Was Captain Harriman a rookie or was Kirk misleading the audience?

[Xerxes1979]

The Enterprise-B was on a shakedown and did have an inexperienced crew so why do I get the subconcious impression of a Harriman putdown in Generations?

You don't get the flagship by luck of the draw.

 

[Penhall99]

I read that the actor that played him came up with his own backstory for the character. I cant remember the exact details, but he saw it as Harriman basically getting the command as a result of his important father or something.

I think its pretty obvious in the film that Harriman was meant to be weak and in over his head.

 

[CaptainStoner]

Given STXI, Harriman's backstory of an influential Father/Nepotism isn't too far off. I won't go into it in case you haven't seen the film yet.

I didn't detect any putdown of Harriman. He was very well played - he had some experience, clearly, but not in the big leagues. He probably had a strong record of command on a previous ship or two, had a famous Admiral for a Dad, and bingo.

 

[buzzknox]

One of the Lost Era books dealt with Harriman and the Ent-B. It covered the aforementioned back story and how Harriman grew out of it.

 

[cardinal biggles]

Actually, it was a regular TOS novel, The Captain's Daughter, by Peter David. I like it a lot for how it fleshes out both Hikaru and Demora Sulu, and totally redeems Captain Harriman's character.

 

[Christopher]

^It was both. Peter David rehabilitated Harriman in The Captain's Daughter and the short story "Shakedown" in the Enterprise Logs anthology, then David R. George III expanded on that Harriman characterization in The Lost Era: Serpents Among the Ruins.

I thought that GEN portrayed Harriman as a perfectly capable commander who was stymied by inadequate equipment. He came up with idea after idea for saving the refugees, and most of them would've worked if the ship had been fully equipped. He did show a lack of confidence as the situation wore on, but it was unwarranted, since his ideas were good and he did as much as any captain could in that situation. And Kirk didn't put him down -- just the opposite. When Harriman was doubting himself and ready to turn over the bridge to Kirk, Kirk refused and told him to stay in the command chair where he belonged.

 

[royalfan5]

I just figured Harriman was having flashbacks to the time he rolled his dad's priceless car out of the garage and destroyed it.

 

[Skywalker]

^It was both. Peter David rehabilitated Harriman in The Captain's Daughter and the short story "Shakedown" in the Enterprise Logs anthology, then David R. George III expanded on that Harriman characterization in The Lost Era: Serpents Among the Ruins.

I thought that GEN portrayed Harriman as a perfectly capable commander who was stymied by inadequate equipment. He came up with idea after idea for saving the refugees, and most of them would've worked if the ship had been fully equipped. He did show a lack of confidence as the situation wore on, but it was unwarranted, since his ideas were good and he did as much as any captain could in that situation. And Kirk didn't put him down -- just the opposite. When Harriman was doubting himself and ready to turn over the bridge to Kirk, Kirk refused and told him to stay in the command chair where he belonged.

That's how I saw it, too.

And I really liked Harriman in Serpents Among the Ruins, David George did a great job with him, there. I didn't know the character of Harriman had already begun to be "redeemed" thanks to Peter David; I'll have to track down The Captain's Daughter at some point.

 

[KimMH]

Serpent Among the Ruins is one of the best Lost Era books and I came away feeling much differently about Harriman than going in. Not to mention the excellent work George does overall - am enjoying his Crucible: Spock right now.

 

[AN_D_K]

Was it me or was Kirk a 'bit of a prat' in that scene? He let hundreds of people die while waiting for permission from Harriman. Shaking his head and pulling funny faces at him as ships blew up.

EDIT: changed 'swear word'

 

[Christopher]

Was it me or was Kirk a 'bit of a prat' in that scene? He let hundreds of people die while waiting for permission from Harriman. Shaking his head and pulling funny faces at him as ships blew up.

Harriman was the rightful captain of the ship. Kirk was a retired officer, essentially a civilian, who was merely a guest. He had no right to relieve Harriman of command, and if he'd tried, it would have been an act of mutiny. Or rather piracy, since Kirk wasn't a member of the ship's crew to begin with.

 

[Ronald Held]

It was not in the movie, but in novels, Kirk, and Scott were reactivated for that day. If so, Kirk being a more senior Captain, might have the right to take command under the correct circumstances.

 

[Brutal Strudel]

After seeing the new Trek film, it makes perfect sense: Harriman had just graduated from SFA. Let's cut him some slack.

 

[EliyahuQeoni]

Actually, it was a regular TOS novel, The Captain's Daughter, by Peter David. I like it a lot for how it fleshes out both Hikaru and Demora Sulu, and totally redeems Captain Harriman's character.

If by "fleshes out" you mean "creates a needlessly complicated and convoluted backstory" then I agree.

 

[Brady]

I read somewhere that Harriman's father was an opponent of Kirk's, calling him a "glorified space cowboy" or something to that effect. Non-canon of course.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

I just figured Harriman was having flashbacks to the time he rolled his dad's priceless car out of the garage and destroyed it.

And then he went by his middle name, John, instead of his first name... Cameron.

 

[Skywalker]

I read somewhere that Harriman's father was an opponent of Kirk's, calling him a "glorified space cowboy" or something to that effect. Non-canon of course.

I kinda like that. Everybody worshiping "the great hero" gets a little old after a while.

 

[Caligula]

I just figured Harriman was having flashbacks to the time he rolled his dad's priceless car out of the garage and destroyed it.

"When Harriman was in Egypt's land.... let my Harriman go!"

"Please don't say we're not gonna take the ship home. Please don't say we're not gonna take the ship home. Please don't say we're not gonna take the ship home."

"What'd I do?"
"You killed the Kirk."