Every Version Of Christopher Pike On Star Trek

[TrekGalaxy]

This video looks at every version of the character of Christopher Pike seen in the Star Trek franchise.

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[Lance]

Here at the Trek BBS, it tends to be prefered that a post contain substantive topic/opinion/debate so as to start off a discussion, rather than simply dropping a video.

That being said, I'll contribute that I've always been fascinated by Trek's original pilot episode and particularly the captain who wasn't, so every opportunity we've had to flesh out Captain Pike into a more fully rounded character has been very welcome to me

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Anson Mount absolutely CRUSHES it as Pike. I think Jeffrey Hunter would be proud of what Mount's done with the role he originated.

It makes it all the more sad, knowing what will eventually happen to Pike...

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Spoiler: Discovery

Agreed on Anson Mount crushing it as Pike. I loved the "Previously on Star Trek" recap on this week's DISCO, showing the events of The Cage. It also made me realize how kind of... dull... Jeffrey Hunter's portrayal of him is. At least compared to Anson Mount's. Don't get me wrong, I know The Cage was one episode and if that version of Star Trek had gone to series, Jeffrey Hunter would have owned the role eventually. It's just Mount's Pike (and Greenwood's) is more interesting.

 

[Dukhat]

Don't get me wrong, I know The Cage was one episode and if that version of Star Trek had gone to series, Jeffrey Hunter would have owned the role eventually.

Not unless he divorced his wife.

 

[Turd Ferguson]

Not unless he divorced his wife.

Ah... I actually just read up on why he didn't reprise the Pike role for the second pilot. I just assumed Roddenberry and co. wanted to go in a different direction with Shatner, not that Hunter wanted to pursue a movie career. Interesting. So, let's modify my original post with if Hunter had decided to stay on as Pike he would have eventually owned the role

 

[Maurice]

Re Mrs. Hunter, this is according to Solow. How accurate that account is remains a fair question. For all we know Hunter may have said, "honey, I don't want to do it, can you go deal with them?" as opposed to her driving the bus. Who can say?

 

[somebuddyX]

I know Captain Pike mostly from the Star Trek: Early Voyages comic. I didn't watch The Cage until a few years ago and I found the pilot very interesting and enjoyable.
https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Star_Trek:_Early_Voyages

 

[Lance]

@sumbuddyx Early Voyages was great, I only regret it got cancelled before a conclusion could be done.

As to Hunter's reasons for not taking it up, another story that does the rounds is that he was contracted only to do one pilot episode and therefore had no obligation to a second one, so used that as a exit strategy. How true that is I can not say.

 

[1001001]

PLEASE!

No spoilers for Discovery in here.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Loving Anson Mount's Disco Pike. He's pretty much p[laying a younger version of Bruce Greenwood's (even though the timelines are pretty much sync'd up now between Disco and ST'09) Pike, who was awesome too.

Dan is happy.

 

[Greg Cox]

Hunter himself never commented on why he chose not to do the second pilot, so we all have is secondhand reports and theories as to the why. Maybe it was his wife's idea, maybe it was his. We'll probably never know.

 

[Kor]

Well, I think everybody on the first pilot was only contracted to do the first pilot and not a second one.

Kor

 

[Lance]

True, and whereas Nimoy obviously chose to come back for a second time, Hunter did not.

 

[uniderth]

Well, there's the appearance in "The Cage" and the appearance in "The Menagerie".

 

[GNDN18]

Don’t forget the name-check in “Mirror, Mirror”

Spoiler: DSC

Georgiou’s line about dispatching the Talosians is intriguing. Maybe this figured into Pike’s assassination and Kirk was the primary beneficiary.

 

[Harvey]

Re Mrs. Hunter, this is according to Solow. How accurate that account is remains a fair question. For all we know Hunter may have said, "honey, I don't want to do it, can you go deal with them?" as opposed to her driving the bus. Who can say?

Within six months of declining the second Star Trek pilot, Hunter was working on another television pilot with a commitment to be in the series if it sold (Journey Into Fear, filmed early November 1965). But that may have been for the money, taking a (successful) gamble that it wouldn’t sell (most pilots didn’t).

There’s also a letter from Roddenberry to Hunter from April of 1965, which says, “I am told you have decided not to go ahead with Star Trek. This has to be your decision, of course, and I must respect it.” While on the one hand, this suggests it was ultimately Hunter who decided, “I am told” makes it sound like Roddenberry was reporting secondhand information.

Ultimately, I doubt we’ll ever know for sure who’s decision it was.

@sumbuddyxAs to Hunter's reasons for not taking it up, another story that does the rounds is that he was contracted only to do one pilot episode and therefore had no obligation to a second one, so used that as a exit strategy. How true that is I can not say.

@Kor is correct — the contracts for Star Trek’s first pilot only had an option for a series, not another pilot. Indeed, the contracts for Star Trek’s second pilot only had an option for a series, not a third pilot. Additional pilots were rare, though not unprecedented, as you’ll hear from some sources.

 

[Mage]

Anson is absolutely one of the highligts this season, his Pike is as likeable as Greenwood's was. And I would certainly follow either one as my captain.

 

[Admiral2]

Sigh.

There is only one Christopher Pike. This guy:

A mannequin in a floaty-chair only half counts, and I refuse to acknowledge a couple of post JJ-trek pretenders just because the real thing never got a chance at his own series. I'm not that desperate to see him recast.

Jeffery Hunter was Pike. Period. End of Story. Accept no substitutes.

 

[1001001]

Sigh.

There is only one Christopher Pike. This guy:

A mannequin in a floaty-chair only half counts, and I refuse to acknowledge a couple of post JJ-trek pretenders just because the real thing never got a chance at his own series. I'm not that desperate to see him recast.

Jeffery Hunter was Pike. Period. End of Story. Accept no substitutes.

Except not really.

He was in one failed pilot, and one reconstituted episode.

Greenwood and Mount have both occupied the character longer, and better.