First Contact - Enterprise tactical officer missing?

[TOMFAN]

I know the real world explanation for it, but it seems odd that in the observation lounge briefing all the senior staff are there but there is no tactical/security officer (Worf's old role) present.

Then when Worf shows up ("we could use some help at tactical"), he just takes over as if there is no one else on the bridge to do it.

Presumably there must be a tactical officer, so it must be a bit of a slap inthe face when an ex-crewmember turns up and takes over your job!

 

[arch101]

The kind of script sloppiness we fans just accept from Trek films.....

 

[CoveTom]

It would have been simple enough to have someone as the tactical officer in the early scenes of the film and then have them injured during the battle, such that Worf can conveniently take over. But I suppose they didn't think it was that big of a deal.

 

[Jedi Marso]

What about LT Hawk? He got assimilated early on. (Neal McDonough's character)

 

[GNDN18]

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Daniels_(Lieutenant)

 

[Therin of Andor]

What about LT Hawk? He got assimilated early on. (Neal McDonough's character)

Hawk was the Enterprise-E's conn officer.

 

[TOMFAN]

I did think about Daniels, but it just seems odd that he wasn't included in the briefing with the rest of the senior staff, considering they were talking about a Borg invasion it would make more sense for the tactical officer to be there rather than the ships counselor.

Then later on he appears to be taking orders from Worf, I know he was a higher rank, but an ex-crewmember suddenly taking over his old position just because he happens to be aboard, seems unusual!

 

[Shamrock Holmes]

Then later on he appears to be taking orders from Worf, I know he was a higher rank, but an ex-crewmember suddenly taking over his old position just because he happens to be aboard, seems unusual!

Not saying it isn't unusual, but perhaps the key point is less "Worf is on board" and more "Riker and LaForge" weren't. Particularly if the scenes in question take place when Data and/or Crusher are absent.

 

[The Wormhole]

I did think about Daniels, but it just seems odd that he wasn't included in the briefing with the rest of the senior staff, considering they were talking about a Borg invasion it would make more sense for the tactical officer to be there rather than the ships counselor.

The novels addressed that by saying that as the only one of the Enterprise E's senior staff who hadn't served on the Enterprise D, Daniels was often neglected and left out of the selective clique the TNG cast formed.

Then later on he appears to be taking orders from Worf, I know he was a higher rank, but an ex-crewmember suddenly taking over his old position just because he happens to be aboard, seems unusual!

That actually makes perfect sense, since in that scene Worf was in command of the bridge and effectively the ship since Riker was on Earth, Data was captured by the Borg, and Picard hadn't been heard from since the fight with the Borg outside engineering. Who else was Daniels supposed to report to?

 

[Oddish]

Good catch. Maybe the Enterprise had a new tactical officer waiting for them somewhere, and they were on their way to pick him/her up when the Borg arrived. The ship with their new officer was sent to join the fleet, while they went to the Neutral Zone.

After the events of ST:FC, Worf left the Enterprise to take charge of getting the Defiant shipshape enough to return to Deep Space 9. The Enterprise's new tactical officer had survived the Battle of Sector 001, and transferred onboard without incident.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

As a Niner, I keep picturing Chief O'Brien's reaction upon hearing about the Defiant... "WORF! What happened?!"

 

[Oddish]

He knew that the Defiant was going Borg hunting, and had been on the Enterprise at the time of Wolf 359. He probably knew there was a good chance that the Big D wasn't coming home. And was glad to get it back, shot to pieces or not.

 

[Tim Thomason]

It was a crazy, chaotic scene, what with the time travel and Borg invasion. If Lt. Daniels was the chief tactical officer (and chief of security) he was probably incredibly relieved to allow Lt. Cdr. Worf take over when Picard tasked him to "help out" on tactical.

 

[Tomalak]

It wasn't Daniels until Insurrection. In First Contact, this dude is at tactical during the initial engagement. It's possible he was commanding the bridge during the senior staff conference.

https://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/firstcontacthd/firstcontacthd0150.jpg

Then he disappears for the rest of the film and Picard gives Worf his job. Perhaps he gets assimilated at some point, leaving Daniels the most senior security officer standing at the end of the film.

Possibly the Enterprise-E had lots of security chiefs who never attended senior staff meetings, just like the Enterprise-D had lots of chief engineers in her first year.

 

[Timo]

It's possible he was commanding the bridge during the senior staff conference.

I guess that's our best bet for explaining the absence of a likely relevant player. Unless, of course, we lean on TNG precedent in another way and argue that one of the main heroes present in the meeting was actually doubling as the Chief of Tactical and/or Chief of Security.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Tomalak]

I guess that's our best bet for explaining the absence of a likely relevant player. Unless, of course, we lean on TNG precedent in another way and argue that one of the main heroes present in the meeting was actually doubling as the Chief of Tactical and/or Chief of Security.

Timo Saloniemi

I did wonder about that. It may simply be that there was a vacancy in the role which various junior officers were covering, with Riker or Data nominally responsible for the position. With the ship pootling around local space on her shakedown cruise, security may not have been a priority.

 

[Paul755]

Perhaps the tactical officer was just a position filled with a different duty officer and wasn’t part of the senior staff. Sort of like the helm was after Geordi was promoted and Wesley left.

As a Niner, I keep picturing Chief O'Brien's reaction upon hearing about the Defiant... "WORF! What happened?!"

It wouldn’t be the Chief he’d have to worry about. First Starfleet won’t let Sisko command his own ship in a battle against the Borg, then Worf brings it back all busted up.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

But O'Brien's the one that fixes the starship. He'd go ballistic.

 

[imranbecks]

There was a tactical officer before Worf came on board. This dude here that I've circled was at tactical. I'm guessing Picard relieved him of his post when Worf showed up or maybe the unnamed tactical officer left his post off screen to attend to other matters lol

 

[Timo]

Yup - and the question here goes, why has this no-name not become a main character who would attend the briefing at the beginning and have a couple of lines? After all, that's what we expect to happen to Chiefs of Security and/or Tactical in TNG.

And the explanation where Picard has convened his old buddies to tell them that they will do exactly nothing to help with the Borg, while this new Tactical guy sits in the center chair on the bridge because somebody has to (even though no main character in TNG normally had to!), covers some of the bases. The usual suspects would be the ones expecting action, and possibly surprised to hear that they have become pariahs; the new guy would have been told he's being banished to the ship of has-been misfits and would take it in the stride.

Alternately, the news of Borg attack first came through Tactical, so the new guy already knows. And since there's nothing to be done, the only function of the briefing is that of Picard telling those who don't already know.

Timo Saloniemi