[Bright Eyes]

We all know there are many possible explanations for the black shirt, but there is one that hope is not the actual reason: that Kirk doesn't feel he has the right to command. We don't know how he comes to be in command but it is probably unexpected. If he is a cadet he may feel the honor doesn't belong to him, and may reluctantly assume command but refuse to wear the command uniform. This would be a really bad move, as a hierarchical rank structure is a delicate, political thing. If he feels too modest to were a command uniform, that message will be understood by his officers and crew as meaning he thinks he isn't fit for command. They would not have confidence in him and be less willingness to follow him into the jaws of death. Whether Kirk feels up to the job or not, he must convey to everyone that he is in command and they should have confidence in him and trust him.

All of this is, of course, pure airbag speculation and there are many other possible reasons why he's not wearing a command uniform.

[horatio]

Pretty far fetched speculation but he might be a renegade, taking the Enterprise with his "academy friends". It would tie in with him fighting with Spock and Sulu, reports that he is a fresh out of the academy and the idea that Nero kills his father and he is out for revenge.

[DNA-1842]

It does not look like they are cadets anymore. I thought that the whole cadet think would be over with in the first part of the film - and instead they move on to when they all have their familiar ranks...

[FireDevlin]

I can't go with the "cadet" in command thing. Not with so many higher ranking officers on board. (scotty and mccoy....command officers or not). I am going with the undershirt theory, as identification on layers of uniform is common. Shirts often have idetification on them under a tunic.

Now why is he in that "under" shirt? And in the Captains chair? Million dollar question!

(I just hope Pike isn't dead/gone at this point. Somehow the story from the "Cage" seems something they will avoid.)

[vuedoc]

Good Guys Wear Black!

[The Saint]

Originally Posted by Bright Eyes

We all know there are many possible explanations for the black shirt, but there is one that hope is not the actual reason: that Kirk doesn't feel he has the right to command.

That one's pretty improbable. Not only doesn't it fit the character we're familiar with (and since he's on the bridge and in the chair, he's going to be pretty close, at that point, to the character we're familiar with) it doesn't really make any real world sense as far as I can tell. The "black ops" explanation doesn't really work, either, not for one that green in his career. I'm betting it has something to do with that 'crawling out of an escape pod' shot we saw.

[Commodore]

Too much emphasis has been made regarding Kirk being in black for a plot-related detail and that he won't wear command gold until the very end of the movie. I don't think it's a cadet uniform, because I personally think Kirk is either a lieutenant or a lieutenant commander at the time of the film.

I think Kirk is wearing black because he's in trouble with Starfleet, has been relieved of duty, and may actually have been cooling his heels in the Enterprise brig when an unexpected crisis erupts that warranted his immediate release and presence on the bridge...

[T'Aerwynd]

Originally Posted by Commodore

I think Kirk is wearing black because he's in trouble with Starfleet, has been relieved of duty, and may actually have been cooling his heels in the Enterprise brig when an unexpected crisis erupts that warranted his immediate release and presence on the bridge...

"This is the new brig, Captain. It is escape-proof."
"How do you know?"
"The designers tested it using the most intelligent and resourceful person they could find. He failed to escape."
"This person ... didn't by any chance have pointed ears and an unerring capacity for getting his shipmates into trouble, did he?"
"He did have pointed ears."



Couldn't resist. I need less coffee.

[mmoore]

I'm thinking it's like an away mission uniform. Nothing sinister.

[vuedoc]

I love this forum. We get a publicity shot of the star in his undershirt and everyone starts writing their own screenplay. This shows 1) how intelligent and resourceful we are and 2) We need this movie already!! The wait and anticipation is driving us fruit-loops!