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The Absence of Mr. Sulu...

Star Trek exists in a vague continuity in which everything may or may not have happened. Since Sulu didn't appear for 11 episodes it means he did not exist during those episodes. If Picard ever shows up in an episode of the 2017 series that means TNG exists in that continuity. But only for one episode. Then it's back to oblivion. The same applies to Sulu in Season 2 of The Original Series. Apparently.
 
If we're looking for a straight-faced, in-story reason, I'd say that as one of the higher-up officers in the ship's chain of command, he was probably putting in time as commander of a different watch when Kirk and Spock were off-duty.
 
Sulu was down on Deck 10 in the Martial Arts Gym practicing his kung-fu moves for his big fight scene with Kirk in 'Catspaw'.

[_IMG]http://tos.trekcaps.com/enl_download2.php?pid=148282[_/IMG]

Dude. That pic is WAY too big. The board guidelines basically forbid pictures that large.

Plus, is trekcaps.com your own site?
 
I think he was just in that part of the ship Checkov was in in Space Seed.

Actually, I like that he wasn't there every time, not because I didn't like Sulu, but because I like that a ship with over 400 people on it would have more than one helmsman.

There were several other officers that did bridge duty, and there were others station in auxiliary control. One of the many things I think the original does better than other series is there isn't the same exact people there every single episode.
 
^ I agree with Mardsen.

I just wish we had seen more of Rahda, Haines, DePaul and others like them.
 
The idea that Sulu was getting married and on his honeymoon is plausible. Demora wasn't conceived around this time, based upon her apparent age in Generations. It's more likely Demora Sulu was conceived around the time of TMP.

"Congratulations ensign, it wouldn't be the Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm."
– Captain Kirk, 2293 (Star Trek Generations)

If the 5 year mission was in the 2260s, that would be just a little early. If Demora is in her early to mid 20s, that puts her birth around 2270. Memory Alpha lists her birth as 2271.
 
The idea that Sulu was getting married and on his honeymoon is plausible. Demora wasn't conceived around this time, based upon her apparent age in Generations. It's more likely Demora Sulu was conceived around the time of TMP.

"Congratulations ensign, it wouldn't be the Enterprise without a Sulu at the helm."
– Captain Kirk, 2293 (Star Trek Generations)

If the 5 year mission was in the 2260s, that would be just a little early. If Demora is in her early to mid 20s, that puts her birth around 2270. Memory Alpha lists her birth as 2271.

Well, the actress was 28. There's nothing that says Demora couldn't have been a 26-year-old ensign.

But yeah, realistically, Sulu is better off starting a family during the two-and-half-years when Kirk was in the admiralty. If Demora is 28 or older, then Sulu might've always had a daughter (and/or family) back home waiting for him during The Original Series.
 
He was part of Richard Petty's crew that won 10 straight races in the NASCAR Sprint Cup campaign. :)
 
Either he was on a special course at Starfleet or he had a family crisis and had to wait until The Enterprise was in range again!
JB
 
The only thing that makes me doubt the special course option (assuming it was a Command Officer class, like what Troi did near the end of TNG) is he would have almost certainly aced it and would've gotten a promotion to Lieutenant Commander then, not three years later. And, as others have said, it's a little too early for Demora.

We know Kirk did a planet survey at Tyree's world as a Lieutenant pre-TOS, and McCoy did the same for a few months on Capella IV. Could be Wingsley's right, and Sulu was doing the same elsewhere (putting his botany skills to work?). Maybe he meets Demora's mom there, but it doesn't go anywhere until after the FYM.
 
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