The 14 Dumbest Things In Star Trek II: The Wrath Of Khan

12. Saavik’s Steering

Kirk Wrath of Khan
Paramount
SPOCK: Lieutenant, have you ever piloted a starship out of Spacedock?

SAAVIK: Never, sir.

SPOCK: Take her out, Mister Saavik.

SAAVIK: Aye sir.

SPOCK: For everything there is a first time, Lieutenant. Don't you agree, Admiral

KIRK: Mmm hmm.

SAAVIK: Aft thrusters, Mister Sulu.

SULU: Aft thrusters.

McCOY: Would you like a tranquilizer?

Kirk's nervousness around Spock giving the conn to Mr. Saavik, who has never piloted a ship out of "space dock" is a funny moment, but it's also dumb, because Saavik isn't the pilot here, Sulu is. Sulu’s an old hand at this, and not going to pull a Galaxy Quest and scrape their ship down the side of a drydock regardless of what Saavik orders.

Kirk’s nerves would be justified if Saavik was plopped down at Sulu’s station to drive the bus herself. Now that would have been funny, and believable.

Incidentally, in real world navies a ship's captain is responsible for everything that happens on and to their ship, including if a harbor pilot pulls said Galaxy Quest. So Spock would be held responsible if turning over the conn to Saavik resulted in any sort of collision.

Cute but dumb.

 
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Contributor
Contributor

Maurice is one of the founders of FACT TREK (www.facttrek.com), a project dedicated to untangling 50+ years of mythology about the original Star Trek and its place in TV history. He's also a screenwriter, writer, and videogame industry vet with scars to show for it. In that latter capacity he game designer/writer on the Sega Genesis/SNES "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine — Crossroads of Time" game, as well as Dreamcast "Ecco the Dolphin, Defender of the Future" where Tom Baker performed words he wrote.