Kirk vs Picard, who is the better captain.
Kirk is the more interesting and fun character but “the better captain” is obviously Picard. Picard acts like an actual captain. Kirk is incredibly reckless and his incredulous luck is his greatest gift, not as much his legitimate skills. We see Kirk constantly taking bold risks that throw caution to the wind and regardless of how ludicrous some of his actions are…and somehow, it always works out for him.
But then it occurred to me…that’s exactly how Kirk would want to be portrayed: bold, daring, fearless in the face of overwhelming odds. Reality doesn’t play by the adventurous ideals of a young man yearning for excitement, as we see in plenty of episodes where politics and ethics get in the way of sci-fi escapades.
I think the captain’s log is how Kirk claims his adventures went down and we’re watching/listening to his version of the story play out. Think about Kirk’s personality and ask ‘Why wouldn’t Kirk fudge a few details to make him look better?’ He’s Kirk! That cocky but lovable bastard pulls this shit all the time.
Why would it matter if some details were altered for the sake of building a good reputation, Kirk would think. Maybe it’s because Kirk’s ego needs stroking or maybe it’s because he’s intentionally trying to play the political game for career safety, but the result is the same: people viewing his logs interpret him as a confident, level-headed, flirtatious, thoughtful, fearless, unbeatable hero, which is exactly how Kirk wants it.
This is also why some of the sets and monster costumes lack detail and look cheaply made: Kirk spent more time explaining how great he is than the scenery.
He’d never deny credit when his teammates do a good job (some logs/episodes show how great Spock and McCoy are), but this guy survives battles all the time, gets with every girl effortlessly, and comes to conclusions about whatever they’re encountering oddly quickly for someone who is supposed to be unfamiliar with the situation.
Some of the corniness in the original Star Trek can be justified by Kirk embellishing details about himself. Here are a few examples…
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Reality: The enemy put up a hard fight. No one was killed. Kirk received several minor injuries including a black eye and a bruise rib but ultimately the crew of the Enterprise succeeded with their combined efforts.
Captain’s Log: I knocked out three guards on my own. One punch each, because all I need is one punch.
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Reality: The beautiful girl flirted with Kirk a bit before kindly rejecting him, if not for his brashness but how inappropriate it would be to do anything but flirt with a man she just met.
Captain’s Log: We totally made out. Suck it Spock.
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Reality: Kirk blasted the alien at point blank range and fast, phaser set to kill.
Captain’s Log: I killed the alien and felt terrible about it. When back on the ship, I went to my quarters to sit in quiet contemplation as I pondered the philosophical ramifications of what I had done, silently wondering if I could ever face my crew again. After sometime, I pulled himself back to the captain’s chair, knowing that part of my commitment to Starfleet is to carry the weight that others can’t.
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Reality: The alien was 7 feet tall. Scotty fired on the alien as per protocol.
Captain’s Log: 12 feet tall, and growing right before my eyes. I had to act quickly before things got out of control. My phaser malfunctioned so I quickly ordered Montgomery Scott to open fire.
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Plot Hole 1: “Wouldn’t people read his log and call bullshit?”
As far as I know, Kirk’s log is stored in his private quarters and no one goes there but him and the women he ****s. Plus, everyone on the Enterprise have jobs to do, so most wouldn’t have the time to listen to all his logs. For a five-year journey, there must be hours of data to go through. Who is going to go into his room, sit down and listen all of that data?
Plot Hole 2: “Reports would surely conflict, right?”
Yeah, but who is Star Fleet going to believe? A red shirt? Ha! Kirk is the highest ranking officer on the Enterprise. And his fibs aren’t actually hurting anyone, they’re just embellishing details so does it really matter?
Plot Hole 3: You’re saying Kirk can’t do anything on his? That’s he’s a total fraud?
Of course not! He’s a highly capable captain overall. I’m just implying his ego often gets in the way of common sense. He’s a risk-taker and a show-off. These traits would surely persist in other aspects of his professional life. I’m guessing maybe 80-90% of what he records in log is actually true, but rest...the parts where Kirk doesn't get so much as a bruise after a Kilgon hits him...that's Kirk showing off.
People have complained a lot about his "don't choke on your aspirations" line, but it was pointed out to them he has similar lines in the OT. Now, why does it fit his character to begin with? Why would a dark lord of the Sith make those horrible jokes?
Well, before I ask you, I want you too look at some other Sith lords:
Darth Maul was (at least in the movie) an aggressive savage specialized in melee (lightsaber) combat - true to his name.
Darth Tyranus was a tyrant, ruling the CIS with an iron fist - true to his name.
Darth Sidious was indeed insidious, as his name suggest.
Do you know what "Vader" is? It's German for Father. And just as the name suggests, he makes horrible, horrible dad jokes all throughout his reign as lord of the Sith - while killing and torturing some people along the way, because you know, he is a Sith after all.
Originally posted by UnoriginalBeautiful
People have complained a lot about his "don't choke on your aspirations" line, but it was pointed out to them he has similar lines in the OT. Now, why does it fit his character to begin with? Why would a dark lord of the Sith make those horrible jokes?Well, before I ask you, I want you too look at some other Sith lords:
Darth Maul was (at least in the movie) an aggressive savage specialized in melee (lightsaber) combat - true to his name.
Darth Tyranus was a tyrant, ruling the CIS with an iron fist - true to his name.
Darth Sidious was indeed insidious, as his name suggest.Do you know what "Vader" is? It's German for Father. And just as the name suggests, he makes horrible, horrible dad jokes all throughout his reign as lord of the Sith - while killing and torturing some people along the way, because you know, he is a Sith after all.