Can We Ever Top the First Three Show Captains?

[Mage]

There was probably no one on the planet suited to be a good captain of Earth's first interstellar starship. I mean, ffs, who can you learn from? No one. There is stuff you can anticipate, sure, but most of it will be completely new and overwhelming and you'll like a total git when doing it. And then you learn from your own mistakes. That was the concept of Enterprise. Because we Vulcans were right. We weren't ready. Thing is, you're never gonna be, untill you try. Ad fuck up. And try again. And fuck up more. And then you learn.....

 

[Arpy]

^They didn't send Bob Hope to the moon instead of Neil Armstrong. We have sophisticated military and political folks who are polymaths and would be sharp as Picard to go up now, if need be. Remember that in the age of sail, sharp military folks represented and negotiated with vastly different peoples never before encountered as well. Space is not as far off as we might think. What exactly about Archer's mission was so difficult that the TV writer setting it up couldn't see coming? Archer was badly conceptualized.

 

[locutus101]

^They didn't send Bob Hope to the moon instead of Neil Armstrong. We have sophisticated military and political folks who are polymaths and would be sharp as Picard to go up now, if need be. Remember that in the age of sail, sharp military folks represented and negotiated with vastly different peoples never before encountered as well. Space is not as far off as we might think. What exactly about Archer's mission was so difficult that the TV writer setting it up couldn't see coming? Archer was badly conceptualized.

Sorry? Who sent Bob Hope to the Moon?

 

[Arpy]

Sorry? Who sent Bob Hope to the Moon?

Read it again.

Funny fact though, the frozen disembodied head of Bob Hope ran for high president in 2372. He didn't make it, but was crowned Empress of the Pakleds the following year.

 

[The Old Mixer]

I don't mind how Archer was written...I just think that Bakula didn't have that starship captain "It" factor. He was just plain boring. I always thought it would have been better if he and Trinneer switched roles...young, maverick, short-fused captain; older, wiser friend and mentor.

 

[locutus101]

I don't mind how Archer was written...I just think that Bakula didn't have that starship captain "It" factor. He was just plain boring. I always thought it would have been better if he and Trinneer switched roles...young, maverick, short-fused captain; older, wiser friend and mentor.

Trinneer played a good villain on Stargate Atlantis.

 

[BillJ]

I'm still waiting for them to top Kirk.

 

[Hey Missy]

Where does it even come from that Kirk is a "bad boy" who doesn't play by the rules and defies authority?
The only time this really happened was in The Search for Spock, and it was to save his best friend, not because he "wanted" to.

 

[BJ Wagner]

Where does it even come from that Kirk is a "bad boy" who doesn't play by the rules and defies authority?
The only time this really happened was in The Search for Spock, and it was to save his best friend, not because he "wanted" to.

Because only a bad boy can perform motorcycle stunts on another planet.

 

[fenwyk79]

I have to admit - I'm still terribly disappointed that "Enterprise" didn't end with a close-up shot of Captain Archer disappearing in a blinding blue light with lightning around it and a sound effect - only to re-appear as another person and saying: "Oh boy!" - it would have been far more entertaining than "These Are The Voyages" as well.

 

[BillJ]

Where does it even come from that Kirk is a "bad boy" who doesn't play by the rules and defies authority?

He often pushed things to the limit and openly showed contempt for authority on more than one occasion. Then there's his creative interpretations of the Prime Directive...

 

[Bad Thoughts]

only to re-appear as another person and saying: "Oh boy!"

Reappearing as Harry Kim being seduced by Seven of Nine?

 

[Paradise City]

Well, Janeway is certainly a distinctive character. I wouldn't conflate her with Kirk anyway.

Look at history. There's heroes and high profile figures of so many varieties, types, temperaments.... you could have a supply of different captain's ad infinitum if you wanted to.

 

[Smellmet]

I'm still waiting for them to top Kirk.

I think Picard is more or less as good as Kirk, but totally different.

 

[locutus101]

Well, Janeway is certainly a distinctive character. I wouldn't conflate her with Kirk anyway.

...

How about a transporter accident?

 

[VulcanMindBlown]

What exactly does that mean?

Archer plays the Whiner Card. Not sure what kind of a strategy that's supposed to be, but there it is.

The first three captains? If we're talking chronologically wouldn't that be Jonathan Archer, Robert April, and Christopher Pike? I did always want to see what it was like to see Captain April (I think there's a TAS episode with him in it actually) and what he was like.

Actually, I meant to say that they were the first TV show Captains.

I liked Captain Sisko although I'd have to question becoming a religious prophet as you'd think that would break quite a few Starfleet protocols.

Yeah, that was one thing I realized later that I forgot...

As for topping Kirk, Picard or Sisko... I don't know if it can be done, but let's hope it happens one day.

I can hope, but it looks like that there's only so much you can do when you run out of ideas... not necessarily the writers' fault.

That's why we need more aliens! Alien characters with very non-human perspectives and backgrounds.

Kira, Odo, Quark, Garak, etc, all very memorable and powerful characters in their own right because they weren't part of the homo sapien club.

Yes, that might be interesting!!!! Tell that to Paramount.

I had to laugh when the OP referred to Picard as "elderly". Patrick Stewart was only 47 when TNG began, so hardly elderly. He was BALD, not old. And considering the increased life expectancy for his time, the "elderly" label becomes even more ridiculous.

Sorry, but didn't he have grey or white hair...? I guess what I meant was "older."

There was probably no one on the planet suited to be a good captain of Earth's first interstellar starship. I mean, ffs, who can you learn from? No one. There is stuff you can anticipate, sure, but most of it will be completely new and overwhelming and you'll like a total git when doing it. And then you learn from your own mistakes. That was the concept of Enterprise. Because we Vulcans were right. We weren't ready. Thing is, you're never gonna be, untill you try. Ad fuck up. And try again. And fuck up more. And then you learn.....

That is true.

I don't mind how Archer was written...I just think that Bakula didn't have that starship captain "It" factor. He was just plain boring. I always thought it would have been better if he and Trinneer switched roles...young, maverick, short-fused captain; older, wiser friend and mentor.

Did you not like him in Season 4?

Where does it even come from that Kirk is a "bad boy" who doesn't play by the rules and defies authority?
The only time this really happened was in The Search for Spock, and it was to save his best friend, not because he "wanted" to.

He went into the Romulan Neutral Zone to pursue a Romulan Bird-of-Prey. I'm sure that I can think of others...

 

[Tenacity]

There was probably no one on the planet suited to be a good captain of Earth's first interstellar starship. I mean, ffs, who can you learn from?

I disagree, Earth had other eariler starship's, we saw them. One of those captains likely would have made for a better choice than Archer. The total inexperience factor would have been gone.

 

[Mage]

I disagree, Earth had other eariler starship's, we saw them. One of those captains likely would have made for a better choice than Archer. The total inexperience factor would have been gone.

Earth's first warp 5 starship, capable of going where NO ONE has gone before. Hell, in the second or third episode they arrive on a planet no human has ever set foot on. Some alien planets were visited, sure. Boomers went out a bit, but really not that far. The places they were going, discovering the things they did.... There was no one on Earth with the kinds of experience to deal with that. And how could there be? Most human starship captains had either gone to one or two of the nearby worlds, like Vulcan, or stayed in-system.

 

[BillJ]

He went into the Romulan Neutral Zone to pursue a Romulan Bird-of-Prey. I'm sure that I can think of others...

Based on the knowledge he had at the time. Starfleet ended up backing his incursion.

 

[locutus101]

I disagree, Earth had other eariler starship's, we saw them. One of those captains likely would have made for a better choice than Archer. The total inexperience factor would have been gone.

Archer was chosen because of nepotism.