Uhura...glorified extra or female lead?
- Thread starter C.E. Evans
- Start date
"The thing's gotta have a tailpipe doesn't it?"
Also, I'm not expecting Shakespeare to fall from Zoe Saldana, but 'supporting cast' *means* support the stars of the movie. And, yes, when the command people leave the bridge, she, by virtue of her rank -- not looks, shape, gender, sex, religion or sexual orientation, or species -- should get to sit in the Big Chair. That was all I was trying to say. Sorry if I came across as a "man-basher."
Also, I'm not expecting Shakespeare to fall from Zoe Saldana, but 'supporting cast' *means* support the stars of the movie. And, yes, when the command people leave the bridge, she, by virtue of her rank -- not looks, shape, gender, sex, religion or sexual orientation, or species -- should get to sit in the Big Chair. That was all I was trying to say. Sorry if I came across as a "man-basher."
As far as I know, she ran that ship.
As communications officer, the chain of command on a daily basis on that ship would be Kirk-Uhura-rest of the crew. Right? She was The Mouth Of Sauron, basically.
Well, she would sing for ya though. 
And isn't she 4th in command? I realize this is contentious, but it's still sound I feel. We've seen her take not just the comm station but other posts as well, navigation and science (Chekov's seat and Spock's sensors).
As communications officer, the chain of command on a daily basis on that ship would be Kirk-Uhura-rest of the crew. Right? She was The Mouth Of Sauron, basically.
Well, she would sing for ya though. And isn't she 4th in command? I realize this is contentious, but it's still sound I feel. We've seen her take not just the comm station but other posts as well, navigation and science (Chekov's seat and Spock's sensors).
Plum, you are correct in theory. Kirk, Spock, Sulu, Uhura. However, when Chekov was an ensign, (TOS) they put him there or if he went with the "Landing Party", Scotty came up from Engineering to sit in the Captain's Chair. If I am suffering from a severe case of CRS, please correct me. I cannot remember seeing Uhura sit in the Big Chair in any episode or movie.
Thank you, Admiral Kegek. <CRS -- estrea bonks herself on side of head, doesn't help> I'd forgotten all about Lt. DeSalle. One of the reasons I like Spock's World is it fleshes out the Uhura character a bit. In it she is working on her Ph. D. in linquistics and assisting on an update of the Universal Translator.
I think Star Trek worked best when it was done Mission Impossible Style, like III,IV & VI. Everyone plays a part in moving the story foreward.
Here's a way for Nichelle to be in the new movie!
There should be at least one scene where Uhara looks into the console (that turns into a mirror) and sees a reflection of her older self (played by Nichelle).
She screams of course (Zoe), and then Nichelle looks to the camera and winks with a smile!
There should be at least one scene where Uhara looks into the console (that turns into a mirror) and sees a reflection of her older self (played by Nichelle).
She screams of course (Zoe), and then Nichelle looks to the camera and winks with a smile!
Here's the thing... to be in Command is not merely a matter of RANK, it's also a matter of POSITION and of TRAINING.
If you go by RANK, McCoy (a Lieutenant Commander) would sit in the center seat before Sulu or Uhura would. Yet they never even treated that as an option (well, except for one book, and a brief moment in "The Menagerie" where it was acknowledged that he was the senior officer aboard).
Sulu was a COMMAND BRANCH officer, however... with ship's operations being his specialty (apart from a brief tour as a physicist... which isn't really all that separate from someone whose job is to steer a starship at warp speeds!)
Uhura may have never chosen to take the course work which would qualify her as being "command track."
Think of it this way: she chose to specialize in language and communication, rather than "generalizing" in ship's operations. She was a SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT... far moreso than anyone else on the ship, in her area of expertise, and arguably moreso than anyone on ANY starship. That does NOT mean she knew anything about Warp Manuevering, or weapons systems, or anything else of that matter. In fact, it seems unlikely that she would have spent time which could have been spent developing linguistic protocols to these things... does it?
Any more than it would have made sense for McCoy to study that sort of thing. He was a DOCTOR... he studied biology and chemistry and so forth, and likewise would have had no reason to study starship-command protocols. Those things would only be a DISTRACTION from his ability to do his job.
Uhura was really a specialist in the same way McCoy was. It seems that she had figured out what she was good at, and chose to focus on that, to the exclusion of anything which would distract her and adversely impact her work in that field.
Sulu, DeSalle, etc... they were people who specialized in the ship itself. So it would only make sense that they'd have the option of being in command. They'd have the knowledge and training specific about "what the ship can do" which Uhura most likely chose not to get into, as McCoy also would have chosen not to get into.
Scotty is an unusual case... although he's also a specialist rather than a command-track guy, his specialty was knowing everything that the ship was capable of. Again, a crucial skill for a commander. I'd guess, however, that MOST Chief Engineers would not be so likely to take charge of the bridge... Scotty was a special case. But even in that case, he was HAPPIER being the engineer and never showed any indication that he WANTED to be in command. Did he?
I have no problem with Uhura not sitting in the center seat... not because I don't like women in that situation, or because I have a problem with anyone due to ethnic background. It's just that the CHARACTER OF UHURA was so clearly defined as being the "PhD in language studies" sort... extraordinarily valuable for her skill set and not really interested in "dropping" that and moving into some other area.
Make sense?
"The Lorelei Signal" (TAS), when all male crewmembers, except Arex, were incapacitated by the female aliens on the planet below.
^^^
Ah, great TAS info!
Ah, I see.
Considering she only wore a gold uniform once, and was always in red perhaps she never went to 'command school', or something? 'Course, I've no idea how that relates to Spock and Scotty.
Really, we are trying to retcon Uhura into the game when, of course, the reality at the time was that a woman could never be seen in command. oh wait, that's not funny. ;p
Ah, great TAS info!
Ah, I see.
Considering she only wore a gold uniform once, and was always in red perhaps she never went to 'command school', or something? 'Course, I've no idea how that relates to Spock and Scotty.
Really, we are trying to retcon Uhura into the game when, of course, the reality at the time was that a woman could never be seen in command.
oh wait, that's not funny. ;p
I prefer to think of Uhura as a bridge bunny. Wait, ladies, please put down the phasers... it was only a joke... AHHH!
Supporting actor.
Unless Pine counts lines.
Then it's definitely glorified extra.
Unless Pine counts lines.
Then it's definitely glorified extra.
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