TMP Question

[arch101]

the appearance of the Ilia probe would have been a distraction for Decker when he needed to be at his sharpest.

I love how the nude Ilia Probe turns up in Kirk's quarters' sonic shower in "In Thy Image".

Well, the plasma probe reviewed the Enterprise records so V'Ger probably knew where all the action on the ship was during the past 5-year mission.

 

[Gotham Central]

The faith of the crew in their commanding officer is also a significant issue. After receiving the "impossible" order to be ready to launch in 12 hours, they're frantic and appear to believe they can't do it. When Kirk takes command, their attitudes change and they a find a way to get it done. Serving under Kirk gives them the confidence they need to accomplish the impossible. Would they be as effective under Decker, knowing the man in the center seat has never commanded a starship before?

Actually they didn't accomplish the impossible. When the ship left dry dock it was NOT ready. Remember, Kirk nearly got them all killed by forcing the ship to go to warp over the objections of the person who supervised the refit AND the chief engineer...both of whom reminded Kirk that the engines had not even been tested at warp speeds. It was Decker that saved the ship from Kirk's obsessive need to demand the impossible.

 

[MasuPu'a]

Kirk's failings and need to be in command of the E are a very nice thing in the film. Who knows if plot Decker might have resolved things differently? Maybe better? The point isn't whether VGer gets foiled (of course it wil), but the character stuff leading to Kirk's resuming his right place, sitting in the center of the circle, being centered again, while forcing Decker to need/want something higher. That's neat stuff going on in what is otherwise a pretty monster movie.

I agree. We can all speculate that Decker might have done this, or that, and the outcome might have been this, or that. But we don't know for certain what would have happened if Decker had been in command, all we have are assumptions and guesses. And none of that is important to the movie anyway. I think the point of the film wasn't Kirk being the better commander, it was about Kirk acknowledging his need to be in the captain's chair.

 

[CoveTom]

Actually they didn't accomplish the impossible. When the ship left dry dock it was NOT ready. Remember, Kirk nearly got them all killed by forcing the ship to go to warp over the objections of the person who supervised the refit AND the chief engineer...both of whom reminded Kirk that the engines had not even been tested at warp speeds. It was Decker that saved the ship from Kirk's obsessive need to demand the impossible.

And once again, "miracle worker" Scotty needs his butt saved by Spock to make things work or to save the day, a pattern which repeated itself so often in TOS that I can't believe he continued to be thought of as a brilliant engineer.

 

[Procutus]

The faith of the crew in their commanding officer is also a significant issue. After receiving the "impossible" order to be ready to launch in 12 hours, they're frantic and appear to believe they can't do it. When Kirk takes command, their attitudes change and they a find a way to get it done. Serving under Kirk gives them the confidence they need to accomplish the impossible. Would they be as effective under Decker, knowing the man in the center seat has never commanded a starship before?

This. A very accurate summation of the crew dynamic, and Kirk's effect on them upon his return. Decker would've made a capable captain, but he and Kirk had differing styles of command. In the end, both of them contributed to the resolution, but the crew did indeed pull together under Kirk.

 

[pengbuzz]

What caught me was the tension between Kirk and Decker. I remember the scene where McCoy spoke with Kirk after He had it out with Decker (following the Warp Imbalance and resulting wormhole); he told Kirk that he had used the V'ger crisis to get the ship back, and Bones didn't hold back what he thought about the situation.

All that said, it was indeed Kirk and Decker, along with the crew working as a team, that resolved the situation. Decker may have been an inexperienced captain, but he still had a wealth of experience as an XO, while Kirk and the rest of the crew had experience from their careers aboard the Enterprise during the original 5 year mission.

 

[Ranger3]

Was it essential to the outcome of the V'Ger confrontation that Kirk took command of the Enterprise from Decker?

Would Spock have joined the crew anyway? I think he would as it was V'Ger that was his motivation.

Looking at the film, is there anything Decker wouldn't have done that Kirk went on to do? I suspect not.

Kirk wasn't necessary, was he?

There never would have been an epic film if he hadn't been.