Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (Film)

[J!!]

Opinionated Trek Film Guide now looks at The Voyage Home. Stuck with a Klingon Bird of Prey, our crew grimly heads for home to be courtmartialed for their actions, only to see Earth being destroyed by an unstoppable alien threat. Naturally, this film is a comedy. Whales are saved, beer is drunk, and time is made Kirk's personal bitch in this installment of the series.

[Robovski]

Nothing to say about the movie?

[J!!]

So, something's been bugging me about the end of this movie: why the hell does Spock get demoted? With Kirk and the others it makes sense, as a compromise between rewarding them for saving the earth, and punishing them for stealing the enterprise. But Spock didn't steal shit, he was only in on the heroic parts. If anything, Spock should be getting a promotion, or at least a medal.

Actually, that'd have been an interesting shakeup for the next film; having Spock be Kirk's boss for a change.

Nothing to say about the movie?

wanted to put my personal thoughts in a separate post from the review link/description.

[Durandal_1707]

The "conversation" at 19:34 in part 2 is, in my opinion, the funniest thing he ever did.

[J!!]

The "conversation" at 19:34 in part 2 is, in my opinion, the funniest thing he ever did.

you just got me to rewatch that bit, the "Huh?" cracks me up every time.

[Durandal_1707]

"You're destroying the oceans! You know, where I live?"

[SuccubusYuri]

Well, I mean, was Spock demoted? I can't recall of the top of my head. He was a Captain in 2 and a Captain in 6, the resurrection thing is a little blurry in those regards.

[J!!]

was he a captain in 6? that would mean that the enterprise had two captains for a number or years. though that might explain how he was able to volunteer the enterprise for a mission without consulting jim first.

ok, starfleet's rank structure makes no sense on the best days, so i guess a captain could serve as first officer under another captain. but that still leaves the question of why he doesn't get to have his own ship anymore.



Then again, by that point Sulu's been promoted to Captain, with his own ship. So it's just as likely that Spock's been re-promoted by that point too.


I think the most reasonable explanation might just be that Spock is considered an accomplice because his soul was riding along in McCoy's brain at the time.

[nebagram]

It's even funnier when you remember that Scotty held the rank of captain at that time as well. Then again, as Scotty says as Relics, he never wanted to be a command officer, only an engineer- likely Spock was offered command of a ship but felt he was better off as Kirk's second in command.

[ScreamingDoom]

So, something's been bugging me about the end of this movie: why the hell does Spock get demoted? ... But Spock didn't steal shit, he was only in on the heroic parts. If anything, Spock should be getting a promotion, or at least a medal.

The one tribunal (Council?) judge does offer Spock a way out: he specifically says that Spock is not accused of the crime, but Spock responds that he "stands with [his] crewmates". So, I guess in Federation (or Starfleet?) law that represents a specific request to be judged according to the same standards, even if one does not stand accused of the same crime.

Kinda a strange law precedent there, though. There's a story in there somewhere about what caused it to be a thing. Why would someone voluntarily -- no, not voluntarily, actually demand -- to be accused of a crime some other officer/citizen is charged? I'm imagining some sort of Federation Law Wizard using it as a Clever Means to prove his client innocent.