Possible Explanation for Harry's Rank at Show's End

[USS Triumphant]

Maybe Harry took a LOT of time off?

Perhaps he had a bunch of personal projects he was also working on. Hobbies and academic projects not assigned by Starfleet or Janeway. Starting with TNG, it always seemed like crewpeople could take leave and even requisition a shuttle when available pretty much any time they wanted to as long as the ship wasn't actively in a yellow or red alert situation. (Or the Federation wasn't at war, like in DS9 - and sometimes even then!)

So maybe Harry only did bridge duty whenever the ship went into an alert or potential alert situation. Under other circumstances, computer automation was able to handle managing Operations with minimal input from him - an hour or two a day at most. And Harry liked it that way because he was working on his doctoral thesis or a new design for power couplings or whatever.

To us, it seemed like he served the same 7 years as everyone else - but we only saw an hour's worth of what was going on out of (roughly) every two weeks. Maybe that was MOST of what he actually worked! And maybe it's actually someone else - Tuvok, for example - who was working full double shifts for 7 whole years whose rank we should *really* be wondering about?

For any Harry fans reading, I want to emphasize that I'm not calling Harry a slacker or anything like that. It seems to me that in a near-scarcity-free future, there would be all sorts of work time structuring options for people, and maybe Harry just chose one that gave him a lot of time for personal pursuits.

 

[Guy Gardener]

They explained in Nightingale.

"I thought I cared, but it turns out getting a taste for being an adult, I don't actually care for it that much."

(Removing my asshole filter)

NEELIX: Welcome home.
KIM: It's good to be back.
NEELIX: So, what'll it be tonight? I have a light tula cheese soufflé or a zesty lasagne.
KIM: You know, Neelix, the truth is, I'm not sure.
NEELIX: I thought we talked about this. A captain has to be decisive.
KIM: I'm not a captain, Neelix. Not yet, anyway.

How Wang inflexes the script, what Kim says is a lot more negative than the script should lean in towards.

 

[hux]

Kim volunteered for extra night shift duty so he clearly wanted more command experience (and experience in general).

Plus, if he has this hinterland then why is he so dull?

I might be able to believe that he was spending a lot of his time sewing costumes to please big Gary once he got back home to him but that's about it as far as other interests are concerned.

 

[Guy Gardener]

I don't understand, why Harry pushed Tom to take on some Night Shift too so that Tom could also climb the Promotion ladder too. It's almost like Harry didn't understand that most people have to be left behind, because there's less room at the top.

Although...

The note Harry got from himfutureself in Timeless probably underscored that truth that he's loser born to lose, so why bother?

 

[Drone]

Did he ever explicitly comment about it on the show, even in a side conversation with Tom or B'Elanna.? Maybe he wasn't that concerned with it, rather only being the best at his role, not only to do his utmost in helping the ship get home, but also to overcome his excessive concern about how he was perceived by others.

Other than being one of his most noted lines, "maybe it's not the destination that matters. Maybe it's the journey" can be extrapolated to be read as to the importance he placed on such an explicit recognition of his accomplishments, at least at this point of his career.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Unimatrix Zero.

JANEWAY: You're late, Mister Paris.
PARIS: Ma'am?
TUVOK: According to the ship's chronometer, by twenty two seconds.
PARIS: I'll make it up at the end of my shift.
CHAKOTAY: See that you do.
JANEWAY: Take your station.
(There is a small box on the helmsman's chair. Behind his back, Janeway is grinning broadly.)
CHAKOTAY: Open it, that's an order. Not only late but improperly dressed. That belongs on your collar, Mister Paris.
JANEWAY: Allow me. As ship's captain, I hereby reinstate you to the rank of Lieutenant, with all the privileges and responsibilities therein. Your performance on this ship over the past year has been exemplary. I expect more of the same.
PARIS: You won't be disappointed.
TORRES: Congratulations, Lieutenant.
KIM: I didn't notice a little box on my chair.
(Beep!)
PARIS: Hiding a cake in the console?
CHAKOTAY: Looks like a distress call.
JANEWAY: Put it through.
CHAKOTAY: I'm getting a carrier wave but no message.
JANEWAY: Origin?
TUVOK: An asteroid approximately two light years from here.

He's the Borg Queen's toyboy.

That has to count for something.

 

[Drone]

Hmm, I wonder what that would have gotten him in the end. Perhaps his continuing diffidence would have forced her to finally put him out of his misery in a way that would make his just escaped fate on Favorite Son seem like a benign farewell.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

I believe Garret Wang said something to the effect that Rick Berman told him, they needed to have someone be an ensign on the show, and Harry just fit the bill.

You see the same thing on ENT. With Hoshi and Travis holding the rank of ensign for 10 years after serving with Archer. This with all the heroic things they did together.

It's unrealistic and makes no sense, but that's what Berman wanted.

Data explained TNG era ranks in Season 1.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7KT6s30vgIU[/yt]

What Data describes is not set in stone though.

Look at Geordi and how he went from Lt. Jr Grade (season 1) , to Lt (Season 2), to Lt. Commander(season 3).

Nog joined Starfleet and became a cadet in season 3, became an ensign in 2 years (by early season 6); the Dominion War being a likely contributing factor for Nog spending half the stated time as Ensign. At the end of season 7 we see Nog is a full Lt. Nog promotion to Lt, he attributed to Sisko writing a commendation for him.

NuKirk had the rank of Lt. during the mission to rescue Vulcan, after 3 years at the Academy (Pike said it would take 4). Granted this Kirk and others probably shifted from Cadet to active duty, since it was an emergency situation. NuKirk was 25 during the events of ST09.

Kirk from the original timeline was said to have become Captain at age 32, and at the time was the youngest person to reach the rank. Kirk's record would be supplanted by Tyral Scott (TNG Conspiracy).

I assume that ranks in the Star Trek verse operate on the same principle as ranks in our reality. Where a commanding officer can write or verbally recommend a subordinate for promotion, if they feel it's merited. The same way an enlisted man can be recommended for officer training school. This could explain Geordi and Nog's quick rises but also explain Kim's stagnation. Janeway didn't feel Kim merited promotion so he didn't get one. Tom though, he was demoted and promoted over the course of 7 years.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Berman didn't know that there were 130 unnamed characters on board, several of whom were ensigns, or that there are several grades of enlisted rank and file or noncomissioned officers who are all less superior in rank than a green Ensign fresh out of the academy.

Berman didn't know a lot of things that are pretty fricking standard to the Star Trek universe.

 

[M.A.C.O.]

Berman didn't know that there were 130 unnamed characters on board, several of whom were ensigns, or that there are several grades of enlisted rank and file or noncomissioned officers who are all less superior in rank than a green Ensign fresh out of the academy.

Berman didn't know a lot of things that are pretty fricking standard to the Star Trek universe.

This

Hey, I just had a thought. Why didn't TPTB make ensign Wildman our resident ensign for VOY? We saw her daughter Naomi frequently, but her mama made scant appearances throughout the series by comparison.

 

[Catarina]

Berman didn't know that there were 130 unnamed characters on board, several of whom were ensigns, or that there are several grades of enlisted rank and file or noncomissioned officers who are all less superior in rank than a green Ensign fresh out of the academy.

Berman didn't know a lot of things that are pretty fricking standard to the Star Trek universe.

This

Hey, I just had a thought. Why didn't TPTB make ensign Wildman our resident ensign for VOY? We saw her daughter Naomi frequently, but her mama made scant appearances throughout the series by comparison.

I second this

 

[Guy Gardener]

Nancy is a tv producer now, and if you've seen what she makes, her brain is way more filthy and vulgar than mine.

Maybe she was too frightening to be allowed on set more than once a year?

 

[Catarina]

Nancy is a tv producer now, and if you've seen what she makes, her brain is way more filthy and vulgar than mine.

Maybe she was too frightening to be allowed on set more than once a year?

LOL I'm only a tiny bit surprised. Only a tiny bit. There seemed more to that flat mask she wore as Wildman.