"The Cage" never happened in the Reboot Timeline

[Kane_Steel]

Just wanted to clarify this since some are confused whether "The Cage" is a prequel to the new Trek timeline.

"The Cage" never happened because:

- Enterprise was launched in 2245 (in the old timeline) with "The Cage" happening in 2254

- Enterprise was launched in 2258 (in the new timeline). It was delayed for 13 years compared to the original timeline.

- Both Spock and Pike work for the Academy in the new timeline (they don't serve on a starship together) prior to the events of the film in 2258.



Technically, this also makes Captain Kirk the first official captain of the Enterprise in the new timeline;

- There's no Capt Robert April in this timeline

- Pike was only temporarily in command during the Vulcan crisis (for less than an hour) on a ship full of his cadets


All these changes are really fascinating, but I love how the chronology lines up well (the characters ages...Kirk was born in 2233 etc); clearly the writers studied the cannon.

 

[RoJoHen]

I'm trying to figure out how a 17-year old managed to get a position on the bridge of the Enterprise.

 

[OtterVomit]

I'm trying to figure out how a 17-year old managed to get a position on the bridge of the Enterprise.

He was even given the con a few times!

 

[Kane_Steel]

For Pavel Chekov?

Two reasons:

1) He's a genius; who obviously was allowed to enter the Academy early and skip ahead

2) He was still a cadet; and the Enterprise was loaded with just Cadets (and their Commanders) from the Academy to deal with the Vulcan Crisis.

The majority of the Fleet was tied up in the Laurentian system.


When Kirk finally got command at the end; obviously he picked Chekov to remain as his full-time navigator after he saved Kirk's ass.

 

[Captain Pike]

Pike is the first Captain of the Enterprise, there is nothing unofficial about it. And April was never a part of the canonical timeline.

 

[Kane_Steel]

Pike is an Academy Fleet Captain and recruiter; hence why he wears the Academy commander uniform.

He took command of the Enterprise (for less than an hour) just because of the Vulcan crisis.

He wasnt ordained by Starfleet as the ship's official commander (only for this emergency). The ship wasn't due to even launch yet.

 

[Cky]

What Captain Pike said.

THE Captain Pike was given the command of the Enterprise, reguardless if there was just cadets on board or not. And we don't know what happened before that established storyline, for all we know Pike and Spock were on another Starship, did the events established in the cage (except for all mentions of the Enterprise changed to another ship) and then went to earth to train cadets.

 

[Kane_Steel]

The other interesting thing about Chekov's age..

Pavel said he was 22 in TOS.

Since this takes place about 5-6 years before Kirk is supposed to take command in the old timeline; Pavel being only 17 makes sense.

 

[Thrawn]

Near as I can tell, they kept the ages of the characters exactly consistent, yes?

 

[Kane_Steel]

What Captain Pike said.

THE Captain Pike was given the command of the Enterprise, reguardless if there was just cadets on board or not. And we don't know what happened before that established storyline, for all we know Pike and Spock were on another Starship, did the events established in the cage (except for all mentions of the Enterprise changed to another ship) and then went to earth to train cadets.

That doesnt add up though.

During the year of "The Cage" and Pike's mission; Pike was on Earth working with Starfleet;

- The Bar fight scene when Pike recruits Kirk..

- And in the next scene, Pike is seen in the Academy Commander's uniform with a shuttle of new recruits

 

[Kane_Steel]

Near as I can tell, they kept the ages of the characters exactly consistent, yes?

Their birthdates were consistent.


But Kirk is 25/26 in this (in the original timeline; he was in the Farrugut at this point).

He enters the Academy late in this timeline too; at 22.

In the original timeline; he enters at 18.


But Spock Prime explained that; George Kirk influenced Jim in the Primeverse.

 

[martin]

You do realise when the Cadets board the Enterprise, He is her Captain, and the official launch ceromony is postponed due to the crisis.

Before the launch of the Enterprise, he is a captain, who was working at the Academy

 

[CommanderRaytas]

I don't think The Cage happened at all. There's evidence of both Pike and Spock being on Earth for at least 3 to four years before the Vulcan incident. Spock had been coordinating the Kobayashi Maru for four years, and Pike was at the Academy as well. There's no proof to the contrary, at least.

 

[Kane_Steel]

The only age that doesn't look consistent is Pike.

Pike in 2254 (The Cage) in the old timeline:

Pike in 2255 in the new timeline:

 

[Herkimer Jitty]

Exposure to radiation made his hair go greyer. Also, he became really stretchy.

 

[Kane_Steel]

Or babysitting cadets for so many years made him go gray and age..

Kids tend to have that effect..

 

[CommanderRaytas]

nuPike is way hotter. And that's coming from a 26-year-old female, here.

 

[Checkmate]

"The Cage" never happened in the Reboot Timeline

That's kind of the point, now isn't it? The movie takes place in a whole new timeline where everything is the same yet different. Things are going to change, events are going to occur differently, and scenarios will be unpredictable. Abrams gave us the cake and we get to eat it, too. A whole new franchise that's still completely and utterly familiar, loaded with the characters we love without being hobbled by aging actors or gross anachronisms.

Why complain or be upset by it? All the stories you know still went down exactly the same way with exactly the same people. This is another timeline and reality. Both are existing simultaneously. There's absolutely nothing to be angry about.

Don't like the new movie? Fine. Ignore it and be content to be a fan of the franchise that died when the Enterprise series came to an abrupt end. That franchise was dead.

 

[Captain Pike]

Decker was Captain of the Enterprise (until Kirk relieved him) during the refit. He never even left spacedock, yet he was (is... will be?) an "official" Captain of the Enterprise.

At the end of this movie, during the ceremony where Kirk is "officially" given the rank of Captain, he ceremonially relieves Pike of command. That is about as official as it gets.

 

[gastrof]

The thing about Chekov being 17 got to me. I asked myself "Did they do it? Did they actually hold to established ages? Did they try that hard?"

I still haven't had the chance to figure it all out but it sounds like some of you have. If you're right, I LOVE IT.

Whether due to Nero or due to this being only a parallel universe (and always having been so), this is a different universe, but someone said it.... it's also totally familiar.

Yep. It's Star Trek.