The other day I was chatting with some friends at a favorite online Star Trek board about how JJ Abrams, Orci and Kurtzman might play out a script that could include all the familiar characters from the original Star Trek series. This became more of a challenge with the announcement that Chekov would be in the film and has been cast with actor Anton Yelchin.
I have been an avid Star Trek fan since its inception more than 40 years ago. I was already a young man of 17 when the series first aired with those unforgettable words “These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise” (I’m waxing poetic — the first episode had no opening narration). I was hooked immediately and have remained one of the franchise’s ardent supporters ever since — even in those lean years.
So, keeping that in mind, and being fully aware of all the official canon, I began mulling over just how Abrams et al might be able to have a part Starfleet Academy and part first early years of Kirk’s Enterprise command mind-melded into one 2 to 3 hour feature film. Putting aside possible actor choices for Kirk and the other crew members not yet cast, I became more concerned about timelines and how this could all come together without violating the sacred Trek canon that any Trek fan holds as near and dear as a sacred holy book. Abrams has already said that he is interested in casting an actor for the role of Kirk who is in his 20’s to early 30’s…so, I’ll start from there.
I suppose Kirk could be in his late 20’s to early 30’s for this film. When he was a Lt. he taught at Starfleet Academy. That is where cadet Gary Mitchell introduced Kirk to Carol Marcus to sidetrack him. Their son Dr. David Marcus was the result of that love affair. Kirk was the youngest Starfleet officer to ever reach the rank of Captain at age 34…so, according to the character bios, Chekov is 12 years younger than Kirk. Let’s see — Kirk graduated the Academy in 2254 nine years after the birth of Chekov. Graduated with the rank of Lt. and was assigned to the USS Farragut where he encountered the dikironium cloud entity that killed Captain Garrovick and Kirk temporally assumed command of the bridge. After his stint on the Farragut was over he became an instructor at the Academy still with the rank of Lt. where he rose quickly through the ranks and stayed until being assigned the Captaincy of the Enterprise in 2264. Since Chekov entered the Academy in 2263, it is possible Kirk knew and taught the young cadet in Chekov’s first year, was impressed with him and asked for him aboard Enterprise when Chekov graduated in 2267 — 4 years after Kirk assumed command of Enterprise. Which means that Chekov could have been a 4th year cadet in the original series (TOS) season 1 when Khan first saw him (but the audience didn’t), which is why Khan remembered Chekov’s face in “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan,” even though in the season 1 episode “Space Seed” the audience never saw Chekov. By Season 2 Ensign Chekov would have been a graduate of Starfleet Academy with one year on Enterprise under his belt and ready for a bridge position as ship’s navigator, weapons officer and assistant science officer. We know from Wesley Crusher’s example on “Star Trek: The Next Generation” that it wasn’t unusal for a Starfleet Cadet to spend some time serving on a Starfleet vessel in some capacity for training purposes.
This means that we have at least a year and a half or two years of Kirk in command of Enterprise before the TOS pilot episode of “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which makes sense because in that episode it is obvious the crew are already very comfortable with Kirk’s command style and Spock is already using the familiar “Jim” in private conversation. Anyone who has ever served in the military knows that new Commanders take some time getting use to, generally a couple of missions at least.
It is highly feasible that both Kirk and Spock knew each other and became friends during their Academy days since Spock graduated the Academy just 1 year before Kirk. Even Bones doesn’t present a problem because he was in pre-med and medical school from 2245 to 2253, with the last year being spent at Starfleet Academy for military training as a physician, so he could have known both Spock (who was in his graduating class of 2253) and Kirk, just a year behind.
Here is where the problem lies – Scotty is much older than any of the humans and graduated from the Academy in 2244, six full years before Kirk even entered the Academy. I suppose he could have been teaching Engineering to Cadets during the Kirk/Spock years there and after a couple of years in command of the Enterprise Kirk asked his crusty ex-professor to be his chief engineer.
Neither Sulu or Uhura pose any problems, as they would have been Starfleet Cadets during Kirk’s teaching tenure at the Academy.
So, yeah, I guess they could make an Academy movie or early Kirk/Enterprise command fit with all the known main characters in it. Hell, even Nurse Chapel was attending Nursing school at Starfleet Medical during the same time that Kirk and Spock were there, so she could show up as well.
So, keeping all the above in mind, “Star Trek” XI could either occur (with Kirk/Spock flashbacks) during Kirk’s tenure as a Starfleet Instructor, or sometime shortly after Chekov joins Enterprise – either in his last year as a cadet or during his first full year as a Starfleet Bridge Officer.
It will be interesting to see where Abrams goes with it and if he can do so without violating the sacred canon.
And, I just realized another thing — I’ve got to get a life!
If that Tom Cruise rumor turns out to be true I’ll not step foot in the theater, watch the movie, rent the dvd, anything.
This coming from someone who’s like it since they understood what TV was, owns every episode on DVD, every movie, and a few hundred books.
Yesterday Cruise’s publicist stated there was no truth to that rumor.
Let’s also not forget that Scotty was serving on the Enterprise under command of Chris Pike and that Spock also served on the Enterprise under Pike for over 11 years (as we learned in the episode “The Menagerie”) and that Bones was already a practicing physician who is now divorced with a daughter (Joanna), and joins Starfleet to get over the stress of the divorce and leave that part of his life behind. So there are a lot of things that JJ and the rest of the gang have to watch how they interpret the beginning of Kirk as captain of the Enterprise because those of us who have either read “The Making of Star Trek” or were fortunate enough to see and hear Gene Roddenberry when he would go on tour and speak about “Star Trek” to packed houses or have watched it from day one who will be the ones who either run to the web to either praise or crucify the movie if it deviates too much from what has been stated as history (remember Enterprise?) or conflicts too much with what has been written so far. Up until his death Gene Roddenberry was reported to have read and approved what Star Trek Books were published so that it didn’t vary too far from his idea.
Skimmed your post, couldn’t get through the Star Trek nerdfacts flood. If your post is any indication, this movie is doomed to fail regardless if it has a good script. So many fanatics like you pay so much attention to detail that you are all programmed with all these “facts” and no matter what Abrams and crew cook up, many people won’t be able to view the movie without critiquing this or that. I mean it has already begun and we all still have 18 months to go and no complete cast. It’s been a little over 2 years without the Star Trek franchise on TV, maybe Star Trek needs a longer break.
Star Trek geek for almost 42 years and proud of it…however, I am one who has loved every single rendition of the franchise, even Star Trek V: The Final Frontier and Star Trek X: Nemesis, so curb your tongue young fella, we’re not all as hard-nosed critical as you might have been led to believe. Most of us appreciate any kind of Trek we can get, so long as it adheres to Gene Roddenberry’s original Trek Universe conventions, and I think, from listening to Abrams, Orci and Kurtzman so far, they have enough of that same appreciation to keep it on track and great.
Another TOS fan since the beginning, here. I can’t quote specifics but it is clear in many early episodes that Spock and Kirk meet onboard the Enterprise very shortly before “Where No Man Has Gone Before”. That saiud, the rest of your speculation is great and shows a dedication to the show that makes even me jealous! I ;oved the article. Thanx for putting it up there.
LLAP,
Vince
In the immortal words of MST3K “Relax, it’s just a show.”
I for one wouldn’t mind a full reset of the storyline, just like they do in comic books. Trying to fit everything into the timeline of the old series gives me a headache.
But, now that you mention it, Checkov could have been serving aboard the Enterprise as an ensign on another deck, just because we didn’t see him on the bridge doesn’t mean he wasn’t there from the beginning.
And any differences in the timeline can be explained by Kirk messing with the past in Star Trek 4. Yep, that’s it. Now if we can just erase “Enterprise” from our collective memories…
First ep of TOS aired did have narration. It was the Man Trap, which was produced sixth.
Where No Man Has Gone Before, the first Kirk ep aired third. It has no narration.
OH dear heavens, I’m a geek.
You are correct Michael – I was speaking of shooting order & storyline cohesion. The first few episodes of Star Trek Season 1 were shot out of sequence – kind of like a Fox thing even back then before there was a Fox. 🙂
And, Stevehops — Just another show? Dude!
This was a great post, and I appreciate all of the research (or maybe just your good memory) to piece it together. That said, I doubt Abrams will pay that much attention to it. I suspect it will run right over the canon, using only what they choose to use of our beloved timeline. However, I will be there, buying a ticket, and supporting any Star Trek that may come. I even think that if you can suspend your thoughts of derailed timelines, it’ll probably be a really good movie. I hope he does his research, but mostly, I want a good story. I never got into “Enterprise” (though I’m curious to see Season 4 at some point), and the last two movies were weaker than those that came before it. But I would very much like Star Trek to be fun again. With great characters, and positing important questions, and reflecting back at us like a mirror the human beings that we should strive to be.
Star Trek XI is sure getting a bunch of hype. In real life I was in Intelligence in the Air Force and the first thing you never do is believe rumor or propaganda. Disinformation is very much alive and well and seems to be a very useful tool to get us Trekers interest back up to the fever pitch it once was. I for one will enjoy seening Tom Cruise get his butt kicked or killed by James T. Kirk and Mr. Spock. It will be a shame that this will not kill his career also – he seems to be very resilient. My number one wish is that Abrahms stays true to the timeline and traditions of Star Trek. Enterprise waivered and was made to look too new (for example the Gorn). I will not be the first in line to see the movie, but will be second or third.
In my last comment, I was assuming that Tom Cruise was going to be the bad guy. It appears that Capt Pike is in the offering. Getting a big name to play a role that is destined not to appear again is ok, but if the role was going to be ongoing then they need to get an actor that will grow with the role – just as Shatner, Nimoy, etc. did. Still, Tom Cruise – WHY???
I personally wouldn’t mind a restart, too. I have come to love the originality the new BSG brings to the BSG universe, for example. It certainly doesn’t follow canon — and thank goodness for it. Imagine — a Star Trek without “Spock’s Brain”, without flying pancakes, without time-travel-of-the-week… not a bad thing! J.J. Abrams did great things with Lost Season 1 — providing an inventive and addictive hook on the disaster film. Of course, I never got into “Conspiracy” Lost of Season 2 (and hence, have abandoned the series), but as long as he brings those Season 1 chops to the table, I’m in for a seat in the theater.
great article SAm,
i would like to know what do you think about the old doctor we have saw in the first episode and in the cage pilot. i remember him on the enterprise before bones! do you think jj Abrams put him on board before bones?
thanks!
please let me know what do you think
Andrea
Andrea, that was Dr. Phillip Bryce, played by actor John Hoyt. He served under Captain Christopher Pike on the Enterprise in 2254. Kirk did not assume command of the Enterprise until 10 years later in 2264.
The first Chief Medical Officer under Kirk’s command of the Enterprise was Dr. Mark Piper, played by Paul Fix. He was the ship’s CMO from 2264 to 2266,
Fix was a well established character actor in Hollywood, as was Hoyt. Neither were seen on Trek again after their one-time appearances.
The great DeForest Kelley portrayed Doctor Leonard McCoy. He became CMO of the USS Enterprise in 2266, the same year Doctor Piper retired from military service.
So, in my opinion, if Abrams does have a doctor on board Enterprise before Bones, but under Kirk’s command, then it will have to be Piper. If the story takes place in Kirk’s academy years, either as a cadet or an instructor, then Pike is Captain of the Enterprise and Dr. Bryce will have be the CMO portrayed in the film.
If it is a piece done where Kirk is in command of the Enterprise and flashback sequences are used, then all three doctors could be cast.
Is that vague enough – 🙂
this is the chronological history of mcCoy on the enterprise, do you think the writers will remember it?
“Joining the crew of the USS Enterprise, already underway in 2266, McCoy replaced Dr. Mark Piper as the starship’s Chief medical officer and ship’s surgeon.”
Thanks a lot, you’re right…for all.
i don’t remember so well, and i must do a little research, i will love if the writers respect the canon, but i’m worried because the other movies Orci and Kurtzman wrote, transformes too, don’t make me feel well about star trek script. but they are star trek fans..so i hope they respect the chronological order and details Tos have builded in three seasons.
what do you think?
Andrea
I’m not too worried – I think they’ll stay as close as they can with the continuity but there has to be some changes. Captain Kirk was not the first captain of the Enterprise – he served elsewhere at lower ranks before taking command. Also, the whole crew were not together from the beginning so there are changes.
There is a persistend rumour that UIP the company wich releases teh newest Star trek movie in Europe want nothing to do with Star Trek fans . The strictly forbid fanclubs to post announcements about premieres and movie theaters to organize events wich include Trekkies . They strongly state and I quote from a reliable source that ” this new movie may not be connected in any way to Trekkies or Star Trek fans in General “