Oh come on Spock, it sucks! Big Deal. (SPOILERS)

[Flake]

[KIRK] Congratulations Spock, you just saved the world.

[SPOCK] You violated the Prime Directive !

[KIRK] Oh come on Spock, it sucks! Big Deal.

When this line was uttered I had flashbacks of various Prime Directive episodes and speeches for a split second! Particularly Picard speeches. I know the Prime Directive was broken a lot but it was not simply brushed aside so nonchalantly as Kirk does here in this exchange. I was quite shocked by this line from Kirk.

Now I understand why he did it and I understand that Spock probably talked him into the whole mission (instead of doing it Kirks way were the Enterprise probably zooms in from orbit above the volcano in full view) and I am glad he saves Spock for obvious reasons but instead of 'It sucks, Big deal' he could at least acts like he is concerned that he has broken the prime directive and dreads the consequences.

EDIT: I have heard it wrong, Kirk doesn't say this apparently. *facepalm*

 

[DaleC76]

He said, "They saw us - big deal!"

 

[Hartzilla2007]

[KIRK] Congratulations Spock, you just saved the world.

[SPOCK] You violated the Prime Directive !

[KIRK] Oh come on Spock, it sucks! Big Deal.

When this line was uttered I had flashbacks of various Prime Directive episodes and speeches for a split second! Particularly Picard speeches. I know the Prime Directive was broken a lot but it was not simply brushed aside so nonchalantly as Kirk does here in this exchange. I was quite shocked by this line from Kirk.

Bullshit, when Spock was concerned about breaking the Prime Directive in the Apple Kirk brushed him off by saying Spock looked like Satan after spending the whole episode brushing off Spock's concerns about them meddling.

Now I understand why he did it and I understand that Spock probably talked him into the whole mission (instead of doing it Kirks way were the Enterprise probably zooms in from orbit above the volcano in full view) and I am glad he saves Spock for obvious reasons but instead of 'It sucks, Big deal' he could at least acts like he is concerned that he has broken the prime directive and dreads the consequences.

When the hell was Kirk ever concerned about violating the Prime Directive to save the Enterprise and overthrow the evil computer god?

In fact the only times he ever really cares about it is when the bad guys are doing it to either mold the pre-warp civilization to their liking or to get rich after killing a shit load of natives to suck up to another group.

 

[The Wormhole]

In fact the only times he ever really cares about it is when the bad guys are doing it to either mold the pre-warp civilization to their liking or to get rich after killing a shit load of natives to suck up to another group.

Or if another Starfleet captain has violated the Prime Directive. Then it's wrong. Consistent in both timelines (Captain Tracey in The Omega Glory, Captain April in the comics).

 

[Spock/Uhura Fan]

Spocks objection (much like his relationship *issues* with Uhura) didn't make sense in this film. The whole mission was against the Prime Directive.

The other issue that I have is since they said anyone can watch this film and understand it without any Trek knowledge, did they even cover what the Prime Directive is in this film? Did I miss that?

 

[JarodRussell]

In this film, Kirk "earns" the 5-year-mission by hiding the ship under water for no reason and against Scotty's opinion, violating the Prime Directive, making several wrong decisions his crew has to talk him out of, getting his own ship shot to pieces, teaming up with the bad guy and failing to control him, and eventually killing thousands of people in San Francisco.

 

[Spock/Uhura Fan]

In this film, Kirk "earns" the 5-year-mission by hiding the ship under water for no reason and against Scotty's opinion, violating the Prime Directive, making several wrong decisions his crew has to talk him out of, getting his own ship shot to pieces, teaming up with the bad guy and failing to control him, and eventually killing thousands of people in San Francisco.

You just had to remind me, didn't you. And people thought the way he got to the captain's chair in the last movie didn't make sense...

 

[Flake]

He said, "They saw us - big deal!"

OH RLY!

darn it I don't understand these americans even after all these years

 

[Flake]

[KIRK] Congratulations Spock, you just saved the world.

[SPOCK] You violated the Prime Directive !

[KIRK] Oh come on Spock, it sucks! Big Deal.

When this line was uttered I had flashbacks of various Prime Directive episodes and speeches for a split second! Particularly Picard speeches. I know the Prime Directive was broken a lot but it was not simply brushed aside so nonchalantly as Kirk does here in this exchange. I was quite shocked by this line from Kirk.

Bullshit, when Spock was concerned about breaking the Prime Directive in the Apple Kirk brushed him off by saying Spock looked like Satan after spending the whole episode brushing off Spock's concerns about them meddling.

Now I understand why he did it and I understand that Spock probably talked him into the whole mission (instead of doing it Kirks way were the Enterprise probably zooms in from orbit above the volcano in full view) and I am glad he saves Spock for obvious reasons but instead of 'It sucks, Big deal' he could at least acts like he is concerned that he has broken the prime directive and dreads the consequences.

When the hell was Kirk ever concerned about violating the Prime Directive to save the Enterprise and overthrow the evil computer god?

In fact the only times he ever really cares about it is when the bad guys are doing it to either mold the pre-warp civilization to their liking or to get rich after killing a shit load of natives to suck up to another group.

I suppose my reaction is down to mostly watching TNG over the years. I just thought he should not dismiss it so easily after breaking it. He knows he should not have interfered because he tried to cover it all up afterward! He knew there would be consequences if Starfleet found out.

 

[RoJoHen]

The Prime Directive pisses me off. What defines "natural evolution?" We're all a part of nature. Just because I come from another planet and have more advanced technology than you doesn't mean I'm not natural! If a volcano threatens to wipe out all life on a planet and I have the means to stop it, not doing so would just be douchey.

 

[Phily B]

I can't remember what episode it was but

Spock: But the Prime Directive...?

Kirk: Yes, but it's better to interfere and save these people than let them die out.

Spock: Logical, Captain.

 

[Pavonis]

How much impact would seeing a starship really have? So the natives worship the image and idea of this thing rising out of the ocean...so what? It's going to be twisted and misremembered for ages afterward. Rather than picking some deity out of their own imagination, they're going to make up a cult around something that only a few natives glimpsed for a few seconds. And this glimpse is going to negatively impact their culture how? In a few thousands years the Nibiru natives will have "Ancient Alien" television shows that only a few take seriously, whereas some fanatic natives will insist that everything on their planet is the result of alien interference and/or assistance. Is that so bad?

 

[JarodRussell]

The Prime Directive pisses me off. What defines "natural evolution?" We're all a part of nature. Just because I come from another planet and have more advanced technology than you doesn't mean I'm not natural! If a volcano threatens to wipe out all life on a planet and I have the means to stop it, not doing so would just be douchey.

What about a war? To you interfere and end it?

 

[Phily B]

There is a huge difference between a war about political ideologies and saving a civilization who has just discovered the wheel.

 

[Greg Cox]

The meaning of the Prime Directive shifted a bit over the years. Back in the day, TOS never suggested that the PD meant that you had to stand by and let a people get wiped out by natural disasters. (See "The Paradise Syndrome.") It just meant that Starfleet personnel weren't supposed to meddle with the historical development of other cultures by, say, turning them into Nazis or teaching them how to use gunpowder. (Oops!)

Later Trek shows sometimes took the PD to ridiculous extremes (See "Homeward"), but what I got from the new movie was that the issue was revealing themselves to the natives, not saving them from the volcano.

 

[RoJoHen]

but what I got from the new movie was that the issue was revealing themselves to the natives, not saving them from the volcano.

I got the impression that it was both. Pike says something along the lines of "playing God" and "not changing a planet's destiny."

 

[Flake]

From what I can gather:

Enterprise assigned to observe planet Nibiru and the natives before it blows up.

Kirk disobeys orders and decides to save the planet but I assume Spock says they cannot reveal themselves to the natives and Kirk goes along with it.

Planet is saved but Enterprise revealed.

Kirk loses command because of breaking the prime directive, disobeying orders & falsifying the logs?

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

The Prime Directive pisses me off. What defines "natural evolution?" We're all a part of nature.

Cortez would have appreciated the logic, if not the science.

 

[RoJoHen]

The Prime Directive pisses me off. What defines "natural evolution?" We're all a part of nature.

Cortez would have appreciated the logic, if not the science.

Science is for nerds anyway.

 

[Franklin]

The Prime Directive pisses me off. What defines "natural evolution?" We're all a part of nature. Just because I come from another planet and have more advanced technology than you doesn't mean I'm not natural! If a volcano threatens to wipe out all life on a planet and I have the means to stop it, not doing so would just be douchey.

What about a war? To you interfere and end it?

No. That would be called an invasion. Now, if by chance you're pulled into it, I'd say you do what you need to within reason to get out, but that's all.

There is a huge difference between a war about political ideologies and saving a civilization who has just discovered the wheel.

I promise not to get on my soap box, again, but yes, this is basically the correct perspective. Otherwise, the PD is completely amoral and there's no way Starfleet can call itself a humanitarian armada.

Think of it this way, there's a difference between going into a healthy culture, proselytizing and teaching the missionary position is the only way God wants you to have sex, and rendering aid to people after a disaster, or giving food and medicine to a sick and starving people without any conditions. Or, by the way, saving their planet from a natural disaster.

Even Spock apparently thought it was OK at least as long as they weren't discovered. It's not, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, unless you don't have warp drive, then suck it, buddy!