Does Enterpise-A's short tenure make sense?

[DarrenTR1970]

I think at one point it was fanon that the Enterprise and Kirk were special because it was the only one that survived its mission.

I think it was FASA or Spaceflight Chronology that said Kirk and the Enterprise were the only ship to make it back from its FYM with the ship and crew relatively intact.
The Motion Picture novelization doesn't mention anything about Kirk and the Enterprise being a special ship.​

 

[Nerys Myk]

I think it was FASA or Spaceflight Chronology that said Kirk and the Enterprise were the only ship to make it back from its FYM with the ship and crew relatively intact.
The Motion Picture novelization doesn't mention anything about Kirk and the Enterprise being a special ship.​

Editor’s note on page seven of the TMP novel

 

[CommanderTrip]

On a side note, when flipping my Ships of the Line Calendar from November - December, I spotted this and had a what if? moment

What if the Klingons recovered the Ent-Refit hull and rebuilt her as a Klingon ship? It would definitely send a strong message. Looks like this was done to another connie refit called the Venture and I cant say I dont like the results.

 

[Dukhat]

EDIT 2: And now I am just remember my friend's comment as we walked out of that movie--something to the effect that Starfleet intentionally put the crew out to pasture in STIV by giving them a ship they knew wasn't going to be around long, kind of like its crew. He likened the ending of STVI to being under forced retirement.

I think Starfleet gave Kirk and Co. the Enterprise-A simply as a token of thanks, with the understanding that it would just be a temporary command until the new Enterprise (now the B) was finished construction. Which would explain why the A was decommissioned so early.

 

[Paul755]

I don’t think the 1701-A was ever intended to have such a short tenure. In TUC Kirk only says the “crew” is set to stand down not the ship. Spock tells Valaris that the mission is his last on the ship as a member of its crew and he wants her to replace him as Science Officer.

So clearly Kirk was going to hand over Command to someone new but post-battle Starfleet decided to mothball the ship and just rechristen an Excelsior Mk2 the Enterprise B.

 

[Dukhat]

I think Starfleet gave Kirk and Co. the Enterprise-A simply as a token of thanks, with the understanding that it would just be a temporary command until the new Enterprise (now the B) was finished construction. Which would explain why the A was decommissioned so early.

I don’t think the 1701-A was ever intended to have such a short tenure. In TUC Kirk only says the “crew” is set to stand down not the ship. Spock tells Valaris that the mission is his last on the ship as a member of its crew and he wants her to replace him as Science Officer.

So clearly Kirk was going to hand over Command to someone new but post-battle Starfleet decided to mothball the ship and just rechristen an Excelsior Mk2 the Enterprise B.

I think both of these opinions are equally valid interpretations about the fate of the Ent-A, based on dialogue and circumstances. I also think that had the Enterprise-A continued in service post-Enteprise-B (with Valeris taking Spock's place, etc.), that the ship would have been renamed (or perhaps given its original name back if it was indeed an older ship that was temporarily given to Kirk as a gift for saving Earth.)

 

[Macintosh]

I think both of these opinions are equally valid interpretations about the fate of the Ent-A, based on dialogue and circumstances. I also think that had the Enterprise-A continued in service post-Enteprise-B (with Valeris taking Spock's place, etc.), that the ship would have been renamed (or perhaps given its original name back if it was indeed an older ship that was temporarily given to Kirk as a gift for saving Earth.)

As a rule I'm not a fan of renaming ships

 

[Dukhat]

As a rule I'm not a fan of renaming ships

Neither am I. But TPTB haven't felt the need in almost 40 years to explain the actual origins of the Enterprise-A, other than to just assume it was a new ship, which then makes its super-early decommissioning in TUC forever a head-scratching moment.

 

[Nerys Myk]

They should have just used the A in GEN and leave the B a mystery.

 

[BillJ]

They should have just used the A in GEN and leave the B a mystery.

The A would've looked awful with all that shit glued on to it.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The A would've looked awful with all that shit glued on to it.

Just recycle some footage from II or III.

 

[BillJ]

Just recycle some footage from II or III.

I'm honestly surprised Rick Berman didn't think of this.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm honestly surprised Rick Berman didn't think of this.

That's why they pay me the big.....oh, wait. They do not.

 

[Dukhat]

They should have just used the A in GEN and leave the B a mystery.

100% agreed.

The A would've looked awful with all that shit glued on to it.

If that was the last time they would ever use the model, I'm not sure that would have been a problem

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

The whole point of using the Enterprise-B in GEN was to have it be a brand new ship, with a newbie captain, and with old, grizzled Kirk taking a final tour. If it had been the A, that whole scene would have been worthless.

Although I do agree that, even though needed (so the studio model wouldn't be damaged), the added bits on the Ent-B's hull were ass-ugly.

 

[Nerys Myk]

The whole point of using the Enterprise-B in GEN was to have it be a brand new ship, with a newbie captain, and with old, grizzled Kirk taking a final tour. If it had been the A, that whole scene would have been worthless.

It would work the same. The A get's a refit and a new crew. Launches on a PR tour with Kirk and Co. on board. The Nexus ribbon appears. Refuge ships in jeopardy. Only ship in the quadrant. Yadda Yadda.

 

[Phoenix219]

It would work the same. The A get's a refit and a new crew. Launches on a PR tour with Kirk and Co. on board. The Nexus ribbon appears. Refuge ships in jeopardy. Only ship in the quadrant. Yadda Yadda.

It would have meant that much more for Kirk to sacrifice himself for his ship, and to NOT take the bridge back from its new Captain. Complete full circle Arc to TMP.

 

[BillJ]

I am truly disappointed or relieved that one of you haven’t put the extra parts from the B on the A via Photoshop.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

If we're only allowed to add onto the model, not cut anything away, then it'd end up looking something like this:

 

[Phoenix219]

If we're only allowed to add onto the model, not cut anything away, then it'd end up looking something like this:

That is......



Oddly Acceptable.