Rand as First Officer, Spock as (only a) Science Officer?

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Suppose Spock had been the Science officer only, with Rand as Kirk's first officer. Spock would still get to give most of his opinions, as they're of a scientific logical nature. She wouldn't be stepping on McCoy's toes, either, as his advice would be medical/psychological. Would she have sunk or swam in that role?

 

[Spock's Barber]

Interesting possibilities....

Would Kirk rely more on Rand than Spock for advice?
Would Kirk think less of Spock as a friend and more as an officer?

 

[LAFR]

Rand the brainless bubble head? Yeah...No.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Would she have sunk or swam in that role?

Grace Lee Whitley? I hate to say it, but she would've sunk. She just didn't have the experience or the acting chops to match Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley. And when you couple that with problems she was having off-screen at that time... Well, I just don't see it happening.

Someone like Lee Meriwether, Sally Kellerman, Julie Newmar, Diana Rigg, or Honor Blackman would've projected the right sort of authority for a female first officer, but I frankly doubt that TOS' writing would've been up to the task, either. So I think it's for the best that we got what we got.

 

[Pauln6]

I do think a cool, detached female first officer could have worked well with Spock and McCoy but Grace would have been better as a comic relief supporting character than as a senior officer. She was like a working class girl done good, definitely not an officer as portrayed in the sixties.

She had really snappy dialogue in the Man Trap, plus her make do and mend approach in the Corbomite Manoeuvre should have been the way to give her a niche. I don't view her as a bubble head though; there was evidence that she could think on her feet, even if she just sat around pouting in Miri. I can see her suggesting powering the shuttle with phasers, actively working to distract Trelane, haggling for a Tribble, mothering Chekov, being Sulu's wing man etc.

The first officer would have been a more serious character, perhaps a bit bitchy occasionally. I agree with some of the casting suggestions above. Diana Muldaur could have done it too.

I would say that I felt the reboot had carte blanche to modernise the female characters and failed almost entirely. They basically smooshed Uhura, Rand, and Chapel into one character. A security trained, experienced petty officer could have taught Kirk a thing or two about serving on a starship without going ga ga over Kirk.

 

[Discofan]

I wonder what would have happened if they had kept Majel Barret as number one...

 

[Nerys Myk]

I wonder what would have happened if they had kept Majel Barret as number one...

Barrett at that time, was not a strong actor, either.

 

[Pauln6]

Barrett at that time, was not a strong actor, either.

Nimoy certainly brings a very layered performance but it's hard to say what might have developed if she'd been allowed to grow into the role. It's not as if Chapel gives us a great indication but I suspect she would not have been able to bring as much as Nimoy.

That said, the pained grimacing of Jolene Blalock and Sonequa Martin Green can get tiresome. Maybe a glacial first officer would have provided a good counterpoint to the other women in the show. Uhura actually got some decent scenes in episodes featuring Rand. Having a prominent woman might have given us more diverse women generally.

 

[Marsden]

Suppose Spock had been the Science officer only, with Rand as Kirk's first officer. Spock would still get to give most of his opinions, as they're of a scientific logical nature. She wouldn't be stepping on McCoy's toes, either, as his advice would be medical/psychological. Would she have sunk or swam in that role?

Succeed, in the reboot.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I wonder what would have happened if they had kept Majel Barret as number one...

We know what would've happened. The series wouldn't have sold.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Wow

We know what would've happened. The series wouldn't have sold.

Wow! No Trek series, no Trek movies, no Trek cosplay, no Trek conventions, no Trek BBS, no Trek bicycles.....what would we all do with our free time without Trek?

 

[Commishsleer]

Whoa get rid of Spock as First Officer.
That’s a step too far in my books. To me the command dynamic is a special part of the appeal of TOS.
Sure if you turn Rand into a sort of female Spock - one that different have a crush on Kirk. Sure if you changed her character completely.
Someone mentioned working class girl and to me that role might have fit better. To me Rand would be better suited in a role in charge of the enlisted. Not serving coffee on the bridge but being in charge of the people who serve coffee. She should be the administrative head in the Enterprise - organising rosters/landing parties/ mission recordings etc.
Say in Miri where Spock was checking out the area with the security guards I felt that Rand should have had that role. Surely Spock was better involved in finding a cure. Also she should have been organising supplies, transport, rations etc. Being useful and carrying this on in other episodes instead of crushing on Kirk.

 

[Gabriel]

Wow


Wow! No Trek series, no Trek movies, no Trek cosplay, no Trek conventions, no Trek BBS, no Trek bicycles.....what would we all do with our free time without Trek?

That’s a good point. I mean I like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica ( I thought to be honest I have not watched new Battlestar galatica all the way, just seems too dark. Good but dark.) I hear Babylon 5 was decent and star gate. but wow sci-fi will be kind a empty. Mostly since it will be no Star Trek franchise. So seven less sci-fi series.
Also the first space shuttle would not have been enterprise. And on that subject I find it so ironic got the special that they named enterprise have to be the prototype the one that never made it into space. It would have been nice to have an enterprise spacecraft that wasn’t either fiction or a concept.

 

[Spock's Barber]

That’s a good point. I mean I like Star Wars and Battlestar Galactica ( I thought to be honest I have not watched new Battlestar galatica all the way, just seems too dark. Good but dark.) I hear Babylon 5 was decent and star gate. but wow sci-fi will be kind a empty. Mostly since it will be no Star Trek franchise. So seven less sci-fi series.
Also the first space shuttle would not have been enterprise. And on that subject I find it so ironic got the special that they named enterprise have to be the prototype the one that never made it into space. It would have been nice to have an enterprise spacecraft that wasn’t either fiction or a concept.

Good post. 50 years of Trek history would never have happened.

 

[Ryan Thomas Riddle]

Rand might've worked better as a Chekov-like character—the young officer-in-training, an assist to Spock but also under Kirk's wing.

 

[Gabriel]

Good post. 50 years of Trek history would never have happened.

Just think William Shatner probably would probably only be known for TJ Hooker. That is if you’re into old cop shows. Another thing I just realized we will not have Star Trek ships.
Star Trek has some great ship designs. I’m a design nerd, I love ships.
I mean on my computer I have practically every star trek deck plans I could fine. And I also have every bridge plan you can find. Including the one that that somebody reconstructed the USS Odyssey bridge. And they did that mostly what they found on screen. I mean when I found that on ex astris scientia. I was in shock. I mean I knew that the odyssey bridge was different I didn’t know that somebody actually went to the trouble to figure out what the design was.
And on a personal note my mother and my cousin would have not done the Vulcan salute every time they see each other.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Just think William Shatner probably would probably only be known for TJ Hooker.

Would Shatner even get T J Hooker without Star Trek? Shatner would have had a different career path.

 

[Gabriel]

Would Shatner even get T J Hooker without Star Trek? Shatner would have had a different career path.

Good point TJ Hooker was after star trek.
And after the original picture. I mean it’s possible he could’ve made a great western career. My mother loved to point out every time she saw a Star Trek actor in a western.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Good point TJ Hooker was after star trek.
And after the original picture. I mean it’s possible he could’ve made a great western career. My mother loved to point out every time she saw a Star Trek actor in a western.

I could see him as a perennial Guest Star on Cop, medical and lawyer shows. Sort of like Leslie Nielsen. Who knows, maybe he gets Airplane and Police Squad instead of Nielsen.

 

[Spock's Barber]

Well, Shatner did steal the show in Airplane 2.