Walter Koenig calls the way Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) died in Star Trek Generations "unforgivable". Koenig reprised Pavel Chekov in the opening scene of Star Trek Generations, and, like William Shatner, it was the last time Walter canonically portrayed his iconic Star Trek character. Koenig currently joins The 7th Rule podcast for a monthly review of Star Trek: The Original Series episodes with hosts Cirroc Lofton and Ryan T. Husk.

On The 7th Rule podcast's review of Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 6, "The Doomsday Machine", which Cirroc Lofton, Ryan T. Husk, and Walter Koenig were impressed with guest star William Windom, who played Commodore Matt Decker. Traumatized by his confrontation with the planet-killer robot that wiped out the crew of the USS Constellation, Decker goes on a suicide mission to destroy the Doomsday Machine. Koenig contrasted Decker's ultimately heroic sacrifice with the underwhelming way Star Trek Generations killed off Captain Kirk. Check out Walter's quote and watch The 7th Rule video below:

It makes me think [of] Star Trek: The Next Generation’s first movie… the way they wrote off Captain Kirk was, I think, just unforgivable. He should have died trying to save the ship… He dies on a bridge or something, and he falls down, and he’s dead. If they’re going to kill off somebody as important as Captain Kirk, then it should be heroic.

Now, WIlliam Windom, his mind is going and he’s in bad shape, but at least you understand why he’s doing this and you can feel for him. He has an extraordinary sense of guilt because his crew was all killed. Now, I really think it wouldn’t have taken that much… that Kirk should have had a heroic ending. Could’ve, should’ve. If he was going to die, he should have died trying to save the ship or something of that nature.

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