Pike being a bit selfish when he was trying to change his fate. Seasons 1 and 2

[urrutiap]

Ever since Pike's future vision in Discovery show,

I think Pike was a bit selfish and only thought of himself when he was trying to change his fate/future in Strange New Worlds in season 1/2.

he's one of those people who just cant accept fate to die even though a bit horribly or whatever

 

[V'Lias]

Well considering he didn't realize that it would have major effects on other people, it's not out of the ordinary to want to live a normal life if at all possible. He accepted his fate once he realized changing his future would harm other people, which is the exact opposite of selfish.

 

[comsol]

No. As I recall from A Quality of Mercy, he was more concerned about changing the fate of the cadets that he wouldn't be able to save after meeting the son of the outpost commander who was one of them.

 

[Sketcher]

First Pike's weak.
Now Pike's selfish.
Just waiting for the "Why is Pike a captain if he likes cooking so much" thread.

 

[T'Bonz]

That's a bit silly. Who in their right mind wouldn't at least think once about wanting to change that horrific fate? He wouldn't have been human had he not thought about it.

 

[Michael]

That's a bit silly. Who in their right mind wouldn't at least think once about wanting to change that horrific fate? He wouldn't have been human had he not thought about it.

This. But also, @urrutiap, you need to rewatch season one, because Pike accepting his fate was the entire point of the episode “A Quality of Mercy”. So there’s just plainly nothing of what you’re claiming in season two. On the contrary, we have a scene like in “Those Old Scientists” where he does explicitly state that he has accepted his fate. So what are you even talking about?

But also …

he's one of those people who just cant accept fate to die even though a bit horribly or whatever

When was this ever about him dying? Famously the accident does not kill him but disfigure him and land him in the beep chair. You know, that’s why they constantly come back to that footage of him having that future vision from Discovery, where he sees himself in the chair. But I’m beginning to understand why some of those larger contexts elude you if you keep missing basic details like this one.

 

[Mudd]

Ever since Pike's future vision in Discovery show,

I think Pike was a bit selfish and only thought of himself when he was trying to change his fate/future in Strange New Worlds in season 1/2.

So what?

People don't like to end their lives horribly.

 

[The Wormhole]

No. As I recall from A Quality of Mercy, he was more concerned about changing the fate of the cadets that he wouldn't be able to save after meeting the son of the outpost commander who was one of them.

Exactly. Though Pike spends much of the first season depressed over his future (and who wouldn't?) he has more or less resigned himself to its inevitability. It wasn't until the finale when he meets a child he knows will becomes one of the cadets to be killed in the incident that he decides to try to change things. Working for the benefits of others rather than oneself is the exact opposite of selfish.

 

[Captain Jollydark]

It kind of seems like you didn't finish watching the episode.

 

[Donald G]

It kind of seems like you didn't finish watching the episode.

Too much half-watching while scrolling on one's phone or a deliberately bad take for message board engagement?

 

[urrutiap]

It kind of seems like you didn't finish watching the episode.

ive seen the damn show twice. seasons 1 and 2 months ago.

 

[Captain Jollydark]

ive seen the damn show twice. seasons 1 and 2 months ago.

Then I sincerely don't understand where you're coming from on this.

 

[fireproof78]

Exactly. Though Pike spends much of the first season depressed over his future (and who wouldn't?) he has more or less resigned himself to its inevitability. It wasn't until the finale when he meets a child he knows will becomes one of the cadets to be killed in the incident that he decides to try to change things. Working for the benefits of others rather than oneself is the exact opposite of selfish.

Indeed. The motivation comes from saving lives not just his own. Unfortunately, the cost is still exacted and war becomes more probable.

Pike trying to avoid an obviously painful fate seems rather human to me.

 

[Starflight]

I honestly think he should still be trying to avert it, not for his own sake but for the cadets.

Obviously the writers enjoy "fate"/"destiny" plots (and will never contradict TOS by changing Pike's outcome) so we have to accept that in-universe, there's no way to avert the disaster without somehow causing something else to happen, but if we ignore authorial intent for a moment...

Even if he just learns exactly when the leak will happen, he can arrange for the cadets to all be nearer the door. That way the events can still go ahead and he'll eat shit as usual and get his face blasted off, but he'll be able to drag every cadet to safety, with no fatalities/serious injuries other than himself.

 

[Mudd]

ive seen the damn show twice. seasons 1 and 2 months ago.

You should have paid closer attention.

 

[urrutiap]

You should have paid closer attention.

No

 

[AntonyF]

Pike is a decent guy, with a horrible fate in his mind. And yet he still deals with it with grace. I'd say he's one of SNW's successes, despite them forgetting this story of late.

 

[Nerys Myk]

No

It would have helped if you did.

 

[Emissary of the Prophets]

I don’t think he was being selfish. It was a natural reaction to finding out how his life would pan out.
We would all like to think we will die peacefully in our beds, surrounded by our loved ones. However, things don’t always work out like that.
If you were given a glimpse into your ultimate fate and you were not going to meet a peaceful end, wouldn’t your freak out and look for ways to avoid it? Self preservation and the want to survive are powerful things. You think of yourself first and damn everyone else.
It takes time to reflect and come to terms with things. Pike is a better man than me, because I don’t think I would be thinking of the bigger picture. I am not in that situation and I don’t know how I would react, but I know I want that peaceful death.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I feel there's still drama to be mined with Pike and his eventual fate.

The one I'm kinda expecting is...

Spoiler

La'an dying in the correct timeline, and it hits Pike hard because he knew in the altered timeline of season one that she lived and was happy.