MovieChat Forums > Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984) Discussion > Why have redshirts?

Why have redshirts?

posted 4 years ago by TMC-4 (20149)
1 reply | jump to latest

If a skeleton crew comprised of Kirk, Scotty, McCoy, Sulu, and Chekov are able to steal and control the starship Enterprise, doesn't this naturally suggest that the Enterprise can operate with a crew of only five? So once again I ask, why have redshirts in the first place?

Granted, this was before they had to go into actual combat and they had to go against a ship that outgunned them by at least ten to one.

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-07af4c1be23dc4b138bb1ccd201f4616

[–] [deleted] 4 years ago

Scotty said he automated the necessary systems, but that system overloaded with the combat, it was obviously jerry-rigged by the amazing engineer extraordinaire, but the equipment let him down.

And Federation starships need BIG crews to function properly, with members of many departments, not just redshirt (or goldshirt) security.