Should there be a Captain Pike spin-off from DSC?

[Lord Garth]

This...

I was thinking about how to rectify that with TEH CANNON(tm), given that Kirk said he took over the Enterprise from Pike in "The Menagerie." It occurs to me that the answer is quite simple:

Pike held the rank of "Fleet Captain" at some point, and it could easily argued/written that he commanded the Discovery directly , but the Enterprise (and potentially others) remained as a "direct report" ship under him with its own independent commander. Therefore, Pike technically still could "hand over" the ship to Kirk at the change of command.

Plus this...

Because TEH CANON!

Though we're right back to that absence of evidence thing again. Nowhere does it say (at least not that I'm aware of, anyway) Number One was never captain of the E for an extended period of time.

... Equals something that could work. The key word in Fleet Captain is fleet.

The only two things that make it not work are that Spock said he served with Pike for 11 years* and that ties Discovery down. The ship loses autonomy.

* Spock and Burnham serving on the same ship seems to me like it would be a recipe for extreme bitterness and resentment, hidden behind who can be More Vulcan. That could work for the season but not for the entire rest of the series. It would have to break, let up, or they become friendly and if he can become friendly with Burnham then why not Sarek? It's a lot to untangle to make work. Unless someone can come up with a way to explain how Spock can say he served with Pike for 11 years without having it mean they served on the same exact ship. Serving under Pike instead of with Pike would cover that difference and get Spock off Discovery.

EDIT: Only Kirk says "with". Spock just says the number but that's it and he doesn't bother to correct or confirm to Kirk if it's "with" or "under", so there's wiggle room. A fine-print technicality, and there's some serious hair-splitting, but you could do it.

 

[mattman8907]

i wouldn't mind another series just entitled "Star Trek" with it focusing on Pike's command of the Enterprise.

 

[Yistaan]

i wouldn't mind another series just entitled "Star Trek" with it focusing on Pike's command of the Enterprise.

If the Cage counts as TOS, might as well. Adding more episodes to TOS 50 years after the fact should just mess with everyone's minds. The way everyone considers the 2005 Dr Who show a continuation of the old one.

 

[Tomalak]

Previously I would always have said no thank you, but having seen Anson Mount in the role, why not? The Star Trek universe appears to be big enough for more than one show, and aside from Pike, Spock and Number One, it's a pretty untapped period in Trek.

You get the Enterprise without having to recast all of the TOS crew again. But there's nothing to stop you bringing in those characters in due course. Most other long-running dramas have revolving doors for the cast, Pike Trek need be no different.

So yeah, I'd be up for it. Obviously provided it's backed with a strong writers' room and some interesting stories.

 

[Yistaan]

Previously I would always have said no thank you, but having seen Anson Mount in the role, why not? The Star Trek universe appears to be big enough for more than one show, and aside from Pike, Spock and Number One, it's a pretty untapped period in Trek.

You get the Enterprise without having to recast all of the TOS crew again. But there's nothing to stop you bringing in those characters in due course. Most other long-running dramas have revolving doors for the cast, Pike Trek need be no different.

So yeah, I'd be up for it. Obviously provided it's backed with a strong writers' room and some interesting stories.

They'll go all the way from 2257 to 2265 in an 8 year run. Then, just as James Kirk comes aboard the Enterprise to take command, Captain Pike will say, "Computer, change desktop theme to file 'Constitution Retro Alpha'!"

Then whatever futuristic look the Enterprise had for the Pike show will rework itself into the 60s TOS set. Kind of like how they explained Dr. Who's constantly changing Tardis.

 

[Tomalak]

You could finally have that Shatner cameo as George Kirk.

 

[UssGlenn]

You get the Enterprise without having to recast all of the TOS crew again. But there's nothing to stop you bringing in those characters in due course. Most other long-running dramas have revolving doors for the cast, Pike Trek need be no different.

You could bring in a good chunk of the TOS cast over time and then at the end, after everyone has gotten used to the visual reboot, cast a new Kirk and make a show that runs parralell with TOS. Missions between the original episodes, years 4 and 5, you could even remake animated series episodes if you wanted.

 

[F. King Daniel]

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's Starship."

Remember that whacky rumour that Anson Mount's Pike was going to be a God-fearing man? They can still ruin him!

 

[Tomalak]

You could bring in a good chunk of the TOS cast over time and then at the end, after everyone has gotten used to the visual reboot, cast a new Kirk and make a show that runs parralell with TOS. Missions between the original episodes, years 4 and 5, you could even remake animated series episodes if you wanted.

Sure, why not? You could even go crazy and think up some new stories. I'm pretty sanguine about this, show me stories about the crew of the Enterprise, there's plenty more stories to be told besides those original 79.

 

[Yistaan]

"Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's Starship."

Remember that whacky rumour that Anson Mount's Pike was going to be a God-fearing man? They can still ruin him!

Well, Pike has in common from the Cage and the Menagerie an unwillingness to leave anyone behind, which obviously leads him to a tragic fate trying to save cadets. The writers were sharp to keep that trait intact given how key it is to his character.

However, this Discovery Pike is WAY more relaxed than he was 3 years ago (in-universe) in 'The Cage'. This was the guy who was stressing out about his disastrous Rigel mission, openly contemplating ditching Starfleet due to the stress to start a business on an Orion colony (which Dr. Boyce immediately assumes means become a slave trader in a telling Freudian slip). Among his last lines in 'The Cage' were: "What are we running here, a cadet ship, Number One? Are we ready or not?"

Contrast this to the Pike in Discovery asking for names without ranks and trying to do things informally, making jokes about his astrophysics grade, etc.

What happened in the past 3 years to make Pike relax so much? Did he drink some tranya?

 

[Mudd]

I voted "Yes" because I liked Anson Mount in the season pilot, and I'd give a show starring him aboard the Enterprise a try-out.

More generally, for the sake of consistency I should vote "no" to all polls like this because I don't really think there needs to be any more Star Trek, ever. The owners are blasting for shale oil in depleted fields at this point.

Pike in "The Cage" was a guy with a real good case of PTSD. Mount's essential performance stance is similar to Hunter's, a far more internal approach to the character's authority than Shatner's.

 

[NewHeavensNewEarth]

As a concept, I would vote yes. As a matter of CBS allocating finite resources (as in money & personnel), I would vote no until Discovery is wrapped up as a series. There is no way, in my opinion, that they could maintain the same level of quality of doing both at the same time. They would both be hamstrung by drawing from the same pool of dollars and resources, and in the process, neither would reach their full potential. But once Discovery wraps up, why not?

 

[Yistaan]

As a concept, I would vote yes. As a matter of CBS allocating finite resources (as in money & personnel), I would vote no until Discovery is wrapped up as a series. There is no way, in my opinion, that they could maintain the same level of quality of doing both at the same time. They would both be hamstrung by drawing from the same pool of dollars and resources, and in the process, neither would reach their full potential. But once Discovery wraps up, why not?

I'm sure if they just used 1960s eras sets for the Pike show (just bring in one of the many TOS bridge replicas around), the budget for a Pike show will be just fine Make sure he only fights Augment virus Klingons too and other budget techniques.

 

[mattman8907]

i hope if they do a Pike series, they finally bring in Robert April. April has little to no canon backstory. Other than he was the first Captain of the USS enterprise and by 2256, was considered to be one of Starfleet's decorated captains.

 

[Yistaan]

i hope if they do a Pike series, they finally bring in Robert April. April has little to no canon backstory. Other than he was the first Captain of the USS enterprise and by 2256, was considered to be one of Starfleet's decorated captains.

It is kind of surprising they had the main Discovery Admirals be Cornwall and Terral and didn't think to stick April in there.

 

[F. King Daniel]

i hope if they do a Pike series, they finally bring in Robert April. April has little to no canon backstory. Other than he was the first Captain of the USS enterprise and by 2256, was considered to be one of Starfleet's decorated captains.

If they ever bring in April, I hope they base him on Diane Carey's Final Frontier/Best Destiny version: A fuddy-duddy Englishman who wears a sweater over his uniform because he's always cold, and such a pacifist he has to turn command over to George Kirk when it comes time to fire the phasers.

 

[Yistaan]

If they ever bring in April, I hope they base him on Diane Carey's Final Frontier/Best Destiny version: A fuddy-duddy Englishman who wears a sweater over his uniform because he's always cold, and such a pacifist he has to turn command over to George Kirk when it comes time to fire the phasers.

Not the reckless Early Voyages April, or the outright treacherous Kelvin April from Countdown to Darkness?

 

[mattman8907]

It is kind of surprising they had the main Discovery Admirals be Cornwall and Terral and didn't think to stick April in there.

yeah that doesn't make sense. perfect opportunity.

 

[Spider]

I think Data's cat Spot deserves a spin off series. The feline side of Star Trek has never been fully explored.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

If they ever bring in April, I hope they base him on Diane Carey's Final Frontier/Best Destiny version: A fuddy-duddy Englishman who wears a sweater over his uniform because he's always cold, and such a pacifist he has to turn command over to George Kirk when it comes time to fire the phasers.

Starring Michael Palin as April.

I'm totally serious about this, BTW.

Not the goofy version from Monty Python, but the one from all the BBC travel specials he's done lately.