William Shatner

07
Feb
2017

Portrait of a Character – James T. Kirk

Portrait of a Character – James T. Kirk

James T. Kirk Origins

James T. Kirk (Chris Pine version)

Kirk (Chris Pine version)

James T. Kirk. The character is, of course, canon.

Portrayal

As in canon, the character is played by Chris Pine when younger and William Shatner when more mature.

James T. Kirk (William Shatner version)

Kirk (William Shatner version)

Personality

Daring, impulsive, and intelligent, the TOS version is easier to take as a leader. The JJ Abrams version often seems bratty and out of control. While the TOS version is sometimes overly sure of himself, he never really seems to be cocky.

One thing to remember is that TOS was written for Kirk. Every episode revolves around him and it is always his POV, even when a storyline centers around Spock, McCoy, or even Scotty or Nurse Chapel.

Relationships

TOS Kirk has numerous relationships, too many to list here.

Carol Marcus

In canon, they fall in love and she has his child (prime timeline only).

Kaitaama

This is the only ‘relationship’ (it’s more like a hookup) I have written for him.

Mirror Universe

Mirror Universe Kirk (William Shatner)

Mirror Universe Kirk (William Shatner)

Mirror Universe James T. Kirk is canon.

We do not really see the MU Jim. As I write him, much like other men with the Y Chromosome Skew, he’s always looking for sexual conquests.

About all we really see is him arguing, but we see all of the denizens of the Mirror Universe complaining and threatening. He does not seem like anyone special, a fact that is played up for Jonathan Archer in the Enterprise MU episodes.

Quote

“Starfleet is looking to us, to go exploring. Everybody wants peace, and I’m all for that, but you gotta understand something. That means actually doing something with our time. We are supposed to be getting all of the things done that we couldn’t, while we were dealing with the likes of Nero and Khan. We’re all glad that they’re gone, and I can understand the interest, but Starfleet can send one of their slower ships for that, right?”

Upshot

I was so sick of him at the end of TOS that I didn’t really want to write about him or watch him much. The truth is, I tend to watch TOS with an eye toward McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, or Chapel more than Kirk. The JJ Abrams version is often kind of whiny. At some point, I hope I can come to peace with this character, as he is, as Spock would say, fascinating.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Hall of Mirrors, Portrait, 1 comment
17
Mar
2015

Inspiration – Childhood

Inspiration – Childhood

Childhood can inspire.

The mechanics of creation

Star Trek canon and Star Trek fan fiction are of two minds, it seems, when it comes to childhood.

Inspiration – Childhood

Star Trek film premiere at the Sydney Opera House. From left to right: Karl Urban (Leonard McCoy), Chris Pine (James T. Kirk), Bryan Burk (Executive Producer), Zachary Quinto (Spock), J.J. Abrams (Producer, Director), Eric Bana (Nero), and John Cho (Sulu). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Either it is Shakespearean-level difficult, like in the JJ Abrams films, where the alternate timeline version of James T. Kirk suffers mistreatment from his stepfather; or the child is some sort of super genius, like Wesley Crusher. There does not appear to be a place for anyone who is in between.

And that is a crying shame, as nearly everyone has a childhood that is somewhere in the middle.

My Experiences Inform My Writing

My own childhood was in the middle. I was not mistreated and, while I am an intelligent person and was as a child, I was not so incredibly off the charts that anyone would have called me a Mozart-style prodigy.

As the younger of two, I am more than familiar with sibling rivalry, and so I made Marie Patrice Beckett a big time proponent of it. Empy is not the youngest in the clan, but she is the only daughter and so she is a little spoiled. Hence her younger behaviors continue a bit into adulthood.

Teenaged behaviors such as getting into mild trouble and then getting out of it are reflected in Lili O’Day‘s teen years, mainly showcased in Flip. Lili gets a chance to turn her life around and she leaps at it. But, at the same time, she is overly annoyed at her hovering grandparents and their reminders, which feel like nagging to her.

Doug‘s childhood is somewhat different, but that is the essence of the Mirror Universe. In Paving Stones, Doug’s early life is rather Dickensian, but that is in keeping with my vision of the other side of the pond. Doug’s life also somewhat parallels what life was like for the young in ancient Sparta.

Upshot

Childhood is a part of everyone’s life. For those of us lucky enough to live far beyond its end, it can often serve as a prelude to our own personal futures. But Star Trek canon rarely seems to show anything other than extremes. It has been my mission to show what’s in the middle.

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Posted by jespah in Fan fiction, Inspiration-Mechanics, 0 comments