Just seeing it now that Nichelle Nichols aka Uhura in Star Trek TOS has died

AMKC · 31-07-2022 9:12pm #1

I think she deserves her own thread. She was not well for a while so maybwe it was no bad thing and 89 is not a bad age to get too.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2022/07/31/nichelle-nichols-ukura-star-trek-dead/

May she Rest In Peace

BrookieD · 31-07-2022 9:21pm

we lose another great, RIP to a trail blazer

corkie · 31-07-2022 9:22pm

The Life of Nichelle Nichols Lt. Uhura on Star Trek TOS

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ZjS9QYpPPA

RIP Nichelle Nichols

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0629667/

31-07-2022 9:54pm

This one hits hard. Her character was such a political statement but, what was amazing, there was no fanfare, in show, about her.

She was just there like it was the most natural thing in the world. The only thing modern Trek has managed to do, similarly, was Stammets and Culber's relationship

TheValeyard · 31-07-2022 9:59pm

Great character and actor. 89 is not a bad age at all, but there were stories of dementia/alzheimer for a few years now.

Not much of the original crew left. Shatter, Koenig and Takei.

Real historic role too with her a black woman with an important role in the bridge if a starship.

Rest in Peace

Larbre34 · 31-07-2022 11:01pm

What a lady she was, a class act throughout.

RIP Commander Uhura.

pixelburp · 01-08-2022 7:48am

I always remember the (possibly apocryphal?) story about how Nichols was ready to quit a show that gave her nothing to do, until one day she happened across Martin Luther-King, who waxed lyrical about her status and importance to the cause; changing Nichols' mind about leaving.

She also, apparently, got more fan mail than Shatner but the studio never passed it on til they were rumbled and she started getting her share.

I don't know how true, or mangled, those stories are but both at least remind just how important the woman's work was. Critically underserved by scripts but still deeply important in a country and era when black people were being actively, institutionally discriminated against as an engrained way of life.

While prejudice still seems to be endemic in that country, it's nice she got to live to see huge changes for the better all the same. RIP.

Rawr · 01-08-2022 9:27am

RIP, and close hailing frequencies Lt. There goes another legend this week.

Uhura forms many of my early memories of Trek, specifically since my earliest Trek memories revolve around Wrath of Khan. She led weight to a lot of the more dramatic scenes in that film such as when she devastatingly declared Khan's demand for terms of surrender, the creeping horror of the Regula station with her face and voice calling out for an answer from a mostly dead crew and the final triumphant demand for Reliant's surrender near the end.

I don't think anyone else could have done this role are well as her.

eadrom · 01-08-2022 10:00am

One of the greats!

RIP.

pinkypinky · 01-08-2022 5:27pm

The MLK story is, wonderfully, not made up. She mentioned it on camera in several interviews.

RIP.

pixelburp · 01-08-2022 7:24pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119415869#Comment_119415869

That's great to hear it is true: imagine the thrill being a young black nerd, watching the TV as escape from the harshness of reality, and seeing someone who looks like you front and centre and an important part of a utopian crew? MLK was right, and for Nichols it must have been an electric moment.

corkie · 01-08-2022 9:23pm

https://twitter.com/DaveBlass/status/1553842102517354497

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-trek-finally-reveals-uhura-became-captain-of-her-own-starship/

https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/star-trek-nichelle-nichols-best-uhura-moments/

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/USS_Leondegrance

R.I.P – NICHELLE NICHOLS, our elegant Lady of Communications – 1932 to 2022

corkie · 03-08-2022 6:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119415869#Comment_119415869

Nichelle Nichols on how Dr. MLK, Jr. dissuaded her from quitting Star Trek

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pSq_UIuxba8

"Why Me!?"

Nichelle Nichols "Breaking Barriers" Sizzle Reel

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vNYd8Nmhic

6 Sept 2021 Have you ever wondered about tales from the set of Star Trek: The Original Series? Now, in her own words, fans will get the chance to hear those stories. Filmed on set at Neutral Zone Studios in Kingsland, GA.

^^^ Filmed in 2019, I think, going by end credits.

corkie · 05-08-2022 1:53pm

Marc Zicree (Mr. Sci-fi) tribute: -

Nichelle Nichols -- When Magic Came Into My Life!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rr_jRYxtBFo

Has a clip from Space Command, ~~probably one of her last filming appearances?~~,

Not her last, she has been credited for 12 to Midnight (TV Series) and 3 others in production.

pixelburp · 06-08-2022 11:06am

Funny, never saw Uhura as a future captain, in the same way I couldn't with Scotty; both were preternatural talents in their respective fields but seemed more interested in the tech and geekery than sitting in a position of authority.

Could see Uhura running a while Federation linguistics department, some critical field research, or maybe a science vessel - so yeah then she'd be a captain. Though always found it a bit strange you'd give captaincy to a nominal boffin.

Evade · 06-08-2022 11:41am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119436407#Comment_119436407

Better a scientist/engineer to captain a science vessel than someone who's always been on the command track or came from security and I'm sure they usually give the science background captains low bar first assignments that absolutely won't result in being flung across the galaxy looking at a 70 year journey home.

There's also holding the rank of captain doesn't necessarily make you a ship's captain, I don't think Scotty ever had a command but he was probably stuck in a staff position instead of an engine room by the end of his career.

corkie · 06-08-2022 11:57am

@Evade There's also holding the rank of captain doesn't necessarily make you a ship's captain, I don't think Scotty ever had a command but he was probably stuck in a staff position instead of an engine room by the end of his career.

For Picard season 3,

a certain character will be Captain (in name only).

Well, we don’t know all the answers to that last one, but thanks to Picard showrunner Terry Matalas we know that when we’re reunited with (the specific character), he’ll be a Captain. But, he won’t be Captain of a ship. ~ Link

Evade · 06-08-2022 12:03pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119436580#Comment_119436580

That's actually kind of interesting, I can't wait to see how they make a complete mess of it.

pixelburp · 06-08-2022 8:10pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119436531#Comment_119436531

I dunno, captaining a ship still means 90% mundanity, management and logistics rather than moral quandaries and battle with Klingons.

In The Expanse (yes we're going there yet again), an important science vessel from the story was nominally run by an Important Scientist Character, but the actual running of the vessel was still the authority of a more typical naval captain. Wasn't Dr. Crusher a captain of a Golfball Class ship during All Good Things? Just doesn't sit right - and so ditto Uhura.

Evade · 06-08-2022 9:38pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119438567#Comment_119438567

I meant more in the sense when you're parked taking sensor readings of an anomaly or charting a nebula as a scientist or engineer you're interested in that sort of thing and it'll keep you occupied whereas a captain from a different track will be bored silly without much to do.

Same for ~~Crusher's~~ Beverly Picard's ship was a medical ship so when it's parked in orbit providing medical relief she'd have something else to do besides "Helm are we still in standard orbit?" And it's not like it came out of nowhere she'd been established to take bridge shifts in the big chair. IIRC Uhura was also the fourth in command of the Enterprise during TOS too so not an unbelievable stretch.

Your Expanse example lines up more with my interpretation. Janus was a military officer and scientist, they didn't send a career line officer to command the ship, the issue there was it was a commandeered civilian ship not used to running in military fashion. The silent J joke really made his name stick in my mind.

corkie · 06-08-2022 11:34pm

Strange direction this thread has gone?

Captain Beverly Picard was from an erased timeline, looks like Data is still functioning in that?

In an alternate future, Beverly had been promoted to captain and was commanding the medical ship USS Pasteur. She had also married Picard and then divorced him quite some years prior, but had kept the surname of Picard following the divorce.

https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/USS_Pasteur

I know, I started the conversation with 'Captain Uhura' links mentioning it.

Rawr · 07-08-2022 7:43am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119439290#Comment_119439290

That’s the thing about the love of Trek, we care about what happens to the characters (usually).

Upon losing her it makes sense to reflect on Uhura’s character and what happened to her. It’s not beyond the norms of what we’ve seen for a Senior officer to eventually reach captian. Hell, *Sonya Gomez* made captain eventually, and you can just imagine how many senior officers she’s spilled hot drinks onto in the process. (I know it’s Lower Decks, but I’m counting it as canon dammit!!)

LaForge made captain of a ship (alternate timeline, but still) and I get the feeling that there’s a good chance of this happening if you spend time as a department head. I get the impression that Janeway was also a Chief Engineer before moving to command devision too. Uhura could totally have been a captain, and my imagination paints a picture of her being awesome at it. A fitting final send off for such a great character.

AMKC · 07-08-2022 9:26am

It's just a pity we never got the chance to see Uhura command the ship in TOS.

Scotty got to many times. All it would have taken is for him to have gone on an away mission with Kirk and Spock or to get injured while commanding the ship and Uhura could have taken over.

It's not like it can happen in SNW because that would conflict with canon.

Evade · 07-08-2022 9:38am

Janeway was a science officer before going into command. One of her posts was on a then Captain Paris' ship

Evade · 07-08-2022 9:42am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119439811#Comment_119439811

Dubious canon as it is she did take command in TAS

AMKC · 07-08-2022 9:47am

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119439857#Comment_119439857

I have that on DVD. I only ever watched it once. Must watch it again.

pixelburp · 07-08-2022 4:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119439290#Comment_119439290

Just head canon. That version of Uhura just didn't seem interested in pursuing the captaincy role, not of a starship anyway.

corkie · 15-08-2022 2:04pm

See Nichelle Nichols In Rare Uhura Footage Just Released By The Smithsonian

The Smithsonian museum has released footage of What’s In it for Me? It is a short film produced by Nichols’ company Women in Motion for the National Air and Space Museum, the footage can be seen below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HDd6hmDt6Q