

In the US Navy, the on watch Officer of the Deck doesn't cease being in operation control of the ship just because the XO or the CO happens to also be on the bridge. I don't know why that would change in Starfleet. Unless 23rd Century science has done away with the need for humans to sleep it's very unlikely that the CO and XO would be doing 12 hour shifts at the Conn.

This makes good sense. As opposed to pointing out that he was the first officer on another ship or posed as captain in TFF. I'm not questioning the man's fitness to serve, just asking why he would be in command if not the senior officer on the bridge. Your explanation seems to address that well.

 

[T'Girl]

his 17-year old alternate self was briefly left in charge of the Enterprise

Originally nu-Spock was going to leave a rain-soaked bum with a cardboard sign (will command starship for food) or a third year academy cadet in the center seat, unfortunately neither was available, so Chekov plopped his skinny twink ass in the captain's chair.

 

[Pauln6]

his 17-year old alternate self was briefly left in charge of the Enterprise

Originally nu-Spock was going to leave a rain-soaked bum with a cardboard sign (will command starship for food) or a third year academy cadet in the center seat, unfortunately neither was available, so Chekov plopped his skinny twink ass in the captain's chair.

I'm hoping that Yeoman Rand pops onto the bridge with the coffees only to be left in charge in the sequel. Then when they return to the ship, she's redecorated the bridge.

Gates McFadden did this on the TNG set as a joke after her character's brief stint in charge.

 

[doubleohfive]

Chekov had been XO on Reliant, he'd been left in command during the Nimbus III mission, and was one of the senior officers aboard.

One of the things I dislike about Star Trek VI though is how he's mostly made to look ineffectual by Valeris. Uhura, Scotty, Sulu -- they all had their own moments to shine in the film.

I don't know if we're supposed to think Chekov is just an idiot or if it's simply that Valeris was so good at her job she literally made everyone else look bad, but it was someone disheartening to see Chekov get portrayed this way.

I do however like the idea (from the novels, though can't remember which ones) of Chekov not retiring after Star Trek VI and instead going on to become Sulu's XO on Excelsior.