Sulu in Wrath Of Khan

[captainjellico]

Here's something that's always puzzled me about The Wrath Of Khan... why is Sulu never left in charge of the Enterprise bridge when Kirk/Spock aren't around? He holds the rank of Commander and is clearly a very experienced officer, yet Lieutenant Saavik has the Conn and even an unnamed Navigator sits in the Captain's chair whilst Sulu is at the helm.

Does anyone know the reason why?

 

[Timelord79 (he/him)]

They didn’t have a qualified helmsman other than him?

 

[fireproof78]

Here's something that's always puzzled me about The Wrath Of Khan... why is Sulu never left in charge of the Enterprise bridge when Kirk/Spock aren't around? He holds the rank of Commander and is clearly a very experienced officer, yet Lieutenant Saavik has the Conn and even an unnamed Navigator sits in the Captain's chair whilst Sulu is at the helm.

Does anyone know the reason why?

Probably a lack of experience for piloting the ship. Or, he was not put in to the chain of command during the emergency.

 

[Ithekro]

He wanted some non-command time before becoming captain of his own ship? Presumably he was in line to get USS Excelsior after her trail runs, and commissioning into the fleet.

I imagine that for the training cruise, it was Captain Spock, than Lt. Saavik as XO.

 

[Vger23]

He was already in line to take command of the Excelsior. The Enterprise was on a training cruise prior to the diversion to Regula I, and Saavik was the “command school candidate” assigned to the ship as a lieutenant, so it would make sense to give her the con in most situations. Obviously she didn’t take the con during the crisis, but before and after the arrival of Khan on the scene, it fits right in with the Enterprise’s mission profile for that movie.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

why is Sulu never left in charge of the Enterprise bridge when Kirk/Spock aren't around? He holds the rank of Commander and is clearly a very experienced officer, yet Lieutenant Saavik has the Conn and even an unnamed Navigator sits in the Captain's chair whilst Sulu is at the helm.

Does anyone know the reason why?

Probably to give Saavik some experience in the center seat. She needed the time, Sulu didn't.

 

[Ensign Dunsel]

I agree with the responses above. I think the plot reasoning was that Sulu already had experience and since it was a training cruise, Saavik was placed in command to give her more time in the chair. I think the out-of-universe explanation is Nicholas Meyer wanted to give Kirstie Alley (RIP) more screen time and she was billed as "introducing" in the opening credits. This verbiage, if I understand it correctly, indicates the producers felt they had a potential up and coming star in the cast and wanted to draw your attention to this actor (she's even on the movie poster alongside Shatner and Nimoy while George Takei is not). Possibly a plot hole for the in-universe explanation though is that it flipped from a training cruise to a live operation prior to her being given command for them to briefly view the Genesis recording (prior to Khan's attack) so it would've been more appropriate for Sulu to be in command. However, as suggested above it's also possible the training crew had no qualified cadets that could pilot the Enterprise.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I think the plot reasoning was that Sulu already had experience and since it was a training cruise, Saavik was placed in command to give her more time in the chair.

As an in-universe explanation, that makes a lot of sense. Sulu and Uhura are really just along for the ride.

I think the out-of-universe explanation is Nicholas Meyer wanted to give Kirstie Alley (RIP) more screen time and she was billed as "introducing" in the opening credits.

Alternatively, Takei held out until filming began. He could have made the case, had he signed on earlier, that Sulu should be sitting in the center seat in certain scenes, but because he signed so late he may have sabotaged his own character.

 

[Dee1891]

There are other possibilities like bad writing or the screenwriters' racism. Sulu should have been in command as the highest-ranking officer after Kirk and Spock. Even during the show, Sulu was never left in command of the Bridge when Kirk and Spock were on an Away mission. Instead, Scotty was left in charge. Although a higher rank than Sulu, he was not a Bridge officer.

 

[fireproof78]

Bridge officer or not, he was established to command the Enterprise, and would be a line officer, eligible for moving up the chain of command.

 

[Kor]

There are other possibilities like bad writing or the screenwriters' racism. Sulu should have been in command as the highest-ranking officer after Kirk and Spock. Even during the show, Sulu was never left in command of the Bridge when Kirk and Spock were on an Away mission. Instead, Scotty was left in charge. Although a higher rank than Sulu, he was not a Bridge officer.

Sulu was left in command a number of times in TOS. He can be seen sitting in the captain's chair in "Errand of Mercy," "The Savage Curtain, " and "Spock's Brain." In "Arena" he is evidently in command but from the helm station instead of the captain's chair.

Kor

 

[ananta]

All I know is that George Takei, having the ego we all know he has, must have been hoping mad that Chekov got promoted to first officer (albeit of another ship) while he was still stuck at the helm doing exactly what he did back in the 60’s!

 

[Dee1891]

Sulu was left in command a number of times in TOS. He can be seen sitting in the captain's chair in "Errand of Mercy," "The Savage Curtain, " and "Spock's Brain." In "Arena" he is evidently in command but from the helm station instead of the captain's chair.

Kor

I don't recall ever seeing Sulu being left in command, even when Scotty was aboard ship. But if you say it happened, then it did.

 

[valkyrie013]

I'd go with the training cruise explanation, he was there as an instructor/helmsman maybe marking time for another assignment.Give Savik or other command division cadets training in command of a starship. Why Spock asked Savik to take her out of spacedock as well as Kirk leaving her in command.

But Sulu was ON the bridge, so if anything did go tits up, he'd be there and take over. If Kirk AND Spock beamed down to Regula, then Sulu would be in command, but Spock didn't go, ergo, he was in the seat.

 

[DonIago]

I would imagine when Our Heroes encountered Reliant Sulu might have taken command if both Kirk and Spock had been indisposed. To that point, while the ship was no longer on a training mission once Kirk assumed command, there wasn't much to do other than travel to Regula One either. And as noted, Sulu was right there if needed.

 

[Tallguy]

and even an unnamed Navigator sits in the Captain's chair whilst Sulu is at the helm.

I don't remember / never noticed this.

The story / in universe reason that Saavik gets command while The Three watch the Genesis tapes is because it's a treat for Saavik and also a nice thing to do for Spock. "See, I'm giving her a chance."

When he gives her the conn when he hears from McCoy there's not much of an in universe reason but the story reason is that this is what the audience has been told to expect at this point. I suppose one could argue that Sulu was busy (but the Saavik the navigator wasn't?) but really it's just "There's too much going on right now to throw something new at the audience that may or may not know all the ins and outs of Star Trek."

It would have been nice to see Scotty in the center seat one more time. Not then, but some time.

 

[Vger23]

There are other possibilities like bad writing or the screenwriters' racism. Sulu should have been in command as the highest-ranking officer after Kirk and Spock. Even during the show, Sulu was never left in command of the Bridge when Kirk and Spock were on an Away mission. Instead, Scotty was left in charge. Although a higher rank than Sulu, he was not a Bridge officer.

I think it’s rather irresponsible to accuse Nicholas Meyer of TeH RaCiSTiZms!!!1!1! when he was the one who wrote Sulu in as the captain of the Excelsior as the writer/director of Star Trek VI, and the entire plot of that film was challenging prejudice and racism.

They also had Paul Winfield playing Clark Terrell as a black starship captain in TWOK, which was a franchise first.

Give me a frigging break.

 

[DonIago]

That does seem like the type of claim for which some evidence should be provided.

 

[Dee1891]

I think it’s rather irresponsible to accuse Nicholas Meyer of TeH RaCiSTiZms!!!1!1! when he was the one who wrote Sulu in as the captain of the Excelsior as the writer/director of Star Trek VI, and the entire plot of that film was challenging prejudice and racism.

They also had Paul Winfield playing Clark Terrell as a black starship captain in TWOK, which was a franchise first.

Give me a frigging break.

Then having someone other than Sulu in command of the Enterprise while Kirk and Spock were gone was a sign of momentary bad writing. That's the only other conclusion I can think of.

 

[Vger23]

Then having someone other than Sulu in command of the Enterprise while Kirk and Spock were gone was a sign of momentary bad writing. That's the only other conclusion I can think of.

I think everyone here has given absolutely sound and rational explanations for why Sulu wasn’t put in command during TWOK.

Why must it be either RacISTizmZ or “bad writing?” With all the reasonable explanations given here, those are still the ONLY conclusions you’d draw about this incredibly minor and unimportant element of the film?