How was USS Grissom destroyed so easily?

[PhaserLightShow]

In Star Trek III: The Search For Spock, a Klingon-Bird-Of-Prey decloaked and fired on a certain Oberth-class Scout. How was the scout ship destroyed? How were its shields breached?

In the original script... Captain Esteban gave the order to Red Alert.

ESTEBAN: Red Alert, raise shields!

Script at http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts/Trek/Star_Trek_III.htm

 

[Tomalak]

A lucky shot sir!

 

[PhaserLightShow]

A lucky shot sir!

How did that lucky shot bypass the full shields.

 

[PhaserLightShow]

How did that lucky shot bypass the full shields?

Please answer. Added question mark.

 

[Maurice]

Just because Estebahn called for the shields to be raised doesn't mean they were up before the torpedo hit.

 

[PhaserLightShow]

Just because Estebahn called for the shields to be raised doesn't mean they were up before the torpedo hit.

How? Esteban had the time to talk to Saavik and partially order evasive action.

 

[Maurice]

Actually, I just remembered, he never calls for shields at all. There's your answer.

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[PhaserLightShow]

Actually, I just remembered, he never calls for shields at all. There's your answer.

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Not in the final version, no. But in the original script.
Did you look at the source (URL) I sent?
If you did not, look at Esteban saying: "Red Alert! Raise Shields!"

 

[Maurice]

They probably cut the line so as not to have to explain the very question you are posing. Someone in editing probably went, "Wait a sec..."

 

[Tomalak]

Not in the final version, no. But in the original script.
Did you look at the source (URL) I sent?
If you did not, look at Esteban saying: "Red Alert! Raise Shields!"

On screen or it didn't happen. The Grissom was an unarmed scoutship, and the Klingon gunner accidentally scored a direct hit on the warp core. Shit happens.

 

[PhaserLightShow]

On screen or it didn't happen. The Grissom was an unarmed scoutship, and the Klingon gunner accidentally scored a direct hit on the warp core. Shit happens.

And I think the script has higher priority than the onscreen material (script is intentions of writer). Unarmed? Kirk asked if Grissom would join them or fire on them which implies it was armed of some sort of weapon(s).

 

[Maurice]

ESTEBAN
Red alert! Raise shields!

SAAVIK (V.O.)
Captain, what's happening?!

ESTEBAN
We are under attack! Stand by for
evasive -- stand by for --
​

93 INT. BIRD OF PREY

KRUGE
(Fire!)
​

That's maybe 10 seconds tops. You don't know how long the shields take to charge and form up, so even if this was included in the film it's possible the shields hadn't formed up fully before ker-pow.

 

[LeadHead]

Whether we see Esteban call for Red Alert doesn't really matter much to the discussion. The last shot we see of Esteban on the bridge has the telltale red lights of Red Alert on, meaning the ship was on Red Alert. Since Red Alert automatically activates shields, the most likely reason the Grissom was destroyed with a single shot is that the shields were still being raised and not fully in place yet. Possibly because of the smaller size and available power supply of a Oberth class ship, the shields weren't as fast as a Constitution or Miranda Class ship.

 

[Tomalak]

And I think the script has higher priority than the onscreen material (script is intentions of writer). Unarmed? Kirk asked if Grissom would join them or fire on them which implies it was armed of some sort of weapon(s).

Why would the script have “higher priority" than what actually happened on screen? That's not how it works.

Perhaps she wasn't unarmed, but she wasn't a combat ship. I doubt Kirk really considered the Grissom a threat, or Scotty might have prepared for the possibility of combat. Clearly that wasn't a concern, so obviously Grissom's real combat potential was limited at best. Kirk is speaking figuratively, not assessing combat strength. Will Grissom's captain assist Kirk, or oppose him as much as he can?

 

[Avro Arrow]

That's maybe 10 seconds tops. You don't know how long the shields take to charge and form up, so even if this was included in the film it's possible the shields hadn't formed up fully before ker-pow.

Yeah, it takes a little while for those little dots to light up around the outline of the ship! (I assume this represents time to have the shields fully charged, rather than they actually form up in a circular motion around the ship.)

Looks like Esteban should have ordered actual evasive, rather than just standing by for it...

 

[PhaserLightShow]

Yeah, it takes a little while for those little dots to light up around the outline of the ship! (I assume this represents time to have the shields fully charged, rather than they actually form up in a circular motion around the ship.)

It looks like it shows which areas of the shields are up (smaller areas of forward, port, starboard, aft), not the charge of the shields. How would it represent the charge. Why would the display not then show the rising percent in Star Trek 2-3.

 

[Avro Arrow]

^ It's just my interpretation. I figured when they raise the shields, the first dot appears, and then they all fill in as the shields increase in power... once the circle completes, your shields are at full strength.

It's certainly not the only interpretation, of course. The shields could actually come up like a second hand sweeping over the surface of a clock face, but that just seemed kinda weird to me.

 

[BillJ]

And I think the script has higher priority than the onscreen material (script is intentions of writer).

It simply doesn't work that way when debating a film.

 

[PhaserLightShow]

It simply doesn't work that way when debating a film.

Ever heard of the writing TV Trope "Word Of God [Writer]" (not literal god, since I am an atheist and believe in no deity/god)?
It says the intentions of the writer trump all. The intentions are the script.

 

[Corran Horn]

What I think is scarier is that it's glossed over in Star Trek IV.

The Klingon Ambassador is shitting all over Kirk and Sarek points out they destroyed the Grissom and it's like 'eh'.