Dude.. I started to get choked up when Capt Sulu said that “ I owe them my life a dozen times over”... and now they’re in trouble and I’m goin to help them. Respect ✊
Captain Sulu is the type of guy who is willing to put his ass out on the line for his friends, time and time again! That's why many went on to serve under him!
I wish they'd included a conversation between Tuvok and Sulu in a later scene (from the novelisation of Flashback), when the Excelsior arrives at Khitomer. Tuvok, seeing the Enterprise weaving erratically around, asks Sulu what Kirk is doing. Sulu replies: "If I know Captain Kirk, and I served with him long enough to say that I do, he's deliberately making himself a target in order to give us some idea of where to shoot."
Thanks to Spock, Sulu knows how Vulcans think, which is why he's not angry at Tuvok for his questioning and actually giving it to him straight on why he's doing what he's doing. And ultimately Sulu is proven right: Tuvok did learn there's more to it. He learned in on Voyager what it means to be a family among crew and shipmates.
1st time I saw this scene I thought WOW the writing is F'n fantastic, I always wondered if George Takei had ad lib any of the dialog, because I honestly thought the writers at the time didn't have the insight in to the Mind of Sulu, I was never really impressed with the Voyager writers.
Nah, he didnt get angry as he was teaching an ensign something important. And yes, most Vulcan's in STO act according to that. Logic? Is thrown out the window for the man and woman you serve with. Each member of your crew is equaly important. You need to be a UNITY otherwise you could all die. Also he is , at his core, a Japanese soooo getting angry? Nope, you rarely IF ever see one doing that. They have patience BEYOND everyone in the west COMBINED.
I’m thinking about a young man quoting rules to “his” (Dad), and mom (Commander Janice Rand), was scolding Tuvok.. in all fairness, Sulu found a golden opportunity to snip a young Vulcan Ensign from his own experience with Spock. Tuvok was schooled by Sulu, and Rand was the cranky mom, in Family POV.. Yet Tuvok being struggling with his own family matters on Vulcan 🖖 learned Sulu was correct. Notice Tuvok and Janeway’s relationship in Voyager.. Why else she was part of Tuvok’s family. Grace Lee Whitney “was” a Yeoman in TOS, and now Commander on the Excelsior.. I remember Rand, Uhura and Chappell in TOS.. They all lived long, and prospered together as sisters of Trek! 🖖🖖🖖🖖❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️.
How amazing is George Takei? That he and Grace Lee Whitney didn't get their own show featuring the _Excelsior_ is such a lost opportunity on the part of Paramount.
Many years ago, DC Comics published a six-issue miniseries featuring Sulu and Rand and their crew aboard the Excelsior-it was entitled “The Tabukan Syndrome.”
True, but Paramount probably didn't have any studio space available at the time, and they already had their plates full with DS9 and Voyager (as well as the occasional TNG movie).
Imagine Spock in that situation: Tuvok: Sir, that is a most illogical line of reasoning Spock: To quote a very old friend of mine, you're damn right it is
Sulu was experienced and knew chances were good the ship would definitely hold together , he didn't have luxury of time to argue with the inexperienced crew , , "Fly her apart then" sufficed , , ,😂🖖🖖🎃
Captain Sulu is awesome, but hats off to Lieutenant Commander Rand at 0:39 for immediately addressing Tuvok’s borderline insubordination. Alway wish they had given Grace Lee Whitney more to do in the movies.
If we learnt anything from Kirk and Saavik in the Wrath of Khan, it's that a good captain should welcome a reminder of the rulebook every now and then. Sulu knows that from the events in TWoK, which is why he allows Tuvok the chance to speak. Rand, who wasn't on the Enterprise in TWoK, hasn't learnt that lesson, which is why Sulu countermands her. Tuvok was right to flag they would be violating regulations. Sulu was also right in that they have a duty that goes beyond the letter of the law; but he and Rand should have given the crew a chance to put any objections on record, as Picard does in First Contact. Rand imho comes off badly trying to shut Tuvok down for voicing a valid objection.
It's not insubordination to question the reasoning for what is apparently going against orders, and Tuvok never refused orders, he was just trying to be clear about the reasons for them because they were going against starfleet's. If he has not, he would be approving of ignoring starfleet's chain of command, which if it went badly instead of conveniently, he would be seen as accessory to for *not* speaking up. Basically he was trying to absolve himself from responsibility of the against-the-rules-gamble. Don't have anything against Sulu's orders in this case, but lieutenant commander turns the whole situation to sound like the bridge and ship's crew are Sulu's personal army and should just do unconditionally what he says instead of all being part of same starfleet that answers to federation itself and not their own personal objectives. Same reason why picard chose riker as first officer, for not blindly following orders without question.
Vulcans are stone cold logical people who mastered their emotions. Starfleet don’t want robots to follow orders they need Critical Thinking, split decision Captains to get the job done and not make a huge political mess. Tuvok and Sulu was both right, yet by the end of the day they saved Kirk and McCoy and proved to the Klingons at the risk of War, Good Starship Captains don’t leave their family behind. Tuvok had to Master this lesson, when he eventually took command of a ship himself. 🖖🖖🖖 IMHO
Actually she was out of line, but not by that much. Tuvok was 100% correct, and while she was right to address him, in reality she was wrong. But I love the way it was handled. When Voyager writers when on it, they were on it. Also, I too don't like how she was pretty much left out of the films.
@@jhmcd2 My issue isn’t with what Tuvok was saying, but where and how he was saying it. He was 100% wrong to openly question Captain Sulu on the bridge of his ship. He should’ve brought up his objection to Sulu or Rand privately. There’s a whole scene in TNG where Data explains this concept to Worf.
@@Cyril29aAll during Undiscovered Country , Sulu had the Enterprise back in moments both small and large. But to your point the “fly her apart” moment was the pinnacle.
He is a completely unbelievable as a commander- he's better at comic scenes, he can't be taken serious with that smirk. Sunk the whole movie but not a good movie anyway
@@rafterscott #4 is the only one I truly enjoyed- all the actors were spot on playing their characters with classic reincarnation of spirit! Most of the other movies seemed like everyone was trying to come off as movie stars, not their characters we all love. The other movies just did not capture the brilliance that is Star Trek. Though Kirk was at his best on the first movie- he had his attitude in gear like on the series!! 🖖🏽
Sulu was a good captain for having the conversation and even telling Tuvok he was right about the rules... I like that he just didn't shout him down. He knows how Vulans are and didn't get mad about it. Just took the advice and did what he was gonna do anyway.
@@jeffthornton6998 Who would've been relieved, Tuvok or Sulu? Be more precise. And since you're not an expert on the 23rd century military, and likely not the 21st century military, either, your observation is irrelevant.
Oh my gosh. There’s something about that original crew that is irreplaceable. Takei is only in a few minutes of the episode but he totally steals the show!
Sulu's words are so true. There are times you can't blindly follow rules and regulations but you also need to know when to. Balance is the key 🔑 to a success.
Captain Picard said something similar to Cmdr. Data in "Redemption II": "Starfleet doesn't want officers who would blindly follow orders without analyzing the situation." And in "The Offspring", he said this to Admiral Haftel: "There are times when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders." And in the PC-Game "Starfleet Academy", Captain Kirk said something along the lines of regulations being developed for perfect situations and that it would be up to the Captains to interpret them for less perfect ones, which is why Starfleet sends humans along with computers instead of computers on their own.
It's one thing to Know the rules and regulations but when loyalty is required, damn the rules. Sometimes doing the wrong thing, at the right time, IS the best thing.
You really can't appreciate seeing Rand in this episode without going back to The Man Trap and seeing the friendship Rand and Sulu had in that episode. It seemed only fitting that Sulu would want Rand with him as part of his bridge crew and Senior Staff.
There are quite a few accounts that say that Takei was always trying to come up with scenes and bits to give Sulu a little more screen time during the run of the original series and the movies. He must have *loved* this episode.
If you read any of the books George talks about this at length. And the number one person that derailed his attempts to get Sulu more screen time was.....you guessed it, William Shatner 🤣. Shatner went out of his way to make sure George got as little attention as possible.
You are correct. And do you know who was in the producer's and director's ear every time George tried to get more lines for Sulu? Yep, you guessed it. William Shatner made sure every attempt George made to enhance the character of Sulu was shot down. It's even known that Shatner went as far as trying to talk the directors out of having Sulu in command of the Excelsior in ST 6 and have him back on the bridge of the Enterprise. Shatner's excuse was he was trying to look out for George telling him that all the action took place on the Enterprise.... And even one more...in ST 4 George was supposed to have a scene where he met his great great grandfather when they went back in time. But can you guess who had that scene tossed? 🤣
They should have made the series Star Trek: Excelsior featuring Captain Sulu and his crew after Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Voyager or Star Trek: Enterprise ended.
At the beginning of this episode, Janeway pointed out that the time of Kirk and Sulu was a different time…almost a nod to how regulation-bound and bureaucratic Starfleet was depicted in TNG and Voyager as opposed to the more maverick-driven times of TOS. And then the flashback scenes are acted so well as to emphasize that difference.
Janeway even said "of course the whole bunch of them would be booted out of Starfleet today." I think this gives an additional nod to Roddenberry's original pitch to the network that Star Trek was going to be "Wagon Train in Space". The old west was a time as well where people would spend less time following the law and more time pulling their guns. And at the time Voyager was filmed, about the same time difference was between them and Excaliber and us and the Old West. Something easy for them to fantasize about but also realizing that time is long gone.
They are not so different as they think. When cut off from Star Fleet headquarters and on their own they had always to make decisions that were not along with the regulations. Janeway was no difference.
The very first time I saw this, I cried like a baby while screaming "YES!!!" HAMaving served with Spock for so many years, he understood where Tuvok was coming from. That's why he didn't berate him and relieve him of duty. He acknowledged that Tuvok was both right AND wrong. Sulu served under James T. Kirk, Starfleet's most maverick - and most respected and revered captain of the 23rd century - he picked up a thing or two from the legendary captain Kirk. Sulu broke every rule and protocol to save his friends, as they would do for him. As Janeway later told Harry Kim later, Kirk & Co. were cowboys. Stuff they got away with in their time would have anyone kicked out of Starfleet in Janeway's time. That's one of the reasons that, while I like the era of Picard, Sisko, and Janeway, I prefer that of Pike and Kirk. Yes, there were rules and regulations to be followed, but as Sulu pointed out, there was also that sense of loyalty, of family.
In my 74 years on this planet I've seen/watched many movies or videos, both bad and good. What I JUST noticed with this clip was at the very end: When Sulu says, "Helm, engage!" his voice takes on the edge (and sharpness) of an Old Japanese Warlord giving an order to his Samurai.
I was thinking more like a WW2 IJN Captain, They(the people running the Star trek universe) should of done some kind of series/Movie with Sulu as captain
"It takes the Navy three years to build a ship. It will take three hundred years to build a new tradition." - Admiral Sir Andrew Browne Cunningham., 1941
I totally believe this and am very disappointed that Star Trek has yet to have the main character of a series someone of East Asian descent. I would have loved to have seen Sulu's career. I'm writing about that on the FB page for Paramount plus.
@@samsmith2635 There is a difference between the lead actor, and leads or main cast characters. At this point in time, there is no Star Trek that has an Asian American lead actor. If you look at the current Wikipedia entry for "Discovery," it notes "Sonequa Martin-Green was cast in the lead role in December." The Wikipedia photo caption also notes "Sonequa Martin-Green portrays Michael Burnham, the lead character and eventual captain of the USS Discovery."
Damn, after watching this clip I would have loved if we got a Sulu series! George had a great presence on-screen and his voice is so cool and distinctive. What a missed opportunity! Also, I’m sure he went through hell with Shatner always trying to sabotage his role. Must have felt nice to at least be in an episode with no Shatner in sight here. You can tell he was enjoying this experience!
Here's a real kicker for anyone that doesn't know: They tracked down ALL the Extras that had been in Star Trek VI as Excelsior Bridge Crew for this one episode, specifically so it would look as close to "the same" as possible.
I believe they're called "featured extras," meaning they have no lines, but their faces are visible. They are all union actors. They're not the garden variety $50/day human cattle that are more like living scenery. I joke, because we need extras to breathe life into our stories and make them seem real. They are the unsung heroes of the industry. Crew member here.
I swear, I would have loved to see this series that never came to pass, "Captain Sulu". Just a terribly missed opportunity by the suites who run the industry.
@@orionred2489 I don't think so. Back in the 1960's I would have said yes. But not in the 80's or 90's. They just didn't see the potential of a Captain Sulu series, I guess.
This episode still is my favorite episode from Voyager. It's a terrific nod to Star Trek's past. It also made me wonder what a TV movie with Captain Sulu and the gallant Excelsior crew might've been.
Great scene! George Takei as Sulu and Grace Lee Whitney as Rand are superb! They were part of what made The Original Series a classic and they carried it over to everything else they did time and time again!
Commander Rand also understood that it wasn't Tuvok's place to question the captain's judgment on his bridge. That was gross insubordination. It was Rand's place to bring those concerns to the captain in private.
@@bobbailey2587 She's fine, and considering the mistreatment that happened on the original series it's very good Grace Lee Whitney finally had a return appearance that was more than one scene.
@@richardlahan7068 It was no subordination from Tuvok. He just quoted regulations. And Sulu reacted by explaining him calmly and with authority why he is doing what he does. That makes a great captain.
Sulu Should have also said that as Captain he'll bear the full responsibility of the consequences of his orders and the crew will be safe from court-martials because they were following his orders. Even so the crew trust him and would willingly follow his orders
That would of been a great show depending on the show runners, I think if it were to be done to day , it might have a good chance to well done show, but if they did it during the late 90s early 2000s we would get a lot of time travel..
harsh words for Tuvok here, but from Tuvok's POV he's absolutely right. I believe it's TNG that states they don't want officers in SF who can't think for themselves. True leaders WANT to know their people are thinking and engaged enough to ask their officer if they're sure. It also helps keep the officer honest. Tuvok never said, "No." He basically said, "Are you sure, because this isn't what SFA told me."
Tuvok was right in the moment to remind Sulu about the regulations. That is what Vulcans do. But often they have to bow to human's logic about loyalty and friendship.
Fact: When Sulu was still a yeoman he was stranded on a cold planet and said to Captain Kirk who was up in the Starship Enterprise, "Captain I could sure use a hot pot of coffee". Kirk never granted that request. LOL
To be honest, if Tuvok said that to Picard, he might get promoted. Picard -- when he's not emotionally compromised -- would rather have an officer stand up to him instead of just carrying out orders. Tuvok still had a hell of a lot to learn like to not blindly follow regulations, but he already knows to not blindly follow orders.
But now with Star Trek: Picard finally over, they can make the Star Trek: Sulu series with George Takei returning as Hikaru Sulu and they can also bring Sulu's daughter Demora back as well.
So TNG has McCoy, Scotty and Spock (Kirk if you count the movies.), Deep Space 9 has the entire Enterprise crew through time travel and Voyager has Sulu. Yet no show after has Uhura, Chapel of Chekov?
At this point, it's impossible. Majel Barrett passes away years ago and according to (very sad) news articles I've read, Nichelle Nichols has been suffering from dementia for several years now. On the plus side, Uhura and Chapel are going to be regular characters on Strange New Worlds, so that will be fun.
Seriously, between the movies, DS9, Voyager, etc, all at the same time, they were riding a high. Would it have killed them to come up with a 6 episode miniseries on Sulu as captain? A cameo or two from one of other TOS people?
The way Sulu dressed down Tuvok is exactly the reason I loved his character of captain of the Excelsior. 😂. And then he replies with a defiant, “Helm! Engage!!”
Even though I've been indifferent about Captain Sulu in the past, I've come to highly respect him. What he said was absolutely true. And it's not just that, but he has a great style as Captain.
These are the voyages of the Starship Excelsior, it's 5 year mission... Sulu would have been a bad ass Captain, talk to me now or later, there is only one way this is going to play out. My way. I would have totally watched it.
There has been an edit made to this clip. In the actual episode, when Sulu says the line, "you better believe it," the shot is a closeup on him. In this clip, it has been edited to make it a reverse shot showing Tuvok instead.
You ever noticed most vulcans are all about logic and regulations but after serving aboard a star ship long enough they begin to realize that the universe works in a different way than they original thought? Spoke, tuvok, and one from enterprise i cant remember.
@@lockerracing7121 Gotta wonder, what would happen if the show had a Vulcan ship with a human officer in it. Would he become more logical, or would he rub off on the whole crew? It is sorta wrong that every time they treat Vulcans like "in the wrong", or their lack of emotion as a condition to be overcome. For Spock, it was OK, because he had a human half, and his development was about finding peace between both sides. Not sure why T'pol, for instance, was supposed to become more humanized. If anything, Jon Archer had much to learn from HER.
Okay, the writers of NuTrek and NuWars need to look at this scene. The officer who always knows better (of course it's always an arrogant female officer and a male superior, that way when the women roll their eyes the women can treat it like a mansplanning moment) need to look at this scene. We essentually have an officer who knows better questioning the rules, and a superior who dresses him down, but does so properly, and with dignity and respect. It's used as a teaching moment, not one of the woman is always right. It's so easy to do yet so few shows do it today. But they still all want this moment.
@ The Analogue Geek Agreed, though for another scene from the movie - when traveling to peace accord with the Klingons & he responds to the concerned helmsman(she'll fly apart sir) " THEN FLY HER APART!!" Pure f'n stoicism in command!
Imagine - just imagine for one moment - if the JJ Abrams reboot of Star Trek had focused on Captain Hikaru Sulu, continuing the prime timeline and NOT going back and erasing it. You could have the entire prime timeline filled in from Kirk's (first) death aboard the maiden voyage of Enterprise-B, under Captain John Harriman, a contemporary of Capt. Sulu in command of the Excelsior, the original ship class for which the Enterprise-B was designed, you can even have a young Tuvok aboard Capt. Sulu's Excelsior. You could lead right up to the point in the timeline where the Enterprise-C was launched. You could even show the design schematics or even the hull being laid for the Enterprise-D in the final show. It would have been SO epic compared to what we got.
