and that's absolutely your call. But that's more about the actor, than the character. As a character... a CAPTAIN in Starfleet, we have very little knowledge as yet to place Pike above Kirk or Picard.
Spoilers Star Trek: Strange New Worlds 1x10 - "A Quality of Mercy"
- Thread starter Commander Richard
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and that's absolutely your call. But that's more about the actor, than the character. As a character... a CAPTAIN in Starfleet, we have very little knowledge as yet to place Pike above Kirk or Picard.
Kirk is still my favorite Captain but this show has made Pike my #2. Picard's less-than-impressive behavior in his own spinoff series over two seasons hasn't done Jean-Luc a lot of favors.
But it's not a merit rating system. There are no objective measures, because they're not people interacting with the world or real challenges but characters who are each written to be the protagonist and point of audience identification within their series. Kirk is "best" on TOS, Picard is "best" on TNG, and the dice are loaded in Pike's favor as well on SNW.
I know everything I need to know about Pike from what I've seen in ten hours to call him the best, just as I knew I thought the same of Kirk fifty years ago.
Pike has always been above Kirk or Picard. This series just lends more evidence to my opinion. Possible confirmation bias.
Not only that, we have years of timeline between where SNW is at and the beginning of TOS. There is no need whatsoever to reboot or redo TOS. TOS was lightning in a bottle that will never be recaptured, no matter how hard they try. It spawned the whole half-century of everything that came after. Plus, SNW scratches that 'era itch' completely. We have years of potential adventures ahead with Pike and his crew, especially if the writers can stop caving to 'small universe' syndrome and the need for endless callbacks. La'an's tormentors did not need to be the Gorn, and neither did she need to bear any relation whatsoever to Khan. We didn't need Chapel in sickbay, or M'Benga, or a Cadet Uhura. As much as I like the actors, it wouldn't tear me up to see all the TOS regulars except for Spock depart the ship, making room for new characters who aren't hamstrung by canon and foreknowledge of their fates. In that vein, we don't need to see Scotty next season as Chief Engineer. This early in the game, he'd still be a junior lieutenant and far from being ripe for the position anyway.
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In 01 the accident was 10 years later, now it's 7 years, and BoT is only 6 months after that.
Kirk is upset about a one second delay - because of his hesitation to fire on the blood cloud some 10 years earlier?
Comms using the TNG hailing sound is so odd
Witnessing the massacre on Tarsus IV is listed as part of Kirk's training XD
What Pike says to Spock in episode one is that the accident is "almost a decade away." It's a generous estimate, if you round seven up to the nearest ten.
Before this episode I always figured the accident was in 2266. Commodore Mendez in the first part of "The Menagerie" tells Kirk that there's been subspace chatter about Pike's accident for months and that episode takes place in early 2267.
Because he knows that leaving the bridge to go to the ready room during some action is not only a bad idea, but more importantly, it kills the drama in a TV show!
I'm kind of joking. But I do think from a TV standpoint, having the discussions in the Ready Room rather than the bridge lessens the impact. Let's all adjourn and go have a meeting versus talking to each other from our stations.
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I dig the TOS Briefing Room and Kirk's quarters. The long walks there and tension building to the start of the meetings helped those stories.
I like your ideas. Although, I have a somewhat different take on it. I do agree that part of the message is that, yes, it can happen to anyone. Some people are a better fit for certain situations than others.
However, I think the reason why Pike didn't succeed in this particular scenario wasn't related to his time crystal vision. I think it's simpler. Pike is just more trusting than Kirk. That can be a positive and a negative, and it didn't work for this particular situation.
In this episode, even before he goes to the future, he's scoffing at Batel saying the Romulans are developing weapons and involved in incidents around the Neutral Zone. She assures him they are involved in some, and he blows that notion off. He's starting out more trusting. Later he trusts the Romulan Commander will behave well during the two-hour waiting period and doesn't develop any contingency plans.
Pike trusts the Romulans too much. Kirk is more neutral, which allows him to be persuaded by the evidence and come up with backup plans because he's not assuming they'll behave.
I think this episode makes Pike look bad because he's slow to adapt. In "reality," I think that even though he's more trusting, he would've come around more quickly. After all, this was a sneak attack that destroyed four outposts as a prelude to an invasion. It would be like after Pearl Harbor some captain wanting to be gentle with the attacking force! But they had to write it this way to show how his fate was inescapable.
I did really like the ending. His conversation with Spock was the highlight for me. And the realization to make the most of what he has now.
To each their own. I actually like all of them for different reasons. Kirk is probably still my favorite, but it's close!
I think they used them smartly in TOS. It wasn't during battles and other urgent things but during logical breaks in the action. In contrast, for example, TNG didn't always do that. Discovery too.
Whether or not Wesley comes back with a better portrayal (written or acted), I think we can all agree that for all the bad takes, all the mimicry, and all the mockery, Bill Shatner is still the best James T. Kirk to ever be on screen. He defined the character in ways probably never to be replicated. Larger than life, enormously charismatic and just a wonderful, unforgettable portrayal. My father was a huge Trekkie. He was the same age as Nimoy and Shatner... younger than Doohan or Kelley. He loved them all, but I think he loved Nimoy and Shatner a bit more. And whenever we watched TOS or the TOS movies, I always noticed a sort of whimsical look on his face. Maybe it came out of the fact that he knew that they all had had the same experiences in terms of world events, similar upbringings, etc... but he often told me how much he loved watching Shatner or Nimoy play their roles. He told me he felt Kirk and Spock were real, actual people whom he wished he knew. And he felt that was due to their ability to drown in those roles and inhabit them.
I lost my dad this year, and I know he'd have loved SNW too... he loved Pike as well.
I think Wesley has enormous shoes to fill and he knows it. I appreciate his awareness of this. His interviews show his self-awareness and perception. Let's give him the benefit of the doubt. I know I will. Much as I didn't like his portrayal, I know it's not ALL his doing. This was just a glimpse and tidbit. If they do bring him back on a larger scale, he hope he and the writers know the risk they're undertaking and act accordingly. Because we can say what we will about Spock being extremely important to Trek, but if Trek does Kirk and doesn't get him right? Woe to us all.
I hope your prediction is wrong. I think they'll want SNW to continue as it is for as long as possible.
I don't follow fan reviews much in general outside this BBS, but it sounds like the show is getting the best reviews of all ST series. It's doing very well. They're not going to want to mess with the status quo.
The only way I see them making the change to TOS sooner is if Mount wants to leave the series. Hopefully, that's not the case.
I think Paramount knows they've got a winner. SNW just needs to keep doing what it's doing.
But we'll see!
Oh, I'm so sorry for your loss. Your dad sounds like a special guy. And I agree with him about Shatner & Nimoy as Kirk and Spock!
THAT'S NO WAY TO MAKE PIZZA ROLLS, COMMANDER.
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