John Christopher a Regular?

[Nerys Myk]

The fact that he didn't soil himself and run around the transporter room crying like a frightened little girl when he was beamed aboard a spaceship from 300 years in the future and then meets a Vulcan and takes it all very well.

Now, when told he can never go back home again to his wife and child, he stands up for himself. Also, he will sire a very important man who plays an important role in Earth's history and he looks right in that Command uniform.

Well that's interesting for one episode. For an on going character, not so much.

I see your point. Subsequent eps featuring JC would have to be somehow related to his dilemma or to skills very particular to him.

TOS really didn't do that sort of thing. Not sure what skills the character would bring.

 

[Praetor Baldric]

Well that's interesting for one episode. For an on going character, not so much.

I see your point. Subsequent eps featuring JC would have to be somehow related to his dilemma or to skills very particular to him.

TOS really didn't do that sort of thing. Not sure what skills the character would bring.

His training essentially was probably not that different from Kirk's with the exception of the technology of course. Also, he could offer a fresh perspective on things. He might have been a good match-up for Gary7 later on, had that spin-off come to fruition.

 

[Nerys Myk]

I see your point. Subsequent eps featuring JC would have to be somehow related to his dilemma or to skills very particular to him.

TOS really didn't do that sort of thing. Not sure what skills the character would bring.

His training essentially was probably not that different from Kirk's with the exception of the technology of course. Also, he could offer a fresh perspective on things.

I think Kirk's more than a fighter pilot. His training goes far beyond that. What "fresh" perspective could a man from the 20th Century bring to a show about/set in the future? He'd be a curiosity that only historians would find interesting. I guess McGivers might give him a tumble.

 

[Praetor Baldric]

TOS really didn't do that sort of thing. Not sure what skills the character would bring.

His training essentially was probably not that different from Kirk's with the exception of the technology of course. Also, he could offer a fresh perspective on things.

I think Kirk's more than a fighter pilot. His training goes far beyond that. What "fresh" perspective could a man from the 20th Century bring to a show about/set in the future? He'd be a curiosity that only historians would find interesting. I guess McGivers might give him a tumble.

Don't you think that someone from the past could offer some wisdom? He was trained to make split-second decisions, to take into account dozens of variables when considering the consequences of his actions on every mission.

 

[Nerys Myk]

His training essentially was probably not that different from Kirk's with the exception of the technology of course. Also, he could offer a fresh perspective on things.

I think Kirk's more than a fighter pilot. His training goes far beyond that. What "fresh" perspective could a man from the 20th Century bring to a show about/set in the future? He'd be a curiosity that only historians would find interesting. I guess McGivers might give him a tumble.

Don't you think that someone from the past could offer some wisdom? He was trained to make split-second decisions, to take into account dozens of variables when considering the consequences of his actions on every mission.

Wisdom about what?

How is that fresh?

How is that different that the 300+ people currently on the Enterprise? People who are familiar with the technology and the realities of the 23rd Century.

 

[Praetor Baldric]

I think Kirk's more than a fighter pilot. His training goes far beyond that. What "fresh" perspective could a man from the 20th Century bring to a show about/set in the future? He'd be a curiosity that only historians would find interesting. I guess McGivers might give him a tumble.

Don't you think that someone from the past could offer some wisdom? He was trained to make split-second decisions, to take into account dozens of variables when considering the consequences of his actions on every mission.

Wisdom about what?

How is that fresh?

How is that different that the 300+ people currently on the Enterprise? People who are familiar with the technology and the realities of the 23rd Century.

His detachment from the here and now might give him the ability to be more objective with regard to foreign policy for example.

 

[Melakon]

He's a fighter pilot. He has no knowledge of foreign policy except to shoot down the enemy. How could he advise on political matters of the 23rd century when there are hundreds of planets he never knew existed?

Chauncey Gardiner from Being There would be a better advisor.

 

[Praetor Baldric]

He's a fighter pilot. He has no knowledge of foreign policy except to shoot down the enemy. How could he advise on political matters of the 23rd century when there are hundreds of planets he never knew existed?

Chauncey Gardiner from Being There would be a better advisor.

Kirk is just a starship captain yet he has put his nose into political affairs more than once...even to the point of rearranging whole societies because they didn't fit his beliefs.

Spock and the rest are required to formulate opinions on planets and species they never knew about before either on a weekly basis!

 

[Melakon]

Kirk, Spock, and other Starfleet officers presumably had diplomatic courses at the Academy. They're authorized to negotiate with other worlds on behalf of the Federation. Any diplomatic training Christopher has is 300 years out of date.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Kirk, Spock, and other Starfleet officers presumably had diplomatic courses at the Academy. They're authorized to negotiate with other worlds on behalf of the Federation. Any diplomatic training Christopher has is 300 years out of date.

Exactly. Kirk is trained in diplomacy. Part of his job is "seeking out new life and new civilizations". Spock is a scientist. His job is looking into the unknown and finding answers. Christopher is a fighter pilot. His job is to fly an airplane and shoot stuff. How much "diplomatic training" would a USAF officer from the 60s get? He's not even based overseas. What's that line from Full Metal Jacket? "I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture... and kill them."

 

[Gojira]

I actually like the idea. Tomorrow is Yesterday is one of my all time favorite episodes. I liked Captain Christopher and I think it would have been an interesting idea to have him as a regular and watch him try to assimilate into the 23rd century.

 

[Nerys Myk]

No interested in seeing the Adventures of Captain Christopher in the 23rd Century.

 

[Gojira]

No interested in seeing the Adventures of Captain Christopher in the 23rd Century.

I think it would have been interesting to have a character adjust to the 23rd century. That character could have been the mouth piece for his times and he could have spoken about overcoming the prejudices and the problems they had in the 60s while he adjusted to the 23rd century.

For example, TOS often had a bias against computers in their shows. At the time computers were new and people were fraid that computers would replace people. That sentiment is is expressed in quite a few episodes. What is strange is even the Trek Characters like Kirk and McCoy are leary of computers. It would have made more sense to have a character like Cpt. Christopher be the mouth of fear of computers than Kirk and McCoy.

That is just one example where I think a contemporary charcater like Christopher could have worked.

 

[Nerys Myk]

No interested in seeing the Adventures of Captain Christopher in the 23rd Century.

I think it would have been interesting to have a character adjust to the 23rd century. That character could have been the mouth piece for his times and he could have spoken about overcoming the prejudices and the problems they had in the 60s while he adjusted to the 23rd century.

For example, TOS often had a bias against computers in their shows. At the time computers were new and people were fraid that computers would replace people. That sentiment is is expressed in quite a few episodes. What is strange is even the Trek Characters like Kirk and McCoy are leary of computers. It would have made more sense to have a character like Cpt. Christopher be the mouth of fear of computers than Kirk and McCoy.

That is just one example where I think a contemporary charcater like Christopher could have worked.

I don't think its a bias against computers. They use them everyday. They do seem to object to machines becoming "benevolent dictators". McCoy talks a good game but he's uses them almost as much as Spock.

Christopher would probably be amazed by 23rd Century computers. Many of their uses are behind the scene anyway.

TOS isn't an arc show. I doubt Christopher's fish out of water position would be used for anything more than a joke or two.

 

[Melakon]

. . .At the time computers were new and people were fraid that computers would replace people.

Speaking as someone who was alive during that time, they were right.

 

[Greg Cox]

TOS is profoundly ambivalent about technology and computers in particular. Yeah, they have all their shiny futuristic toys, but a certain unease keeps creeping in. See also: "Court-Martial," "The Ultimate Computer," "The Changeling," "A Taste of Armageddon," and all those episodes where Kirk defeats an evil god-like computer.

And it's not just McCoy who voices these concerns. You also have Samuel Cogley orating about man vs. machine, the space hippies in "Way To Eden," and even Lenore Karidian complaining that technology has made people more like machines. (Okay, she's insane, but . . . .)

People were definitely worried about these issues back then. Remember HAL in 2001? And Colossus: The Forbin Project? And Demon Seed?

 

[Praetor Baldric]

Kirk, Spock, and other Starfleet officers presumably had diplomatic courses at the Academy. They're authorized to negotiate with other worlds on behalf of the Federation. Any diplomatic training Christopher has is 300 years out of date.

Exactly. Kirk is trained in diplomacy. Part of his job is "seeking out new life and new civilizations". Spock is a scientist. His job is looking into the unknown and finding answers. Christopher is a fighter pilot. His job is to fly an airplane and shoot stuff. How much "diplomatic training" would a USAF officer from the 60s get? He's not even based overseas. What's that line from Full Metal Jacket? "I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture... and kill them."

[From Errand of Mercy]
AYELBORNE: It is our way of life, Captain.
KIRK: That's the first thing that would be lost! Excuse me, gentlemen. I'm a soldier, not a diplomat. I can only tell you the truth.

[From The Mark of Gideon]
SPOCK: We must acknowledge once and for all that the purpose of diplomacy is to prolong a crisis.
MCCOY: Well, what are we waiting for, Mister Spock? We're not diplomats.
SPOCK: We are representatives of the Federation, Doctor.
MCCOY: That doesn't mean we have behave like children and listen to some fool lecture by a diplomat!
SPOCK: Unfortunately, diplomacy is the only channel available to us at the moment. The planet is shielded from our sensors, therefore we cannot scan it. Therefore we are unable to select co-ordinates. They must be provided by Gideon.
CHEKOV: We should never have agreed to such restrictions.
SPOCK: We did not, Mister Chekov. The Federation did. Lieutenant Uhura.
UHURA: Yes, Mister Spock.
SPOCK: Contact Starfleet immediately. Explain our problem. Request permission to use every means at our disposal to press the search for Captain Kirk

From these two excerpts, it seems that Kirk and Spock either did not receive as much diplomatic training as you suggest, or they didn't really care too much about it. In both of these cases Kirk and Spock respectively are frustrated by diplomacy and would prefer a more aggressive strategy. Also, USAF Fighter Pilots do more than just shoot stuff, their training (both physical and intellectual) is very demanding and they are required to use their own judgment at times.

 

[Gojira]

TOS is profoundly ambivalent about technology and computers in particular. Yeah, they have all their shiny futuristic toys, but a certain unease keeps creeping in. See also: "Court-Martial," "The Ultimate Computer," "The Changeling," "A Taste of Armageddon," and all those episodes where Kirk defeats an evil god-like computer.

And it's not just McCoy who voices these concerns. You also have Samuel Cogley orating about man vs. machine, the space hippies in "Way To Eden," and even Lenore Karidian complaining that technology has made people more like machines. (Okay, she's insane, but . . . .)

People were definitely worried about these issues back then. Remember HAL in 2001? And Colossus: The Forbin Project? And Demon Seed?

Now, less than 50 years after TOS computers are a way of life for the majority of people. In many ways TOS is a time capsule of how people were leary and concerned about the growth of technology, specifically computers, in the mid to late 60s.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Kirk, Spock, and other Starfleet officers presumably had diplomatic courses at the Academy. They're authorized to negotiate with other worlds on behalf of the Federation. Any diplomatic training Christopher has is 300 years out of date.

Exactly. Kirk is trained in diplomacy. Part of his job is "seeking out new life and new civilizations". Spock is a scientist. His job is looking into the unknown and finding answers. Christopher is a fighter pilot. His job is to fly an airplane and shoot stuff. How much "diplomatic training" would a USAF officer from the 60s get? He's not even based overseas. What's that line from Full Metal Jacket? "I wanted to meet interesting and stimulating people of an ancient culture... and kill them."

[From Errand of Mercy]
AYELBORNE: It is our way of life, Captain.
KIRK: That's the first thing that would be lost! Excuse me, gentlemen. I'm a soldier, not a diplomat. I can only tell you the truth.

[From The Mark of Gideon]
SPOCK: We must acknowledge once and for all that the purpose of diplomacy is to prolong a crisis.
MCCOY: Well, what are we waiting for, Mister Spock? We're not diplomats.
SPOCK: We are representatives of the Federation, Doctor.
MCCOY: That doesn't mean we have behave like children and listen to some fool lecture by a diplomat!
SPOCK: Unfortunately, diplomacy is the only channel available to us at the moment. The planet is shielded from our sensors, therefore we cannot scan it. Therefore we are unable to select co-ordinates. They must be provided by Gideon.
CHEKOV: We should never have agreed to such restrictions.
SPOCK: We did not, Mister Chekov. The Federation did. Lieutenant Uhura.
UHURA: Yes, Mister Spock.
SPOCK: Contact Starfleet immediately. Explain our problem. Request permission to use every means at our disposal to press the search for Captain Kirk

From these two excerpts, it seems that Kirk and Spock either did not receive as much diplomatic training as you suggest, or they didn't really care too much about it. In both of these cases Kirk and Spock respectively are frustrated by diplomacy and would prefer a more aggressive strategy. Also, USAF Fighter Pilots do more than just shoot stuff, their training (both physical and intellectual) is very demanding and they are required to use their own judgment at times.

A Starship Captain wears many hats:

GARTH: Upon the firmest of foundations, Mister Spock. Enlightened self interest. You, Captain, are second only to me as the finest military commander in the galaxy.
KIRK: That's very flattering. I am primarily an explorer now, Captain Garth.

(Kirk, Scott, McCoy and Uhura are with the local leader, when lightning threatens.)
THARN: We believe what you say, Captain Kirk, but our position has not altered. The Halkan Council cannot permit your Federation to mine dilithium crystals on our planet.
KIRK: We have shown the council historical proof that our missions are peaceful.
THARN: We accept that your Federation is benevolent at present, but the future is always in question. Our dilithium crystals represent awesome power. Wrongful use of that power, even to the extent of the taking of one life, would violate our history of total peace. To prevent that, we would die, Captain. As a race, if necessary.
KIRK: I admire your ethics and hope to prove ours. Kirk to Enterprise.
SPOCK [OC]: Spock here.
KIRK: Report on magnetic storm, Mister Spock.

I've no doubt a fighter pilot is highly trained, intelligent and skilled individual, but I doubt that would render them a valuable asset to Starfleet. Christopher would be shipped to the nearest Starbase and from there to Earth, where he would be acclimated to the 23rd Century and retrained.

 

[Greg Cox]

I don't know. It might be fun to have a contemporary character on a Trek show someday, just to provide a different perspective.

I still wish Rain Robinson had joined Voyager as a regular, as was apparently considered. Sarah Silverman would have spiced things up a bit.