10 Tiny Star Trek Details You Might Have Missed The First Time

5. The Conspiracy Is Hiding In Plain Sight - Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek Into Darkness
CBS

There was one moment in Star Trek Into Darkness that always seemed a little odd. In the aftermath of John Harrison's attack on Starfleet HQ, Scotty manages to discover where the terrorist has fled to, by means of a transwarp beaming device. Kirk and Spock rush to Admiral Marcus's office to tell the officer that Harrison is on Quo'nos, the Klingon Homeworld.

Marcus orders the room cleared and orders the Enterprise to pursue and destroy the man. As he is talking to Kirk and Spock, Marcus walks past a row of models. The Ring-Ship Enterprise makes its first physical appearance here, as it had only appeared as a painting before. The NX-01 also appears as a model. So to does the USS Vengeance.

Initially, this was jarring. Why would Admiral Marcus build a model of his super-secret attack ship, then display it proudly for all to see? Finally, the penny dropped. The conspiracy didn't stop with Marcus.

To Kirk and Spock, the USS Vengeance is a huge surprise when it arrives. It is not a huge surprise for some of the higher elements of Starfleet. On reflection, it now seems obvious. How would Marcus have been able to commission the ship to be built, if not with the support of some seriously influential Federation officials? This is one plot hole that never truly was an issue. The only people who didn't see it were Kirk and Spock.

And this writer.

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Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"