calhoun07

I watched the Deep Space Nine episode Advesary this afternoon, and Eddington made a comment to Sisko that he wishes one day he could become a captain, but laments that will never happen as long as he is wears a gold uniform. Sisko responds that he could always transfer to command. Why can't Star Trek have captains in other areas of Starfleet other than command? Why couldn't Eddington be captain of security (being a traitor later on aside)? And why couldn't they have captains in the science department, or engineering? In All Good Things, didn't Beverly Crusher become a captain of a medical ship, though I don't recall that she had to wear a red unifor to do that, unless my memory is incorrect (it's been a while since I've seen that episode).

Red Dog

I don't watch DS9, but I thought Scotty was made Captain of Engineering (and was wearing the Captain insignia) on the Excelsior in ST III.

Venusian

well a captain commands a ship, right? can you be captain without having a ship?

Red Dog

Well there is my Scotty example above. Plus both Kirk and Spock (and I assume Scotty) held the rank of Captain while serving on the Enterprise in V and VI.

blindrocket

They kinda changed things when TNG came along I believe... to be Captain you had to be trained in Command, or switch over to it or something.

mikehunt

I think Eddington was probably talking about being captain as in the commanding officer, although I'm not sure if they ever showed a non-red shirt captain in TNG and later, although I have a vague memory of a blue shirt captain (science or doctor) somewhere along the way in TNG or DS9. I know it was established that to become a commander you had to pass the bridge officers test (similar to the kobiashi maru), as evidenced by that episode with Troi. you also were supposed to take the test in order to be allowed to be in command of the bridge for a shift, which means that presumably Data took it even though he hadn't made commander yet, and unless janeway throew out the rule book ensign kim also took it

kind of related, I'm fairly certain that the chief engineer on at least some of the US nuclear carriers are captains

NitroJMS

Beverly did wear red in the future when she was a captain, but I can't remember if all the uniforms were a standard color at that point (ala the TOS movies) or unique to each department like on the shows.

In regards to bridge duty, Troi actually had command of the ship in one season 5 episode called "Disaster" when the Enterprise was terribly damaged. She was the only senior officer on the bridge for that episode so one must assume she was in command. Geordi's the only senior crew member that I don't remember seeing command the ship.

Buck Turgidson

I believe he did in Arsenal of Freedom in the first season, the show w/ Julia Nickson

You can also be the de facto Captain of a ship, especially a smaller one, without having the actual rank of Captain. (Sisko on the Defiant during Season 3 for example), but there were others.

Jim in Cincy

She wasn't the cutie on the holodeck that Geordi was all excited about was she? She's done nudity in a few films.

keyed

I'm not sure about the Excelsior part, but Scotty as an engineer is an exception to the rule. According to the Star Trek novel "The Kobayashi Maru", Scotty can command the ship when Kirk and Spock are off because he went through command school and took the Kobayashi Maru test, before transferring out to Engineering.

As for Geordi, he can't command the ship as he's not a line officer. Unless he decides to take the command test, he simply cannot take command unless all the line officers are out of commission and he's the senior-most non-line officer.

das Monkey

• Quoth Jim in Cincy •<HR SIZE=1>She wasn't the cutie on the holodeck that Geordi was all excited about was she? She's done nudity in a few films. <HR SIZE=1>

How dare you confuse the fine Julia Nickson with the fine Susan Gibney ... who can be seen every week wearing tight clothes on Happy Family.

das

Jim in Cincy

I know I'm really getting off theme, but Susan Gibney is the same girl? Wow, I didn't recognize her. She plays the neighbor on Happy Family. She looked MUCH better in TNG than she does on Happy Family

das Monkey

Well, it has been over a decade. For what it's worth, I think she looks fantastic now. Truth be told, the only reason that 24 episode made my Top 50 was her. She's also on Crossing Jordan ... or was ... I guess she'll be gone when it returns. She and Miguel Ferrer were great together.

das

Jim in Cincy

Damn, I have got to watch more television!!!

Buck Turgidson

And just to close the circle, the fine Julia Nickson has also done a really nice nude scene in a film called White Tiger (unavailable on DVD or VHS, naturally... ) and a couple of others in K2 and one of the Amityville films.

Jim in Cincy2

I have a link to a nude pic from White Tiger if you want it.