Or at least a line of dialogue addressing that however unconventional it was, everything they have been through showed them life is short, family is important, and that it was a choice they were actively making.... Kirk making a joke at Spock about their being two Captains on board, with Spock reiterating he never sought the center seat, that he is right where he belongs.... Sulu saying he can delay his own captaincy just a little bit more....Chekov joking that being first officer isn't all it's cracked up to be.... Maybe I'm a doctor, not a bridge officer....an aye Captain out of Scotty.... As they all choose their nontraditional path, together, for one more round....as a unit.
Frigging seriously. Imagine if Star Trek came and went like every other SF show of the decade, only beloved by fans of the era and nostalgia. Where all you do is talk on Facebook groups and write fan fiction stories. Without decades of conventions, films and over the top fan adoration, how would the supporting crew be seen? Much like the stories written about the Seaview crew, maybe one or two would have gotten some extra responsibilities to flash them out, but Chekov would still be claiming shit was being invented in Russia. And there wouldn't be a single novel outside of a couple of Bantam tie ins.
