Should Uhura be called by her first name? Nyota.

[Campe]

Child of George, Child of Wynnona.

 

[Qonundrum]

TOS is a different animal. Constant last names now comes across as very stiff and formal to me; Impersonal.

Mileage will vary.

Agreed, YMMV. There is a more formal approach, not necessarily and/or involving "impersonal". I'm trying to use words not synonymous as "professional" regarding the approach since all Trek series have, to varying extents, done the "first name basis" routine with characters.

YMMV and context, even Unkie Gene - who hated the idea that Starfleet was a military (despite it clearly being one, whoops!) - kept more formal dialect. I'd hate to see Sheldon and Raj duke it out over that. It was bad enough watching then spar over I vs V being the worst Trek movie and having stomach cramps from all the laughter over that scene... Sheldon would clearly be on the "no first names, ever" side... whether or not he'd be right for once is another...

But first name basis in Trek? Done rarely in TNG, less so in TOS... occasionally in DS9... though Quark and Odo never had any other name to go by...

 

[Therin of Andor]

Oh, I didn't realize Nichelle had a hand in the name "Nyota!" Also you make a very good point that the name pre-dates the 2009 film -- by over 25 years, in fact! It was first established in 1982 for the book Star Trek II: Biographies, according to Memory Alpha.

There was a phone call, organised by mutual friend Bjo Trimble, between Bill Rotsler and Nichelle Nichols, prior to him giving the character a name in the book.

But first name basis in Trek? Done rarely in TNG, less so in TOS... occasionally in DS9... though Quark and Odo never had any other name to go by...

"Odo Ital". It was offensive, IIRC.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

But first name basis in Trek? Done rarely in TNG, less so in TOS... occasionally in DS9... though Quark and Odo never had any other name to go by...

Rarely or occasionally done? Seriously?

Jim (nearly every episode)? Chris? Matt? Bob?

Jean-Luc? Will? Beverly? Wesley? Geordi? Worf?

Benjamin? Jadzia? Ezri? Miles? Julian?

Come on! Gimme a break....

 

[ichab]

It'll depend on setting. When she's on duty she'll be addressed as Uhura, when she's off-duty she'll be addressed as Nyota. Same as every human character in this franchise alternates between their first or last names depending on setting.

So in other words, business as usual. Not sure why this needed it's own thread, to be honest.

This. Military protocol calls for them to be called by their last name or rank + last name while on duty.

 

[Gov Kodos]

This. Military protocol calls for them to be called by their last name or rank + last name while on duty.

Trek is a terrible show to point to for any kind of consistent military protocol.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

This. Military protocol calls for them to be called by their last name or rank + last name while on duty.

That's not Starfleet protocol, as evidenced by TOS, TNG, DS9, and VOY. Didn't you see the post right above yours?

 

[Dar70]

In the original series, she was simply known as Uhura. We never knew of her first name until the JJ Abrams Kelvin films where it is revealed to be Nyota and Uhura is actually her family or last name.

I really hope they keep that consistency in TOS. it sort of reminds me of the xmen character in the comics Rogue. No one knew of her real name until about 20 years later. when it was revealed to be Anna Marie Raven.

Also the name reveal in Kelvin verse was more of a plot device, I always assumed it would be difficult to write a story where Spock has a stable girlfriend but I thought the writers were clever in the first film to have Spock be the only one call his girlfriend by her first name, that was one of the best way to reveal some mind of deep intimacy between Kelvin timeline spock/uhura without sex scenes or the standard generic couple stuff we see in movies.

However as this is TOS we know spock and uhura were never together and even if they get together in strange new world, it will be a short thing, so I hope they just stick to just calling her Uhura and not Nyota.

I think this show does need to try as much as it can to keep a strong consistency to TOS after they failed so badly to do that with star trek discovery, which was the lame reason the crew of discovery had to jump to the future.

Of course they will use it. It would not be a big deal at all.

As for consistency with TOS. Forget about it. Where have you been the last 5 years??The producers really dont care all that much....they are not about to begin now...lol

 

[The Wormhole]

Military protocol

not Starfleet protocol,

Uh-Oh. I'm not sure I like where this is going...

 

[Nerys Myk]

TV Show protocol.

 

[ToddCam]

Of the seven "big names" of the original series, Uhura and Sulu were the two who never got official first names until much later. I know it probably wasn't intentionally racist, but I always wondered. I actually learned from this website that Pavel was mentioned on the actual series to my surprise and somewhat disgust.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I actually learned from this website that Pavel was mentioned on the actual series to my surprise and somewhat disgust.

Yeah.

Irina Galliulin calls him Pavel in "The Way to Eden."

And Yeoman Martha Landon calls him just Pav in "The Apple."

 

[Therin of Andor]

Yeah.

Irina Galliulin calls him Pavel in "The Way to Eden."

And Yeoman Martha Landon calls him just Pav in "The Apple."

Chekov himself in ST III. The destruct sequence. And Kirk in ST IV, when Chekov was injured.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Of the seven "big names" of the original series, Uhura and Sulu were the two who never got official first names until much later. I know it probably wasn't intentionally racist, but I always wondered. I actually learned from this website that Pavel was mentioned on the actual series to my surprise and somewhat disgust.

I think it was "colonial" thinking.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Chekov himself in ST III. The destruct sequence. And Kirk in ST IV, when Chekov was injured.

Yes. Kirk calls him Pavel three times in TVH [http://www.chakoteya.net/movies/movie4.html].

If we're counting TOS films, too, when someone else addresses him by his given name, then there's also:

TWOK [http://www.chakoteya.net/movies/movie2.html]:

McCOY: He's coming around.
KIRK: Pavel?​

STV [http://www.chakoteya.net/movies/movie5.html]:

UHURA: It's all right, Pavel. Sybok will explain.
CHEKOV: Sulu, what are you doing?
SULU: Plotting our new course.
CHEKOV: New course? You have no authority. ...What's going on here?
SULU: Pavel, I'm doing what I think is right. You've got to listen to this man.​

Nyota and Hikaru are under the influence, though!