STAR TREK: LIEUTENANT COMMANDER MONTGOMERY ‘SCOTTY’ SCOTT
While not what you would call a Trekkie, I have been a big Star Trek fan since I was a little boy. I have watched the series and franchise grow into one huge monstrosity over the last 30 years and with the current direction the films are taking, I think it will last a lot longer. This is a series dedicated to the lovable space pioneers and the movies for which they starred. A lot of these caches are on a fairly busy road. I tried to place them where parking was good. Please watch children along this stretch and use good judgement. I hope you enjoy my latest entries.
Montgomery "Scotty" Scott is a Scottish engineer in the Star Trek media franchise. First portrayed by James Doohan in the original Star Trek series, Scotty also appears in the animated Star Trek series, seven Star Trek movies, the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Relics", and in numerous books, comics, and video games. Simon Pegg has assumed the character and appeared in both the 2009 film Star Trek. and its sequel, Star Trek Into Darkness.
Doohan was cast as the Enterprise engineer for the second Star Trek pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before" (1966) on the recommendation of that episode's director, James Goldstone, who had worked with him before. The character almost didn't make it to the show after series creator Gene Roddenberry sent Doohan a letter informing him, "We don't think we need an engineer in the series". Only through the intervention of Doohan's agent did the character remain. Doohan tried a variety of accents for the part and decided to use a Scottish accent on the basis that he thought Scottish people make the best engineers. Doohan himself chose Scotty's first name of Montgomery in honor of his maternal grandfather, James Montgomery.
Montgomery Scott was born in Linlithgow, Scotland March 3, 2222. Doohan claimed to have based Scotty's accent on an Aberdeen accent he once heard. During the events of Star Trek, Scotty holds the rank of lieutenant commander and serves as the Enterprise's second officer and "miracle worker" chief engineer. Scotty's technical knowledge and skill allow him to devise unconventional and effective last-minute solutions to dire problems. Scotty's identity is strongly connected to the Enterprise itself, and the character often takes a paternal attitude toward the ship. He is frequently the liaison between Captain James T. Kirk's (William Shatner) ambitious tactical plans and what is technically feasible in the realm of the starship's capabilities. Although he sometimes commands the ship when both Captain Kirk and first officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) are off the ship (as third senior officer), Scotty asserts in the TNG episode "Relics" that he "never wanted to be anything else but an engineer".
Scotty oversaw the Enterprise's refit prior to the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), and is part of the crew when the Enterprise confronts Khan Noonien Singh (Ricardo Montalbán) in Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982). Although not stated when this occurred in the original release of the film, Peter Preston, who dies with Scotty at his bedside, was Scotty's nephew. Scotty was promoted to captain of engineering of the USS Excelsior in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (1984), Scotty sabotages his new ship and helps Kirk steal the Enterprise to rescue Spock. Scotty joins Kirk's crew aboard the USS Enterprise-A at the end of Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986). In Star Trek V: The Final Frontier, he helps Kirk, Spock and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley) escape the brig and retake the hijacked Enterprise. Scotty kills Colonel West (René Auberjonois) before the latter can assassinate the Federation president (Kurtwood Smith) in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country (1991). Scotty joins Kirk and Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) for the USS Enterprise-B's maiden voyage in Star Trek Generations (1994), saving the ship through technical wizardry.
Scotty was aboard a transport shuttle en route to a retirement colony when it crashed into a Dyson sphere; stranded, he set the transporter to cycle indefinitely and "stored" himself in the buffer for decades before being recovered by the USS Enterprise-D crew in "Relics". A "relic" no longer able to serve effectively as an engineer and struggling to acclimate to 24th-century life, Scotty nevertheless manages to help save the Enterprise-D through technical know-how and chicanery.
In September 2007, Paul McGillion auditioned for the Scotty role in the 2009 Star Trek movie and received James Doohan's son Chris' endorsement. However, Simon Pegg's casting was announced on October 12, 2007. Simon Pegg's portrayal in the 2009 Star Trek film has Scotty stuck working at an isolated outpost as punishment for beaming Admiral Jonathan Archer's prized beagle from one planet to the next — and having no idea where it ended up. With assistance from Spock Prime and James Kirk, he joins the Enterprise crew and becomes the ship's chief engineer. Slate.com called Pegg's performance of Scotty in the 2009 Star Trek film "juicily comic".