Tell me if I have this straight…
- Thread starter T J
- Start date
Gene Roddenberry had a military background, but he himself stated that rank in Starfleet was more accurately viewed as a job description. A United States Naval captain was not the same thing as a Starfleet captain.
Smarter maybe. Mature? I didn't see any evidence of that.
Yep.
In the new timeline he takes command at 25..
only a 6 year difference.
The cadet to Captain thing is mainly because he saved the Earth; the movie implied that.
In current Naval Officer Training programs, one can go from civilian to full officer status in just 12 weeks. I suppose after several years of officer training, in the command track, one might easily graduate from Starfleet as a full captain. (Which is essentially what Pike tells Kirk in the bar: "You could make Captain in 4 years")
I believe that Kirk had most likely already met the requirements to become a Captain, and would have graduated with that rank within weeks. (A full year early, exactly as he'd promised Pike.) Kirk may have still been a cadet, but may also have been within days of graduating as a Captain anyway. That said, I've no objection to him "suddenly" going from cadet to captain, because there was no "suddenly" about it, but three long years of training wherein he earned the rank.
I believe that Kirk had most likely already met the requirements to become a Captain, and would have graduated with that rank within weeks. (A full year early, exactly as he'd promised Pike.) Kirk may have still been a cadet, but may also have been within days of graduating as a Captain anyway. That said, I've no objection to him "suddenly" going from cadet to captain, because there was no "suddenly" about it, but three long years of training wherein he earned the rank.
He was demoted to captain, having been captain for many years and having worked his way through the ranks to that point.
Absolutely no comparison to jumping from cadet to captain, with no experience in the tasks that are inherent in the role. I cannot remember anything in canon or even the novels where people have jumped ranks like this.
Blowing up a bad guy does not equate to all the abilities and experience to command the flagship.
It is not a critical part of the film. I accept that it is something they needed to do for sequels. That doesn't mean people should strain to justify such sillyness.
He was fast-tracked in the command area (KM test as proof). Had he not "cheated", he would have been assigned to a ship as an officer. He did not jump 7 ranks to become Captain.
As for TVH, the Federation president knew that "demoting" Kirk from Admiral to Captain of the Enterprise was not really a punishment, it's what Kirk always wanted. It was a reward being made a captain.
Yeah, that's pretty much it. But don't forget Starfleet's standing order that every time Jimmy saves the Earth, He get's to make a wish.
Pike tells him: "You could be an officer in 4 years. And have your own ship in 8."
Rumor has it that he was one save away from not having to wear pants anymore.
but seriously Saving the Earth and with PIKE as an Admiral now, he can probably choose his replacement to fill his chair on the USS Enterprise.
Oh, he'll NEVER walk again? I thought that was maybe temporary, nor did I really understand why he was wheelchair bound in the first place, other than as an homage to the original. Maybe they should have had more of a 'Misery' style leg smashing scene instead of a 'Wrath Of Khan" Ceti eel retread type deal. Either way, I liked the 'Motion Picture' admiral's uniform.
No, it has not been mentioned in the new movie that he'll never walk again. I assume he will.
Kirk got a battle field commission to captain and it stuck.
Re: Tell me if I have this straight…
Which is why they forced him into retirement.
Which is why they forced him into retirement.
exactly, which doesn't mean he couldn't be a captain before 8 years
Yep, that works too.
They could have ended it with the Federation telling him "You are on the Enterprise, but we do not grant you the rank of captain." Then Kirk could have cried outrage and sat down in a huff. That would have opened up like a whole trilogy of new and exciting possibilities.
