#because mccoy isn't in starfleet to have anything to do with command

[favvn]

At the risk of being a contrarian (because I have browsed the tag, I've seen the complaints), The Deadly Years isn't entirely out of character for Jim Kirk. It's just that we get to see him at his worst again.

Back in season 1, the Conscience of the King shows that he will pull rank on both Spock and McCoy--the two people on the entire ship that Kirk allows himself to be closest to--to keep them out of his life and to shut down their concerns for his well-being. Kirk is not sick or inhibited by anything in this episode (other than haunted by his past). His decision to use the Enterprise to transport the acting troupe doesn't delay a mission or risk lives outside of the Enterprise, although it does inadvertently endanger one member of his crew (Lt. Riley). In other words, he acts selfishly in this episode and lashes out towards those who want to help, much like he does in The Deadly Years.

Earlier in the season, The Galileo Seven shows that Kirk will reassert his authority as captain to put off completing a mission to deliver emergency medical supplies to Makus III and aid a colony overrun by a plague because he has "standing orders" to investigate quasars. This mission is ordered by Galactic High Commissioner Ferris, which the Enterprise is transporting to oversee the supply transfer. Ferris himself later states that he outranks Kirk and can cite regulation to support his taking command of the ship to complete the mission once Kirk makes it clear he intends to take 2 full days to locate and retrieve the Galileo's crew rather than use those days to get to Makus III. This situation is interesting in that it shows how Kirk can respond negatively to those holding authority over him, especially when those same people question his decisions. Ferris is technically correct when he argues that the Galileo did not need to be launched to begin with, given how Kirk would rather trade the life of a colony for the lives of seven crew members.

I realize TOS is inconsistent about background details with how Starfleet operates owing to its standalone story structure, and this instance of "standing orders" is yet another case of that structure hindering the world building. While Kirk doesn't follow the Prime Directive even at the best of times (best of times being the absence of a cult. I'll grant him that exception), he will ignore a high galactic commissioner to follow "standing orders" all of a sudden because, at his core, Kirk doesn't want to follow orders. He's the captain. He's supposed to be the one in charge. If he's a perfectionist (his guilt at losing crew members during missions to the point of Spock having to console him, although this also comes from his survivor's guilt from Tarsus IV), it wouldn't surprise me a bit if he has control issues alongside it. In other words, for all the good Kirk tries to do and strives to do, he is still just as capable of acting selfishly and in his own best interests, and he has done so since the start of the series.

More to the point of The Deadly Years, aging is not always painless or graceful. We get to see Kirk starting to forget recent events and commands (forgetting recent events and conversations is one of the first symptoms of Alzheimer's disease) to the point that he is an active risk to the safety of the crew. Of course, he will be in denial about it, to the point of anger and deflection. It's a painful thing to reckon with, to live in a body that doesn't work like you know it should, and to have others place judgments onto you for it because they're in perfect health. Not everyone can accept that with grace. This doesn't make Kirk out-of-character. It makes him human.

[commander-quack-to-the-bridge]

I posted 184 times in 2022

That's 184 more posts than 2021!

46 posts created (25%)

138 posts reblogged (75%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@crystal-mouse

@reffitt-blog1

@your-name-is-jim

@frogayyyy

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I tagged 148 of my posts in 2022

Only 20% of my posts had no tags

#star trek - 102 posts

#spock - 97 posts

#jim kirk - 57 posts

#starfeed - 51 posts

#star trek aos - 41 posts

#star trek tos - 32 posts

#bones mccoy - 32 posts

#leonard mccoy - 25 posts

#aos spock - 24 posts

#the original series - 23 posts

Longest Tag: 119 characters

#i know i've watched a couple episodes of tos now and i am actually wondering what the hell that was even supposed to be

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Another iconic Beyond moment.

The fact that they are talking about Bones without having to name him. They just know each other well enough. They know him.

The fact that Spock is like, fuck it I spent the last several hours (days???) with him. His presence isn't so bad. I can handle it a bit longer. I already thought we were going to die together once. I can do it again.

Kirk being like, here we go again. Another southern gentlemanly rant about how he's a doctor not something else. These two idiots better know how much I love them because I am so fucking tired.

Bones screaming inside and trying to be marginally calm on the surface. You know he is cussing Spock and Jim up one side and down the other. You know it. We almost got to see it.

238 notes - Posted November 4, 2022

#4

omfggggggg

not the way Kirk says, "Spock, it seems only fair to warn you that I have absolutely no intention of obeying Admiral Diegaro's order to abandon an entire planet of innocent beings to horrible deaths. Since this makes me unequivocally guilty of insubordination, I'll understand if you need to relieve me of command and put me in the brig."

And Spock responding with an arched eyebrow, "And who will put me in the brig with you?"

Excerpted from More Beautiful Than Death by David Mack

256 notes - Posted October 7, 2022

#3

silly little headcanon time

since we get to see Spock basically quote Sherlock Holmes, it is now my belief that he's read the books.

Sherlock was Spock's first crush. He found his logic and demeanor interesting and flattering, appreciated the way he never had time for people that weren't willing to listen to him and/or some sort of asset to him. Appreciated that Sherlock plays violin, especially when he needs time to just sit and ponder some big mystery. Found his chemical dependency illogical but could over look it because he was amazing to read about. There wasn't anything Sherlock couldn't achieve with his logic and higher level of thinking. And then Spock grew a bit older and realized that wasn't a crush at all, it was more along the lines of representation. He related to Sherlock, he wasn't crushing on the man. With that knowledge he decided to spend his spare time rereading his mother's old books.

Only on his reread the only character he could seem to pay attention to was Dr. John Watson. The way he acted without thinking, how angry he would get with Sherlock for being so apathetic towards everyone and everything that wasn't the case he was actively involved with. The way Watson seemed to balance out the parts of Sherlock that were disliked by the vast majority of characters in the story. The head strong soldier who was willing to risk it all to help someone in need. He found his infatuation with John Watson fascinating. Eventually he finishes his reread of the old stories and gets caught up in growing up.

He recalls Sherlock Holmes from time to time, typically in passing, often when he looks at a fellow Starfleet officer and says, "Once you eliminate the impossible whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth."

And then he meets the hard headed, fiery, strong willed cadet who already - in his first two weeks in the academy - made a reputation for himself being quick to act, James Tiberius Kirk.

289 notes - Posted October 12, 2022

#2

When the events of Star Trek 2009 take place Chekov is 17.

He is seventeen when he witnesses the death of almost six billion people.

Seventeen when he saves Sulu and Kirk from slamming to their deaths but minutes later loses Amanda as the surface of Vulcan gives way & he is unable to lock onto her signal. He's a child, the death of someone else's mother is on his hands.

Chekov watched as a few elders and Spock appeared in the transporter, saw the look of devastation on his face as Spock realized his mother was now gone. They returned to the bridge and watched as a planet died, knowing there was nothing to be done about it.

Chekov's calculations were correct and it must have been the worst feeling in the universe. He had to hope - even if it was just in the back of his head - that he was wrong. He had most likely never wished for anything more in his young life.

All of this... only to then be present when Kirk forced Spock into showing that he was emotionally compromised. Hearing Kirk goad Spock with, "It must not even compute for you. You never loved her!" only to see someone he most likely admires lose his mind. No one on the bridge, except his father, could have imagined Spock in such a state.

You can't convince me that Chekov didn't internalize that. He had to have been feeling poorly as it was - to run through the halls shouting, "I can do that I can do that!" and save two men only to lose someone a few moments later in a similar situation. I know I'm repeating myself here but I remember being 17 and internalizing all kinds of things.

The one break Chekov probably had was taken from him when Spock snapped. To see Spock react logically must have been a level of comfort, even if on some level Chekov knew it was probably a lie.

And then to be the one that came up with the plan to hide the entirety of the Enterprise??? To go through all of that and still be mentally present is a kind of strength that is unimaginable for me.

I like to think that after the events of that day McCoy is making his rounds, checking in on everyone. When he gets to Chekov the kid smiles and says, "Everything is fine with me, sir."

McCoy gives him a look before responding, "Ever eager, huh? You didn't even let me ask my question."

"What question is that?"

"How are you?"

Three simple words. And Chekov's illusion he built for himself shatters.

Seeing Vulcan destroyed was bad enough. But he hasn't been able to sleep without seeing Amanda disappear from the screen, seeing Spock hit Kirk over and over with displaced rage, hearing Spock's voice shake as he says, "Doctor, I am no longer fit for duty. I here by relinquish my command based on the fact that I have been emotionally compromised. Please note the time and date in the ship's log.", or waking up scared that Spock will blame him, because why wouldn't he?

303 notes - Posted September 30, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

Can we just... Look at this.

The look Spock gives him 🙃 he knows in that moment he can't leave Jim, despite what logic might say is best for New Vulcan.

457 notes - Posted October 27, 2022

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