How did this come about? In TOS she didn't know Romulan at all, or Klingon for that matter, as seen in The Undiscovered Country, but now she's a master linguist. I suppose this could be down to the Federation having had more contact with the Romulans following the Kelvin's destruction, but I'd like to hear other people's ideas.
Uhura knowing three Romulan dialects?
- Thread starter EJA
- Start date
Remember the movie got to change the rules with the timetravel plot. Interaction with the Romulans (and possibley consiquently more knowledge about the Romulan language and culture) occurs much much sooner than in the original timeline. It is possible because of this this was something that would be learned at the academy. Also note that in the movie Uhrura is Spocks protege so this might also explain this away in someway. I don't believe she was portrayed as such in the series. Maybe a "real" trekker can help me with this one.
This isn't TOS, so you can't draw conclusions based upon that old show.
That being said, I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to assume that, after the battle between Kelvin and the Nerada, Starfleet might have been more actively seeking out contact with the Romulans, thereby improving their intelligence about them.
That being said, I don't think it's entirely unreasonable to assume that, after the battle between Kelvin and the Nerada, Starfleet might have been more actively seeking out contact with the Romulans, thereby improving their intelligence about them.
A good number of the TOS novels always had her as a master multilinguist. Makes more sense to me, too. The bit in VI about "We Am Thy Freighter, Ursula" was funny, but it kinda bugged me (get it? "bugged" me. 
). That's the only thing I can recall seeing that contradicts the idea that she knows several languages, and it was a comedy bit, so I tend to discount it.
). That's the only thing I can recall seeing that contradicts the idea that she knows several languages, and it was a comedy bit, so I tend to discount it.
A retcon involving some pioneering UT work done by Hoshi Sato, obviously.
What else was she gonna do? This isn't the 60's, having your one token female be blatantly, utterly useless doesn't exactly fly these days. I mean hell, even Denise Richards got to pretend she was some sort of scientist or something in that terrible Bond movie.
Its like a rule: if you only have one girl, there must be at least one scene early on where she acts tough and busts balls, and where somebody calls her "brilliant" at some occupation that will be almost entirely irrelevant to the plot except for one scene where it just so happens she's the only one who can help.
I mean, I liked her. I really liked the actress playing her (and as Hollywood sex objects go, she was a damn fine one), I liked her relationship with Spock, and she was certainly a step up from her previous incarnation. But lets be honest here--her role was stepped up from "stereotypical 60's female" to "stereotypical modern Hollywood female". In the future, I'm going to be disappointed if she isn't allowed to grow beyond the role everyone would expect for her.
Its like a rule: if you only have one girl, there must be at least one scene early on where she acts tough and busts balls, and where somebody calls her "brilliant" at some occupation that will be almost entirely irrelevant to the plot except for one scene where it just so happens she's the only one who can help.
I mean, I liked her. I really liked the actress playing her (and as Hollywood sex objects go, she was a damn fine one), I liked her relationship with Spock, and she was certainly a step up from her previous incarnation. But lets be honest here--her role was stepped up from "stereotypical 60's female" to "stereotypical modern Hollywood female". In the future, I'm going to be disappointed if she isn't allowed to grow beyond the role everyone would expect for her.
It happened because the plot needed an excuse to make her a bridge officer
Which for me is ironic because the MOMENT she takes her post, she doesn't do a darn thing.
^^^ Seriously though, it makes perfect sense to be a multiliguist. Hell, my uanty was a linguist at Bermingham Airport, she spoke languages and dialects of countries she had never even set foot in, she was perfect at it. Doesnt mean TOS Uhura knew the dialect, even she didnt know what the fuck a Romulan was.
Besides, the timeline was altered as soon as Nero entered the 23rd century and destroyed the Kelvin, kick starting an alternate 23rd century to branch off from whatever timeline it started.
This is TOS, but in a second kinda mirror universe, so things happen differently.
Makes perfect sense to me, and i dont care if she can speak Roumlan, as long as Zoe sticks around for a few more, she can speak Cat for all i care.
It happened because the plot needed an excuse to make her a bridge officer
Which for me is ironic because the MOMENT she takes her post, she doesn't do a darn thing.
Well they cant violate ALL canon now can they
I agree with your take on it. In TOS, she was basically a glorified receptionist. 40+ years and a whole bunch of women's rights marches later, society is different. They remolded the communications officer in ENT with Hoshi being a linguist rather than just opening up the hailing frequencies. Which makes sense, because you would need someone skilled in different forms of communications when you meet strange aliens. I think Uhura in the movie was the natural progression of this idea in a 2009 context.
Heh. You're right.It happened because the plot needed an excuse to make her a bridge officer
Which for me is ironic because the MOMENT she takes her post, she doesn't do a darn thing.
She is, however, a full-fledged character with a voice of her own, a personality and even a mini-storyarc, which is more than the original Uhura ever had.
A good number of the TOS novels always had her as a master multilinguist. Makes more sense to me, too. The bit in VI about "We Am Thy Freighter, Ursula" was funny, but it kinda bugged me (get it? "bugged" me.
Exactly. Canon was never too kind, but the novels were and I always envisioned her that way. I didnt like the way ST6 had her fumble the klingon lines for comedy, but I can live with it.
She was a multilinguist and a cunning linguist as well.
I don't think you can compare TOS stuff and canon with the new timeline sets in Star Trek 2009.
Good point about the "step up". She now have professional credential.
Good point about the "step up". She now have professional credential.
I like he idea that Nero's attack made Starfleet knowledge of Romulans a whole lot more advance than in TOS. Starfleet would want answers and in the process they learned a lot about the Romulans, including teaching their dialects in the Academy.
