In the thread "The TAS Redux That Might Have Been" in the TOS forum [
https://www.trekbbs.com/threads/the-tas-redux-that-might-have-been.314043/], the question arose about whether TOS, TAS, DISCO, and SNW are in the same continuity. Since the question as it pertains to Pike's accident depends (at least in part) on the ongoing story elements of SNW, given what's transpired in "Children of the Comet" and "A Quality of Mercy," I think it is more appropriate to continue the discussion in the SNW forum.
This discussion will include spoilers of existing SNW episodes, as well as speculation that might or might not be true about future SNW episodes.
@blssdwlf has stated that the continuities of TOS and SNW must be different, because, in his view, the future events shown in DISCO "Through the Valley of Shadows" do not line up with what we are told about the accident in "The Menagerie." From "The TAS Redux That Might Have Been":
From "The Menagerie, Part I" [
http://www.chakoteya.net/StarTrek/16.htm]:
MCCOY: What's his problem, Commodore?
MENDEZ: Inspection tour of a cadet vessel. Old Class J starship. One of the baffle plates ruptured.
MCCOY: The delta rays?
MENDEZ: He went in bringing out all those kids that were still alive. Just wanted you gentlemen to be prepared.
So, my answer to this.
We already know the future surrounding these events can be changed. The entire premise of "A Quality of Mercy" is what happens if Pike prevents the cadets from being present at the accident in the first place, avoids the accident himself, and stays in command of the
Enterprise. This was foreshadowed as a possibility in "Children of the Comet," when Number One insists that Pike might be able to change his fate. What haunts Pike the most in "A Quality of Mercy" is not that he will be disfigured, but rather that he will fail to save all of the cadets.
And now, to my proposal. I believe that, given the negative consequences in "A Quality of Mercy," Pike will resign himself not to try to avoid the accident or prevent any of the cadets from showing up. Rather, when it finally happens, even though he's been burned already, Pike's going to choose to stay inside and try to rescue everyone he can, including the two cadets that he believes are fated to die, the two he's been haunted about all along. It's this heroic act that Mendez will recall. It will be the one that seals Pike's fate and consigns him to the wheelchair. In other words, what we've seen so far in the snippets of the accident isn't enough to put Pike in that chair.
I think this has been foreshadowed by everything we've seen. I also think one cannot hang their hat on a few brief scenes of flash-forward, such as the ones presented in "Through the Valley of Shadows." In SNW, they've explicitly made the point that the future can be changed—with consequence. And we know that Pike is being moved to try to save the cadets.
So, what say you?
Is mine a plausible scenario?
Does any of this have any impact on whether TOS and SNW are in the same continuity? What are the determining factors as to whether TOS and SNW are in the same continuity?
Maybe there are other factors besides Pike's accident that have a bearing on the question of which
Star Trek shows are in the same continuity.
Discuss!
