What's so great about Pike?

[Succubint]

Don't get me wrong, he's a nice contrast to Lorca's style of command and clearly Anson Mount is a fantastic actor with the acting chops to carry a lead role. But what makes him the kind of character that a lot of fans are latching on to right now, causing them to call for a spin off with him at the helm?

Maybe I'm getting into controversial waters here, but to me he's just another generic decent Starfleet captain who cares about his crew and his mission. Yet I am seeing some buzz on the internet like he's the proverbial next second coming. Is it because he's more familiar and comfortable to some viewers. Or because people tend to expect the captain role to be the main focus?

I'm open to persuasion, but for me, the characters which are really wowing me in terms of bringing something new and exciting to Trek, and that are speaking to me on a personal level as a viewer are: Burnham, Saru, Tilly, Cornwell and to some extent Stamets.

Obviously, YMMV.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Not sure he's there as something new. He's comfort food. But the acting and writing are there, so it's all good.

 

[F. King Daniel]

He's just so wholesome.

 

[Campe]

Not sure he's there as something new. He's comfort food. But the acting and writing are there, so it's all good.

That’s exactly it.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

He's just so wholesome.

Agreed. It's hard to not like him, even when he's being slightly unlikeable. I'm perfectly okay with having a standard good-guy captain character this season, as the 'new' character stuff is covered pretty well by the others. They also write him very well balanced between Captain Hardass and Captain BFF.

 

[Succubint]

Not sure he's there as something new. He's comfort food. But the acting and writing are there, so it's all good.

I guess that makes sense. He's the comfort food. The warm blanket. Something for those wishing to look back and feel nostalgic about Trek. He less polarizing than other characters.

Maybe that's why I don't find him particularly exciting and wouldn't want him to become the permanent captain on Discovery (I'd prefer Saru).

I'd definitely watch him if there ended up being a Pike/Spock/Number One show, but I think that I'd be more interested in what they did with the latter two, if that were the case.

What I'm looking for in a Trek show is something that pushes boundaries, travels new ground and shakes things up a little. Perhaps that's why I enjoy the risks Discovery takes in its casting, storytelling and so on. Even if that means it sometimes falls flat in the execution.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

Having a traditional captain might also ground the season better than last, given we didn't really get any traditional characters last season. S1 felt like a lot of crazy things happening with a nod to being Star Trek. For me, now we have actual Star Trek, with the addition of some crazy things happening. Having a very ST-style captain while all this new crazy stuff happening (while not being principally told from his perspective) is a nice reminder that this is suppose to be a new version of something old.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Well, it's very cool to see such a long-standing character finally get some well-deserved character development, and the fact that he's a likeable and charismatic character and leader is certainly a bonus.

 

[Succubint]

Having a traditional captain might also ground the season better than last, given we didn't really get any traditional characters last season. S1 felt like a lot of crazy things happening with a nod to being Star Trek. Having a very ST-style captain while all this new crazy stuff happening around (while not being principally told from his perspective) is a nice reminder that this is suppose to be a new version of something old.

Good point. So, Pike's the stable-by-the-book guy being thrown headfirst into Disco craziness and having to find a way to navigate through that and lead effectively. He's having to adjust, and embrace the weird, but he's also a grounding influence on the others. That's a good perspective to keep in mind, thanks.

 

[Jadeb]

The show needed some simplicity. The lead, for example, is less a character than a collection of overly elaborate backstory. I’d hate to even try to explain Ash or the latest developments with Culber and Stamets. Pike makes for a good contrast.

 

[Sir Stewart Wallace]

Since this isn't the Prime timeline, maybe Pike can stay after Season 2.

Just kidding! Little j/k there. Don't hurt me.

I think Anson Mount is incredible in the role and Pike fits the show very well. Finally gets the Bruce Greenwood's portrayal of the character out of my mind.

 

[Captain Jed R.]

I’d argue a time where a lot of fans want Star Trek to be a Star Trek they recognise, Pike (and to a degree the entire tone of S2 so far) is a welcome change from the Kelvin movies action-oriented “blockbuster” style or the perceived relentless darkness of Discovery S1. I say that as someone who liked Lorca (he’s actually my favourite Captain): but to me, Pike is a welcome burst of traditional Trekness, reminding me why I loved the older series in a way Lorca, Specialist Mutineer Burnham and the rest of that very non-traditional dynamic did not.

Arguably, what Star Trek needs is a show led by a character like Pike (if not Pike himself in a Pike-era Enterprise spinoff) all the time, and a show (Discovery, the upcoming spinoff with Cannibal Space Nazi Georgiou, something) that is allowed to break the mould. Arguably, such a show in the second category could serve as the DS9 to a more traditional Trek show’s TNG/Voyager, letting the show not focused on the trad crew be more experimental and bold (as, again arguably, DS9 was allowed to be in contrast to the other two TNG-era shows).

In fact, one thing I would say is that Pike’s arrival and the fleshing our of the bridge crew has - and this is a mixed deal - robbed Discovery of a little of its own identity. I do think Star Trek always needs a premier “exploration” crew going boldly where no pronoun has gone before - but I don’t think the Disco and her crew of misfits is that premier team. Burnham... well, honestly, I don’t like her either way, but mistrusted woobie Specialist NoBadge Burnham was a more interesting character than Just Another Science Officer Who Monologues Burnham. Lorca (at least until every character trait he had apart from “bastard” was jettisoned in his final episode) was a fresh take that in some ways was more interesting than Pike is (though I love Pike). Even Tilly was more interesting as a Cadet serving on a ship of commissioned officers than just another officer. But now the show feels like it’s hybridising, compromising what made it unique in an effort to be the frontline Trek show we need, when it was never made for that. And yes, arguably having it retain that more unusual dynamic would make a Discovery that turns off a lot of people wanting “trad” Trek, but having a very trad show alongside it would mitigate that.

Apologies. Ramble over.

 

[Burning Hearts of Qo'nos]

Since this isn't the Prime timeline, maybe Pike can stay after Season 2.

Just kidding! Little j/k there. Don't hurt me.

I think Anson Mount is incredible in the role and Pike fits the show very well. Finally gets the Bruce Greenwood's portrayal of the character out of my mind.

I'll admit I think I involuntarily rolled my eyes a little as soon as I started reading your post and even felt bad about it afterwards, lol.

 

[XCV330]

He's what a good Starfleet captain is supposed to be like. It's been awhile since we've seen one, except for the all too brief Prime Georgiou. If Kirk is the Buick, Pike is the Chevy. Same damn chassis, just different trim level.

I still like Lorca better, though.

 

[Nyotarules]

Greenwood Pike and Mount Pike - in another universe the Pike brothers captain starships and boldly go where no Pike has gone before. I love em both, they make TOS Pike look boring.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Greenwood Pike and Mount Pike - in another universe the Pike brothers captain starships and boldly go where no Pike has gone before. I love em both, they make TOS Pike look boring.

Not exactly a hard job.

 

[JTL]

I really want to see Robert April. I’ve loved that character since I read Final Frontier at about 12 years old.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Admiral April would be nice. (Let the fan casting begin!)

 

[Succubint]

As of 2270 he was a Commodore and Ambassador-at-Large. Could be interesting to bring him on the show, but if so, I want Dr. Sarah April too, since she was CMO of the Enterprise.

 

[The Lensman]

I've only seen the first ep of season 2, and I'm mixed on DiscoPike. He's a little too folksy and perfect for me. Classic Pike was a more straight forward kinda guy. Early Picard was more like Pike, and I would've preferred a take more like that than based on Greenwoods Pike.

But it's fascinating to see this era, and I hope we get to see Decker, Garth, Tracy, Stone, Garrovick, etc in some form.