What TOS-era character could have captained the Enterprise-B?

[Riley]

Let's put aside that Berman/Braga/whomever else wanted Harriman and his crew to look inept so that Kirk could save the day. In fact, let's even go so far as to put aside what we saw in Generations. It's the first Enterprise without Kirk as captain in decades, and Starfleet is looking for seasoned officers for the position. They also don't care if said officers once served with or have ties to James T. Kirk.

While I think Chekov would be nice symbolically since he was with Kirk his entire career and worshipped Kirk, I'm not sure he's up to captain a new Enterprise.

I have a few suggestions:

Sulu, who might be offered the E-B after proving himself with the Excelsior.

Styles, who was obviously a capable officer since he was given Excelsior originally. I wonder how Kirk would feel about that?

Lt. Stiles, who came from a long tradition of Starfleet officers and was in the command division.

Kyle, who was a commander in Ops in TWOK but who could have easily switched to command at some point after the Reliant incident.

Kevin Thomas Riley, who actually got a first name unlike Stiles and Kyle and who once introduced himself as "captain of the Enterprise." Since he's one of my favorite minor TOS characters, he'd be my pick.

 

[128bits]

I seem to recall one of the original plans not involving the E-B at all. Were Paramount not pushing for both the E-A and E-D to appear together as well as the captains? This would have retconned TUC (which would be annoying.)

I expect they realised this so just wrote in the E-B subplot, found an established (but new to Trek) actor to portray the Captain and had him be an opposite to Kirk. I don't think they really thought all that much about it.

Its tough to really think about anything relevant they could have done with a different Captain. Alan Ruck did really good at getting the "he's not Kirk!" point across.

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

I am shocked that you would pick Riley!

How about Saavik? She was introduced commanding the Enterprise in the simulator so it would've been fitting to have her last appearance be in actual command.

 

[Riley]

I am shocked that you would pick Riley!

How about Saavik? She was introduced commanding the Enterprise in the simulator so it would've been fitting to have her last appearance be in actual command.

That's a great idea! I didn't think of her because I don't think she'd be at the rank of captain by the time of Generations or a year after TUC. She could have been the XO, though.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I seem to recall one of the original plans not involving the E-B at all. Were Paramount not pushing for both the E-A and E-D to appear together as well as the captains? This would have retconned TUC (which would be annoying.)

Braga and Moore thought the ultimate movie poster would have had the two Enterprise's fighting, so they initially tried to come up with an A vs D story, but they couldn't come up with anything that kept both crews "heroic," so they abandoned that pretty quickly. It didn't get past the idea stage.

The thing about an A-versus-D film is that the Paramount wanted cheaper Star Trek movies, and with two crews an A-versus-D film would have had higher above the line costs. Even though Gates McFadden and Nichelle Nichols wouldn't be likely to have more than three or four lines in this film, they're still going to be there, for example.

 

[Tosk]

Even though Gates McFadden and Nichelle Nichols wouldn't be likely to have more than three or four lines in this film, they're still going to be there, for example.

Y'know what's "funny"? Crusher only has about eight or nine lines in the finished movie. So I guess she got Uhura's portion too.

 

[CoveTom]

How about Kyle? He was a recurring presence throughout TOS and he had reached the rank of Commander and was a key officer on board the Reliant in TWOK. Doesn't seem unreasonable he would eventually progress to command a ship.

Honestly, though, I think a better direction for Generations opening portion would have been for one of the TOS regulars, like perhaps Chekov since he was already seen as a first officer, to be in command of the Enterprise-B. He could actually be shown to be a competent captain, but commanding a young, green crew much as Spock did in TWOK, and Kirk steps in not to take command but to go down below and help, just as he did in the finished product. And ultimately, one of Kirk's officers ends up commanding the mission on which he is (presumably) killed. I think that would have been far more poignant, as well as far more believable than the Enterprise being commanded by someone incompetent.

 

[Artoo Atari]

I vote Saavik as well. Sulu could do it, but 2 Sulus may be too much.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I think that would have been far more poignant, as well as far more believable than the Enterprise being commanded by someone incompetent.

I like this idea -- Chekov in command of the mission that kills Kirk (as far as everyone thinks) -- but I also have a problem with it.

Generations boldly kills Kirk twice, but it never pauses to let it be poignant. There's no grieving, no emotional reaction except Scotty's weary "Aye." Spock dies in Star Trek II, and the grief is palpable in the scenes that follow. David dies in Star Trek III, and Kirk's broken in the moment and carries his pain for the rest of the film. Generations treats the death of one of pop culture's iconic characters with all the emotion of Jeremy Clarkson going, "Oh no! Anyway...."

If Moore and Braga could have given us a scene of Chekov grieving in this alternate take, yes, there would be poignancy. Nothing suggests they would have given it, though.