Why not Captain Spock?

[Tikkun]

Older, more experienced, and equally responsible for the demise of Nero.

Yeah, he got emotionally involved - but left - got it together and managed to come up with a plan, and execute it.

Why pick the cadet on his first space outing? Or did Spock turn it down?

My only theory is that they knew they either had to give Kirk the ship, or execute him. In fact, I fully understood why Spock sent him to Delta Vega - he would have made it out of the brig in record time.

BTW - loved the movie - loved both AU cahracters - just curious about what others think of this.

 

[trampledamage]

I think it's believable that Spock turned it down - he certainly has no problem with the idea of being First Officer at the end of the movie.

 

[Tikkun]

I think it's believable that Spock turned it down - he certainly has no problem with the idea of being First Officer at the end of the movie.

His one experience at command, with a first officer like Kirk, was enough to convince him to switch? I can definitely see that angle.

Not sure if I believe it with these characters though. NuSpock seemed more competitive than Prime.

 

[Stag]

There is no indication that Spock has anymore space time then Kirk. He is an academy teacher when we first meet him and the Enterprise could be his first assignment. Plus, Old Spock gives him the heads up about the way of things anyway.

 

[Lord Garth]

Spock seemed to me to have more qualifications to command the Enterprise. Kirk was basically promoted over Spock.

There are two ways Starfleet could make a judgment about the destruction of Vulcan's affect on Spock:

1) He was too distressed to be promoted and Starfleet believes his judgment might be impaired while Kirk had greater intuition, making him a more adaptive commander.

2) Because of his service record and out of condolence for what happened to (half) his people, he would be promoted.

 

[Aragorn]

Well as Captain, Spock did try to choke one of his crewmembers to death.

 

[Awesome Possum]

Well as Captain, Spock did try to choke one of his crewmembers to death.

Employers do tend to frown on such things.

 

[Tikkun]

There is no indication that Spock has anymore space time then Kirk. He is an academy teacher when we first meet him and the Enterprise could be his first assignment. Plus, Old Spock gives him the heads up about the way of things anyway.

He's ranked as Commander - not cadet. Do you think the academy wouldn't space test their instructors?

 

[Tikkun]

Well as Captain, Spock did try to choke one of his crewmembers to death.

Employers do tend to frown on such things.

Yeah...but there were extenuating circumstances. It was Kirk!

 

[chardman]

Seeing as how (prior to his conversation with SpockPrime) nuSpock was all set to leave Starfleet altogether to help establish a new Vulcan homeworld, I have no problem with believing that he'd turn down a promotion if offered one.

 

[Stag]

There is no indication that Spock has anymore space time then Kirk. He is an academy teacher when we first meet him and the Enterprise could be his first assignment. Plus, Old Spock gives him the heads up about the way of things anyway.

He's ranked as Commander - not cadet. Do you think the academy wouldn't space test their instructors?

Never said he was a cadet.

Who knows - it is all make believe anyway. But it was never said on screen that he had any space time or prior Command experience.

In the real world, doctor's are made majors when they join the army. Plenty of officer without field or combat experience, maybe Spock was so smart they gave him a higher rank and assigned him as an instructor at the academy.

 

[The Transformed Man]

Also remember Pike told Kirk that Starfleet had become too soft and needed captains who were willing to take risks and gamble now and again.

Spock played it completely safe by wanting the Enterprise to regroup with the fleet. But in the face of danger but Kirk showed the type of leadership Pike wanted to see by going after the Narada and coming up with a plan to stop Nero.


Yancy

 

[Stag]

Well as Captain, Spock did try to choke one of his crewmembers to death.

Employers do tend to frown on such things.

Would that fall under inappropriate touching

 

[Tikkun]

Also remember Pike told Kirk that Starfleet had become too soft and needed captains who were willing to take risks and gamble now and again.

Spock played it completely safe by wanting the Enterprise to regroup with the fleet. But in the face of danger but Kirk showed the type of leadership Pike wanted to see by going after the Narada and coming up with a plan to stop Nero.


Yancy

I can see that reasoning too - though I put it more facetiously - either give him the ship or execute him. I'm not saying that I disagree with the movie here, only that I find it interesting.

So, Pike prevailed on the Fleet to give one starship out of a fleet of 12 to a cadet because....he saved earth. Might be reason enough.

On the other hand, having him do a few laps as an underling to someone with more control might also give him a better idea of when to hold and when to fold. And the dynamic would have been fascinating to watch. This time Spock got the girl - I think it might have been cool to give him the ship.

 

[EnsignRicky]

It just doesn't sound as good as Captain Kirk.

 

[indranee]

I've thought of this, as well, ever since I first watched the movie. I can only come up with one reason and one reason only:

favoritism.

(well deserved, but nonetheless)

 

[indranee]

Also remember Pike told Kirk that Starfleet had become too soft and needed captains who were willing to take risks and gamble now and again.

Spock played it completely safe by wanting the Enterprise to regroup with the fleet. But in the face of danger but Kirk showed the type of leadership Pike wanted to see by going after the Narada and coming up with a plan to stop Nero.


Yancy

this.

 

[USS Gettysburg]

Obviously because Spock didn't want to be captain. Never have gotten the impression that Spock wanted to be a captain. Not enough science in it.

 

[Tikkun]

Obviously because Spock didn't want to be captain. Never have gotten the impression that Spock wanted to be a captain. Not enough science in it.

Prime - I completely agree!

NuSpock - he seemed rather more at ease with the idea of command, and in fact with commanding humans. Taking McCoy aside to commend him is not something Prime would have done until far later in the game. Perhaps his relationship with a human woman, as well as the fact that at least some of these were essentially his cadets, gave him an ease. And I didn't see him drooling over anything scientific - the only fascinating thing he commented on was a nice bit of engineering from the future.

 

[roguephoenix]

i'm sure there was a long inquiry to this and with the help of crew member testimony (and praises) he was deemed worthy of the position. i wouldn't put it past pike, spock, and old spock to have had a hand in this by convincing starfleet brass. spock, being more logical than humans, saw that had he been the captain at the time, earth would have been destroyed. he saw that kirk had what it took to make the right decisions no matter how outlandish they seemed.