I confess that the promotion stirred my mind on my first viewing. I since gave considerable thought to the question, including what so many have stated here.
The most obvious answer to me is that nuKirk simply and plainly deserved the promotion. I have no idea what the board of admirals was, be it an academic or a command body, as their placards all just read "Starfleet Command Admiral". These were the ones seemingly charged with the promotion decision. Possibly their lives, definitely the lives of many they loved, the academy itself and the entire Earth would suffer the dread fate of Vulcan if it weren't for nuKirk and co.
Put yourself in the position of those who made the decision. They might not even be alive to make that decision without nuKirk. Nero did, after all, specifically target the SF Bay. Add to this that most of these admirals probably never themselves saved the Star Fleet, the Federation, the Earth and whatever other planets Nero would have gone on to annihilate, but were still admirals in rank. This would all weigh heavily on my own decisionmaking and my soul.
While I realize we are truly where no man has gone before in the Trekiverse, I can't help but think those who criticize the promotion rely upon their knowledge of the Prime Trekiverse in so doing. It's all we have to go on and is at least instructive.
The end of Star Trek 11 is analogous to the end of Star Trek 4 in a way. In 11, nuKirk is promoted for essentially saving the Earth, a reward of sorts. Although the crew was before the Federation Council on criminal charges at the end of 4, they were rewarded by a summary dismissal of charges. Kirk was "punished" by being made captain again, although that demotion was a total reward to him. In the end of both films, Kirk winds up as captain specifically for saving the Earth.
I look also to The Picard, who received his promotion because of his performance in the absence of his captain (this time due to death), at the age of 28. Think back to TNG Conspiracy and Captain Tryla Scott, the youngest captain ever. She was at least younger than Picard was when he got the seat, which is 27 or younger. Kirk was here, what 25ish? Tryla had to be a total wunderkind like Kirk, as neither of them could have put in the many years of practical experience so many of you demand.
Perhaps it is all about aptitude and merit. Only one man in a million could command a starship, if Commodore Stone is right, even with years of seniority. nuKirk had demonstrated aptitude, scholastically, by testing, and by experience with Nero. Kirk Prime, after all, was "a stack of books with legs" at the academy until he met Carol. nuKirk was the one who cobbled together the fragments of the puzzle and figured out that Vulcan was being attacked. Does this make him any less apt than Tryla Scott or The Picard? Did his status make him any less worthy to nuPike of that initial field promotion than Wesley to ensign (with no academy experience) or Chakotay to first officer (with academy experience)?
The admirals making the decision must also have been keenly aware of a need for new and talented captains. In addition to the loss of classes of cadets, this film saw the loss of seven captains, six by death and one, nuPike, by promotion or disability. So many captain seats needed a few good men, and nuKirk, already experienced on the E, clearly fit the bill in so many ways. These promotions being largely influenced by recommendations, surely those of nuPike and Spock Prime were critical, both having seen fit to attend the award, promotion and change of command ceremony.
As for nuSpock, didn't he screw up that regulation 619 by going bonkers? Spock Prime went perturbed over the loss of 400 Vulcans sectors away in Immunity Syndrome, so I can only imagine both Spocks were greatly emotionally compromised, nuSpock even moreso with the loss of his mother. It is understandable that nuSpock would be passed over for this reason and for initially refusing to directly pursue Nero, instead marooning nuKirk and heading for the Laurentian whatever. Both were errors in judgment and both Spocks seemed to be error prone in this film. It's not as if either had an ego to bruise anyway.
As for the rest of the promotions, it has been pointed out that the nu Spock, McCoy, Sulu and Chekov appeared to be already commissioned. nuPike's engineer died in the first drill scene. After what nuScotty did in the crisis, coupled with his obvious engineering skill, and a supposed request for an assignment to the E, it's not too much of a stretch to see him wind up there. nUhura's multilingual competence exceeded that of the bridge communications officer, she was essential to figuring out Vulcan was being attacked ahead of time, she wants to go nowhere but the E, and nuSpock seemed willing to grant her transfers even before the romance. There's no mystery there for me. She'll likely even surpass Uhura Prime in competence if she avoids having her entire mind erased in nuTrek. Much like in Star Trek 4, the crew was rewarded collectively for saving the Earth collectively, and all inherited a new E.
There really is no absurdity in this extraordinary promotion if you think about it. Extraordinary actions warrant extraordinary consequences. Oh, and I doubt the Kobayashi Maru has much to do with this equation. Without the crisis intervening, why would we believe Kirk's solution to the KM test would result in something different for nuTrek? In Trek Prime, Kirk ultimately received a commendation for ORIGINAL THINKING, something lacking in the analysis of this issue thus far.
From the Delta Quadrant with Love,
Seska
The most obvious answer to me is that nuKirk simply and plainly deserved the promotion. I have no idea what the board of admirals was, be it an academic or a command body, as their placards all just read "Starfleet Command Admiral". These were the ones seemingly charged with the promotion decision. Possibly their lives, definitely the lives of many they loved, the academy itself and the entire Earth would suffer the dread fate of Vulcan if it weren't for nuKirk and co.
Put yourself in the position of those who made the decision. They might not even be alive to make that decision without nuKirk. Nero did, after all, specifically target the SF Bay. Add to this that most of these admirals probably never themselves saved the Star Fleet, the Federation, the Earth and whatever other planets Nero would have gone on to annihilate, but were still admirals in rank. This would all weigh heavily on my own decisionmaking and my soul.
While I realize we are truly where no man has gone before in the Trekiverse, I can't help but think those who criticize the promotion rely upon their knowledge of the Prime Trekiverse in so doing. It's all we have to go on and is at least instructive.
The end of Star Trek 11 is analogous to the end of Star Trek 4 in a way. In 11, nuKirk is promoted for essentially saving the Earth, a reward of sorts. Although the crew was before the Federation Council on criminal charges at the end of 4, they were rewarded by a summary dismissal of charges. Kirk was "punished" by being made captain again, although that demotion was a total reward to him. In the end of both films, Kirk winds up as captain specifically for saving the Earth.
I look also to The Picard, who received his promotion because of his performance in the absence of his captain (this time due to death), at the age of 28. Think back to TNG Conspiracy and Captain Tryla Scott, the youngest captain ever. She was at least younger than Picard was when he got the seat, which is 27 or younger. Kirk was here, what 25ish? Tryla had to be a total wunderkind like Kirk, as neither of them could have put in the many years of practical experience so many of you demand.
Perhaps it is all about aptitude and merit. Only one man in a million could command a starship, if Commodore Stone is right, even with years of seniority. nuKirk had demonstrated aptitude, scholastically, by testing, and by experience with Nero. Kirk Prime, after all, was "a stack of books with legs" at the academy until he met Carol. nuKirk was the one who cobbled together the fragments of the puzzle and figured out that Vulcan was being attacked. Does this make him any less apt than Tryla Scott or The Picard? Did his status make him any less worthy to nuPike of that initial field promotion than Wesley to ensign (with no academy experience) or Chakotay to first officer (with academy experience)?
The admirals making the decision must also have been keenly aware of a need for new and talented captains. In addition to the loss of classes of cadets, this film saw the loss of seven captains, six by death and one, nuPike, by promotion or disability. So many captain seats needed a few good men, and nuKirk, already experienced on the E, clearly fit the bill in so many ways. These promotions being largely influenced by recommendations, surely those of nuPike and Spock Prime were critical, both having seen fit to attend the award, promotion and change of command ceremony.
As for nuSpock, didn't he screw up that regulation 619 by going bonkers? Spock Prime went perturbed over the loss of 400 Vulcans sectors away in Immunity Syndrome, so I can only imagine both Spocks were greatly emotionally compromised, nuSpock even moreso with the loss of his mother. It is understandable that nuSpock would be passed over for this reason and for initially refusing to directly pursue Nero, instead marooning nuKirk and heading for the Laurentian whatever. Both were errors in judgment and both Spocks seemed to be error prone in this film. It's not as if either had an ego to bruise anyway.
As for the rest of the promotions, it has been pointed out that the nu Spock, McCoy, Sulu and Chekov appeared to be already commissioned. nuPike's engineer died in the first drill scene. After what nuScotty did in the crisis, coupled with his obvious engineering skill, and a supposed request for an assignment to the E, it's not too much of a stretch to see him wind up there. nUhura's multilingual competence exceeded that of the bridge communications officer, she was essential to figuring out Vulcan was being attacked ahead of time, she wants to go nowhere but the E, and nuSpock seemed willing to grant her transfers even before the romance. There's no mystery there for me. She'll likely even surpass Uhura Prime in competence if she avoids having her entire mind erased in nuTrek. Much like in Star Trek 4, the crew was rewarded collectively for saving the Earth collectively, and all inherited a new E.
There really is no absurdity in this extraordinary promotion if you think about it. Extraordinary actions warrant extraordinary consequences. Oh, and I doubt the Kobayashi Maru has much to do with this equation. Without the crisis intervening, why would we believe Kirk's solution to the KM test would result in something different for nuTrek? In Trek Prime, Kirk ultimately received a commendation for ORIGINAL THINKING, something lacking in the analysis of this issue thus far.
From the Delta Quadrant with Love,
Seska
