Star Trek V - Chekov at the conn

[Timo]

...Indeed, it might be a good idea to give command of the bridge to a relatively junior officer while the senior ones are involved in more important things than the operating of a starship that sits idly in orbit anyway.

It's not as if the person sitting on the center seat must absolutely be the highest-ranking one around, or the most experienced, or anything. "Most expedient" would often be the key criterion.

It's just convenient that Kirk has the relatively senior Chekov available for the job, but he could have used any random Lieutenant as well. To have a full Commander there lends credence to the make-believe that Chekov would be the actual skipper of the ship, though; Sybok would probably figure out that they don't give big starships to Lieutenants, and would start to wonder where the real skipper was.

Timo Saloniemi

 

[CoveTom]

^ That's presuming, of course, that Sybok is familiar with Starfleet rank insignia, since Chekov introduces himself as "Captain Pavel Chekov." And they could just have easily have stuck a captain's rank pin on whomever was trying to fool him.

 

[Doug Otte]

...Indeed, it might be a good idea to give command of the bridge to a relatively junior officer while the senior ones are involved in more important things than the operating of a starship that sits idly in orbit anyway.

It's not as if the person sitting on the center seat must absolutely be the highest-ranking one around, or the most experienced, or anything. "Most expedient" would often be the key criterion.

...or even as a training exercise. To give a very mundane real-world example:

In my 20s, I worked in a little music shop. The manager was a 60-something guy. Once, when he was trying to do the paperwork, an irate customer asked to speak to the manager. He immediately pointed to me. It gave him an opportunity to continue his paperwork, and it gave me a little management training on how to handle angry customers.

Doug

 

[Data Holmes]

It's been theorized that Sulu was already on track to take command of the Excelsior, but his promotion and command orders weren't processed yet (perhaps held till after his leave) and he tagged along as helmsmen because the enterprise hadn't been issued one yet. Uhura was watch officer on the enterprise when the recall order was issued so she was most likely third officer in command, behind Chekov.

I can see the explanation about Sulu being valid. However, I'm not sure I accept that Chekov is higher in the command structure than Uhura. After all, Uhura is older than Chekov and has been in Starfleet longer, and had served as a senior officer on the Enterprise longer. I think perhaps it is more likely that, as others have said, it was because Uhura went to the planet with Kirk that Chekov got put in command, and then he stayed there until relieved by Kirk.

The command structure in the movies is always a bit iffy anyway. Is Scotty still next in command after Kirk and Spock, as he seemed pretty clearly to be during TOS? Or has that changed? If so, that would put either Sulu, Uhura or Checkov behind not only Kirk and Spock, but Scotty. And then we must assume that Chekov got picked because he happened to be on the bridge at the time and Scotty was busy trying to piece the ship together.

Actually, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure Scotty is still the third in command after Kirk and Spock, and was the one in command while they were on shore leave. Because near the beginning of the film, when Uhura comes to get Kirk, Spock and McCoy at Yosemite, she says "Mr. Scott apologizes for having to send the shuttlecraft." That would seem to imply he was in command and gave the order for Uhura to go get them.

You make an interesting point about scotty being in charge over Uhura, I didn't think about it at the time but scotty does say "I thought you were on leave" when she showed up on the bridge. Suggests to me the only senior officer not on leave was scotty.


Chain of command is something that has always been mishandled by trek. Rank, position, Chain of Command mistakes drive me nuts. That and Uniform errors always gets my OCD spun up.

 

[DonIago]

Of course, it could just be a change in how these things are handled over the next couple hundred years rather than errors.

 

[Anticitizen]

Because near the beginning of the film, when Uhura comes to get Kirk, Spock and McCoy at Yosemite, she says "Mr. Scott apologizes for having to send the shuttlecraft." That would seem to imply he was in command and gave the order for Uhura to go get them.

I interpreted that as 'sorry I haven't fixed the transporters yet'.

Even if Scotty is naturally third in command, he can't always take the conn. His first duty is to make sure the ship keeps running.

'Next in command' is whoever Kirk points to and says 'You! Take the conn!' before he beelines for the turbolift.

 

[AnyStar]

there's also the fact that in the beginning of the film Chekov was given the nod to "play the Captain" while Kirk went down to the surface with the assault sqad.

perhaps Sybok just felt fit to let him continue in that role

 

[Tomalak]

'Next in command' is whoever Kirk points to and says 'You! Take the conn!' before he beelines for the turbolift.

Which explains Saavik at the end of TWOK when both Sulu and Chekov are sitting there like lemons.

 

[DonIago]

Well, in that case it was probably also for her to get further training.

 

[Nerys Myk]

It's been theorized that Sulu was already on track to take command of the Excelsior, but his promotion and command orders weren't processed yet (perhaps held till after his leave) and he tagged along as helmsmen because the enterprise hadn't been issued one yet. Uhura was watch officer on the enterprise when the recall order was issued so she was most likely third officer in command, behind Chekov.

I can see the explanation about Sulu being valid. However, I'm not sure I accept that Chekov is higher in the command structure than Uhura. After all, Uhura is older than Chekov and has been in Starfleet longer, and had served as a senior officer on the Enterprise longer. I think perhaps it is more likely that, as others have said, it was because Uhura went to the planet with Kirk that Chekov got put in command, and then he stayed there until relieved by Kirk.

The command structure in the movies is always a bit iffy anyway. Is Scotty still next in command after Kirk and Spock, as he seemed pretty clearly to be during TOS? Or has that changed? If so, that would put either Sulu, Uhura or Checkov behind not only Kirk and Spock, but Scotty. And then we must assume that Chekov got picked because he happened to be on the bridge at the time and Scotty was busy trying to piece the ship together.

Actually, come to think of it, I'm pretty sure Scotty is still the third in command after Kirk and Spock, and was the one in command while they were on shore leave. Because near the beginning of the film, when Uhura comes to get Kirk, Spock and McCoy at Yosemite, she says "Mr. Scott apologizes for having to send the shuttlecraft." That would seem to imply he was in command and gave the order for Uhura to go get them.

If Chekov is in the Command Division and part of the chain of command it and Uhura isn't, it wouldn't matter how long Uhura has been in Starfleet or served on the bridge. I don't believe commad goes to the highest rank or the longest service but to who next in line. So if Lt Jones is 2nd officer, he gets the conn when the CO and XO are absent, even if there is someone of higher rank or longer service present.

 

[Alrik]

^

Ding, ding, ding. Winner. That does seem to be how it works in most cases.

 

[drychlick]

hey in the new movie! cap. pike make kirk !st officer so any thing goes!

 

[TenLubak]

yeah i always figured Star Trek V was way later after IV bc everyone is way older Uhuhra black hr big butt but thin, and Scotty got really fat. Also Uhuras werid grey spike hair....and the bridge refit in TFF. Never knew it was a few months. HUmp. Says Odo.

 

[Tomalak]

Put that down to some eccentric late-eighties hair and make up design compared with the more subdued, tasteful work in TUC. She did look great in the latter film I thought.

 

[Pauln6]

If Chekov is in the Command Division and part of the chain of command it and Uhura isn't, it wouldn't matter how long Uhura has been in Starfleet or served on the bridge. I don't believe commad goes to the highest rank or the longest service but to who next in line. So if Lt Jones is 2nd officer, he gets the conn when the CO and XO are absent, even if there is someone of higher rank or longer service present.

Chekov as shown isn't in the command division at this point; he wears the same science/operations collar as Uhura, and neither was Spock or Asst-Chief Engineer LaSalle in TOS for that matter (although LaSalle may have bounced around departments a bit). But Uhura IS command trained, as she was first seen in a yellow uniform in the Corbomite Manoeuver (I think).

I agree though that it is not necessary for the most senior officer to be placed in charge; it depends who is on duty and who the captain wants to give command experience to. However, when a competent officer is repeatedly overlooked then I think that officer should file a grievance!

Chekov as played in TOS is a buffoon and only fit to be first officer on a science mission in my view. Uhura is smarter and far more competent; I find it very frustrating that she was never given a proper chance to command the ship except in TAS when, surprise, there were no men available... groan.

It also wound me up when Chekov a 17-year old ensign on his first mission was picked instead of the more competent, senior, more experienced, and older Uhura. I expect it was just because the writers knew she was going to be leaving the bridge after Spock during the scene but yeesh, how many times is the black woman going to be overlooked by these writers before we can cry foul?