I Still Don't Get Decker's Decision

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I just finished watching TMP for the umpteenth time. Since I first saw it thirty years ago I have never quite understood why Decker wanted so badly to merge with V'Ger. Decker wasn't presented as somebody dissatisfied with his current life so much. Sure he lost the Enterprise command, but he didn't know wether or not Kirk was going to stay in the big chair, and even if he did another command would have surely come his way. Their is a big subtext that he is doing it for the love of Ilea perhaps to join with her in some way, but I find it highly doubtful that much of Ilea's conciousness wouild make it through to the new entity. So why does Decker as he says "want this!" so much?

 

[Therin of Andor]

Their is a big subtext that he is doing it for the love of Ilea perhaps to join with her in some way... So why does Decker as he says "want this!" so much?

There is also huge subtext that was in the "ST: Phase II" Writers' Bible, and the novelization of ST:TMP - but not able to be squeezed into the movie - that explains how Will Decker and his mother were members of the New Human Movement. Presumably, Mrs Decker fell deeper into this cult after the death of her husband, Matt ("The Doomsday Machine").

The New Humans were a small but growing movement consisting of humans aiming to advance their race by sharing some kind of collective consciousness when near others of their kind. So the thought of merging with V'ger, Ilia and all the knowledge collected by V'ger was tantalizing to Will Decker, and an efficient solution to their problem of saving Earth.

Had the "In Thy Image" telemovie lead to a TV series, or more telemovies, Decker would have returned to the ship to share some of what he'd learned and take up the mantle of Kirk's first officer, or captain if Kirk returned to the Admiralty.

I find it highly doubtful that much of Ilea's conciousness wouild make it through to the new entity.

They'd already discovered that Ilia's loyalty to Decker had broken through - "Not Decker-unit" - and Spock had seen everything digitized by V'ger had been stored "in every detail".

 

[Kirk1980]

Personally, I thought it was a clever way to use the TV script and 'kill off' one of the major new characters in it so they could go back to the regular crew in the next one:P

 

[cardinal biggles]

Funny how that works out, huh?

 

[Therin of Andor]

Personally, I thought it was a clever way to use the TV script and 'kill off' one of the major new characters in it so they could go back to the regular crew in the next one:P

Ilia actually survives "In Thy Image". The probe reverts to a shrivelled, rusted device, found on the ground, and the real Ilia suddenly appears unharmed.

Decker is able to communicate, and says he'll be back one day. Since he appears in all the spec synopses for "Phase II", he'd probably return in the first new ep., whichever story was ultimately chosen to be filmed first.

 

[RoJoHen]

Their is a big subtext that he is doing it for the love of Ilea perhaps to join with her in some way, but I find it highly doubtful that much of Ilea's conciousness wouild make it through to the new entity. So why does Decker as he says "want this!" so much?

I'm pretty sure this is your answer right here. Regardless of how much of Ilea actually survived, Decker believed that if he merged with V'Ger he could (in some way) be reunited with her.

I really don't think it's a huge mystery.

 

[Ziz]

The New Humans were a small but growing movement consisting of humans aiming to advance their race by sharing some kind of collective consciousness when near others of their kind.

We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological disctinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

I read it as more romantic. He wanted to be with Ilia.

 

[RobertScorpio]

I just finished watching TMP for the umpteenth time. Since I first saw it thirty years ago I have never quite understood why Decker wanted so badly to merge with V'Ger. Decker wasn't presented as somebody dissatisfied with his current life so much. Sure he lost the Enterprise command, but he didn't know wether or not Kirk was going to stay in the big chair, and even if he did another command would have surely come his way. Their is a big subtext that he is doing it for the love of Ilea perhaps to join with her in some way, but I find it highly doubtful that much of Ilea's conciousness wouild make it through to the new entity. So why does Decker as he says "want this!" so much?

I take it this way. His father was killed when he, Wil Decker,was a kid. So he's kind of 'messed' up because of that. Then he dives into STARFLEET and because he is so well trained, its clear he never had a great 'love life'. Along comes Kirk, taking the Enterprise from him, and now Decker is lost. Then Ilya comes back into his life and she becomes absorbed with Vger. But Decker still wants to be with her, even if she is just representation of Ilya. And, so like his father, he just decides to take the next jump and...bammo...he is absorbed.

Rob

 

[Basil]

Didn't even seem a subtext -- he's obviously in love with her, and vice versa. If you've ever lost someone you love, you know you'd do almost anything to have them back.

 

[Red Ranger]

Also, as you recall, Decker, as a human being, was from what the Deltans called a "sexually immature species," and so, Decker and Ilia most likely never consummated their relationship. Becoming part of a higher consciousness and being might remove that impediment, and because he wanted to be with her, he took the chance. -- RR

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

I kind of figured it was to be with Ilia. While that makes a great visual for the final climatic scene it doesn't make much sense technically. The Ilia 2 that V'Ger created was just a tool, it was not V'ger in any way. The only reason it had Ilia's conciousness was V'ger made he an exact duplicate of Ilia. In the joining between Decker and V'Ger the Ilia probe should have been irrelevant. Sure maybe Ilia's conciousness was in V'Ger because it absorbed her, but then again so were a couple of Klingon ships and a whole space station.

 

[The Boy Who Cried Worf]

Their is a big subtext that he is doing it for the love of Ilea perhaps to join with her in some way... So why does Decker as he says "want this!" so much?

There is also huge subtext that was in the "ST: Phase II" Writers' Bible, and the novelization of ST:TMP - but not able to be squeezed into the movie - that explains how Will Decker and his mother were members of the New Human Movement. Presumably, Mrs Decker fell deeper into this cult after the death of her husband, Matt ("The Doomsday Machine").

The New Humans were a small but growing movement consisting of humans aiming to advance their race by sharing some kind of collective consciousness when near others of their kind. So the thought of merging with V'ger, Ilia and all the knowledge collected by V'ger was tantalizing to Will Decker, and an efficient solution to their problem of saving Earth.

Had the "In Thy Image" telemovie lead to a TV series, or more telemovies, Decker would have returned to the ship to share some of what he'd learned and take up the mantle of Kirk's first officer, or captain if Kirk returned to the Admiralty.

I find it highly doubtful that much of Ilea's conciousness wouild make it through to the new entity.

They'd already discovered that Ilia's loyalty to Decker had broken through - "Not Decker-unit" - and Spock had seen everything digitized by V'ger had been stored "in every detail".

Interesting, I didn't know that. I never even realized Will was supposed to be Matt Decker's son.

 

[RobertScorpio]

Then again; she was hot looking, Probe or not. And since none of the other women were hot looking, maybe she was so hot it made him just want to boff her, even if he had to evolve to a higher form of being....Kirk would have done the same thing in his younger days. Heck, sometimes I think he had a thing for the Horta...

Rob

 

[RoJoHen]

I kind of figured it was to be with Ilia. While that makes a great visual for the final climatic scene it doesn't make much sense technically. The Ilia 2 that V'Ger created was just a tool, it was not V'ger in any way. The only reason it had Ilia's conciousness was V'ger made he an exact duplicate of Ilia. In the joining between Decker and V'Ger the Ilia probe should have been irrelevant. Sure maybe Ilia's conciousness was in V'Ger because it absorbed her, but then again so were a couple of Klingon ships and a whole space station.

If you're looking for a logical response to broken heart, you're not gonna find one. Decker loved Ilia. He believed, or wanted to believe, that she was still in there somewhere, and he would do anything to get her back.

Judging from the Ilia probe's own reaction during the final scene, I'd say that Decker was right.

 

[RobertScorpio]

I kind of figured it was to be with Ilia. While that makes a great visual for the final climatic scene it doesn't make much sense technically. The Ilia 2 that V'Ger created was just a tool, it was not V'ger in any way. The only reason it had Ilia's conciousness was V'ger made he an exact duplicate of Ilia. In the joining between Decker and V'Ger the Ilia probe should have been irrelevant. Sure maybe Ilia's conciousness was in V'Ger because it absorbed her, but then again so were a couple of Klingon ships and a whole space station.

If you're looking for a logical response to broken heart, you're not gonna find one. Decker loved Ilia. He believed, or wanted to believe, that she was still in there somewhere, and he would do anything to get her back.

Judging from the Ilia probe's own reaction during the final scene, I'd say that Decker was right.

Yep..she seemed to have one hell of an orgasm. And with everything these days 'wireless' maybe Ilya 2 had a wireless connection to Vgr, but really preferred the 'hard wire' (Excuse the pun)with Decker better...

Rob

 

[TigerOfDarkness]

I kind of figured it was to be with Ilia. While that makes a great visual for the final climatic scene it doesn't make much sense technically. The Ilia 2 that V'Ger created was just a tool, it was not V'ger in any way. The only reason it had Ilia's conciousness was V'ger made he an exact duplicate of Ilia. In the joining between Decker and V'Ger the Ilia probe should have been irrelevant. Sure maybe Ilia's conciousness was in V'Ger because it absorbed her, but then again so were a couple of Klingon ships and a whole space station.

If you're looking for a logical response to broken heart, you're not gonna find one. Decker loved Ilia. He believed, or wanted to believe, that she was still in there somewhere, and he would do anything to get her back.

Judging from the Ilia probe's own reaction during the final scene, I'd say that Decker was right.

Yep..she seemed to have one hell of an orgasm. And with everything these days 'wireless' maybe Ilya 2 had a wireless connection to Vgr, but really preferred the 'hard wire' (Excuse the pun)with Decker better...

Rob

On a slightly less romantic note, there was also the chance to explore the "other dimensions" and "higher planes of being" (?) that Kirk, Spock and McCoy had been talking about just before....

 

[RobertScorpio]

If you're looking for a logical response to broken heart, you're not gonna find one. Decker loved Ilia. He believed, or wanted to believe, that she was still in there somewhere, and he would do anything to get her back.

Judging from the Ilia probe's own reaction during the final scene, I'd say that Decker was right.

Yep..she seemed to have one hell of an orgasm. And with everything these days 'wireless' maybe Ilya 2 had a wireless connection to Vgr, but really preferred the 'hard wire' (Excuse the pun)with Decker better...

Rob

On a slightly less romantic note, there was also the chance to explore the "other dimensions" and "higher planes of being" (?) that Kirk, Spock and McCoy had been talking about just before....

mmmm...nah...it was all sexual. Thats why Vgr shorted out the wire...its why she stopped Kirk from stopping Decker from rewiring it...Vgr want to know what it was like to 'feel'. And nothing quite fits the bill than a good ole orgasm....the 'higher form of existence' only means that Vgr's desire totally consumed Decker. I mean, look at the guy's head!! You gotta know he's loving it!!!...I bet Kirk looks back at that moment totally wished he had 'rebooted' with Vgr....she was a hottie!!!

Rob

 

[Myasishchev]

The New Humans were a small but growing movement consisting of humans aiming to advance their race by sharing some kind of collective consciousness when near others of their kind.

We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological disctinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.

Goes to show how interesting the Borg could have been if they hadn't been ruined.

Why did Decker merge with V'Ger? V'Ger held the promise of superhumanity, of experiences and feelings far beyond the capabilities of his ugly bag of mostly water.

Add to that love of Ilia, and I would've been shocked if he hadn't merged with V'Ger.

In retrospect, it's an even better decision. All Kirk's first officer got to merge with in the next film was hard gammas... and Leonard McCoy.

Hell, if I'd been on the Enterprise, I'd have liked to have gone with V'Ger too.

 

[RobertScorpio]

The New Humans were a small but growing movement consisting of humans aiming to advance their race by sharing some kind of collective consciousness when near others of their kind.

We are the Borg. Lower your shields and surrender your ships. We will add your biological and technological disctinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile.

Goes to show how interesting the Borg could have been if they hadn't been ruined.

Why did Decker merge with V'Ger? V'Ger held the promise of superhumanity, of experiences and feelings far beyond the capabilities of his ugly bag of mostly water.

Add to that love of Ilia, and I would've been shocked if he hadn't merged with V'Ger.

In retrospect, it's an even better decision. All Kirk's first officer got to merge with in the next film was hard gammas... and Leonard McCoy.

Hell, if I'd been on the Enterprise, I'd have liked to have gone with V'Ger too.

I think Archer should have merged with T'Pol

Rob