So we know what Kirk's excuse was...but what was Sulu's excuse?

[Aldo]

In Trek V, when the big three took shore leave together. Kirk explained that it was because "Other people have families Bones, not us." That's all well and good, and very believable, but what was Sulu and Chekov's excuse for spending shore leave together?

Now I know the real world excuse was just for some comedy, but are we lead to believe that Sulu and Chekov really have no lives outside of their ship that they can't manage to spend shore leave with at least someone else? It was established in Generations that Sulu found time for a family, it would have been neat if we saw him spending some time with that family, instead we see him going on a nature walk with Chekov.

 

[Roboturner913]

No offense, but why would we give a crap about Sulu's family?

The irony of a navigator and helmsman getting lost is one of the genuinely funnier moments in the movie. Instead of that you want to have Sulu at home playing with his kids, then he gets the call and has to leave? That would totally derail the movie.

 

[Aldo]

I understand the joke, and yes I do find it funny. I actually enjoy the scene because it allows us to see Chekov and Sulu sharing a rare moment together. Something they never did in any other film.

I'm just curious what the in-universe explanation was for Sulu and Chekov spending time together when they could be with loved ones instead.

 

[number6]

Sulu and Chekov wanted to get lost together so they could make sweet love!

 

[SeerSGB]

Well we don't know how long the Enterprise has been laid up in dock. It's entirely possible that Sulu and Chekov's trip was something that happened while Sulu was visiting his family. Or maybe they're on the trip with him, just off screen, and "uncle chekov" is tagging along.

 

[Bob Karo]

That, or maybe Sulu's baby mama took the kid and left.

 

[Capt_Pickirk]

Well, we don't know what happened before the scene took place. Maybe their families met up to spend shore leave together and Sulu and Chekov decided to go for a walk for a bit, eventually taking a wrong turn and getting lost

 

[KeepOnTrekking]

Since Sulu was in command of the Excelsior in the next movie, and apparently for some time, maybe Sulu just wanted a chance to get away and put out feelers whether or not he could recruit Chekov for his crew or whether Chekov had other plans. It would be an ironic joke about "How can Sulu command a starship when he gets lost on a shore leave hike?"
I could easily see Uhura teasing them by calling Sulu "Skipper" and Chekov as "Gilligan." This, in turn, would prompt Chekov to turn down the offer as Sulu's first officer because he didn't want to be called "Gilligan" for the rest of his career.

 

[Smellincoffee]

I just say Sulu's kid was at the Academy and...well, maybe he and his former mate weren't interested in spending time together because their relationship ended after he realized something about himself.

 

[Satyrquaze]

Since Sulu was in command of the Excelsior in the next movie, and apparently for some time, maybe Sulu just wanted a chance to get away and put out feelers whether or not he could recruit Chekov for his crew or whether Chekov had other plans. .

This almost works for me.

 

[Brikar99]

No offense, but why would we give a crap about Sulu's family?

The irony of a navigator and helmsman getting lost is one of the genuinely funnier moments in the movie. Instead of that you want to have Sulu at home playing with his kids, then he gets the call and has to leave? That would totally derail the movie.

I don't think it would derail the movie any more than the getting lost in the woods joke does. 'Final Frontier' already has pacing problems in that it takes far too long for the crew to get back to the ship and on with their mission, so frankly I'd simply have preferred that we don't see what Chekov or Sulu are doing on their shore leave at all.

 

[Maurice]

Orrrrr maybe they have no family on Earth any more. It's a big galaxy.

 

[Potemkin_Prod]

Maybe they'd heard Kirk, Spock and McCoy were heading there and decided to see for themselves if Yosemite was a nice place to vwisit.

 

[Satyrquaze]

^According to the comicbook adaption (for what it's worth), Sulu and Chekov were in South Dakota near a Mount Rushmore that had 5 faces on it.

 

[Aldo]

...well, maybe he and his former mate weren't interested in spending time together because their relationship ended after he realized something about himself.

Oh my!

 

[Winterwind]

I could easily see Uhura teasing them by calling Sulu "Skipper" and Chekov as "Gilligan." This, in turn, would prompt Chekov to turn down the offer as Sulu's first officer because he didn't want to be called "Gilligan" for the rest of his career.

That made me laugh. Good job!