"I've always known- I'll die alone."

[Sovay]

I'm fairly sure Kirk meant "alone" to be "without Spock or Bones," at least that's how I took it

 

[Timo]

If a character makes a dramatic prediction, it can only be for two purposes:

- A future turn of events will prove him right, making the audience all nostalgic about the suddenly remembered past prediction, or

-A future turn of events will prove him wrong, surprising the audience.

I'd say that surprise is always the better approach to drama. Kirk said one thing, events showed another, the audience was surprised - that's good drama. There wouldn't be much surprise if Kirk were proven right, except perhaps the "Huh?" factor of Kirk possessing paranormal abilities...

Timo Saloniemi

 

[Ssosmcin]

You know, he still might die very alone... God knows how NuKirk is going to eventually buy it. He might wind up with an STD.

 

[Aragorn]

Kirk wasn't a psychic. Freaking out over his line is like freaking out because the TNG movies didn't have roman numerals in the titles.

If you have a friend from school who says "I'm going to become a billionaire and marry Scarlett Johansson" and 10 years later he's flipping burgers at Jack in the Box, is it Jack in the Box that's in the wrong?

 

[Bones2]

I think Generations works well with the line. At first, when Kirk "dies" on the E-B, it seems like he did die alone. But then his true death is saving millions of people with another great captain of the Enterprise.

 

[T'Girl]

Would make for a great line in a action seqence, novel or movie, Kirk's in sword fight with the villian, "...now you die Kirk" "Sorry, but you see, I'm not alone."

 

[KirkSpockTOSFan]

Kirk died on some unknown planet 100 years after his time period, with his only company being a bald captain he barely knew. Sounds pretty alone to me.

Agreed. I think Generations is pretty consistent with Kirk's line from Trek V.

I will agree on that. Kirk did say he always known he die alone because Spock and McCoy would not be there to save him. We all would know if Spock and McCoy were present at that time, they would try everthing they could from Kirk geeting badly hurt or worse. They probly would'nt be able to stop it, but they would try. We all know Spock and McCoy way to well.

 

[Iowagirl]

Generations begs to be invalidated. Geez what an abortion of a movie.

You're absolutely right. As a self-determined person, I do not consider Generations canon!

 

[Hober Mallow]

If a character makes a dramatic prediction, it can only be for two purposes:

- A future turn of events will prove him right, making the audience all nostalgic about the suddenly remembered past prediction, or

-A future turn of events will prove him wrong, surprising the audience.

I'd say that surprise is always the better approach to drama. Kirk said one thing, events showed another, the audience was surprised - that's good drama. There wouldn't be much surprise if Kirk were proven right, except perhaps the "Huh?" factor of Kirk possessing paranormal abilities...

Timo Saloniemi

How about this for audience surprise:

"I dunno if it crossed that macho mind of yours, but you should have been killed."

"It crossed my mind."

"And?"

"And even as I fell, I knew I wouldn't die."

"I do not understand."

"I've always known... I'll die on the bridge."

We expect Kirk will die in action like a true hero, on the bridge of his ship.

Two movies later, in the 24th century, Kirk dies on a bridge. Or rather under a bridge. Oh snap! Both Kirk and the audience are surprised.

In all seriousness, I took the line to be a compliment to his friendship with Bones and Spock. "I knew I wouldn't die because the two of you were with me." He's saying that they complete him, that he trusts them. He knew that with his fast friends there, they've got his back and nothing can hurt him. Why fans put some sort of psychic prediction to the line I'll never understand.

 

[Emperor-Tiberius]

Which is...what...for those of us that haven't read the book?

As I recall, when Kirk was a boy and witnessed the massacre on Tarsus, Kodos found him and was about to kill him, but Sarek (who was present for reasons I don't fully recall) protected him. Kodos then threatened Kirk that, when he least expected it, when he was completely alone, Kodos would kill him to guarantee his silence. Sarek removed that memory with a mind-meld, and all that was left behind was a unshakable conviction in Kirk that he'd die alone.

Pretty much the definitive take on that line, yeah.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Which is...what...for those of us that haven't read the book?

As I recall, when Kirk was a boy and witnessed the massacre on Tarsus, Kodos found him and was about to kill him, but Sarek (who was present for reasons I don't fully recall) protected him. Kodos then threatened Kirk that, when he least expected it, when he was completely alone, Kodos would kill him to guarantee his silence. Sarek removed that memory with a mind-meld, and all that was left behind was a unshakable conviction in Kirk that he'd die alone.

Pretty much the definitive take on that line, yeah.

And a great example of trying to explain something that needs no explanation

 

[QuasarVM]

But he didn't die alone. He died with Picard leaning over him! Bwahahaha!!!

 

[CoveTom]

I'm still not sure why folks are taking Kirk's line so literally. To me, Kirk didn't mean that there wouldn't be another person within 20 miles of him when he died. He ment that he would be alone in the sense of not having his friends, his crewmates, his family around him when he died.

Sure, Picard was a major character in TNG and was part of the Trek family to us, but to Kirk he was a stranger. Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Antonia, Carol, David -- everyone he had ever known and cared about were gone. He was, in his mind, alone.

 

[Nerys Myk]

As I recall, when Kirk was a boy and witnessed the massacre on Tarsus, Kodos found him and was about to kill him, but Sarek (who was present for reasons I don't fully recall) protected him. Kodos then threatened Kirk that, when he least expected it, when he was completely alone, Kodos would kill him to guarantee his silence. Sarek removed that memory with a mind-meld, and all that was left behind was a unshakable conviction in Kirk that he'd die alone.

Pretty much the definitive take on that line, yeah.

And a great example of trying to explain something that needs no explanation

Small Universe, ain't it?

 

[Chrisisall]

Small Universe, ain't it?

Too small for two of us!
Sorry- Indy influence there.

 

[QuasarVM]

I'm still not sure why folks are taking Kirk's line so literally. To me, Kirk didn't mean that there wouldn't be another person within 20 miles of him when he died. He ment that he would be alone in the sense of not having his friends, his crewmates, his family around him when he died.

Sure, Picard was a major character in TNG and was part of the Trek family to us, but to Kirk he was a stranger. Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Antonia, Carol, David -- everyone he had ever known and cared about were gone. He was, in his mind, alone.

He should have died alone on the bridge -- in battle.

A warrior's death!

 

[Nerys Myk]

I'm still not sure why folks are taking Kirk's line so literally. To me, Kirk didn't mean that there wouldn't be another person within 20 miles of him when he died. He ment that he would be alone in the sense of not having his friends, his crewmates, his family around him when he died.

Sure, Picard was a major character in TNG and was part of the Trek family to us, but to Kirk he was a stranger. Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Antonia, Carol, David -- everyone he had ever known and cared about were gone. He was, in his mind, alone.

He should have died alone on the bridge -- in battle.

A warrior's death!

He was under a bridge. Close enough?

 

[QuasarVM]

I'm still not sure why folks are taking Kirk's line so literally. To me, Kirk didn't mean that there wouldn't be another person within 20 miles of him when he died. He ment that he would be alone in the sense of not having his friends, his crewmates, his family around him when he died.

Sure, Picard was a major character in TNG and was part of the Trek family to us, but to Kirk he was a stranger. Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Antonia, Carol, David -- everyone he had ever known and cared about were gone. He was, in his mind, alone.

He should have died alone on the bridge -- in battle.

A warrior's death!

He was under a bridge. Close enough?

Thanks for reminding me!

He actually died with Picard and the twisted remains of that bridge...so he was quite un-alone.

 

[Shatmandu]

Which is...what...for those of us that haven't read the book?

As I recall, when Kirk was a boy and witnessed the massacre on Tarsus, Kodos found him and was about to kill him, but Sarek (who was present for reasons I don't fully recall) protected him. Kodos then threatened Kirk that, when he least expected it, when he was completely alone, Kodos would kill him to guarantee his silence. Sarek removed that memory with a mind-meld, and all that was left behind was a unshakable conviction in Kirk that he'd die alone.

That's terrible. Shame on the three writers of his book.

Joe, judger

 

[Nerys Myk]

He should have died alone on the bridge -- in battle.

A warrior's death!

He was under a bridge. Close enough?

Thanks for reminding me!

He actually died with Picard and the twisted remains of that bridge...so he was quite un-alone.

I've heard being with Picard is like being alone.