Why Didn't Harry Get Promoted?

[Lynx]

Stay where you feel good =/= career or money. That's absurdity on its face.

No, it's not. It's all about creating a good life for oneself.

False equivalency.

Why?

And it fails.

Definitely not. On the contrary, this is what most fans like, to have more good stories with their favorites.

Just look at NCIS where Gibbs was the leading field agent for 19 seasons and people loved it. When the actor retired, the interest for the series sunk. It's not as popular as it used to be.
I watched every episode of the series up to season 19, now i only watch it occasionaly and it is the only TV series which i still watch.

Personally I've had some trouble with the "Relaunch books" too because the authors removed many great characters and added new ones instead. When I read a DS9 book, I want to read about Sisko, Odo, Kira and the others. Not seeeing Sisko be replaced by some Ebenezer Springerkoff as the captain on the station. OK, I can accept characters like Ebenezer Springerkoff and Miranda Whottley as characters in a story, like Broik or Morn but I don't want such characters to replace the original ones.

The same when it comes to Voyager books and stories. Having Janeway behind a desk, thinking about if she's gonna become a recluse on Ireland or start an ostrich farm is horrible.

 

[fireproof78]

No, it's not. It's all about creating a good life for oneself.

Then you missed my point.

Why?

It assumes that Kirk's career is limited to either behind the desk or with a starship, rather than growing in more leadership roles.

Definitely not. On the contrary, this is what most fans like, to have more good stories with their favorites.

Argues against something I didn't argue. Of course fans want good stories with their favorites. My point is that good stories don't freeze their characters in time.

Just look at NCIS where Gibbs was the leading field agent for 19 seasons and people loved it. When the actor retired, the interest for the series sunk. It's not as popular as it used to be.

Popularity is a poor measurement.

I still watch it.

 

[Oddish]

Nog's promotion to Lt. in under two years during a war can be taken far more seriously than Kim's lack of a promotion in 7 years of good service.

It might have been tolerable if no one on the ship was promoted, aside from initial commissions. But people were promoted.

And remember that for whatever reason, this was a big deal to them. They devoted far more time to rubbing the viewers' nose in Harry being stuck at ensign than it would have just taken to just promote him and be done with it. And of course, they've been careful not to reveal his fate afterward, even though Garrett Wang has been eager and available.

Kim's a department head. Should be lieutenant j.g. at the least.

And that's actually part of the weird irony of his character, because the writers couldn't handle character evolution.

When the show started, Harry was the correct rank for a newly minted officer, but in a position that didn't make sense for him. Voyager was a state of the art starship and its chief of operations should have been an experienced officer. Data was third in command of the Enterprise.

At the end, Harry's position made sense for a quality officer with 7 years experience. But his rank didn't reflect it. And fixing that would have only required adding pips to his collar.