[Spoilers] Seriously flawed plotline

[spocksbrain]

From what we now know, Kirk is a cadet when he sneaks onboard the Enterprise. Then, when Pike goes off-ship to deal with an emergency, Spock is placed in command and Pike makes Kirk the First Officer under Spock. This is despite the fact that Scotty, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu and a hundred other officers are onboard. An insubordinant and almost criminal cadet is promoted to First Officer ... and then, having been goaded by future Spock, Kirk provokes young Spock into losing his emotional cool, at which point he assumes command of the Enterprise, once again without hundreds of other officers objecting to this jump in the chain of command.

If this were some generic sci-fi movie shown on a Sunday afternoon on the Sci-Fi Channel, I could ignore that incredibly poorly thought out and illogical (yes, I'm opening up space for Spock jokes) plot and then make fun of it on here the next day ... but this is Star Trek! Forgetting that the characters and ship already have a well-defined history that's being rewritten, it's supposed to be, well, you know, good. And not totally illogical and unbelievable.

Yes, I'll still be first in line to see the movie, yes, I'm still a Star Trek fan, but come on, couldn't they have done better than this to reboot the franchise? Poor poor poor writing.

 

[The Wormhole]

What irks me is that they are completely misrepresenting the character of Kirk.

Kirk in TOS is The Man. This is the guy who bangs alien chicks on a regular basis, who whups alien ass and takes names at the drop of a hat. Kirk in Trek XI is simply a scared boy dealing with being abused by a drunk uncle and lashing out at every authority figure.

 

[Ovation]

From what we now know, Kirk is a cadet when he sneaks onboard the Enterprise. Then, when Pike goes off-ship to deal with an emergency, Spock is placed in command and Pike makes Kirk the First Officer under Spock. This is despite the fact that Scotty, McCoy, Uhura, Sulu and a hundred other officers are onboard. An insubordinant and almost criminal cadet is promoted to First Officer ... and then, having been goaded by future Spock, Kirk provokes young Spock into losing his emotional cool, at which point he assumes command of the Enterprise, once again without hundreds of other officers objecting to this jump in the chain of command.

If this were some generic sci-fi movie shown on a Sunday afternoon on the Sci-Fi Channel, I could ignore that incredibly poorly thought out and illogical (yes, I'm opening up space for Spock jokes) plot and then make fun of it on here the next day ... but this is Star Trek! Forgetting that the characters and ship already have a well-defined history that's being rewritten, it's supposed to be, well, you know, good. And not totally illogical and unbelievable.

Yes, I'll still be first in line to see the movie, yes, I'm still a Star Trek fan, but come on, couldn't they have done better than this to reboot the franchise? Poor poor poor writing.

Perhaps...just maybe...there are a few elements we don't know about that will make it all work better than how you've described it. I think seeing the movie should be quite revelatory on this matter.

 

[Ovation]

What irks me is that they are completely misrepresenting the character of Kirk.

Kirk in TOS is The Man. This is the guy who bangs alien chicks on a regular basis, who whups alien ass and takes names at the drop of a hat. Kirk in Trek XI is simply a scared boy dealing with being abused by a drunk uncle and lashing out at every authority figure.

Kirk in TOS did not have the timeline altered from 2.65 seconds after he was born. It seems to escape the grasp of every single "nitpicker" that there is a major timeline alteration which effectively changes "what you know". Abrams and company have not lied or evaded this point--they've been quite upfront about it.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

I think I'll wait to see the movie before analyzing how "flawed" the plot is. All we have here are second-hand recountings of the events in four isolated - possibly out-of-sequence - scenes in the movie and people are filling in the blanks.

 

[trekkerguy]

This is not TOS, it happens to be before.

/thread

 

[BillJ]

So we take a character who had a really interesting backstory. Tarsus IV anyone? And we're replacing it with poor Jimmy being raised by Uncle Druncle, so he turns out a turd.

Major step up there.

 

[Siwilliams]

Why is Kirk wearing a black shirt? Was not like that in the series. Why does the Enterprise look different, does it go through another overhaul before the series? Oh wait it can't, because Checkov was not in the series till mid first season, and the movie takes place before it, those are just some of the flaws

 

[Peacemaker]

What irks me is that they are completely misrepresenting the character of Kirk.

Kirk in TOS is The Man. This is the guy who bangs alien chicks on a regular basis, who whups alien ass and takes names at the drop of a hat. Kirk in Trek XI is simply a scared boy dealing with being abused by a drunk uncle and lashing out at every authority figure.

People grow up. Nothing here is different, unless you are aware of something canonical about Kirk's personal character and behavior in his past that is covered in TOS that has been changed. If so, please tell us.

Actually, I should think he's more likely not reacting to his abuse as much as he's reacting to being left without a father-figure. Pike replaces his father in that regard. Boys w/o fathers often act self-destructively.

What irks me is that they are completely misrepresenting the character of Kirk.

Kirk in TOS is The Man. This is the guy who bangs alien chicks on a regular basis, who whups alien ass and takes names at the drop of a hat. Kirk in Trek XI is simply a scared boy dealing with being abused by a drunk uncle and lashing out at every authority figure.

Kirk in TOS did not have the timeline altered from 2.65 seconds after he was born. It seems to escape the grasp of every single "nitpicker" that there is a major timeline alteration which effectively changes "what you know". Abrams and company have not lied or evaded this point--they've been quite upfront about it.

But what we don't know here is whether or not the timeline is corrected so that the events after the point of correction by Spock ensure that what happens in TOS, et.al. still happens. Spock isn't stupid. There's a reason he intervenes at the point he intervenes. "What we know" may change, but not everything we know. People around here are acting like everything we know and what we know are convertible principles.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

What irks me is that they are completely misrepresenting the character of Kirk.

Kirk in TOS is The Man. This is the guy who bangs alien chicks on a regular basis, who whups alien ass and takes names at the drop of a hat.

Hmm. You're the one misrepresenting the character of Kirk. You make him sound like a tedious macho movie cliche.

 

[T'Aerwynd]

Kirk in TOS is The Man. This is the guy who bangs alien chicks on a regular basis, who whups alien ass and takes names at the drop of a hat.

Yeah. But before he was The Man (more importantly, A man), he was:

simply a scared boy dealing with being abused by a drunk uncle and lashing out at every authority figure.

There's no misrepresenting here. Only another facet of a very complex character. Everybody has got to start somewhere. We are presented with some of the worst aspects of Kirk's character before command had honed him to the man we saw in TOS. I, for one, am excited about it.

 

[datas_cat_spot]

What's with the constant drunk uncle comments? I haven't seen anything to lead me to believe his uncle has any more to do with this movie than Harry Potter's uncle in OotP. Or that he does anything other than own a car.

 

[Admiral Buzzkill]

What's with the constant drunk uncle comments? I haven't seen anything to lead me to believe his uncle has any more to do with this movie than Harry Potter's uncle in OotP. Or that he does anything other than own a car.

Exactly. He likely has about one scene.

 

[datas_cat_spot]

What's with the constant drunk uncle comments? I haven't seen anything to lead me to believe his uncle has any more to do with this movie than Harry Potter's uncle in OotP. Or that he does anything other than own a car.

Exactly. He likely has about one scene.

Assuming he's in it. It's funny how these things take on a life of their own.

Because young Kirk is driving his uncle's car, he must also be getting abused at home.

Because Kirk likes motorcycles, he no longer has an interest in horses.

Because Kirk gets in bar fights, he can no longer study hard and read books.

Because Kirk is running from a cop, he is likely to lash out against all future authorities (wait - Kirk breaking rules? Can't be!)

Because Tarsus isn't mentioned in the trailer, it must not be included in the story.

You know, this is actually kind of fun...

 

[Michael]

Let's see the movie first before we comment on the plot, m'kay?

 

[gastrof]

 

[Peacemaker]

What's with the constant drunk uncle comments? I haven't seen anything to lead me to believe his uncle has any more to do with this movie than Harry Potter's uncle in OotP. Or that he does anything other than own a car.

Exactly. He likely has about one scene.

Assuming he's in it. It's funny how these things take on a life of their own.

Because young Kirk is driving his uncle's car, he must also be getting abused at home.

Because Kirk likes motorcycles, he no longer has an interest in horses.

Because Kirk gets in bar fights, he can no longer study hard and read books.

Because Kirk is running from a cop, he is likely to lash out against all future authorities (wait - Kirk breaking rules? Can't be!)

Because Tarsus isn't mentioned in the trailer, it must not be included in the story.

You know, this is actually kind of fun...

Shhhh, don't confuse the noobs with facts and logic.

 

[JDF]

Oh wait it can't, because Checkov was not in the series till mid first season...

Later than that. Chekov didn't show up until the second season.

 

[Data Holmes]

Oh wait it can't, because Checkov was not in the series till mid first season...

Later than that. Chekov didn't show up until the second season.

He was on the ship when Kahn was there, I mean, he never forgets a face.

 

[Immolatus]

Why is Kirk wearing a black shirt? Was not like that in the series. Why does the Enterprise look different, does it go through another overhaul before the series? Oh wait it can't, because Checkov was not in the series till mid first season, and the movie takes place before it, those are just some of the flaws

Chekov is in it and Kirk is only a cadet? I thought Kirk was older then Chekov.