Decker's Abrupt Choice to Join V'GER

[Nveid Jo'rek]

The idea was to get rid of the "nobodies" and get the TOS crew together Decker and mate were in the way.

Crude, but...accurate.

 

[PhaserLightShow]

In STAR TREK: The Motion Picture, Commander Will Decker suddenly decides to $ave the Earth and wrap up the movie in one, swift stroke by giving his life up to V'GER by "joining" with it. For those knowledgeable of the events shown in TMP, why would he do this? Disregarding what the novelisation might've added, or other 'outside' sources, might've indicated, what in the movie itself indicates that Decker would even be inclined to do this? Determining his motivation is problematic, at best, especially when V'GER didn't seem to alter its plans, at all, when finally confronted with its true origins. Come Hell or High Water, it was going to join with someTHING, or someONE, and it didn't care who or what, at that point. It didn't even try to investigate an alternative, even with its vast resources and enormous intellect.

Probably because he is a StarFleet officer and has a duty to protect Federation Planets such as Earth (so he cares). Two, joining VGER would reunite him with Lieutenant Illia. Three, he is Captain Decker, not Commander Decker. Yes, he was relieved of command by Admiral Kirk, and given a temporary demotion, but I go by the rank he earned, not the one a 50-year old Admiral with rusty command and combat experience suddenly gives him, depriving him of his Captaincy!

@PhaserLightShow

 

[Galileo7]

Decker's love for Ilia was more important than his starfleet career.

 

[STEPhon IT]

Decker's love for Ilia was more important than his starfleet career.

But it wasn't Ilia. I guess it's one way of getting rid of a character than falling down an elevator shaft. Still surprised Will didn't pull a Denzel Washington and mutiny an incompetent Captain Kirk. Probably could've made a better movie wrestling against those 2 massive egos.

 

[Galileo7]

But it wasn't Ilia. ....

True, but I think if V'ger had created a "duplicate" of any other crew member Decker would not have volunteered to join with V'ger. It was his love for her memory that made him go.

 

[STEPhon IT]

True, but I think if V'ger had created a "duplicate" of any other crew member Decker would not have volunteered to join with V'ger. It was his love for her memory that made him go.

I didn't buy it. I think he had more of a hard on for the Enterprise than Ilia. There wasn't enough context for me to follow his subplot beside him feeling he was the appropriate CO to command the mission, which he was right. Like a member previously mentioned, that guy was NOT Captain Kirk, and should've been questioned by his incompetent actions. It was Commodore George Stocker all over again!

 

[InklingStar]

Narrative-wise (no pun intended), it made more sense for Spock to join with V'ger. The entire movie has shown how the two of them are feeling empty, discovering that logic and reason are not enough reasons to live. Spock's part of the story seems to simply end after the mind-meld, and obviously we can't have a main character take the bullet.

On a side note, Vonda McIntyre points out in the TSFS novelization that two movies in a row saw Admiral Kirk take command of the Enterprise and each time he got its captain killed.

 

[Indysolo]

Decker wasn't killed, he's missing.

Neil

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Decker was really ashamed about his "Voyager VI was launched more than 300 years ago" error and merging with V'Ger was the quickest way to save face.

 

[publiusr]

On a side note, Vonda McIntyre points out in the TSFS novelization that two movies in a row saw Admiral Kirk take command of the Enterprise and each time he got its captain killed.

Three times--pulling rank on Ent-B, then getting killed (or missing) in the end.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Three times--pulling rank on Ent-B, then getting killed (or missing) in the end.

It wouldn't be "three times" unless Captain Harriman was the one who was missing and presumed dead. And anyway, Kirk made a point of not assuming command, even though it was offered to him.

 

[Shaka Zulu]

I think it would've been better had the probe gone with Spock, with Kirk volunteering to join with V'Ger at the end, to stay with his best friend and explore the galaxy in a whole new way--leaving Decker to take command of the Enterprise.

Just as Alan Dean Foster wanted to happen as he mentioned in an interview.

 

[Kor]

Three times--pulling rank on Ent-B, then getting killed (or missing) in the end.

That movie never happened.

Kor

 

[RColtrane]

Since the 'Decker unit' couldn't 'join' his unit in Ilia anymore after her being assimilated by V'Ger, he decided to join with V'Ger to be able to 'join' his carbon unit again within Ilia at another level.