Since they're going to such lengths with continuity...

[Lonemagpie]

What with George Kirk and all that, I've been wondering: Are we going to see John (Der Fuhrer) Gill as a teacher at the Academy.

Not that I care, particularly, but I'm curious as to whether they're going that far...

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

No.

 

[Jon1701]

If there are no nazis in this movie, I shall boycott the movie theatre.

Nazis are canon!

 

[Franklin]

I hope he is. And when he appears on screen, I'm going to yell, "GILLLLLL!"

 

[Kryton]

I thought i would be funny if, after talking with another instructor about something relevant to the plot if Kirk looked off camera and ran out of frame shouting "Professor Gill!...Professor!"

IOW, it's not relevant to squat short of a nod and a wink.

Then I thought, "Nah, never happen."

 

[Dale]

Gill... or Finnegan, maybe... who knows, but I expect there'll be a few little nuggets in there for us old-timers. Nothing that drives the plot, but a sprinkling of continuity porn here and there for those of us who'll notice.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

Gill... or Finnegan, maybe... who knows, but I expect there'll be a few little nuggets in there for us old-timers. Nothing that drives the plot, but a sprinkling of continuity porn here and there for those of us who'll notice.

Very likely true. It could be as simple of a matter as a background voiceover ("Professor Gill's Lecture on 20th-Century Earth History begins in five minutes") or even just set dressing (ie, a nameplate on an office door).

I'm sure that the character won't be in any way SIGNIFICANT to this film... but I'd be surprised if it wasn't in there in some fashion, if nothing else, as an "easter egg" for the fans. (Abrams is BIG on that sort of "easter egg" after all.)

Those who adamantly deny it could even be possible are, once again, merely projecting their own personal opinions on top of REAL reality.

I could imagine an establishing shot of Kirk... used to establish HIS PERSONALITY... involving a prank being played on him. This would be useful to the plot, as it would help define the character (who many people aren't all THAT familiar with, and who many people have a different view of than is really the case with the character... especially since this isn't a 60-ish Shatner playing the part!) If that sort of shot would help the story (and I think it would), then there's no harm in having that prank be played by a character who just happens to be named "Finnegan."

Similarly, if there's call for Kirk's best friend (pre-Spock, pre-McCoy) to be shown... and I can easily see why that sort of character would be necessary, just to give the guy someone he trusts who he can TALK to (as opposed to everything being done as voice-overs!), well... it wouldn't hurt anything for that character to be named "Mitchell."

And if there were cause for Kirk to have a romantic interest... there's no reason to invent yet another "Antonia." Make it Ruth, or one of the Janet/Janice Lester twins or best of all, make it "the little blonde lab tech" Mitchell steered towards Kirk who he "almost married"... aka Carol Marcus.

Of course, if the story doesn't require anyone to be in any of those roles for it to be told properly... they shouldn't be thrown in JUST because of the fact that a few fans will know who they are. That's a straw-man which I've never heard ANYONE actually argue in favor of (at least, not seriously!).

 

[Therin of Andor]

one of the Janet/Janice Lester twins

You mean the future Dr Janet Wallace?

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

...It could be as simple of a matter as a background voiceover ("Professor Gill's Lecture on 20th-Century Earth History begins in five minutes") or even just set dressing (ie, a nameplate on an office door).

I'm sure that the character won't be in any way SIGNIFICANT to this film... but I'd be surprised if it wasn't in there in some fashion, if nothing else, as an "easter egg" for the fans. (Abrams is BIG on that sort of "easter egg" after all.)...

I'm actually EXPECTING a few 'easter eggs' such as this, and will be looking for them (although not too many, lest we get into the "Law of Diminishing Returns").

I will be disappointed (seriously) if none are presented to us.

 

[Temis the Vorta]

Too fanwanky. Unless they want to do something subtle for the fans, hire some guy who looks like a younger version of Gill to be seen in a background shot and see if we notice.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

Too fanwanky. Unless they want to do something subtle for the fans, hire some guy who looks like a younger version of Gill to be seen in a background shot and see if we notice.

Nahhh... Abrams LOVES these sorts of easter eggs. There was a lot of stuff in "Cloverfield" which was totally meaningless to anyone who hadn't gone through the whole "viral marketing" campaign... just LOADS of throw-away things, from magazine titles to "TV faces" to the everpresent "Slusho!" stuff everyplace ("Slusho" being the Japanese "happy drink" which, it's widely believed by those who DID dig into the viral marketing thing, is made from Clover's blood).

Abrams is a total geek for this sort of throw away "fanwanky" thing... as long as it doesn't distract from the storyline.

 

[M'Sharak]

Those who adamantly deny it could even be possible are, once again, merely projecting their own personal opinions on top of REAL reality.

Okay, but who was adamantly denying anything of the kind, even in lower-case?

I think most people agree with what you said there, at least in general. These "Easter eggs" to which you're referring probably won't constitute important or pivotal story points, and I don't think they should -- indeed, we don't even really need to see Gill or Finnegan or the little blond lab tech at all -- but I know I won't be surprised if there are some little winks and nods to this or that slipped in, just to see who notices.

 

[gastrof]

Do you think JJ is that much of a Trekker?

My impression is that he SAYS he's a Trek fan.

At best it may be others on the "team" are real fans.

Correct me, if needed.

 

[section9]

...I expect to see John Gill striding down the Starfleet Academy hallways in full Nazi regalia.

Easter eggs, anyone?

 

[gastrof]

Probably pushing a cart with a mannequin dressed in said uniform would be better.

"A 20th century Nazi uniform, John?"

"Visual aid for my history class."

 

[Kryton]

If we don't meet Scotty's sister, I WILL BOYCOTT THIS MOVIE!

 

[OneBuckFilms]

A throwaway line about Professor Guill's history being dull, or about a date with Carol.

A scene idea:

Kirk is on the academy grounds, seen talking to a blonde girl in civilian clothing.

In the foreground, McCoy waves.

McCoy (shouts): Jim !!!!
Kirk sees McCoy, waves.
McCoy (Shouts): Jim, we'll be late.
Kirk then jogs over towards McCoy, and looks back, waving at the girl, who then smiles and walks off.
McCoy: You dating Carol?
Kirk: You know her?
McCoy: She works as a technician in the medical lab.
Kirk: Gary introduced us.
McCoy: Mitchell?
Kirk: The same.
McCoy: I heard you were trying to get into the simulator files.
Kirk: I need to change them.
McCoy: You're cheating. I don't like this Jim. You can't just change life.
Kirk: Yes I can. I have to. Besides, that's what YOU do every day, Bones.
McCoy: That's different. I'm saving lives.
Kirk: I'm creating my own destiny.
McCoy: You're risking your career, and I want no part of it. You want my advice, just go through the test and see how they assess you.
Kirk: Sorry bones. I don't like to loose.

 

[Cary L. Brown]

A throwaway line about Professor Guill's history being dull, or about a date with Carol.

A scene idea:

Kirk is on the academy grounds, seen talking to a blonde girl in civilian clothing.

In the foreground, McCoy waves.

McCoy (shouts): Jim !!!!
Kirk sees McCoy, waves.
McCoy (Shouts): Jim, we'll be late.
Kirk then jogs over towards McCoy, and looks back, waving at the girl, who then smiles and walks off.
McCoy: You dating Carol?
Kirk: You know her?
McCoy: She works as a technician in the medical lab.
Kirk: Gary introduced us.
McCoy: Mitchell?
Kirk: The same.
McCoy: I heard you were trying to get into the simulator files.
Kirk: I need to change them.
McCoy: You're cheating. I don't like this Jim. You can't just change life.
Kirk: Yes I can. I have to. Besides, that's what YOU do every day, Bones.
McCoy: That's different. I'm saving lives.
Kirk: I'm creating my own destiny.
McCoy: You're risking your career, and I want no part of it. You want my advice, just go through the test and see how they assess you.
Kirk: Sorry bones. I don't like to loose.

That would be perfectly fine... my only quibble with it is that it seems a bit too... "overt?"... in the references. In other words, that's probably too many references slammed into a single under-one-minute bit of dialog.

Other than that, however, it IS a great example of how these things could be used in-story without getting too ... "fannish?" Spread your lines out across several scenes and it'd be just about right.

 

[Jackson_Roykirk]

A throwaway line about Professor Guill's history being dull, or about a date with Carol.

A scene idea:

Kirk is on the academy grounds, seen talking to a blonde girl in civilian clothing.

In the foreground, McCoy waves.

McCoy (shouts): Jim !!!!
Kirk sees McCoy, waves.
McCoy (Shouts): Jim, we'll be late.
Kirk then jogs over towards McCoy, and looks back, waving at the girl, who then smiles and walks off.
McCoy: You dating Carol?
Kirk: You know her?
McCoy: She works as a technician in the medical lab.
Kirk: Gary introduced us.
McCoy: Mitchell?
Kirk: The same.
McCoy: I heard you were trying to get into the simulator files.
Kirk: I need to change them.
McCoy: You're cheating. I don't like this Jim. You can't just change life.
Kirk: Yes I can. I have to. Besides, that's what YOU do every day, Bones.
McCoy: That's different. I'm saving lives.
Kirk: I'm creating my own destiny.
McCoy: You're risking your career, and I want no part of it. You want my advice, just go through the test and see how they assess you.
Kirk: Sorry bones. I don't like to loose.

That would be perfectly fine... my only quibble with it is that it seems a bit too... "overt?"... in the references. In other words, that's probably too many references slammed into a single under-one-minute bit of dialog.

Other than that, however, it IS a great example of how these things could be used in-story without getting too ... "fannish?" Spread your lines out across several scenes and it'd be just about right.

I'd like to add to that scene:

McCoy: By the way, how's your brother?
Kirk: Do you mean George -- well, I call him Sam -- the one that looks like me except for the cheesey mustache?
McCoy: Yeah, that's him.
Kirk: He and his wife just had a son; they named him Peter.
McCoy: Contratulations Uncle Jimmy!
Kirk: Thanks. Hey Bones, are you getting serious with that Nancy-whats-her-name...the one who calls you "Plum".
McCoy: I'd like to, but she seems dedicated to her career. She keeps talking about this other archaeologist, Dr. Robert Crater. Boy, she must really be into archaeology because she keeps talking about him.
Kirk: Yeah -- right -- it must be that.
Bones: [Realizing what Kirk meant, and quickly changes subject] How did get that black eye, anyway, Jim -- do you want me to give you something for it?
Kirk: No, it's OK...I got in another fight with that a-hole Finnegan. I'd like to lay a smackdown on that skinny laughing-boy someday.
Bones: Maybe someday...Well I gotta go and give my daughter Joanna a call.
Kirk: OK, see ya Bones...Oh, and if you happen to see Gary Mitchell, make sure you don't let on what my real middle name is. I think I got him convinced that it's "Rumplestiltskin".
Bones: Ha Ha! Rumplestiltskin! Well, I think I like that better than "Tiberius".
Kirk: Very funny, Horatio.

EDIT TO ADD:
I'm not making fun of you, OneBuckFilms...just trying to have a little fun (albeit at the expense of your post). I DO agree with the basic premise of your post.

 

[Michael]

^ Oooh, you're so mean.