Could it be that the Pavel Chekov in ST XI isn't the same Chekov?

[Cadet49]

Besides the age difference, is it possible that Chekov in ST XI is not the same Pavel as the one in the original series. He was, after all, born after Nero's arrival in the past...

It could be that the Prime Reality's Chekov's mother was a crew member on the Kelvin, and that she was one of the fatalities when Nero attacked.

Chekov's father remarried, and had a son he named Pavel in 2241, a name Papa Chekov had always planned on giving to a son one day.

Therefore, the Pavel Chekov from the Prime Reality, the one born in 2245, was never born in this reality.

This could explain why the Chekov in the new movie seems to be a super genius compared to the original Chekov of TOS (sheesh, for example in ST VI, Chekov had been head of security in ST:TMP, yet didn't know that when you fire a phaser on board a starship, an alarm goes off, and needed a cadet to point it out, and Spock to guide him through the entire investigation - he didn't seem like a genius here!)

 

[kkozoriz1]

Something similar could be true for Sulu and Uhura as well. They are all younger than Kirk. We don't know if they're the same age as their prime counterparts.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Of course it's the same Chekov. Saavik, Cochrane and Kahless changed significantly (moreso than Chekov, imo) in STIII, FC and TNG, yet are still the same characters without even a divergent timeline excuse.

There's a big difference between book smarts and practical smarts. Chekov may be able to calculate teleport coordinates on the fly for two guys falling at terminal velocity while the world below implodes and gravitational readings are going nuts, but common sense stuff like a phaser alarm may simply not occur to him. As for Chekov's transporter skills, it wouldn't be the first time a Trek character has suddenly "revealed" a previously-unseen amazing skill or talent.

Age-wise, I like to think that Chekov Prime lost some time that his alternate self lived through - relativistic time distortion on a long sublight journey, or maybe some weird anomaly or whatever. Or perhaps he was just bullshitting Kirk when he said he was 21.

 

[kkozoriz1]

Or it's a different Chekov.

 

[Sector 7]

Chekov, Pavel Andreivich... yep, same Chekov. Walter Koenig approved of the character and that is all the validation anyone needs. It is finally time Chekov was given some intelligence in ST09, he was a dumb, cute kid in a Beatles wig for long enough.

 

[Gojira]

If the movie takes place in an alternate universe and not just an altered time line then none of the characters are the same!

 

[kkozoriz1]

The preexisting characters (Kirkm Spockm McCoy and Pike) are the same people, jsut altered by the different experiences of the NuUniverse after the creation of the black hole. Everyone after that is different to a greater degree to the point that the only thing the same may be their names.

 

[Nerd unRage]

I would think nuChekov is definetly different than Prime Chekov. I believe in TOS, Chekov is 22 (think he mentioned that in the Tribbles episode). Since nuKirk is clearly 25 by the end of the movie and nuChekov is 17 by the end of the movie, it's a different characterization of Chekov all together. I like that nuChekov is smarter and I'm glad they kept a little bit of the naivety of the character. I would enjoy seeing more expansion of his character and Sulu's in the next movie.

 

[Therin of Andor]

Remember the Chekov in TOS was easily convinced by the "Day of the Dove" creature that he had a brother called Piotr who was killed by Klingons. Perhaps, in other timelines, Piotr Chekov really existed.

 

[Timo]

...For all we know, he did have a brother named Pyotr in the normal timeline as well. Our only indication that he didn't have one comes from Sulu, who could be completely mistaken about the matter. After all, Kirk was mistaken about Spock not having a brother!

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Devon]

If it walks like a Chekov, talks like a Chekov, and smells like a Chekov, then it's a Chekov!

(Don't ask why I know how a Chekov smells.)

 

[Cyke101]

If it walks like a Chekov, talks like a Chekov, and smells like a Chekov, then it's a Chekov!

(Don't ask why I know how a Chekov smells.)

In Mother Russia, Chekov smells YOU!


Ahem, anyway --


While Uhura is definitely younger than Kirk here just like in the Primeverse, I could see Sulu being the same same age as Kirk. In the film he's already a Lt, which seems about right considering most of the other mid-to-late twenty-something Lts we've seen in other Trek shows. Bashir is a good example -- I think he was upwards of 27 when DS9 began. Picard noted that Ro Laren could have been an Lt. Cmdr had she not lost her rank in court marshal, and they met when she was ~28. If Kirk is 25 in XI, if he and Sulu are roughly the same age, and if Sulu is a Lt, then Sulu is pretty consistent with his Prime counterpart, I think.


Coincidentally, John Cho plays the younger Sulu, but he was 36 when he took the role, whereas Takei was 29.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

William Shakespeare's plays were not written by William Shakespeare but by another guy named William Shakespeare.

Word.

 

[Avon]

the new chekov is actually a polymorphed borg drone that will slaughter the crew in the next film. jj abrams told me so. now it is canon!

 

[Kelso]

nuChekov was actually more entertaining. So, sure.

 

[Spocktapus]

It really depends what you mean by the "same" person.

 

[Nimthim]

Since it always seems you have to state your 'street cred' before commenting and getting blasted, I will share that I became a TOS fan when it premiered when I was 13 - had to make excuses to go to friend's house to watch because NBC was a UHF channel and we only had a VHF TV. I really don't care if Chekov's age is different, same or whatever. I find the endearing seventeen year old genius geek sooooo much more entertaining and interesting - maybe that's the mom and grandma part of me, but I like what the writers did with him and if his age doesn't add up, I just don't care because he's fun to watch.

 

[Pauln6]

One could argue that, apart from those conceived prior to Nero's incursion, none of the characters are the same people (I think TOS Uhura would be only 19 at the time of the movie). Certainly, it's extremely unlikely that someone born 2 years early would have been formed from the same ova and sperm as TOS Chekov. It doesn't really matter though since all the new actors will bring something different to their role in any event (some good, some bad).

I would have preferred Janice Rand to feature instead of Chekov - he could have been introduced more fully in the next movie. I understand why they decided to use him since he was one of the big 7 from the TOS movies but he was hardly essential to the plot and most of the Batman movies don't feature Robin. At least Janice would have added a missing female into the mix.

 

[Theodore Jay Miller]

I've been assuming that the changes to the timeline meant that Chekov's parents had a son years earlier than they did in the original timeline. Still named Pavel and all, but he'd be genetically different from the original Chekov, as opposed to someone like Kirk, where all the differences come from his different upbringing.

 

[kkozoriz1]

A lot of problems could have been avoided if they'd simply set it a few years later instead of doing the "Everyone went to the Academy together" thing.