# STAR TREK episodes in which the Captain was absolutely right to go on the landing party. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 29, 2015, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521 "2015-07-29T21:39:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/41 "2015-08-01T03:34:40Z")
> [@Loach](#): > > It’s ridiculous that the chief science officer and the 1st Oifficer (XO) are the same person. The XO has a fulltime job already. Not only that but he’s horribly qualified to be XO. He. Just. Does not. Get it. And to make it even worse, his underlings constantly undermine him, question his decisions…and that’s not even counting the Chief Medical Officer. At least Scotty would give him the benefit of the doubt…usually. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/42 "2015-08-01T05:38:37Z")
> [@DinoR](#): > > My bigger issue than Kirk’s beaming down all the time was Spock’s two hatted role. He’s a department head and first officer. He tends to operate as Science officer leaving Kirk mostly without someone performing XO type duties. **A good XO who could lead (which Spock showed issues with in Galileo Seven)** could have filled in a lot of cracks. A good XO let’s you split command group coverage between the ship and planet. A Captain preferring to be either forward or on the bridge is then less of an issue. Spock mostly got hauled along in his science officer role though. That’s the bigger problem than Kirk’s preference of leading from the front. I think this was a recurring theme in TOS. Spock, for all his scientific intelligence and cold logic, made a miserable commander, and tended to fuck up whenever he was in charge. Another example was [The Paradise Syndrome](http://en.memory-alpha.wikia.com/wiki/The_Paradise_Syndrome_%28episode%29), where Spock pushed Scotty to push the warp engines and phaser banks past their redlines, which not only failed to deflect or destroy the impending asteroid, but also disabled the ship, leaving it with only impulse power and an angry asteroid bearing down on their asses. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/43 "2015-08-01T06:13:53Z")
Spock as Science Officer was Kirk’s First Officer because the primary mission of the _Enterprise_ was exploration; hence, scientific advisors were more important than military advisors. The ship did indeed have a Weapons/Tactical Officer (Sulu) for when things got nasty, but he was lower in rank than either the Science Officer or the Chief Engineer. I disagree with all those who claim Uhura was fourth in command, not because of her gender but because it makes no sense for a junior Communications officer to take command of a military (or even semi-military) vessel so long as the WTO (or any other qualified TO, for that matter) is still alive.\* \*Yes, I know all this started after the fact with Dorothy Fontana, but in addition to being illogical, it contradicts what we actually saw on screen. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 8:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/44 "2015-08-01T08:24:25Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > Spock as Science Officer was Kirk’s First Officer because the primary mission of the _Enterprise_ was exploration; hence, scientific advisors were more important than military advisors. The ship did indeed have a Weapons/Tactical Officer (Sulu) for when things got nasty, but he was lower in rank than either the Science Officer or the Chief Engineer. > > I disagree with all those who claim Uhura was fourth in command, not because of her gender but because it makes no sense for a junior Communications officer to take command of a military (or even semi-military) vessel so long as the WTO (or any other qualified TO, for that matter) is still alive.\* > > \*Yes, I know all this started after the fact with Dorothy Fontana, but in addition to being illogical, it contradicts what we actually saw on screen. ??? Who ever said that? DeSalle in “Catspaw” seemed to be fourth in line. Maybe fifth! If we count Sulu as fourth. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 8:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/45 "2015-08-01T08:31:27Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > ??? Who ever said that? > > DeSalle in “Catspaw” seemed to be fourth in line. Maybe fifth! If we count Sulu as fourth. Both DeSalle and Stiles were obviously experienced TOs; unfortunately, they weren’t featured in many episodes (Stiles in only one). Presumably they weren’t the only TOs on board. Whether they had seniority over Sulu, we don’t know; it may have been a matter of whoever was on duty at a particular moment. The Uhura thing was started by Dorothy Fontana, and is referenced in one of Gerrold’s books (probably _ **The World of Star Trek** _, a copy of which I don’t have handy at the moment). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/46 "2015-08-01T08:41:56Z")
When _ **TOS** _ was in production, the early drafts of one script (I don’t know which) had Uhura taking command when the top three officers were off the ship or otherwise incapacitated, but it was changed so that she didn’t. She complains about it in the same book, IIRC. Sulu took over in an emergency more than once; in “Errand of Mercy,” he’s still in command when the _Enterprise_ returns to Organia with the fleet. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 9:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/47 "2015-08-01T09:34:24Z")
> [@terentii](#): > > When _ **TOS** _ was in production, the early drafts of one script (I don’t know which) had Uhura taking command when the top three officers were off the ship or otherwise incapacitated, but it was changed so that she didn’t. She complains about it in the same book, IIRC. > > Sulu took over in an emergency more than once; in “Errand of Mercy,” he’s still in command when the _Enterprise_ returns to Organia with the fleet. Which begs the question…those little command chair buttons must be useless if Sulu doesn’t even have to sit in the chair (See “Arena”)…and what kind of command chain are we talking about if Scotty and Sulu are too damn busy to get out of their chairs or, in Scotty’s case Engineering, and properly assume command. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/48 "2015-08-01T16:08:58Z")
_Friday’s Child_ - It was necessary to form a strong diplomatic bond with the tribalistic Capellans, and I doubt their leader would be interested in talking to a subordinate. Of course, Kirk’s interference in Eleen’s execution was blatantly and exactly the kind of thing he’d promised her late husband _wouldn’t_ happen. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/49 "2015-08-01T19:34:39Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > That was all on the touchscreen thing Yeoman Rand was always handing to Kirk for him to tap. Yes we know tapping Rand was Kirk’s thing, but that’s another story… ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2015, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/50 "2015-08-01T23:51:08Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > _Friday’s Child_ - It was necessary to form a strong diplomatic bond with the tribalistic Capellans, and I doubt their leader would be interested in talking to a subordinate. > > Of course, Kirk’s interference in Eleen’s execution was blatantly and exactly the kind of thing he’d promised her late husband _wouldn’t_ happen. God the hoops some people jump through to excuse Kirk’s smashing the PD to bits in that scene. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/51 "2015-08-02T00:02:14Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Which begs the question…those little command chair buttons must be useless if Sulu doesn’t even have to sit in the chair (See “Arena”)…and what kind of command chain are we talking about if Scotty and Sulu are too damn busy to get out of their chairs or, in Scotty’s case Engineering, and properly assume command. Or their functions are duplicated at the other locations. The fan theory I am aware of says that all consoles are programmable and can handle other functions. I think the main purposes of the captain’s chair is to be up high enough to see anyone, and to create place of prominence to make it clear who is in command–especially when using the view screen. If you’re doing double duty as having command and navigation. maybe it makes sense to stay with the console. ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2015, 2:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/52 "2015-08-02T02:21:08Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > God the hoops some people jump through to excuse Kirk’s smashing the PD to bits in that scene. Fan wanking is the pastime of Trekkers, Sir. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [August 5, 2015, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521/53 "2015-08-05T03:43:08Z")
Did this community \*invent \*fanwanking as known to us today? Or just took and highly developed it? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/star-trek-episodes-in-which-the-captain-was-absolutely-right-to-go-on-the-landing-party/726521.md?page=2)