What's the reasoning behing...

[Islander]

...full crews behing re-assigned together of the next ship like in SFS/TVH and GEN/FC? I mean, if this happened in real life to a US navy ship, all crew members would be re-assigned to other craft where positions are available and even required. But in Trek, they just get free shore leave while they build a new ship and put them all back together? What do you think?

 

[votd]

I agree, it seems a contrivance to keep the crew together; but between TMP and TWOK I always assumed the crew had gone their separate ways and were just back together for a little pleasure cruise with the cadets; TSFS and TVH had the crew as fugitives so that's why they're together directly following TWOK so I suppose it only seemed forced in V and VI where there are three captains, and a former first officer relegated to navigation.

 

[Hambone]

It's a movie, and customers pay to see characters they recognize. It wouldn't make much sense to have the crew scattered throughout the fleet. You either need to tell 9 different stories, or leave out 8 characters.

 

[RyuRoots]

The creators wanted to have the cast in a new ship. That's the reasoning for the Ent-A and the Ent-E's crews.

 

[roguephoenix]

...full crews behing re-assigned together of the next ship like in SFS/TVH and GEN/FC? I mean, if this happened in real life to a US navy ship, all crew members would be re-assigned to other craft where positions are available and even required. But in Trek, they just get free shore leave while they build a new ship and put them all back together? What do you think?

for the same reason that people transport in space, captains lead away missions, senior officers are always put in peril, ships travel via warping, time travel is possible, and that they supposedly don't use money.

this isn't the us navy.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Probably captains are given a choice of who they want on their senior staff. If Picard wanted his senior staff from the Enterprise-D to accompany him to the Enterprise-E, that might have been his right...

 

[barnaclelapse]

I figured they were just given the option of being able to stay together since it was clearly in the best interests of the Federation that they do.

I don't know. I've never devoted a ton of thought to it.

 

[Michael]

I've never devoted a ton of thought to it.

Nor should you, really. It's a television/movie series. There's nothing more to it.

 

[CoveTom]

The TOS movies, at least for a while, made an attempt to address some of this in a realistic manner, acknowledging, of course, that they had to keep the cast together. But I think they eventually lost their way.

In TMP, we see that some people -- like Kirk, Spock, and McCoy -- are no longer aboard the Enterprise, having either been promoted or left Starfleet. Of the remaining crew, we've seen promotions in rank and Chekov is now Chief of Security. Scotty is still Chief Engineer, but we know from his character that the Enteprise engine room is where he wants to be, and I think it's realistic that Starfleet would have had him oversee the refit of the ship. Only Uhura and Sulu are really hard to explain and, even then, haven't they moved up in rank?

By the time of TWOK, we again see some realistic development. Kirk is an admiral at Starfleet. Spock is in command of the Enterprise. Chekov is first officer of the Reliant. We don't really know what McCoy, Uhura and Sulu are doing, but it seems clear that at least McCoy and Sulu are not stationed on the Enterprise. Only Scotty is still in his familiar post which, as above, makes sense for him.

TSFS and TVH are special cases because the crew are not working for Starfleet. They are fugitives acting on their own, banding together with their closest friends and comrades. Makes perfect sense for them to be together.

TFF is where it really starts to fall apart, in my estimation. It was obvious that they wanted the 'status quo' for that film. Now, Kirk is back in command as a result of the events of TVH. That I can accept. That's what he always wanted and Stafleet gave it to him. I can also accept that Spock and McCoy would be willing to be at his side and that Scotty would still want to be in the Enterprise's engine room. But Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura begin to stretch the bounds of credibility. While I can understand their loyalty to Kirk and his wanting them as part of his crew, would they really stand still for that long? Sulu and Uhura are at the same stations in the same positions they've held for, what, 30 years at that point? And Chekov, having been promoted to Chief of Security and again to First Officer is now... navigator?

TUC attempted to undo some of that. Sulu now has his own ship. The rest of the crew end up back together on the Enterprise, but it's clear they've been pulled together specially for this mission, rather than being assigned their normally. Uhura is supposed to be off lecturing at the Academy. Spock is involved in diplomatic matters. Chekov seems to have gone back to a more security-oriented role. Even Scotty, long attached to his engine room, is speaking enthusiastically of his impending leisure time.

All in all, I think the TOS films, with the exception of TFF, did a good job of plausibly keeping these characters together.

Now, TNG? Can't even begin to tell you...

 

[cwl]

as someone already said it's a contrivance to keep the main characters together.

in Britain HMS Exeter is retiring after 29 years in service,have a guess at how many commanding officers have commanded her during her time in service?

1?
2?
3?
5?
maybe 10?

number: 21

yes 21 CO's.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...last-Falklands-ship-retires-from-service.html

 

[Star Wolf]

as someone already said it's a contrivance to keep the main characters together.

in Britain HMS Exeter is retiring after 29 years in service,have a guess at how many commanding officers have commanded her during her time in service?

1?
2?
3?
5?
maybe 10?

number: 21

yes 21 CO's.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ukn...last-Falklands-ship-retires-from-service.html

Yes but the Royal Navy like the USN is an up or out organization with a limited amount of ships. Without the chance of a command, even if it is for one year most officers will quit and go and make money. By all indications starships are almost free and there seems to be no economic pressure on the Federation. If the Founders destroy a hundred ships the Federation simply builds a thousand. therefore Captain Kirk doesn't have to give up command to make way for Captain Picard. They just give him the newest ship off of the dock or a refit if Captain Kirk fell in battle.

 

[cwl]

starships are not free. and I'm sure economics do impact on starfleet.

 

[Star Wolf]

starships are not free. and I'm sure economics do impact on starfleet.

I'm sure they are not. But just as most of the time they can warp anywhere without the thought of restocking or refueling. The Dominion War suggest that Starfleet can ramp up from a science and survey fleet to war footing with little impact to the Federation

 

[CoveTom]

Starships are not free and in the time of TOS it seemed that there was only a handful of them. But by the time of TNG, I get the distinct impression that while they aren't free, they're rather plentiful and, as has been pointed out here, it doesn't take one officer giving up a command to make room for another promising young officer. I don't think Starfleet will have the same "up or out" approach that the modern Navy has.

 

[captcalhoun]

i expect that the junior officers changed, and Picard hung on to some - like Barclay, or Alyssa Ogawa - but he was probably able to request Riker, Troi, Bev and Geordi to stay with him. Worf, of course, went off to DS9...

 

[Tim Thomason]

Now, TNG? Can't even begin to tell you...

As for the Enterprise-E, only eleven crewmates are known to transfer from the D. Both ships are the Federation's flagship, with a crew comprised of "the best of the best." In "Lower Decks," Riker makes it known that an assignment on the Enterprise is the dream of most Starfleet officers. So, I'd say these high-placed officers could easily request and be granted a transfer to the newly completed flagship.

Picard (1) is granted command of the E by top brass, based on his years of service and wish to continue the command (he's practically an Fleet admiral-equivalent in his seniority). Picard also chooses his top staff, who may be on a much deserved extended shore leave.

Picard's senior staff would be Riker (2), Data (3), La Forge (4), Crusher (5), and Troi (6). I'm sure Picard would be peeved if he couldn't get all of them, but others such as Worf and O'Brien had started careers elsewhere and for one reason or other didn't join the E.

Crusher was a former higher up at Starfleet Medical and could easily control the staffing of her medical department. I'm sure Ogawa (7) and Martinez (8) didn't mind transferring over from whatever ships they might have been assigned to in the interim.

Armstrong (9) and Jae (10) were both versatile officers who may have even applied for and been granted transfer independently of anyone else. Again, the Enterprise is a plum assignment, and I'm sure a few months on some survey ship would remind them of that.

Barclay (11) is an interesting case. It's a known fact that he transferred off the D before its destruction (he developed the EMH with Dr. Zimmerman in late 2370, early 2371). He's on the ship in 2373 during the Borg attack, but has transferred off again by 2376 (those Voyager-Pathfinder episodes focusing on him at Starfleet Communications). He might've been on the Defiant (although he never showed up on DS9) or he could've even been a passenger or on vacation from his work at Starfleet HQ. He was an excellent diagnostic engineer, and I'm sure La Forge didn't mind having Reg around.

As for what's written above about the Final Frontier and the Enterprise-A... some say it's only a few months after the events of The Voyage Home and the senior staff is still in semi-hot water by Starfleet, so Sulu, Uhura, and Chekov might just be left on the Enterprise as a form of temporary punishment. For all we know, with the loss of his old ship, Chekov might have developed psychological trauma and is far more comfortable with a less strenuous job, such as navigator. Uhura could be an Academy instructor who spends her off days on the Enterprise and wouldn't miss the shakedown in TFF for anything. Spock still has his memory problems ("marsh melons?") which is only helped by being around "friends." Scotty is a legendary "Captain of Engineering" still learning the ship like the back of his hand and Sulu.... maybe he's on leave until the Excelsior can be refitted with normal warp drive.

EDITED TO ADD: Also, if they ever make a TV show about "Lower Decks", it would be neat if the final episode of the first season actually featured Riker in command of the Titan.

 

[nx1701g]

I always took the events of TFF (Sulu, Chekov, and Uhura) as being aboard the Enterprise this late into their careers as being something to akin as what Mister Adventure had said in TSFS. Their careers were winding down and they were in trouble because of the events of TSFS and were on probation. Sulu was able to move on to the Excelsior because of previous attachments - it was claimed he was to be their XO when the events of TSFS happened in some of the noncanon books and I believe the novelization of Trek 2 said he was transferring to another ship - but Uhura and Chekov hadn't been able to yet.