A captain needs a loyal crew. The question here is: which captain has the most loyal crew? Its a very powerful and useful trait that assures the loyalty and the effectiveness of the people who serve under that leader. Both captains are well-represented in this category. Kirks crew were willing to risk their own safety to rescue him even after he was declared missing in action in the episode The Tholian Web. The same can be said of Picard when captured by the Borg in the episode The Best of Both Worlds. But, the difference between the two incidents is the way in which the crew reacts individually. To Picards crew, its a matter of professionalism. Options are discussed; plans are drafted and then, methodically, executed in a completely impersonal yet professional manner. To Kirks crew, its a personal matter. Spock, justifying his decision to stay and fight the Tholians as a logical one, is accused of being stubbornly loyal. In Amok Time, Spock also displays his unabashed devotion to this captain in an uncharacteristic show of emotional relief when he learns that he has not killed his captain. His yeoman wants him to look at her legs, his weapons officer constantly vies for his attention and the chief medical officer regards the captains health as his own personal challenge. Each member of the crew has some sort of personal link to Kirk, which is a stark contrast to Picards detached and aloof yet respectful relationship with his crew. Its pretty clear that Kirks crew has a deeper and more meaningful sense of loyalty to their captain.
John Kirk is a Teacher-Librarian and currently a History/English Teacher with the Toronto District School Board.
But mostly, John teaches Geek.
Comics, Sci-Fi (Notably Star Trek), Fantasy and Role-Playing and table-top games all make up part of John’s repertoire, There is a whole generation of nerds-in-embryo who rely on him to make sense of it all, to teach that with great power comes great responsibility, that the force will be with us always and that a towel IS the most useful thing to have in one’s possession.
When John isn’t in the classroom, he can be found in his basement writing comic reviews for www.popmythology.com and features for Roddenberry Entertainment's www.1701news.com.
