10 Tiny Star Trek Details You Might Have Missed The First Time
5. The Conspiracy Is Hiding In Plain Sight - Star Trek Into Darkness
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.