star trek discovery captain pike x reader

Mostly Stories — Look At Me (Christopher Pike x Reader)

See, that’s what the app is perfect for..

Mostly Stories

Look at me (christopher pike x reader).

Summary: A mission goes south and the shuttle ends up severely damaged. With the carbon filters broken beyond repair, Chris keeps the reader calm as the air starts to get thin.  Whumptober no. 5: running out of air

Gender: Neutral (refered to only as ‘Lieutenant’)

Rating: Teen (18+ only blog)

Tags: engineer!reader, pre-relationship, hurt/comfort, minor head injury, mild asphyxia, struggling to breathe, mild panic, vague mentions of death, life or death situation, flirting, innuendo

Note:  My first time writing Chris, today we’re here for some soft whump. @cura-posterior ​ enjoy.

Words:  ~1.9k

Related:  Whumptober 2022 - Star Trek Fics - Complete Masterlist

       “Hold on to something!”

You blindly reached for the nearest surface to hold but were too slow. The enemy phasers cut straight through the shuttle’s shields and barely missed the engine, but succeeded in catching something highly flammable. A wave of heat and air sent you flying into the rear of the captain’s seat, the explosive flames licking at your ankles as you frantically shuffled back.

Alarms blared out, the high pitched shrill barely audible over the thumping of blood in your ears. Sparks rained down onto you, hissing and burning your skin as they fell. Everything was blurred and hazy as you pulled yourself back into your chair at Pike’s side and mindlessly executed an emergency jump to warp, sinking into the cushioned seat as the familiar lights surrounded you.

Your eyes drifting shut, you let the hum of the engines roll over you. It wasn’t right. Neither peaceful or familiar, almost clunking like something powered by steam. A high pitched whine partnered with a low grumble. Far away and distant, it took a moment to realise it wasn’t the plasma coils overheating but instead someone calling your name.

Captain Pike knelt by your side, concern pulling his eyebrows down tightly above his eyes. His hand hovered over your shoulder, gaze slowly trailing over your body as he took in your state. He breathed a sigh of relief at finding no major injuries but the concern in his gaze didn’t fade. “Talk to me, Lieutenant. How do you feel? How’s your head?”

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Excellent. Really like the way you chose to end this.

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I’ll be away for a few days …

I have a lot of feelings about pike being there for spock when his biological father wasn't. sarek doesn't show up, but chris steps up to cover for spock, host his engagement dinner, support him emotionally, and try to make him look good in front of the in-laws. not to mention staying up all night cooking Vulcan delicacies from scratch. god-tier adopted dad behavior, 10/10, no notes.

OK I kinda love T’Pring’s dad though 🤣

Today’s writers

Remember, this is a PROMO, not a nomination for those who don’t know the difference.   I’m looking at you, stalker.

Also, as long time followers will remember, I used to do these all the time.  As far back as THREE YEARS AGO.  And this place needs some light and love. so here we go:

1) @ninjasawakenedmystar

2) @starcrossedjedis

3) @punemy-spotted

4) @starryeyes2000

5) @tsunderewatermelon

6) @heirsoflilith

@chickensarentcheap - thank you!

Pikeuna - More one day (2468 words) by Walflarck [AO3]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Star Trek , Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Number One | Una Chin-Riley & Christopher Pike, Number One | Una Chin-Riley/Christopher Pike Characters: Number One | Una Chin-Riley (Star Trek), Christopher Pike, Spock (Star Trek) Additional Tags: PikeUna, pikeanduna, pike/una, una - Freeform, unachinriley, christopherpike, startrek - Freeform, strangenewworlds Summary:

More one day aboard the Enterprise, we can follow the routine of the interesting first officer Una Chin-Riley, who, through her skills, is willing to fulfill the duties assigned to her just to be at the side of Captain Chirtopher Pike.

Facets of Belonging (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds) by Curator [AO3]

Chapters : 1/1 Fandom : Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV) Rating : Explicit Warnings : No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships : Number One | Una Chin-Riley/Christopher Pike Characters : Number One | Una Chin-Riley, Christopher Pike Additional Tags : tag scene, added scene, Fix-It, Episode: s02e04 Among the Lotus Eaters (Star Trek: Strange New Worlds), the thirty minutes did not go well (Batel/Pike breakup before this story begins), canon-consistent at least until the next episode drops, shared fresher fanon, Idiots in Love, Friends to Lovers, getting together after 25 years of pining sounds like Trek to me, though banging on the bathroom floor probably not so much Summary :  Una’s head tilts and she’s looking at him the way she did in the transporter room just before he hugged her — hopeful, almost shy, expectant but with a trust and openness that tingles his chest, twitches his arms with want to hold her close. But he shouldn’t give in to that instinct again, shouldn’t wonder what it would be like to let himself enfold his body around hers because they’ve been friends for two and a half decades and what kind of an idiot would he be to risk losing that?

(Note: Don’t worry. They figure it out.)

My brain has cooked up a new weird Spocklaan AU idea that I really need to ramble about a bit, I apologize in advance.

The idea was born in response to the picture of Christina below, with her outfit fitting right in with the dress code of the Vulcans in the upcoming SNW episode in my humble opinion.

The basic idea is that while Spock is meeting his fiance for the first (it's an arranged marriage because they're both Vulcan high society in this au), he ends up falling for her servant/bodyguard La'an instead.

But then it turns out, that La'an is royalty herself, like she's some sort of lost princess who's believed to have died with her family during the Gorn attack but was actually rescued by the Vulcans and thus ended up with T'Pring's family. But La’an can’t remember her true heritage due to the trauma of the attack until a mind meld with Spock helps her regain her memories. There might even be time for a ball with La'an wearing her Princess Thalia dress.

And now I realized that this idea feels quite similar to the plot of the Anastacia animated movie which is cool because I love that movie.

What can I say? I like this idea.

A Vulcan Makeover - mks57 - Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

Chapters: 2/2 Fandom: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds (TV) Rating: Mature Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: La'an Noonien-Singh & Spock, Spock & Enterprise Crew, La'an Noonien-Singh/Spock Characters: Spock (Star Trek), La'an Noonien-Singh, Number One | Una Chin-Riley (Star Trek), Erica Ortegas, Christine Chapel, Joseph M'Benga, Amanda Grayson Additional Tags: Human Spock, Sexual Humor, Crack, Crack Treated Seriously, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Humor, Alternate Universe - Crack, Angst, Fluff and Hurt/Comfort, Unresolved Sexual Tension, Friendship, Inappropriate Erections, Erections, Manhandling, Makeover, Swearing, Sweat, Tears, Wrestling, acting like children, Mama Amanda will always love her son, Co-workers, Emotional Roller Coaster Summary:

CrackAU! Human Spock needs help getting ready for a very important dinner with T'Pring and her parents. So, what could possibly go wrong with a emotionally high strung human Spock? (This fic was written before 2x05, please keep in mind if you read it after you see the episode)

there was just something so genuine about kirk realising they’d need money in the 21st century, spotting a chess table and .. just .. sitting down and playing random strangers for a few spare notes at a time. no competitivity, no real sense of urgency, no hard feelings, he just spends the whole afternoon betting strangers he can win and winning every time because of course he can. ‘one dimensional’ chess is a cake walk compared to the chess he’s used to.

and no one leaves that table feeling like they’ve really lost out. it was a good game, kirk wins fair and square, they enjoy their time with him, he even gains a crowd as people get invested in the matches. he shakes their hands and they move on. it was such an endearing way of showing us the kind of person kirk is. charming, easily personable. he finds a fair way to get by in a completely alien situation that still matches his skillset.

I don’t know, it was such a short scene but it showed us so much without any dialogue. They could have shown la’an and kirk figuring out how to grab some quick cash in a bunch of different ways, but they chose one with a lot of heart and that’s why I really love this show.

I don't usually post entire fics here on tumblr, but since AO3 is down I thought someone might enjoy something to read while they are waiting! This was posted on AO3 yesterday.

In the Quiet Places

T • m/f • 900 words • one shot • Pike/Una and Pike/Batel (this came about as I was trying to make sense of Pike/Batel with my Pike/Una shipping heart 💛)

TW: cave-in, trapped in a cave, undisclosed injury, darkness

Notes: This story takes place after The Cage and before SNW begins. As I said on AO3, thank you to @curator-on-ao3 for the general writing encouragement!

Every noise was amplified in the little space, so when Pike spoke, he used a hushed voice.

“Number One? I mean, Una. I think, if we don’t get out of this–not that we won’t. We are going to make it. But, in case. Can I tell you something? I want you to know, no matter what happens.”

In the quiet that followed, Christopher Pike wished he had taken the time to think of coherent sentences. Number One was always so well spoken, so put together. After all the years they had spent together, he still wondered if she ever got nervous.

His next thought was that she had been quiet too long. She usually didn’t take so long to think of replies to his questions, in fact she almost always had a retort waiting before he finished speaking.

I guess this needed another chapter ! (If you would like to read it but can't on AO3, let me know. )

Tagging @starryeyes2000 as requested :)

So, so, so good! @emilie786

Last updated: 09/22/2022

Captain Pike x Reader, romance/fluff/angst/adventure:

A Stranding, A Crash Landing (Series):

Chapter 1: Going Down Swinging

Chapter 2: The Man Beneath the Uniform

Chapter 3: Call Me Christopher

Chapter 4: Pale Blue Dots

Chapter 5: Liquid Gold

Chapter 6: Omega

Chapter 7: Dark Skies

Chapter 8: Morning Blues

Chapter 9: A Change of Scenery

Chapter 10: While You Were Sleeping

Chapter 11: Not Your Captain

Chapter 12: A Piece of the Universe

Chapter 13: A Certain Future (Final)

My Heart Is Breaking, But You Already Know How This Ends, Because You’re in the Future

Closing Time (Part 1, Part II under smut)

Turbolift to Heaven

Stars Pass By at Warp

An Engineering Tale

Veni, Vidi, Vina

A Captain by Any Other Name

A Captain By Any Other Name , Part II (Pike’s Perspective)

Captain Pike Gives You Butterflies

A Brush With Death (Part I)

Captain’s Orders (Or, “Yet Another Brush With Death”) (Part II)

A Brush With Death: The Aftermath (Part III)

Migraine on the Bridge

A Nebulous Tale

We’re Only Humanoid

The Perfect Storm

Together Again, Part I

Together Again, Part II

Northern Lights

Captain Pike x Reader, smut:

Closing Time Part II

The Captain’s Way in the Cargo Bay

The Light to His Darkness

Sonic Shower Thoughts

Lost in Subspace

The Captain’s Quarters

Relationship With Pike: Musings

Shield Upgrades

Arch Nemesis

Cullen Bohannon x Reader (Hell on Wheels):

“Heaven on Wheels” Series (in order of progression):

Payment for Services Rendered

A Promise of Protection

The Road to Recovery

The Sun Sets on the Railroad

The Witcher - Geralt of Rivia X Reader:

A Night in the Wilderness

Too Good to be True - Ao3 link

Crossroads - Ao3 link

Always - Ao3 link

Cyberpunk 2077:

Release (River Ward x reader as female V) - Ao3 link

Sunset Motel (River Ward x reader as female V) - Ao3 link

LOTR: Rings of Power:

Stolen Moments (Arondir x Female Reader), smut/fluff - Ao3 link

@ allthetrek

The Captain’s Woman Masterlist

Pairing:  Christopher Pike x Reader

Rating: T (may become M in the future)

Warnings: Mentions of past abuse; mentions of violence; Power Imbalance

Summary:  In the Terran Empire, wanting to survive wasn’t enough. Set Pre-Discovery Part One Part Two Part Three Part Four Part Five Part Six

Part Seven Part Eight

More parts to come!

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• Starfleet command personnel
• Starfleet operations personnel
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) personnel
• USS Discovery personnel
• Starfleet flag officers

Christopher Pike

• View history

Christopher "Chris" Pike was a 23rd century male Human Federation Starfleet officer who was perhaps best known for serving as the commander of the USS Enterprise . During his service, Pike was considered to be one of the most highly decorated starship captains in Starfleet history . ( ST : " Q&A "; DIS : " Choose Your Pain ", " Brother "; TOS : " The Cage ", " The Menagerie, Part I ")

• 1 Early life
• 2.1 Starfleet Academy
• 2.2 Early postings and assignments
• 2.3 First officer of the USS Enterprise
• 2.4.1 Promotion of Lynne Lucero
• 2.4.2 Testing Thira Sidhu
• 2.4.3 First mission to Rigel VII
• 2.4.4 Meeting the Talosians
• 2.4.5 Sitting out the Klingon War
• 2.4.6 Investigating the red bursts
• 2.5.1 Rescuing the Hiawatha crew
• 2.5.2 New Eden
• 2.5.3 Going after Spock
• 2.5.4 Conflict with Control
• 2.6.1 Return to Earth
• 2.6.2 The Elysian Kingdom
• 2.6.3 Outpost 4
• 2.6.4 Finding a Lawyer
• 2.7.1 Initial promotion
• 2.7.2 Passing the torch
• 2.7.3 Tragic near-fate
• 2.7.4 Return to Talos
• 4 Alternate timelines
• 5 Awards and honors
• 7.1.1 Robert April
• 7.1.2 Una Chin-Riley
• 7.1.3 Spock
• 7.1.4 Leland
• 7.1.5 Joseph M'Benga
• 7.1.6 T'Pring
• 7.1.7 George Samuel Kirk
• 7.2.1 Alora
• 7.2.3 Marie Batel
• 8.1 Catchphrases
• 8.2 Opinions of Pike
• 9 Key dates
• 10.1 Appearances
• 10.2.1 Identifying performers
• 10.2.2 Name and preliminary depictions
• 10.2.3 Original casting
• 10.3 Rewriting the part
• 10.4.1 Disfigured portrayal
• 10.4.2.1 First portrayal
• 10.4.2.2 Reiteration
• 10.4.2.3 Discovery
• 10.5 Apocrypha
• 10.6 External links

Early life [ ]

Pike was born in the city of Mojave on Earth in the early 23rd century . ( DIS : " Saints of Imperfection ")

Pike had a pony named Sir-Neighs-a-Lot who broke his leg in a rainstorm . Pike’s parents had the pony put down , which caused Pike to cry for a week . ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Later on in life, Pike had two horses – Tango and Mary Lou – which he rode through parkland that surrounded the city. ( TOS : " The Cage ", " The Menagerie, Part I ")

Pike's father was a science teacher who also taught comparative religion . This led to a very confusing household for Pike, causing him not to agree with his father on much. ( DIS : " New Eden ") Pike also had a evasive female cousin who, according to Pike, apparently only gave a straight answer in church . ( DIS : " Saints of Imperfection ") At one point during his childhood , Pike heard a fable that described Hell-Fire , something that he carried with him into his adulthood . ( TOS : " The Cage ")

During his childhood, he was diagnosed with asthma , and also suffered from space sickness . ( DIS : " Brother ")

One of Pike's favorite foods was his mother 's homemade tomato sauce . ( SNW : " Among the Lotus Eaters ") Pike hated spiders . ( DIS : " An Obol for Charon ")

Starfleet career [ ]

Alexander Marcus talked Pike into joining Starfleet. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Starfleet Academy [ ]

Sometime before 2224 , Pike attended Starfleet Academy , where he received top marks in all his classes with the exception of an "F" in Astrophysics .

He was part of the graduating class of 3201.14 . He also met Philippa Georgiou , who during their time at the Academy was able to drink Pike and their fellow cadets under the table. ( DIS : " Brother ", " Saints of Imperfection ")

Early postings and assignments [ ]

Pike's dossier

Upon graduating from Starfleet Academy, Pike was commissioned as an officer in Starfleet, with his first assignment being as a test pilot . ( DIS : " Light and Shadows ")

As an ensign , Pike served as a security officer . During an encounter with a Nausicaan , Pike drew his phaser and ran after the pants-less Nausicaan. After tripping during the pursuit, he discovered that he had been entangled in the Nausicaan's pants. Following the encounter, Pike's lieutenant pulled him aside and told Pike that maybe a career path in security wasn't for him. ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ")

Pike served on three Federation starships, the USS Antares , the USS Chatelet , and the USS Aryabhatta .

Sometime during his career, he made a speech to Una Chin-Riley 's Academy class about a test mission he had flown. It was there that the two met and began a lasting friendship. ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera ")

First officer of the USS Enterprise [ ]

April and Pike

During the 2240s , he was assigned to the USS Enterprise as Captain Robert April 's first officer . ( DIS : " Brother ")

In 2249 , Lieutenant Pike participated in a rescue mission in the Majalan system of the Majalan Alora from a damaged shuttle . Pike was nearly killed by a pulsar during the mission. ( SNW : " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach ")

Pike in 2249

Commanding the USS Enterprise [ ]

In 2250 , Pike was given command of the Enterprise . ( DIS : " Brother ") He chose Una Chin-Riley as his first officer. She spent a week shadowing Pike before she took on her new role. ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera " display graphic , SNW : " Subspace Rhapsody ")

By 2253 , Una said that Pike was "the most heavily decorated fighting captain in Starfleet". ( ST : " Q&A ") In 2259, he was regarded by Vice Admiral Pasalk as "one of Starfleet's most decorated officers." ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera ")

Promotion of Lynne Lucero [ ]

Captain Pike saying farewell to Captain Lynne Lucero in the Enterprise's transporter room.

Sometime during his tenure as captain of the Enterprise , Pike oversaw the transfer of Lynne Lucero from the Enterprise to the USS Cabot , as Lucero was taking command of the Cabot . He noted in his captain's log that the Cabot was lucky to have her. ( ST : " The Trouble with Edward ")

Testing Thira Sidhu [ ]

Pike as a prisoner

Pike also participated in a simulation , designed by Chin-Riley, to test Cadet Thira Sidhu 's suitability to serve on the Enterprise during her evaluation; he was brought handcuffed and masked to Inventory Two on Starbase 28 as a mutineer . Pike told her that the station was under attack by Tholians and ordered her to release him; Cadet Sidhu stood her ground, going so far as to threaten to shoot the captain. This prompted Pike to reveal that the situation had been simulated to test her resolve in a difficult situation. Pike then escorted Sidhu aboard the Enterprise and revealed her new assignment: Enterprise' s engineering department . ( ST : " Ask Not ")

First mission to Rigel VII [ ]

Christopher Pike in 2254

Four years after assuming command of the Enterprise , Pike led a landing party to Rigel VII . On this mission, the group was attacked by the Kalar , and Pike himself was trapped by one of the warriors in an abandoned fortress . Three crewmen, including Pike's own yeoman , Zac Nguyen , were killed , while an additional seven, including Spock , were injured, some severely. The loss weighed heavily on Pike; with all the strain and overwork that followed, he began to question his own continuation as starship commander. The Enterprise then set out for Vega colony to hospitalize the sick and injured. ( TOS : " The Cage "; SNW : " Among the Lotus Eaters ")

Meeting the Talosians [ ]

Vina, Pike, Tango, and Mary Lou near Mojave

En route to the Vega colony, the Enterprise intercepted an old-style radio-interference distress call carrying the call letters of the SS Columbia , a survey expedition from the American Continent Institute which had been lost in the Talos star group in 2236 . At Pike's reluctant command, the Enterprise diverted and traced the signal to a crash site on Talos IV . After an initial encounter with supposed survivors, including an out-of-place young beauty named Vina , it was revealed that the native Talosians had used telepathy to create the illusion of an encampment; all the survivors except Vina were dead.

The Talosians

Pike was overpowered and kidnapped , and placed in a Talosian menagerie . There the Talosians attempted to manipulate him into mating with Vina, to create a population of illusion-controlled Human servants. Due to the Talosians' telepathy, Pike was forced to relive old memories and placed in illusory scenarios of lives that he could have if he abandoned his career as a starship captain. The scenarios included reliving the fight on Rigel VII, a picnic in parkland near Mojave with his two horses, and an illusory day in the life of an Orion slave-trader dealing in green animal women . Pike refused to mate with Vina, so the Talosians began to take steps to convince him to breed with other females of his crew; to this end, Yeoman J.M. Colt and Chin-Riley were captured.

Pike escapes his cage with Vina and Chin-Riley

Inside his cell, Pike managed to capture The Keeper . Pike then threatened to break the Talosian's neck if he resisted, and all the illusions ceased from that point forward. Escaping with the others to the outside of the Talosian complex, Pike had Chin-Riley set a laser to overload, in an effort to make a statement to the Talosians about holding Humans captive. Indeed, the Talosians believed this violent reaction made Humans unsuitable for breeding. Vina's true appearance was then revealed, and Pike convinced the Talosians to restore her illusion of health and beauty while letting him and his crew members go free. Although the experience with the illusory worlds restored Pike's confidence in his command, it was recommended that all contact with the Talosians be restricted. General Order 7 was enacted, threatening the death penalty should anyone travel there, for fear of the Federation falling under illusory indulgence. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ", " The Menagerie, Part II ")

Sitting out the Klingon War [ ]

At the outbreak of the Federation-Klingon War in 2256 , the Enterprise was engaged in a five-year mission and was ordered to remain on mission by Starfleet, held out of combat in reserve as a last resort. Missing the war took a toll on Pike and the rest of his crew. ( DIS : " Brother ")

Investigating the red bursts [ ]

As the war wound down in 2257 , Spock took an unspecified leave of absence from Starfleet and voluntarily admitted himself to receive psychiatric care aboard Starbase 5 , a fact that Spock requested Pike to keep from his father, Sarek , and his foster sister, Michael Burnham . ( DIS : " Brother ", " New Eden ")

Following the end of the Klingon War in 2257 and the detection of seven red bursts across the galaxy , Starfleet ordered Pike to investigate the location of the only burst which could be traced. When the Enterprise suffered a catastrophic systems failure en route, Pike issued a priority one distress call that was picked up by the USS Discovery . ( DIS : " Will You Take My Hand? ", " Brother ")

Commanding the USS Discovery [ ]

Rescuing the hiawatha crew [ ].

Pike meeting Saru and Michael Burnham

With the Enterprise unable to continue its mission, Pike was ordered to assume command of the Discovery from acting captain Saru under Starfleet Regulation 19 , Section C. ( DIS : " Brother ")

During the encounter with the interstellar asteroid at the location of a red burst , Pike led a landing party to the USS Hiawatha . His landing pod was hit by debris, forcing him to eject using a malfunctioning exo-suit , after which he was rescued by Michael Burnham . When Burnham became trapped aboard the Hiawatha , Pike returned to the stricken starship to rescue her.

Pike in his ready room aboard the Discovery

Shortly thereafter, Starfleet temporarily assigned Pike as captain of Discovery, due to the Enterprise being compromised far worse than originally thought. He was tasked with determining the source of the signals and their intent. ( DIS : " Brother ")

A millennium later, while being questioned by Starfleet in 3189, Jett Reno made reference to Pike's rescue of her from the Hiawatha . ( DIS : " Die Trying ")

New Eden [ ]

Pike in the White Church

A short time later, another burst led Pike and the Discovery to an inhabited planet deep in the Beta Quadrant . A distress call and subsequent scans of the planet revealed it was inhabited by Humans. Not wanting to violate General Order 1 , Pike led an away team with Burnham and Lieutenant junior grade Owosekun to the surface to investigate. On the surface, they discovered a unique syncretic blend of many Earth religions. While investigating, they were confronted by a local named Jacob , prompting Pike to claim that they were visitors from the Northern Territory . While attending a local religious ceremony that night, they discovered the planet was populated by people saved from World War III nuclear exchange by an " angel ".

While doing further investigations on the surface, the away team was incapacitated by Jacob, who accurately believed them to be people from the "old Earth". They were able to escape and returned to the Discovery . Pike returned to the surface, however, where he revealed the truth to Jacob, but told him he could not interfere in their society. As the two parted ways, Jacob gave him a World War III camera helmet in exchange for a long-lasting power cell . In the camera footage, Pike spotted an angel-like figure, which Burnham admitted she had seen earlier.

During the same mission, a young girl named Rose discovered one of the landing parties' phaser and accidentally caused it to discharge. Pike pushed her out of the way, causing him to suffer from the phaser blast instead. Pike would eventually recover. ( DIS : " New Eden ")

Going after Spock [ ]

Shortly afterwards, Spock's mother, Amanda Grayson , rendezvoused with Discovery . At her request, he contacted Starbase 5's commanding officer, Diego Vela , who claimed Spock had killed several of their personnel and fled the station. Pike, Grayson, and Burnham all rejected this possibility. ( DIS : " Point of Light ")

Pike and Chin-Riley talking aboard the Discovery

As part of his continuing investigation into the allegations against Spock, Pike met with Chin-Riley aboard the Discovery , discussing the repairs to the Enterprise . During this conversation, Chin-Riley revealed that Starfleet Command had placed a Level One classification on Spock's case, a very unusual decision to make regarding a line officer. They both agreed that the facts didn't add up before they parted ways. ( DIS : " An Obol for Charon ")

Shortly after he began his search for Spock, Pike came into contact with Leland and Section 31 . Leland made his presence known while assisting Discovery in its mission to rescue Ensign Tilly from the mycelial plane . ( DIS : " Saints of Imperfection ")

Pike with Spock and Burnham

After Michael Burnham and Spock escaped with assistance from Philippa Georgiou , Pike came into conflict with Section 31 while heading towards Talos IV to rendezvous with Burnham, who had discovered Spock. He learned of this fact when a projection of Vina once more appeared and revealed the location of the two to him. When Pike and Section 31 operatives attempted to retrieve the two from the surface with a transporter, Vina appeared to Pike one final time and convinced him to break off the attempt, which was a ruse to trick Section 31 into thinking they had captured Spock and Burnham. Reuniting with Spock and Burnham, he ignored Leland's request for him to report for disciplinary action. ( DIS : " If Memory Serves ")

Conflict with Control [ ]

The situation came to a head when Pike and Discovery , now wanted for treason by Starfleet, arrived at Section 31 Headquarters . While attempting to reset Control , Discovery was attacked by the station 's defenses in an attack that was ostensibly ordered by Starfleet. Upon beaming over to the station, the landing party discovered that Admiral Patar and all the personnel aboard the station had been killed two weeks prior when Control went rogue. ( DIS : " Project Daedalus ")

During a mission to the Klingon monastery world of Boreth to recover a time crystal , Pike experienced a vision of an unavoidable future if he continued with his quest. His vision showed him aboard a Class J starship on a training cruise when a baffle plate ruptured, leaking delta radiation into engineering , causing severe burns and damage to his body. The vision then transported him to an empty corridor where he came face-to-face with himself in the life-support chair he would inhabit following the accident.

Following a vision of the future, Pike accepts his fate

Following this vision, he recoiled screaming in terror, and was given the option to give up and leave empty-handed, but carried on and retrieved the crystal. ( DIS : " Through the Valley of Shadows ")

After the mission to Boreth, he returned to the Discovery , only to detect thirty Control-commandeered Section 31 vessels on an intercept course. He ordered a distress call sent to the Enterprise and to prepare to destroy the Discovery to prevent Control from taking possession of the time crystal. ( DIS : " Through the Valley of Shadows ")

Return to Enterprise [ ]

Pike on the bridge of the Enterprise

In 2258 , after a few months of serving as captain of the Discovery , Pike returned to his position as captain of the Enterprise to face a Control-possessed Leland and his Section 31 fleet. ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow ") After Burnham and the Discovery traveled through the wormhole to the 32nd century , in order to preserve the truth and ensure the sacrifices had not been made for nothing, Pike and his senior staff reported to Starfleet Command that the Discovery was lost with all hands.

A hundred and twenty-seven days after the battle, the Enterprise departed to investigate a new moon in orbit of Edrin II . ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 ")

Return to Earth [ ]

Following the mission to Edrin II, Pike and the Enterprise returned to Earth for downtime in 2259 . Pike spent his time in Bear Creek , Montana , where he pursued a relationship with Captain Marie Batel . Affected by his vision of the future, Pike ignored several attempts at contact from Admiral Robert April, and was reluctant to resume command of Enterprise . April eventually visited Pike at Bear Creek, where he informed him that Una had been taken captive during a first contact mission to Kiley 279 .

Pike in 2259

Pike agreed to reassume command to rescue Una. Following the mission to Kiley and Una's rescue, Pike kept the captain's chair, re-inspired to lead the Enterprise on new missions of exploration. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Although he resumed his duties, Pike remained haunted by visions of his eventual fate shown as to him by the Boreth time crystal . ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ", " Children of the Comet ")

The Elysian Kingdom [ ]

When an alien consciousness from the Jonisian Nebula brought the fairy tale The Kingdom of Elysian to life on the Enterprise , Pike was used for the character of Sir Amand Rauth . Pike retained no memory of these events afterward. ( SNW : " The Elysian Kingdom ")

Outpost 4 [ ]

During a mission to Outpost 4 along the Romulan Neutral Zone , Pike met Maat Al-Salah , whom he recognized as one of the cadets who would die during the training accident that would ultimately cripple Pike. Pike considered writing a letter to Maat to dissuade him from joining Starfleet, in an attempt to avoid the accident. Before he could finish his letter, he was visited by an older version of himself from the future. This future Admiral Pike warned his 2259 counterpart that changing his own pre-ordained future would have dire consequences. To demonstrate this, he used a time crystal to send Pike to the year 2266 of his future, where he was still in command of the Enterprise during the Neutral Zone Incursion . Pike's involvement in this alternate timeline led to an endless war with the Romulans, with Spock being crippled in his place. Returning to his own time, Pike deleted the letter and accepted his fate. He also began to take an interest in James T. Kirk , currently a lieutenant aboard the USS Farragut , after witnessing his command potential during these events. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Finding a Lawyer [ ]

Shortly after Pike's return, Una was arrested for lying about being an Illyrian , something that Pike was aware of and didn't officially report. Pike vowed to try to save Una from her fate of being imprisoned for hiding the truth about being from a genetically augmented species when joining Starfleet. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ", " Ghosts of Illyria ")

Shortly thereafter, Pike and the Enterprise returned to Starbase 1 for inspection and shore leave. Pike left Spock in command for three days while he travelled to find a lawyer to defend Chin-Riley during her court-martial. ( SNW : " The Broken Circle ")

Career as fleet captain [ ]

Initial promotion [ ].

Fleet Captain Pike and Lt. James T. Kirk meeting for the first time.

Around stardate 2394.8, Pike was temporarily promoted to fleet captain and was given temporary command of the operation conducted in Bannon's Nebula , which included command of Bavali Station , the USS Farragut , and several other support craft. During this mission he would meet James T. Kirk, soon-to-be first officer of the Farragut , for the first time in this timeline. Kirk aided Pike and his crew in saving the lifeforms found in the nebula's deuterium, and met many of his future shipmates for the first time. ( SNW : " Lost in Translation "; TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ")

Passing the torch [ ]

Pike commanded the Enterprise for several more years before command of the Enterprise was passed to Captain Kirk. Prior to joining Kirk on the Enterprise , Pike's former science officer, Spock, had served with Pike for a total of eleven years, four months, and five days. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ")

Tragic near-fate [ ]

Fleet Captain Pike wounded by delta rays

In 2266, Pike was on an inspection tour of a cadet vessel , an old class J starship , when one of the baffle plates ruptured, causing a radiation leak , just as he had seen in the time crystal vision on Boreth nine years earlier. Pike managed to rescue all the cadets who were still alive, but found himself caught in the automatic lockdown as delta radiation reached critical levels. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I "; DIS : " Through the Valley of Shadows ")

Prior to his injury, he was described by Jose I. Mendez as being " big, handsome man, vital, active. " Afterwards, the disfigured Pike was put on a form of advanced life support which sustained his withered body and life functions, as he was too weak and incapacitated to move or respond to physical stimuli. His wheelchair was tuned to his brain and could use blinking light signals to respond to simple queries in the affirmative (one flash) or negative (two flashes), but that was the extent to which he could communicate. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ")

Return to Talos [ ]

Pike with Kirk and Spock

In 2267 , after being contacted by the Talosians, Commander Spock devised a plan to use a fake message in an attempt to divert the Enterprise (of which he was now first officer under Captain Kirk) to Starbase 11 , where Pike was hospitalized. Spock's intention, risking execution if caught, was to deliver Pike to Talos IV, where the Talosians could tap Pike's mind with telepathy and illusions, providing a hospice of sorts in sparing him from dying helplessly in his lifeless body.

Pike, also contacted beforehand by the Talosians, at first refused Spock's plot to spirit him away to Talos IV. However, on the journey to the forbidden planet, images of Pike's earlier experience on Talos IV – presented during Spock's on-board court martial (a court martial later revealed to have been concocted by the Talosians) – convinced Pike to accept the Talosians' offer.

A restored Pike descending with Vina on Talos IV

On Talos IV, with the help of the Talosians, Pike lived out a life of illusion with Vina, in which his devastating handicap no longer existed. Pike went into retirement from Starfleet active duty and lived on Talos IV permanently, with no further outside contact, since the secrecy of the Talosian power made his fate largely unknown. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ", " The Menagerie, Part II ")

Pike had a strong moral center and devotion to the values he found embodied in the Federation, spending his life in its service and defense. In numerous incidents, he risked his life for causes he deemed just. Even when faced with evidence of his future, Pike accepted this fate as he had confirmed that his sacrifice saved lives. ( DIS : " Brother ", " New Eden ", " Through the Valley of Shadows "; SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

In the mid- 24th century , Pike's Birthday was celebrated as a Federation holiday. He was revered by Brad Boimler , who would dress up as Pike for Halloween . According to Boimler, he was known for "diplomacy ...patience, forgiveness, benevolence... really great hair." ( SNW : " Those Old Scientists ")

In 3189 , after failing to connect with his crew, Captain Saru compared his efforts with Pike's and noted to Tilly that Pike made connecting with his crew seem so effortless. ( DIS : " Forget Me Not ")

When Captain Saru was trying to come up with a catchphrase, he asked Ensign Tilly for suggestions, and one of the options was Pike's own catchphrase "Hit it". ( DIS : " The Sanctuary ")

In 3191 , while preparing to fly the ISS Enterprise -- the USS Enterprise from the mirror universe -- out of a wormhole with the help of the USS Discovery , Cleveland Booker suggested saying "hit it" before beginning their plan. Well aware that it was Pike's catchphrase, Captain Michael Burnham called it too weird and decided to go with her own "let's fly." ( DIS : " Mirrors ")

Alternate timelines [ ]

In an alternate timeline , Pike managed to avoid his crippling fate by writing a letter dissuading Cadet Maat Al-Salah from joining Starfleet using the information that he gained from the time crystal on Boreth . As a result, Pike remained captain of the USS Enterprise for years more to come. However, Pike's actions when confronted with the Neutral Zone Incursion differed from that of Captain Kirk in the prime timeline, and resulted in an endless war between the Romulans and the Federation in which millions died.

Rear Admiral Christopher Pike in an alternate timeline

This version of Pike was eventually promoted to rear admiral and consulted with the monks at Boreth, learning that his actions also prevented reunification between the Vulcans and Romulans, due to Spock having suffered crippling injuries (resembling Pike's own in the original timeline). In order to stop himself from making this mistake, Pike convinced the monks to give him another time crystal to travel back in time, and show his past self the consequences of his actions. As a result, this timeline was erased from existence. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Awards and honors [ ]

Pike was listed among Starfleet's finest captains in 2256

By 2256 , Pike was one of Starfleet's most decorated captains, ranked among other legends such as Robert April, Jonathan Archer , Matthew Decker , and Philippa Georgiou . ( DIS : " Choose Your Pain ")

The Christopher Pike Medal of Valor was named in Pike's honor. Benjamin Sisko and Solok received the award in the 24th century . ( DS9 : " Tears of the Prophets ", " Take Me Out to the Holosuite ")

The logo of the Pike City Pioneers on a baseball cap

On the planet Cestus III , Pike City was named after him. ( DS9 : " Family Business ", " The Way of the Warrior ") There was also a shuttlecraft Pike carried on board the USS Enterprise -D . ( TNG : " The Most Toys ")

Personal interests [ ]

Pike was fond of horses, having owned equines at multiple times in his life. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ", TOS : " The Cage ", " The Menagerie, Part I ")

Relationships [ ]

Friendships [ ], robert april [ ].

Captain Pike and Admiral April on Starbase 1

Due to Pike being Robert April 's first officer, the two became friends. Even after April was promoted to admiral , Pike was still able to call him by his first name "Bob". ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Sometime prior to April's promotion, Pike and him took a picture when they were both still wearing an earlier version of the Starfleet uniform. ( SNW : " Children of the Comet ", " A Quality of Mercy ")

Una Chin-Riley [ ]

Pike and Una hug

Pike met Una Chin-Riley when he gave a speech to her Academy class about a test mission he had flew. Following Pike's speech, Chin-Riley came up to him afterwards and pointed out a flaw he had made during reentry. He found it bold and annoying, but she was right. ( SNW : " Ad Astra per Aspera ")

Over the years, the two would develop a friendship and a respect for one another. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ", " Ghosts of Illyria ")

Christopher Pike and Spock on Talos IV

Pike first met Spock in 2253 when he transferred to the Enterprise from Starbase 40 to become Pike's new science officer . ( ST : " Q&A ") By 2257 , Spock became one of Pike's most valued bridge officers as he trusted him implicitly. ( DIS : " Brother "; SNW : " Among the Lotus Eaters " display graphic )

When Spock decided to remain onboard the Discovery , Pike believed there weren't words to describe the pride Pike had for him. ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow ")

Spock wound up returning to the Enterprise during the events at Xahea , and served under Pike for several more years, during which time they continued to become friends. After realizing that preventing his own death meant that Spock would die instead, and take with him any chance of peace with Romulus, Pike again accepted his fate without hesitation and expressed relief at Spock's own survival. ( DIS : " Such Sweet Sorrow ", " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 "; SNW : " Strange New Worlds ", " A Quality of Mercy ")

Even after Pike was promoted to fleet captain and left the Enterprise , Spock was fond of Pike even so far as to risk court martial in 2267 to kidnap his disabled former captain and bring him to Talos IV to live a life of illusion and happiness. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ", " The Menagerie, Part II ")

During his lifetime, Pike and Section 31 agent Leland had been friends, though their differing career paths and resulting value systems strained that friendship considerably. ( DIS : " Saints of Imperfection ")

Joseph M'Benga [ ]

Pike and Joseph M'Benga

Pike and Joseph M'Benga became friends sometime prior to 2259 . M'Benga toured Mojave with Pike and in return, Pike toured Kenya with him. The two were reunited when M'Benga was assigned to the Enterprise as chief medical officer. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

T'Pring [ ]

Due to Spock being assigned to Captain Pike's command, T'Pring and Pike were acquainted with one another as T'Pring called Pike by his first name. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

George Samuel Kirk [ ]

Pike and Sam Kirk

Sometime prior to 2259 , Pike met George Samuel Kirk and was well acquainted with Sam and his family. Upon Pike's return to the Enterprise , he personally requested Kirk be assigned to the Enterprise . ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Romances [ ]

Pike and Alora

Pike met the Majalan Alora in 2249 when he was a lieutenant. He struck up a relationship with her, after he risked his life to rescue her shuttle from a pulsar . According to Pike, he was hitting on her just a little. The two wouldn't meet again until a decade later when the Enterprise saved Alora's life again. During their second encounter, the two would sleep together. Their relationship ended when Pike soon discovered that the ascension ceremony involved connecting the First Servant directly to Majalis' power systems to keep the city afloat. Pike was disgusted at the idea of a civilization being built on the suffering of a child, and brusquely requested to be beamed back to his ship, leaving a tearful Alora behind. ( SNW : " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach ")

Pike and Vina reuniting

Christopher Pike first met Vina when the Enterprise made contact with Talos IV in 2254. ( TOS : " The Cage ")

Three years later, in 2257 , Pike and Vina reunited when the Talosians used their powers to project Vina's image to Pike on the Discovery . ( DIS : " If Memory Serves ")

Ten years later , following Pike's delta radiation exposure accident, Spock commandeered the Enterprise and transported Pike from Starbase 11 to Talos IV , where The Talosians allowed Pike to function in his normal state, and he and Vina were finally reunited in person. ( TOS : " The Menagerie, Part I ", " The Menagerie, Part II ")

Marie Batel [ ]

Pike and Batel kissing

Sometime after returning to Earth, Pike and fellow Starfleet Captain Marie Batel began a romantic liaison. The day before Captain Batel was supposed to ship out, Pike made breakfast for the two of them at his home in Bear Creek , Montana . Batel inquired about if he had made a decision about returning to captain the Enterprise or resign. She also inquired about what was bothering him but Pike told her that it was so classified that even her high security clearance wouldn't allow him to tell her. Before she left, Batel told Pike that she hoped he wasn't around when she returned as she believed he had better places to be. ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Pike's relationship with Batel continued as the Enterprise and her ship, the USS Cayuga , participated in upgrades to outposts along the Romulan Neutral Zone. In the course of that mission, Batel was forced to arrest Una Chin-Riley for her illegal genetic modifications, placing a strain on their relationship, although Batel admitted that she didn't like her arresting Una any more than Pike did. ( SNW : " A Quality of Mercy ")

Memorable quotes [ ]

" You either live life – bruises, skinned knees and all – or you turn your back on it and start dying. "

" Wherever our mission takes us, we'll try to have a little fun along the way, too, huh? Make a little noise? Ruffle a few feathers."

" Be bold. Be brave. Be courageous. Black alert ."

" Our mission? We explore. We seek out new life and new civilizations. We boldly go where no one has gone before."

"Right up until the very end, life is to be worn gloriously because, until our last moment, the future is what we make it"

- Pike to The Kiley council ( SNW : " Strange New Worlds ")

Catchphrases [ ]

" Hit it. "

Opinions of Pike [ ]

" Chris, you set standards for yourself no one could meet. You treat everyone on board like a Human being except yourself. "

" What are the three most salient facts about Captain Pike?" " One, his capacity for hearing out another point of view is exceeded only by his willingness to change his own once he's heard you out. Two, even though he is the most heavily decorated fighting captain in Starfleet, he views resorting to force as an admission of failure. And three... he is utterly unsentimental except when it comes to horses. "

" I know diplomacy is one of your many, many strengths. That and patience, forgiveness, benevolence... really great hair. "

Key dates [ ]

• Early 2200s – Pike is born in Mojave , California on Earth
• Stardate 3201.4 : graduates from Starfleet Academy
• Assigned to the USS Antares
• Assigned to the USS Chatelet
• Assigned to the USS Aryabhatta
• 2240s– 2250 : Assigned to the USS Enterprise under Captain Robert April as First officer
• 2250: Appointed captain of the USS Enterprise
• 2250s : Sets out on a Five-year mission
• 2254 : Achieved first contact with the Talosians
• 2256 – 2257 : Along with the rest of the Enterprise crew, sits out the Federation-Klingon War
• Temporarily appointed captain of the USS Discovery
• Achieved first contact with the New Eden Humans on Terralysium
• 2258: Returns to the Enterprise on Stardate 1050.8
• Achieved first contact with the Kiley on Kiley 279
• Achieved first contact with the Shepherd
• Promoted to fleet captain
• 2266 : Exposed to delta radiation leaving him disfigured and confined to a wheelchair .
• 2267 : With assistance from the Talosians, is able to live out a life of illusion on Talos IV

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• " The Cage "
• " The Menagerie, Part I "
• " The Menagerie, Part II "
• " Brother "
• " New Eden "
• " Point of Light "
• " An Obol for Charon "
• " Saints of Imperfection "
• " The Sound of Thunder "
• " Light and Shadows "
• " If Memory Serves "
• " Project Daedalus "
• " The Red Angel "
• " Perpetual Infinity "
• " Through the Valley of Shadows "
• " Such Sweet Sorrow "
• " Such Sweet Sorrow, Part 2 "
• " Q&A "
• " The Trouble with Edward "
• " Ask Not "
• " Strange New Worlds "
• " Children of the Comet "
• " Ghosts of Illyria "
• " Memento Mori "
• " Spock Amok "
• " Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach "
• " The Serene Squall "
• " The Elysian Kingdom "
• " All Those Who Wander "
• " A Quality of Mercy "
• " The Broken Circle "
• " Ad Astra per Aspera "
• " Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow "
• " Among the Lotus Eaters "
• " Charades "
• " Lost in Translation "
• " Those Old Scientists "
• " Under the Cloak of War "
• " Subspace Rhapsody "
• " Hegemony "

Background information [ ]

Identifying performers [ ].

Pike's stunt double Robert Herron

Captain Pike was played by Jeffrey Hunter in the original unaired pilot, " The Cage ", and in segments of archive footage from that episode which were included in " The Menagerie, Part I " and " The Menagerie, Part II ".

Actor Sean Kenney portrayed a disfigured Pike in the "The Menagerie" two-parter, because the part of a wheelchair-bound Captain Pike was a bit role in the context of the script and would not justify the expense of hiring back the more popular Jeffrey Hunter for such a small part, especially since he had moved on to other projects. Hunter's stunt double for the role, Robert Herron , made appearances in "The Cage" and "The Menagerie, Part II".

In Star Trek: Discovery , Star Trek: Short Treks and Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , Christopher Pike was portrayed by Anson Mount .

Name and preliminary depictions [ ]

Christopher Pike was originally named Robert April , which was then changed to James Winter. ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , pp. 206 & 209) James Blish noted that the scripts for Star Trek 's original unaired pilot, " The Cage ", were "heavily revised in various handwritings and Pike confusingly appears from time to time as 'Captain Spring' and 'Captain Winter.'" A revised draft of the script for "The Cage", from 20 November 1964 , listed him as Captain James Winter. [4] However, that moniker was used only briefly; the name change from James Winter to Christopher Pike was made on 25 November . ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , p. 206)

An ultimately unused concept for the depiction of Captain Pike was suggested to Gene Roddenberry by "The Cage" Director Robert Butler . " I begged him to do […] a captain who had been out there for seven [years] […] but it all fell on deaf ears, " Butler recalled. ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 101)

In the aforementioned script, Captain Winter was described thus; " Our first and most important impression is that he would not be completely out of place on the bridge of a naval cruiser in our own day. About thirty-four , he is a complex personality with a sensitivity and warmth which the responsibilities of command often forces him to hide. "

Star Trek consultant and historian Larry Nemecek once claimed the character's full name, by the time the part was filmed for "The Cage", was changed to "Christopher R. Pike". Nemecek also suggested a holdover of the middle initial as a possible reason for why a tombstone commemorating Captain Kirk in TOS : " Where No Man Has Gone Before " is emblazoned "James R. Kirk", though his middle name was later established as "Tiberius". ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 98 , p. 37) However, no canonical evidence provides Pike's middle initial as "R", or even states he had a middle name.

In reality, LeVar Burton knew, when he auditioned for the role of Geordi La Forge in Star Trek: The Next Generation , that the name of the captain from the original Star Trek pilot had been "Christopher Pike". He used that knowledge to "break the ice" with John Pike , the President of Paramount Network Television, during the audition. ( Stardate Revisited: The Origin of Star Trek - The Next Generation , Part Two: Launch , TNG Season 1 Blu-ray special features)

The American author Kevin McFadden (b. 1955) took "Christopher Pike" as his pen name.

Original casting [ ]

Trying to find a suitable lead actor for Star Trek was the most difficult factor in casting "The Cage". The role had several requirements. These included physical attractiveness, the ability to project a huge degree of personal warmth to increase the chances of likeability and, thirdly, believability in the part, such as by looking athletic and being convincing in a position of leadership. ( Star Trek: The Original Series 365 , p. 007; The Making of Star Trek , p. 111) By the time Star Trek started casting for the lead actor, so many other series were in production that there were very few performers available. Those who were could afford to be selective about what part they took. ( The Making of Star Trek , p. 111)

Before Gene Roddenberry wrote "The Cage" (but once the captain's name was Christopher Pike), he asked Lloyd Bridges to accept Star Trek 's lead role. ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 9; These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Three: Designing Star Trek "; Star Trek Encyclopedia  (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 146)) " When I approached him with it, " stated Roddenberry, " he said, 'Gene, I like you, I've worked with you before in the past, but I've seen science fiction and I don't want to be within a hundred miles of it…' " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 9) Not only had Bridges seen science fiction, he had been burned by it. Less than two years had passed since Daily Variety had complained about an episode of The Lloyd Bridges Show wherein he had played an astronaut who landed on an alien planet. Thus, Bridges was not eager to participate in another outer space adventure any time soon. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Three: Designing Star Trek ") Concerning the performer's anxious reaction to the prospect of featuring on Star Trek , Roddenberry noted, " I understood what he meant then. " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 9) This was because Roddenberry accepted that science fiction of the time was poor. Hence, he thought the choice Bridges made "wasn't a foolish move on his part." ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , p. 9) Roddenberry attempted to make a persuasive argument that he could do science fiction differently, but was not yet sure himself if he could manage to do so. ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 9) Ultimately, Bridges made it clear that he strongly believed appearing in an outer-space series would obliterate his future credibility.

Following Lloyd Bridges' rejection, Gene Roddenberry spent several weeks in search of a suitable actor to play the part. ( Star Trek Memories , paperback ed., p. 41) " I came to realize […] that there just weren't a lot of actors who would do it, " he related. " I was talking about what was in many people's eyes a silly show. " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 9) Nonetheless, many actors were considered. Roddenberry noted, " We went through a lot of film in casting the part. " ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , p. 9) Several casting consultants submitted lists of names to Roddenberry, which he then analyzed. One such list was comprised of forty names, including the following:

Though not included in the above list, James Coburn was an additional possibility; Majel Barrett strongly suggested him to Gene Roddenberry and a group of other men. Barrett found her suggestion rejected because Coburn – in the opinions of the aforementioned men, including Roddenberry – "wasn't sexy enough," although Roddenberry later revised his judgment. ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , p. 209; The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 9)

After analyzing the lists from his casting consultants, Gene Roddenberry sent a shorter list of names to the television network NBC for their comments. This list included James Coburn, Jeffrey Hunter , Dan O'Herlihy, Patrick O'Neal, and Tom Tryon. The next day, he was notified by Herbert F. Solow , via memo, that the network was "very much against" Jeffrey Hunter and two others on the list. NBC proposed several alternatives, including Patrick McGoohan and Mel Farrar. The memo ended by saying, " There was a strong reaction for both James Coburn and Patrick O'Neal. " ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , pp. 209-210)

Jeffrey Hunter, dressed as Pike, with Roddenberry and the Enterprise

Gene Roddenberry finally selected Jeffrey Hunter – who had recently portrayed Jesus in King of Kings – to feature as Captain Pike. ( Star Trek Memories , paperback ed., p. 41) " Jeff Hunter seemed to be about the closest to what I had in mind for a captain, " Roddenberry stated. ( Star Trek - Where No One Has Gone Before , p. 9)

At this point, Robert Butler – director of "The Cage" – was unfamiliar with Jeffrey Hunter, who was aged thirty-seven. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Three: Designing Star Trek ") Butler remembered, " Jeffrey Hunter had probably been cast beyond my control, which is the way it goes, but I certainly knew of him. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 6 , p. 53)

Joseph D'Agosta , a casting director who Gene Roddenberry consulted, later explained that the casting of Jeffrey Hunter as Pike was "a network-producer- Desilu decision." ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , p. 211) D'Agosta clarified about the actor, " That was a selection made from the name list given by the network and the studio. I was not even involved in that. " ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 213) However, D'Agosta also laid claim to having somehow "dealt" with Hunter from a casting perspective. ( Star Trek Memories , paperback ed., p. 58)

Though Jeffrey Hunter had found starring as the title character in the short-lived television series Temple Houston to have been a disastrous experience (one year earlier), he nonetheless accepted the Star Trek role, agreeing to make another TV pilot. The reference book These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One ("Chapter Three: Designing Star Trek ") postulates that he did so while possibly motivated by "fearing his initial failure in television had hurt his chances to reclaim big screen status." In a comment Hunter made upon acquiring the Captain Pike role, he joked that any actor able to rule over all of Christianity could easily command a starship crew. After some typical haggling between agents, Hunter was hired. ( Star Trek Memories , paperback ed., p. 41) Hunter was contracted to play Pike over the course of sixteen days, receiving US$10,000 in return. ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , p. 211) The captain was the final role in "The Cage" to be cast. ( The Making of Star Trek , p. 111)

At about this time, Jeffrey Hunter was highly enthusiastic about Star Trek , particularly about the potential of the series. He talked enthusiastically about the project, after production on "The Cage" ended. In an interview for the Los Angeles Citizen News , he raved, " It's a great format because the writers will have a free hand [regarding the kinds of stories they could tell]. " In addition, he told the same publication (on 30 January 1965 ) that the thing which most intrigued him about the show was the high reliability of its projections as regards the future. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Four: Test Flight & Filming 'The Cage'" and "Chapter Five: Double or Nothing: A Second Pilot")

On 19 March 1965 , Gene Roddenberry sent a note to Jeffrey Hunter, inviting him, his wife and a few other people to a Desilu screening of "The Cage". ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Five: Double or Nothing: A Second Pilot"; Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , p. 225) Although NBC had unofficially revealed they planned to give the unprecedented go-ahead for the making of a second pilot (having been dissatisfied with "The Cage"), Hunter's contract required his participation in only one pilot, not two. If the already-produced pilot sold, he would be locked into a five-year contract. If the pilot was not purchased, he was contractually free to pursue other interests. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Five: Double or Nothing: A Second Pilot") Recollected Herb Solow, " We therefore had to devise a plan that would enable us to keep Jeff Hunter in the fold [[…] ] We […] looked forward to running the completed pilot for our star, Jeff Hunter. We hoped it would convince him to do another pilot. " ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story , paperback ed., p. 63)

The screening, which turned out to be a fateful event, was held on 25 March 1965 . ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , p. 225) Remembered Herb Solow, " Gene and I waited in the Desilu projection room for [Jeff Hunter] […] to arrive. He never did. " Hunter's wife, Joan 'Dusty' Bartlett, attended the ceremony in his stead. " We traded hellos, and I nodded to Gene, " Solow carried on. " He flicked the projection booth intercom switch. 'Let's go.' And so it went. As the end credits rolled, and the lights came up, Jeff Hunter's wife gave us our answer: 'This is not the kind of show Jeff wants to do, and besides, it wouldn't be good for his career. Jeff Hunter is a movie star.' Mrs. Hunter was very polite and very firm. She said her good-byes and left, having surprisingly and swiftly removed our star from our new pilot. " ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story , paperback ed., p. 63) Having decided she hated the pilot episode, Bartlett didn't want Hunter to remain in the role of Captain Pike. She convinced him that, being a dutiful husband, he didn't want to resume the persona either and that science fiction was beneath him. ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , p. 225; The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 10) In contrast to how Pike firstly contemplates resigning his commission and retiring from Starfleet but later changes his mind, Hunter's change of heart led him to want to quit. ( Star Trek: The Original Series 365 , p. 007)

In his 1993 autobiography Star Trek Memories (paperback ed., p. 70), William Shatner alleged that Jeffrey Hunter was essentially "fired" from playing the part of Captain Pike. Shatner asserted, " Apparently there were problems with Jeffrey. Not while he was shooting or on the set or anything like that, but afterward. They started when the go-ahead came in for the second pilot, and Hunter's wife, who was an ex-model, suddenly started coming to production meetings. Evidently she hated the first pilot, and as a result she began to frequently storm into Gene's office, loudly making demands like 'from now on, my Jeff must only be shot from certain angles,' and apparently it became 'Jeff wants this' and 'Jeff demands that.' Gene later told me that he'd much rather be dealing with Jeff and his agent, or even Jeff and a gorilla, than Jeff and his wife. He continued that there were so many tantrums, restrictions and ultimatums being laid out on the table that he finally thought, 'Well, I can't possibly do an entire series like this. They'll drive me nuts.' " In Leonard Nimoy 's 1995 autobiography I Am Spock (hardback ed., p. 32), Nimoy agreed with Shatner, saying, " Jeff Hunter was let go when his wife began to represent him and made what Gene considered excessive demands. "

In reality, Jeffrey Hunter – having decided to give up the character of Pike – made his feelings known to Gene Roddenberry within two weeks of the Desilu screening. On 5 April 1965 , Roddenberry responded with a private letter between them in which he stated, " 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. You may be certain I hold no grudge or ill feelings and expect to continue to reflect publicly and privately the high regard I learned for you during the production of our pilot. " ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , pp. 225-226)

Even though a second Star Trek pilot was commissioned, Jeffrey Hunter was insistent that he not participate in the making of that episode, entitled " Where No Man Has Gone Before ". " Business affairs negotiated with Jeffrey Hunter, " remembered Oscar Katz , " and we all thought it was the usual actor/network situation. They don't want to do it for reason XYZ, and it's a device […] for getting the price up. We kept increasing the price and he kept saying no. One day I said, 'What's up with Jeffrey Hunter?' and I was told he just won't do it at any price. Finally I said, 'Tell Jeffrey Hunter to get lost. Tell him we're going to do the pilot without him.' " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 14) Shortly thereafter, once the trade papers began reporting about a second Star Trek pilot, Hunter told J.D. Spiro for his Milwaukee Journal report, " I was asked to do it, but, had I accepted, I would have been tied up much longer than I care to be. " Hunter's decision to depart was propelled specifically by the fact he wanted to focus on his career in feature films, instead of resuming his participation in television productions. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Five: Double or Nothing: A Second Pilot") In his autobiography, Shatner acknowledged that the "official" story reported over years had been that Hunter turned down the role of Pike and was unable to commit to the series due to a film commitment, despite Shatner disputing this account. ( Star Trek Memories , paperback ed., p. 70) Hunter's departure left an opening for the series lead. " I just had to pick someone else, " noted Roddenberry. William Shatner was who he picked, Shatner going on to regularly appear as James T. Kirk . ( The Star Trek Interview Book , p. 11) The replacing of Hunter with Shatner was reported in Daily Variety on 4 May 1965 . ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Five: Double or Nothing: A Second Pilot")

Desilu and NBC executives had discussed possibly broadcasting "The Cage" as a movie-of-the-week if Star Trek did not proceed as a series. After that pilot episode was rejected, Jeffrey Hunter was approached by Desilu; they requested he rejoin the cast in order to enable the filming of enough additional footage to make the movie option viable. ( Star Trek: The Original Series 365 , p. 092) The year was 1965 when Gene Roddenberry proposed to film added scenes to lengthen "The Cage" into a feature-length movie. He also planned to try organizing a theatrical release for it. Hunter refused, though, to have any participation in these plans. ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story , paperback ed., p. 251)

Rewriting the part [ ]

Despite Jeffery Hunter's rejections, the canon portrayal of Christopher Pike was affected when the decision was made for the archive footage from the original pilot to be edited into a two-parter together with contemporary scenes that would form an "envelope" around those depictions of the past. In an early version of the two-parter – which was called "From the First Day to the Last" and was written by John D.F. Black – an official review of Pike's actions on Talos IV took place at Trium Supply Base after Spock asked Kirk to take Pike, who was now in a disabled condition and confined to a wheelchair but was still capable of nodding, back to the planet, to die there. The request was opposed by Commander Jermane, a desk-bound officer who had placed a ban on travel to Talos IV, because he believed the Talosians were a menace, and he wanted to do everything he could to make Pike look bad. Although otherwise residing at the base hospital, Pike attended an initial, morning review session. He was then examined by his doctor at the hospital, who decided the strain was too much for him. After Jermane persuaded the doctor to change his mind, however, Pike was forced to attend another review session that afternoon, an arrangement Doctor McCoy protested against without success.

In the second part of the "From the First Day to the Last" two-parter, Kirk expressed that he was determined to enable Pike to return to the planet but that an imperative question for the review to consider was whether Pike had escaped from Talos IV or solved "the problem of Talosian menace" there. Despite the potential consequence of being hanged, McCoy was ready to take Pike out of the hearing room if he seemed at all to be becoming too ill. As the afternoon session got underway, Pike glared at Commander Jermane, moments before the footage of Pike's previous visit to Talos VI began to be displayed and analyzed by the group. After their review of Pike's past actions and a private (unseen) discussion between Kirk and Jermane, Kirk returned to the hearing room and asked Pike how he was feeling. Pike managed to answer Kirk with a small nod, just as a male nurse arrived to take Pike back to the base hospital.

As it turned out, "Commander Jermane" was actually a Talosian who had taken the place of the real Jermane, who had dreamt of personal glorification and had sought that dream on Talos IV but had died in the instant when the Talosians had given him it. Pike had been restricted from being returned to Talos IV because the Talosian impostor strongly believed that the gift of complete illusion was too powerful for any person to have. When the Talosian admitted defeat to Kirk, however, Pike was permitted to be taken back to Talos IV aboard the Enterprise on the condition that Kirk, even in his personal log, would subsequently maintain a lie that Pike had been murdered by the Talosians. Kirk felt this requirement extremely hard to accept, but the impostor insisted it was necessary in order to keep the planet restricted.

Pike, in his wheelchair, was beamed aboard the Enterprise together with Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. At Kirk's suggestion, he was given a tour of the ship by Spock, who, at one point in the tour, mentioned that Pike had made numerous reports and recommendations about enlarging the Jefferies tubes , suggestions that Spock pointed out had evidently been taken notice of. Pike reacted to this discovery with a smile that was almost imperceptible but noticed by Spock. Other areas of the Enterprise which Pike viewed were the recreation room , engineering, and the bridge, the last of which nearly brought a tear to his eye. As Spock said farewell to Pike in the ship's transporter room, Pike tearfully nodded in response to Spock saying he hoped Pike would be successful in finding what he wanted to find on the planet, McCoy also wishing Pike "good luck ." He was then transported down to Talos IV along with Kirk alone, although Spock had wanted to accompany them too. Pike's return to Talos IV, by the time it actually happened, felt very important to him. Upon beaming down to the planet, he and Kirk found nobody there, though a Talosian soon arrived and pushed Pike, in his wheelchair, away. The next thing Kirk knew, Pike seemed to be miraculously transformed into his younger, able-bodied form and appeared to walk up a slope with the youthful Vina, pause to turn back and wave, then move on, to which a surprised-looking Kirk waved back but not with vigor. Later, in his captain's log, Kirk mentioned he had " left Captain Christopher Pike in the care of the Talosians per his request. " Contacted by "Commander Jermane" from Trium Supply Base, Kirk refused to lie about what had happened to Pike, explaining that his example provided evidence that, despite being potentially dangerous, illusion was not necessarily corruptive nor overly powerful.

While Roddenberry was scripting " The Menagerie, Part I " and " The Menagerie, Part II " in 1966, the production staff had some puzzlement about whether Jeffery Hunter would okay segments of footage from "The Cage" to be reused throughout the forthcoming two-parter. On 14 September 1966 , Robert H. Justman wrote a fairly apprehensive message to Ed Perlstein at Desilu Legal, wherein – among other related points – Justman wondered, " Does Jeff Hunter's original contract allow for this sort of contingency? Perhaps you ought to check it out with his agent. " ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One )

Gene Roddenberry had the idea, while the two-parter was in development, of casting another actor in the role of Christopher Pike for the new scenes. That method was to be used in the foreseeable eventuality that Jeffrey Hunter declined to take part in the envelope scenes himself. After Roddenberry turned in his first draft script for part one of the duology (on 21 September 1966 ), Herb Solow sent the teleplay draft to Grant Schloss and Jerry Stanley at NBC, telling them, " Should Jeff Hunter's wife won't [sic] agree to let him appear in any envelope, Roddenberry has come up with an interesting device to treat Pike [sic] Character (Hunter) as having been injured beyond recognition – this so the actor can play the part. " ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One ) The dramatic device of disfiguring Pike beyond recognition did allow a replacement actor to appear in the same role, apparently at an older age. ( Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook , p. 188)

In the final draft script of " The Menagerie, Part I " (dated 7 October 1966 ), Pike was described as " A shadow of a man, the marks of Delta ray burns, impossibly thin and sagging, hair dull white, without life, skin pale, almost lifeless. He sits in a complex power wheelchair which operates on brain impulses. The dull eyes, once clear and blue. " The script went on to say that, aside from merely a single tear, "the sagging, lifeless muscles are incapable of emotion."

Jeffery Hunter eventually agreed for the necessary archive footage featuring himself as Captain Pike to be reused in the two-parter. He was paid US$5,000 for the reuse of this footage, and his residuals were minimal. ( Star Trek Creator: The Authorized Biography of Gene Roddenberry , p. 259) On 18 October 1966 , Ed Perlstein wrote a memo to Shirley Stahnke at Desilu Business Affairs, announcing the news he had closed a deal to pay Hunter US$5,000. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One ) Hunter was unwilling, though, to take part in further filming for the budget-saving remake of "The Cage" into the two-parter. ( Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook , p. 188) Since he had turned down the prospect of "The Cage" becoming a movie, there was no chance he would cooperate to redo the pilot episode for televised Star Trek . ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story , paperback ed., p. 251) He was not only unavailable but also unaffordable for what amounted to a minor supporting role. ( The Star Trek Compendium , 4th ed., p. 48) Therefore, finding another actor became a necessity to produce the two-parter.

Recasting the part [ ]

Since the story imagined Pike as being confined to a 23rd century wheelchair and so permanently wounded as to be unable to speak, there was considerable latitude in recasting the role. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 38) On the other hand, the two actors had to look somewhat alike. " Because Jeffrey Hunter wasn't available to play the disabled Capt. Pike, they had to find an actor who had the same facial structure and features, " Sean Kenney pointed out. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula")

At first, John D.F. Black – who had recently departed from working on Star Trek from behind the scenes – was asked to represent the disabled Pike. John's wife, Mary Black (who had also been involved in the show from a production perspective), offered, " Dorothy [Fontana] called and said that they had this really fun idea. Because John's eyes matched the eyes of Jeffrey Hunter – and they couldn't find another actor who had the right eyes, and they were so sure John's did – they wanted him to come in and sit in the wheelchair and be Captain Pike, with lots of makeup on. " John Black himself stated, " Both of us immediately had the attitude that that wouldn't be very much fun. I didn't hesitate at all in turning it down. " The search for a suitable actor resumed. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One )

Sean Kenney was initially invited to try out for the role of Christopher Pike one evening right after making a one-off appearance in the Los Angeles stage show "The Deputy", on its opening night. As he removed his makeup backstage, a woman who turned out to be talent agent Mitzi MacGregor approached him and explained that she wanted him to meet with a man at Paramount called Gene Roddenberry, even though Kenney didn't yet know who he was. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 74; Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter One: Lift Off!") The agent arranged to schedule an appointment between the two men, on the condition that Kenney – who didn't have an agent at that point – signed with her. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 74) " My life completely changed that night, " admitted Kenney. MacGregor agreed to ensure him a lead role on Star Trek , which was in the very early days of its creation at Paramount. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter One: Lift Off!") Kenney eagerly accepted the arrangement proposed by MacGregor. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 74; Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter One: Lift Off!") A profile picture of the actor was then promptly sent to Paramount. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 74)

One week after Sean Kenney first met Mitzi MacGregor and the image of him was dispatched, Kenney was interviewed by Joseph D'Agosta. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 74; Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero") D'Agosta recommended Kenney for the part of former starship captain Christopher Pike to Gene Roddenberry, with whom the actor met during the next week. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero") Years later, Kenney noted, " Gene Roddenberry himself interviewed me and OKed my casting in the part. " ( Starlog #113) The interview between them was in October 1966. " I felt like I was in 'alpha state' when I entered Desilu Studios […] I was ushered into a small interviewing office and waited about ten minutes until Gene's secretary came by and stated, 'Mr. Roddenberry wants to interview you personally. Would you please step into his office?' […] [After doing so] I sat facing his desk and noticed my casting photo was lying there. I waited only a few minutes and when he came in, I stood up and shook his hands. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero")

Gene Roddenberry began the discussion by speaking about the concept of Star Trek and the fact he had been searching for a lead actor to portray former starship captain Pike. " As I sat back down, " continued Sean Kenney, " Gene got up and walked around me holding my casting photo in his hand. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero") Meanwhile, Roddenberry looked at Kenney from every side. The actor, though, was perplexed by this behavior. Roddenberry finally stopped circling Kenney and spoke. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 74) " Continuing, he said that the lead character, Pike, had been severely injured in a training accident and was unable to speak or move any body parts. Much of this role would come from emoting feeling through my eyes. " Roddenberry outlined that the Star Trek creative team would age Kenney to look about eighty years old and that Pike would answer all questions with "yes" or "no" replies using a specially rigged light system. Kenney contemplated the seeming oddness of hiring a young actor to play an old man, a main part without any lines whatsoever. " I'm thinking, why me, why don't they just get an old guy? " the performer related. Roddenberry also voiced some direct questions. For instance, he inquired about whether Kenney would be able to handle intensive makeup for the part. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero") Another example was Roddenberry asking the interviewee if he had a problem with being confined within a tight area for long durations, to which Kenney declared he would be honored to play Pike. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , pp. 38 & 40) He believed the reasoning why Roddenberry "asked so many pointed questions when [Kenney] […] grabbed the role of Captain Pike" was that Roddenberry wanted to ensure the actor could be trusted to know what he was doing and was going to deliver reliable performances as Pike, whatever happened on the set. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Twenty-One: Thespian Style")

According to a statement made by Gene Roddenberry in his interview with Sean Kenney, Jeffrey Hunter was unavailable because he was busy filming a movie in Spain. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero") Of course, Kenney owed much to Hunter for his inclusion in the "The Menagerie" two-parter. " I received the part of Captain Pike in the wheelchair because of my strong resemblance to Jeff Hunter, " Kenney explained. ( Starlog #113) He elaborated that his extreme physical similarity to Hunter was "to the point that nobody else in town resembled him as much as I did, though I was only 24 years old." ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 75) The huge resemblance between the two performers was first noticed by Joseph D'Agosta. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 38) Roddenberry noted aloud the strong degree of likeness between the actors, during Kenney's interview with him. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero") Kenney later hypothesized, " Maybe there is some ancestral DNA at play here. Jeff's real name was McKinney and most likely his family was from Ireland like my own. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Ten: Watch Your Back!")

Disfigured portrayal [ ]

Despite the similarities between Sean Kenney and Jeffrey Hunter, the role of Christopher Pike required Kenney to undergo some drastic physical alterations. After-the-fact, Director Marc Daniels remarked, " It took a considerable amount of preparation and work to get it done properly. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 33)

During their initial meeting with one another, Gene Roddenberry informed Sean Kenney that the sides of his eyes would be taped down with extensive makeup, that his hair and eyebrows would be dyed stark white and that latex makeup would be extensively used on his face, with the same makeup reconstructed every day for at least a week. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero") In fact, Roddenberry even went as far as to explain that the latex makeup would so inhibit Kenney's movements he would likely end up having to eat through a straw. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 38) When Roddenberry asked if Kenney had any problem with having his hair and eyebrows dyed white, the actor stated he had absolutely no such difficulty, very eager to accept the role. Towards the end of their first encounter, Roddenberry ascertained the actor had no allergies to latex makeup. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero")

Disfiguring Sean Kenney gave the makeup team a lot to do. " In retrospect, regarding the makeup, I have a few insights, " detailed Kenney. " The two makeup geniuses who worked on my face, Fred Phillips […] along with a young artist named Ray Sebastian , had their work cut out for themselves. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula") The creation of the makeup soon began. " When Fred Phillips, who was Paramount's head makeup man, had me come into the studio the week before, " Kenney recounted, " we experimented with the different types of scars and aging processes available. I was then screen-tested for matching with Jeff's facial structure, makeup reality and hair color […] Fred Phillips wanted to perfect the makeup by making a life mask of my face during the early stages of the experiments. They applied plaster of Paris to my face with […] two little rubber hoses in my nostrils for breathing. " ( Starlog #113) Phillips' interest in constructing a life mask was so he could use it as a makeup-testing device. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 40)

Sean Kenney found the creation of a life mask of his own face was "a scary time" and highly claustrophobic. " And, I'm no claustrophobe! " he exclaimed. " My face hardened up like a rock and suddenly, I wondered whether I was going to breathe or not. It was quite an experience. " ( Starlog #113)

Meanwhile, hairstylist Virginia Darcy commenced work on Sean Kenney's hair. Gene Roddenberry wanted it white and brittle, not merely streaked with temporary makeup, but dyed so white it made the entire character seem damaged as well as aged. After Darcy finished, she and Roddenberry walked Kenney to the set for testing his hair under the studio lights. The actor's hair was so bright, it was off the color band and consequently made the television signal almost crackle. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 40) " Gene felt the first screen test showed my hair to be too white looking on camera, " he recalled. " They sent me back to the Paramount hairdresser who agreed something was amiss. So she dyed my hair to a light blonde color. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula") The synthetic dulling of Kenney's hair was done with a beige powder. ( Starlog #113) Darcy combined this with a hair preparation and combed the resulting mix through Kenney's hair, before allowing it to dry. Afterwards, the hair color passed the color registration assessment, then Kenney was moved onto another stage of makeup tests. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 40) In hindsight, he decided he "wasn't too happy about" the dying of his hair. ( Starlog #113)

Two days before filming, Fred Phillips and Ray Sebastian initiated camera tests on the makeup layouts they'd devised using Sean Kenney's life mask. Applying the designs for real and testing them on camera depended on a six-and-a-half-hour application procedure. Sebastian, instead of Phillips, was in charge of applying the makeup and was assisted by Fred Obringer . The makeup was arranged directly on Kenney's own skin, rather than using latex appliances. The first step of the technique was applying spirit gum all over the actor's face to produce a tacky surface on the skin, which subsequently was covered with cotton. The excess cotton was removed. Then, liquid latex was stippled onto various parts of Kenney's face while the skin was stretched tightly. Owing to the fact they were working under tight time constraints throughout the process, the makeup artists used hair dryers to quicken the drying time, opting not to wait for the latex to dry naturally. They next applied a second coat of latex. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 40)

Representing the scar on the right side of Pike's head was originally very difficult, when the Sean Kenney mask was under development. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 40) After the makeup appliances began to melt a lot in rehearsals, a piece of fabric was designed to be incorporated into the makeup. Recalling how this came to be, Kenney offered, " One day, they were so frustrated with the melting of the horrific scar on the side of my face that Ray [Sebastian] came up with an ingenious solution. He reached down and cut out a piece of his own Levis he was wearing, made it into the shape of the scar, then taped it to the side of my face, creating an ideal radiation burn scar that would not melt or appear to be healing. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula") After the material was applied, a base color of Rubber Mask Greasepaint was put on, covering nearly all of Kenney's face. The only exception was the artificial scar, which was next colored with a blueish-purple center and a deep red outer area to make it seem constantly painful. The entire makeup was lastly set with a translucent face powder. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 40)

The makeup designers gave Pike's eye special attention because, amid their tests, they realized Pike would appear more sympathetic if he had a drooping eyelid. Hence, Ray Sebastian pulled down the outer edge of Sean Kenney's eyelid using clear medical tape. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 40) Tying the corners of the actor's eyes down with scotch mending tape had the added effect of giving him an aged appearance. ( Starlog #113)

The development time for the Pike makeup was at least twenty hours. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "gallery pix") Daily, it took the makeup artists nearly five hours to apply. ( Starlog #113) " Every day, they would have to start from scratch applying the same makeup, " Sean Kenney reported, " and placing that valuable piece of jean material in the correct spot [[…] ] The makeup job on the first day took almost five hours to construct while on the last day they had it down to two and a half hours. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula") As a result of the multiple reapplications that were needed each time over the course of five production days, Kenney found the proceedings painstaking and tedious. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 40) Because the appliances started to often melt in rehearsals, his time in front of the camera was extremely limited. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula") He practically lived in the makeup room, spending ten to twelve hours there each day of the shoot. ( Star Trek: Aliens & Artifacts , p. 40)

Due to Sean Kenney's long hours in makeup, the shooting company did not become familiar with the appearance of the actor under all those appliances. " I'd come in before everyone to get the make-up on and left after everyone because I had to get the make-up off, " Kenney recollected. " It was the weirdest feeling, because no one ever saw me. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 75) Moreover, Kenney was rendered unable to converse with any of the cast and crew due to the restrictive makeup. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One ; Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero") Looking back, he said, " With the Captain Pike makeup limiting my socializing, I didn't linger on the set after we wrapped for the day. I would quickly remove my […] latex mask [[…] ] Through that whole eight day shoot, I walked and talked to everyone outside the studio as a perfect looking albino gent. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula") Kenney's predicament during the shoot elicited pity from fellow actor Malachi Throne , who mentioned, " Poor Sean – Sean was stuck in the box. " ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One )

Sean Kenney once described his latex mask as "dreaded." ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula") " The appliances were very tight around the face, " he expressed. " Eating was very difficult [due to the heavy makeup restrictions] so my lunches were taken through a straw, consisting of soups and mush, so to speak. " ( Starlog #113) Kenney elaborated, " On the set, I actually felt like I was being starved. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Two: Ground Zero")

For his portrayal of Christopher Pike, Sean Kenney concentrated much of his attention on his eyes. " Most of the feeling had to come through my eyes, " he stated, " especially due to the fact that they would tie the corners of my eyes down with scotch mending tape. " ( Starlog #113) The actor clarified, " It was an immense acting challenge, trying to say so much only through my eyes. "

For one specific scene, Sean Kenney thought about his father having died when he had been eight years old. " That's where the tears came from in my big scene, " he reflected. " I remember everyone saying, 'OK, we got it.' " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 75)

Towards the end of filming the scenes involving the injured Christopher Pike, an issue arose concerning the scrap of denim used as the character's scar. Sean Kenney remembered, " About the eighth day into the shoot, Ray [Sebastian] was so tired he placed the scar on the wrong side of my face. When I looked in the mirror, I knew something was wrong and we both cracked up, realizing exhaustion had finally taken its toll. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula")

Reception and aftermath [ ]

First portrayal [ ].

Originally, NBC, Herb Solow, Gene Roddenberry, and Robert Butler were all delighted they were able to secure Jeffrey Hunter for the part of Christopher Pike in "The Cage". ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story , paperback ed., p. 36)

Robert Butler was left with the feeling Jeffrey Hunter's stint as Christopher Pike was not wholly satisfying. " I thought he was probably a good, chiseled hero for this type of part, " Butler critiqued about Hunter. " He was an extremely pleasant, centered guy, and maybe decent and nice to a fault… I remember thinking, 'God, he's handsome,' and this was sadly the opinion of him at the time. When one is trying to bring reality into an unreal situation, that usually isn't a wise thing to do – to hire a somewhat perfect looking actor. You should find someone who seems more natural and more 'real.' " ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Three: Designing Star Trek ") Butler also stated about Hunter, " I […] found him to be a real cooperative good guy. He was a little heroic and a little stiff, and I tried to modify that a little bit, and maybe I did and maybe I didn't. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 6 , pp. 53-54)

According to Joseph D'Agosta and Robert Justman, the executives at NBC opted for William Shatner as James T. Kirk rather than Jeffrey Hunter as Christopher Pike because they were disappointed with Hunter's depiction of Pike. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 11/12, p. 56 Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 14) " The network seemed to feel that Jeff Hunter was rather woolen, " remembered Justman. ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 14) D'Agosta concurred, " When they saw the pilot, they didn't like Jeffrey Hunter. They'd pick up Star Trek based on recasting him. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 11/12, p. 56) In accordance with these opinions, the Press-TV Radio reported in 1967 that Hunter was let go from Star Trek because "he didn't cut the meteoric mustard as the Captain." ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 166 , p. 55) However, in the book Inside Star Trek: The Real Story (paperback ed., p. 60), Herb Solow recorded that, upon specifying their wants and desires for the second Star Trek pilot, NBC proclaimed, " Jeffrey Hunter was okay, and if you want to use him again, that's fine with us. " In the book Star Trek Memories (paperback ed., p. 70), Shatner referred to Hunter as "one of the few cast members [from 'The Cage' who was] spared the wrath of the network."

Robert Justman thought Jeffrey Hunter lacked a sense of energy in his portrayal of the captain, whereas William Shatner provided the much-needed quota of energy. ( Inside Star Trek: The Real Story , paperback ed., pp. 71-72) Justman also claimed he and Roddenberry felt strongly that Hunter was a less "accomplished" actor than Shatner, with less "dimension" and unable to exhibit as varied an emotional range as Shatner could. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Five: Double or Nothing: A Second Pilot"; Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 14) Joseph D'Agosta agreed with this notion. ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One , "Chapter Five: Double or Nothing: A Second Pilot") However, Roddenberry himself speculated about Hunter, " He would have made a grand captain. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 14) Likewise, writer D.C. Fontana once commented that, in her view, Hunter regularly appearing as Pike would have resulted in "a good captain," and also said, " He wouldn't have been Captain Kirk; his approach would have been very different, but I think he would have been perfectly fine. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 128 , p. 45) TOS fan and Star Trek spin-off writer/producer Ira Steven Behr concurred, " I would have been just as happy if Jeffrey Hunter had played the lead. I liked him a lot. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 23, No. 6, p. 42)

Actor Mark Lenard once voiced an alternative opinion, commenting, " Using a straighter fellow like the original choice, the character would have been stiffer than [William] Shatner with less of a personality. I don't think it would have worked as well with Jeffrey Hunter in the lead. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 27, No. 11/12, p. 77) Leonard Nimoy similarly expressed that he believed Pike's relationship with Nimoy's own character of Spock would not have been anywhere near as successful as that between Kirk and Spock. " Hunter was more reticent and less dramatic in his acting choices, " Nimoy criticized, " leaving Spock's maneuvering space less clearly defined. " ( Starlog #63) Despite liking Jeffrey Hunter as an actor, Ronald D. Moore was also doubtful that Pike would have been as successful in the lead character role as Kirk turned out to be. " I don't think Jeffrey Hunter, as Captain Pike in the adventures of the Enterprise was really going to work, " he noted. In agreement, Michael Taylor commented about Pike, " Looks like he stepped out of Forbidden Planet or something. " ( audio commentary , Star Trek III: The Search for Spock (Blu-ray) special features)

By 2009 , Jeffrey Hunter's performance as Captain Pike had become highly popular. Bruce Greenwood , who played the alternate reality version of Christopher Pike , referred to Hunter as having a "legion of fans he had from creating that role." [5] " People feel so strongly about every tiny little aspect of it, " Greenwood stated. ( Star Trek Magazine Souvenir Special , p. 34) On the other hand, Hunter's portrayal of Pike is less well known than William Shatner's depictions of Kirk and Leonard Nimoy's take on Spock, a situation which Greenwood pointed out. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 16)

In the critical review reference book Trek Navigator: The Ultimate Guide to the Entire Trek Saga (pp. 144, 29 & 30), Mark A. Altman and Edward Gross make remarks on Jeffrey Hunter's characterization of Captain Pike. Altman refers to it as "a powerful performance" and reckons of Hunter, " Although he probably wouldn't have proved Shatner's equal in a continuing series, he shines in his sole Star Trek outing. " Gross opines, " Jeffrey Hunter is a bit stiff as Captain Pike, but he's an effective enough progenitor of William Shatner's James T. Kirk. "

British writer Paul Cornell found Jeffrey Hunter in the role of Captain Pike particularly memorable and a performance "no one is ever likely to forget." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 19 , p. 75) Similarly, British journalist and author Andy Lane rhetorically asked, " Who can resist speculating on an entire parallel Star Trek history where Christopher Pike is captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise ? " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 40) American writer Robert Greenberger observed, " There's a lot of [Horatio] Hornblower in Jeffrey Hunter's Pike, but it's mixed with a dash of Hamlet . " ( Star Trek: Enterprise Logs , "Introduction") American writer Stuart Moore noticed a particularly curious element of the character, commenting, " Pike […] had an interesting set of relationships with the women under his command. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 154 , p. 9)

Reiteration [ ]

Michael Okuda thought recasting the character of Christopher Pike for the "The Menagerie" two-parter, due to the unavailability of Jeffrey Hunter, worked "perfectly" and was done in an exceedingly clever fashion. Concerning how Sean Kenney adopted the role of Pike, Okuda supposed, " This is probably his most famous role, on Star Trek at least. " (" The Menagerie, Part I " Starfleet Access , TOS Season 1 Blu-ray )

In the two-parter, Christopher Pike is highlighted in the credits. " I guess they figured top feature credit, " Sean Kenney speculated, " was the least they could do to compensate all the restructuring to my anatomy and reward my patience. " He revealed, " I had no misgivings about not being recognized. It was a thrill to be in the show […] All in all, I felt proud of my efforts. " ( Starlog #113) However, he also conceded, " I'm not tooting my own horn I hope, I just happened to be in the right place at the right time for their sake and for mine. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula")

Sean Kenney's appearances as Pike were highly successful with Marc Daniels , who directed Kenney in the "The Menagerie" two-parter, as well as with the creative staff at large. Daniels characterized the method in which they dealt with Jeffrey Hunter's absence as "a neat way out if it." Additionally, the director commented, " We were all satisfied by the results. " ( Captains' Logs: The Unauthorized Complete Trek Voyages , p. 33)

Gene Roddenberry also approved of Sean Kenney's performances as Pike. Said the actor, " On the last day of the shoot Gene came up to me and congratulated me for my terrific 'emoting job' […] He said that I had put up with a lot and he wanted to reward my tenacity and good spirit. I certainly agreed with his point. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula")

One reason why Sean Kenney concurred with the idea he had gone through a lot was because he was still suffering hair loss. He specified, " My hair was falling out from the two dye jobs they'd done on me […] After the show wrapped [the Paramount hairdresser] […] had to dye my hair back to its original dark brown color (a third dye job within a month). My hair was coming out in large clumps. I remember she used a product called Fermadil from Austria (placenta from unborn sheep), and rolled it into my scalp and it stopped the hair loss. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula")

After playing the deformed Christopher Pike, Sean Kenney sent a photograph of himself in the part to Fred Phillips. On it, the performer had written a message including the statement, " Thank you for your wonderful 'face lift'. " ( Star Trek: The Original Series Sketchbook , p. 188) The photo was from the series of screen tests conducted while the Pike makeup had been in development. The particular image Kenney used showed the makeup in its "final" form. ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "gallery pix")

In 1966, a TV Times Preview – misunderstanding that the wheelchair-bound Pike was Jeffrey Hunter under heavy makeup – was amazed by the performance. The publication praised Hunter for doing "excellent work" in the part. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 166 , p. 55)

The representations of Christopher Pike in "The Menagerie" inspired curiosity in J.K. Woodward , who (decades later) collaborated with Stuart Moore on the comic Captain's Log: Pike . Woodward's interest in Pike was piqued when he saw "The Menagerie" at age seven. He related, " I remember thinking at the time, 'What's that guy's story? How do you get from being like Captain Kirk to being stuck in that chair?' " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 154 , p. 9)

Sean Kenney's stint of playing Christopher Pike was instrumental in landing him the role of Lieutenant DePaul , the casting of which was one way Gene Roddenberry attempted to reward Kenney for the job he had done as Pike. While Kenney was playing DePaul in " Arena ", however, very few people really knew he had played the earlier part. When McCoy actor DeForest Kelley became curious how such a young actor could have been cast as DePaul, it was one of the men assigned to the makeup department who revealed Kenney's previous role, to which Kelley either responded, " You were Pike? Damn, you're so young, " or " You played Pike? You're so damn young. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula"; Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 75)

Pike was to have been mentioned in the original version of the episode " Bem ", undeveloped for TOS. ( The Trek 25th Anniversary Celebration , p. 51) In the original outline of that installment (dated 14 March 1968 ), Kirk told Spock, " I remember reading Captain Pike's reports on the trouble you had adjusting. "

One night after ten years had elapsed since his appearances on Star Trek , Sean Kenney was visiting Chuck Norris' wife's restaurant in Marina Del Ray when he had an encounter with Jeffrey Hunter's wife, Emily McLaughlin. " As I approached her table, her face nearly turned white, " Kenney related. " I did resemble her late husband quite a bit and by now I was in my late thirties and more mature looking than when I played Pike. As I sat, I calmed her nerves and relayed the story of how Gene Roddenberry had hand-picked me to play Pike because Jeff was not available. She kept shaking her head at the strong resemblance […]] I often wish that I had met Jeff at some point, while he was still alive. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Ten: Watch Your Back!")

Andy Lane noted that Pike's disfigured face is "not unlike that of the Phantom of the Opera." Lane went on to comment, " The result on the audience is horror tinged with disquiet […] We are only too aware that disease or accident might one day result in us wearing the same face. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 9 , p. 15)

In Cinefantastique (Vol. 22, No. 3, p. 27), the mistake of crediting Jeffrey Hunter with the role of the disfigured Pike was made by critic Thomas Doherty. He also likened the character's fate, as established at the end of " The Menagerie, Part II ", to the experience of watching science fiction fantasy. He concluded, " Like the viewer, locked in a chair, Pike is free to roam the galaxy in his mind. "

Star Trek: Enterprise Co-Executive Producer Chris Black reckoned that, had he recommended that ENT adhere to canon by portraying someone other than Jonathan Archer as the first captain of the starship Enterprise , he would have suggested that Pike had historically filled that role (whereas Robert April had actually preceded Pike). Black therefore reasoned that he would have submitted that Pike, rather than Archer, be prominently featured in ENT. ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 646)

Christopher Pike was an influence on one particular military protocol, which Sean Kenney learned when two F-16 pilots approached him. One of the pilots, who was extremely military-looking, asked Kenney if he was aware the Air Force uses "a Captain Pike code" when flying over hostile territory in Iraq. Kenney was highly surprised and at first questioned whether the pilot was joking. ( [6] ; Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 73) " He said, 'No. When we break radio silence we say, "Is that a one-beep or two-beep Roger?" Only a person who is a Trekker would know that code,' " Kenney relayed. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 73) He was still stunned by the news. " I thought that's hilarious, " he expressed, " that now I'm a code in Iraq for the pilots there. " [7]

Shortly before his death in 2008 , a wheelchair-bound Robert Justman introduced himself to Sean Kenney at an annual Star Trek convention in Las Vegas and thanked him personally for having played Pike. " He told me, " relayed Kenney, " that if Gene and he hadn't found me for the role of Pike they were in big trouble. " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Three: The Formula")

Sean Kenney was proud of the ways in which his representation of Captain Pike inspired physically disabled people, in general. When interviewed in 2010 , he mused, " Here was a guy, Captain Pike, who was almost the first physically challenged person anyone saw on TV in a major part […] I meet people now [in wheelchairs] who roll up to me and say, 'When I saw that show I thought, what if I lost my voice? I've only lost my legs.' " ( These Are the Voyages: TOS Season One ; [8] )

At a San Francisco signing show called Wondercon in November 2012 , Christian Slater directly thanked Sean Kenney for, in Kenney's words, "the Pike inspiration." ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Twenty-Two: Looking for a Galaxy… Try Ours!")

In 2013 , Sean Kenney referenced Pike in the title of his autobiography, Captain Pike Found Alive! He ended the book by addressing Star Trek fans with the statement, " I […] want you to remember what Captain Pike would have wanted to say to you as you look toward the heavens… 'Your being here does matter.' " ( Captain Pike Found Alive! , "Chapter Twenty-Six: The Future")

Bruce Greenwood learned about the popularity of the Pike character, especially Jeffrey Hunter's presentment of it, after he received the task of adopting the alternate reality variant. [9] " Regardless of what I choose to do, I thought I'd better know what other people's frame of reference is, " he remembered. ( Star Trek Magazine Souvenir Special , p. 34) He noticed the original Pike was highly ambivalent and torn about remaining with Starfleet, whereas these qualities seem to be essentially reversed in the character's alternate reality counterpart. ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 16) Greenwood pointed out, " The central dilemma for Jeffrey Hunter is not the central dilemma for my Pike. " [10] The actor suggested, " They are almost opposites […] Yet you can look at it as though they are two sides of the same coin, because of the parallel universe. " Owing to the relative obscurity of Hunter's portrayal of Pike (compared to William Shatner's and Leonard Nimoy's depictions of Kirk and Spock respectively), Greenwood admitted feeling no need to infuse any of Hunter's performance style in the way he re-enacted the character, being unsure if such likenesses would actually be apparent. As a result, only one unmistakable "tip of the hat" to televised Pike was included in Greenwood's portrayal, which was that Pike ends up in a wheelchair at the end of the film Star Trek . ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 175 , p. 16) Despite this, Sean Kenney reckoned, " I think Bruce was inspired by Jeffrey Hunter's work because, obviously, I played the crippled Pike. " He also announced, " If J.J. Abrams ever goes into looking for the crippled Pike, I'd love to do it again. " [11]

Although the alternate reality version of Pike dies in Star Trek Into Darkness , a scene in Star Trek Beyond , involving Captain James T. Kirk and Doctor Leonard McCoy , was inspired by Pike's interaction with Dr. Boyce in "The Cage". Beyond director Justin Lin , during his boyhood, had repeatedly been confused by seeing Pike in that episode, while Lin was watching out-of-sequence reruns of TOS. ( SFX , issue 276, p. 47)

Discovery [ ]

In 2019, Anson Mount appeared in the role of Christopher Pike during the second season of Star Trek: Discovery , serving as the captain of the USS Discovery in-between stints on the Enterprise . Reception to Mount's portrayal of Pike was largely positive. In a review of the season as a whole, Kyle Hadyniak of the site TrekNews cited Mount's portrayal of Pike as the highlight of the show's second season.

Christopher Pike and Dora the Explorer in a commercial for Paramount+

He stated that Mount " brought charm, intelligence, gravitas, and authority " to a character that had previously been seen only briefly in the franchise and that it was easy to see why fans had grown attached to the character.

[12] Keisha Hatchett of TV Guide described Mount's portrayal as dashing and charismatic, stating that he was " very much the man Gene Roddenberry envisioned so many decades ago but never feels like a relic of the past. " [13]

Following the news that Mount's Pike character would not be a part of the program's third season, fans began a petition for the character to return to the franchise in some form, possibly as part of his own spin-off series. Mount expressed openness to the idea, saying " It’s a character I love; it’s a franchise I love; it’s an experience that I have already loved. " [14] In May 2020, the series Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , featuring Mount's Pike character, as well as Spock and Una Chin-Riley, was announced.

The fan reception to the characters was stated to have played a part in the decision to create the series. [15]

Mount was inspired by Shatner's portrayal of Kirk: "I saw this thing from Shatner that he used to do, which is really smart actually. When he would sit in the command chair, and he would have his elbow up on the armrest like this, right? Which is very smart because what he’s doing is getting his hand into the frame. While you’re remaining focused, and a decision has not yet been made, your hand can kind of subtly reveal what’s going on inside. " [16]

Apocrypha [ ]

Outside of the canon information derived from Christopher Pike's on-screen appearances, Diane Carey 's Final Frontier novel lists his full name as "Christopher Richard Pike." His adventures as captain of the Enterprise were the center of Marvel 's Star Trek: Early Voyages comic book series, establishing his father as retired Admiral Josh Pike. Pike was also featured in a handful of novels and comics, some of them depicting his life after being injured and left on Talos IV, some of them depicting his earlier adventures.

The Pocket novel Vulcan's Glory by TOS script writer D.C. Fontana states that Pike previously commanded the starship USS Yorktown , a reference to the original name intended to be given to the Enterprise . Some stories (published prior to it becoming canon in DIS : " Brother ") have also said that Pike served as the executive officer on board the Enterprise under Captain Robert T. April. ( Crisis on Vulcan ; Star Trek: Federation - The First 150 Years )

In the Star Trek novel Enterprise: The First Adventure , Pike is promoted to commodore upon relinquishing command of the Enterprise . This could indicate that "fleet captain" was considered a position and not a rank.

Pike is also the main focus of the non-canon novel Burning Dreams , which gives a detailed account of his life and career, as well as The Captain's Table #6 : Where Sea Meets Sky . Burning Dreams establishes that, after the incident on Talos IV, Pike spent much of the rest of his career wondering if his life and everything that he was experiencing in life was an illusion and if he was still in the cell on Talos IV, until, while on a mission with Spock, Pike asked him about it. Spock clearly refutes the idea, saying the idea that the Talosians could have made such a perfect illusion that none of the crew ever saw through it as extremely unlikely. According to the novel, his parents were Charlie Pike and Willa McKinnies, and he lived on Elysium as a child.

In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine novel Unity , Ezri Dax said that Pike was part of the joint Starfleet- Trill mission where the parasitic being was first discovered. At that time, Pike was a fleet captain. This is from The Lives of Dax .

The novel The Enterprise War depicts Pike and the adventures of the Enterprise and its crew during the 2256-57 Federation-Klingon War.

External links [ ]

• Christopher Pike at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Christopher Pike (Star Trek) at Wikipedia

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published Feb 24, 2023

Strange New Pike: 5 Lost Captain Pike Stories to Read

In celebration of Anson Mount's birthday this weekend, dive into a couple Captain Pike-led tales!

StarTrek.com

For decades, Star Trek fans have wondered about the hidden years on the U.S.S. Enterprise before Captain Kirk. In “The Menagerie Part 1,” Spock said he’d served with Captain Pike for “11 years, four months, and five days,” and in Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, we finally saw some of that!

Now, after a few brief appearances in Short Treks , Captain Pike (Anson Mount) made his return in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , with fans worldwide clamoring for its hotly-anticipated Season 2. But in the years before fans got more Captain Pike and the crew (either in the form of Bruce Greenwood or Anson Mount), there have been several novels and comics that explored the previously uncharted time just before The Original Series .

In celebration of Anson Mount's birthday this weekend, here’s a selection of Pike and Strange New Worlds apocrypha to get you energized for the good captain's adventures.

Vulcan's Glory by D.C. Fontana (1989)

Just two years after she co-wrote the debut episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation with Gene Roddenberry, the famous script editor from The Original Series — Dorothy Fontana — published her one and only original Star Trek novel. While Fontana’s early work on TNG looked forward into the future of the final frontier, her novel, Vulcan’s Glory , interestingly, looked back.

Although not actually canon, because this was penned by the writer famous for “Journey to Babel,” “This Side of Paradise,” and “Yesteryear,” the overall feeling of learning more about Spock’s backstory reads less like fan fiction and more like a Fontana pulling back the curtain on her process.

The novel concerns Spock’s “first” mission aboard the U.S.S. Enterprise with Pike and Number One and even manages to explain why Spock hadn’t undergone Pon Farr prior to The Original Series. The novel also gives us a meeting between Spock and T’Pring prior to the events of “Amok Time,” but well after their childhood betrothal. With Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ' canonical pre- “Amok Time” meeting between Spock and T’Pring, this novel provides an alternate view of how they might have shaken out.

Of course, the book also focuses on Pike’s first impressions of Spock and his working relationship with Number One. The Pike of this novel is friendlier and happier than the man we meet in “The Cage,” which makes it easy to imagine Anson Mount’s contemporary Pike populating these pages. Fontana gives us a glimpse of Pike’s charm and Spock’s pre-Kirk emotional volatility. While some of this has been explored recently on-screen in Discovery Season 2 and Short Treks , Strange New Worlds fully delves into all of these concepts anew. But, the first person who gave Star Trek fans a big, bold version of the Pike-era, was the woman who gave Spock his soul. D.C. Fontana's writing in this novel is as crisp and insightful as any of her classic episodes. In some ways, Vulcan’s Glory feels like an extended series of deleted scenes from a version of The Original Series we never saw.

Desperate Hours by David Mack (2017) & The Enterprise War by John Jackson Miller (2019)

At the same time that Discovery hit the screens in 2017, tie-in novels were helping to connect the Pike-era of the 2250s to the world of Captain Georgiou and Michael Burnham. In fact, the very first Discovery novel, ever, Desperate Hours , was also a Captain Pike novel! Set after the events of “The Cage,” but before “The Vulcan Hello,” the crews of the U.S.S. Enterprise and the U.S.S. Shenzou team up in an epic adventure that sees Pike and Georgiou working side-by-side. Mack’s novel, of course, predates the crossover between the U.S.S. Discovery and the U.S.S. Enterprise in Discovery Season 2 — and before Anson Mount, Ethan Peck and Rebecca Romijn were cast — but, just a few years later, in 2019, another Discovery novel tackled some of that topsy-turvy continuity.

John Jackson Miller’s 2019 novel The Enterprise War not only answers where the Enterprise was during the majority of the Klingon War in Discovery Season 1, but it also helps to reconcile the events of Desperate Hours with the Discovery continuity. Because he’d written both Star Trek and Star Wars novels, in 2019, Miller favorably compared  “two versions” of Captain Pike in the Star Trek canon (Jeffrey Hunter and Anson Mount) to the two versions of Obi-Wan Kenobi (Alec Guinness and Ewan McGregor) in the Star Wars canon.

From Pike’s interest in working with people named “Tyler,” to more revelations about just how many chief engineers came and went before Scotty, The Enterprise War answers all sorts of fun questions you might not have even thought to ask.

STAR TREK #61, “Door in the Cage,” from DC Comics (1994)

One of the most interesting Pike stories, this storyline — set during the TOS movie era and the adventures of the Enterprise-A — features something rarely found in Pike stories; an exploration of what happened to him after he returned to Talos IV in “The Menagerie.” In this future, Pike’s time on Talos resulted in him figuring out how to totally master the Talosian talent for telepathic projection. This means, when Spock encounters Pike in 2390, Pike is bearded, and walking around without the aid of his mechanized wheelchair from “The Menagerie.” On top of that, Pike seems to have a young son!

Spock can’t reconcile how any of this is possible, and the issue plays out mostly as a mystery. How can Pike really have a son? Is the telepathic projection of himself more real than his body? Written by Steve Wilson with art from Rob Whigham and Arne Starr, this story explores, perhaps, the one thing often left out of the Pike mythos — his quasi-happy ending. Were he and Vina happy together on Talos? And if so, what was Pike doing to occupy his mind? In this story, the answer turns out to be — He was really, really busy!

STAR TREK: EARLY VOYAGES from Marvel Comics (1997-1998)

The rights to publish Star Trek comic books were briefly held by the legendary Marvel Comics only twice. First, from 1980 to 1982, and then again, from 1996 to 1998. While the first Star Trek -Marvel period was exclusively focused on adventures set after The Motion Picture , the late '90s Marvel offerings from the Final Frontier were decidedly more diverse. This era gave the world the first Star Trek: Voyager comic book series, the legendary Starfleet Academy series, an audacious crossover between Marvel’s X-Men and Star Trek: The Original Series , an anthology series called STAR TREK: UNLIMITED, and even more adventures set in the Motion Picture -era; STAR TREK: UNTOLD VOYAGES.

But, perhaps the most interesting Star Trek series from this Marvel period was the ambitious monthly series, STAR TREK: EARLY VOYAGES. Focused on Captain Pike’s time on the U.S.S. Enterprise , this Marvel comics series was, in almost every way, the precursor to Strange New Worlds . Not only does the comic focus on Pike, Spock, and Number One, we also get to meet several “new” members of the Enterprise crew including the very cool Chief Engineer Moves-With-Burning Grace.

All 17 issues of EARLY VOYAGES were written by Ian Edginton and Dan Abnett. The series is perhaps best remembered for its bold alternate-universe Pike story in which Yeoman Colt (from “The Cage”) accidentally time travels from 2254 to 2293, splintering the timeline. Spanning issues 13-15, this results in a bizzaro TOS-movie-era in which an older Captain Pike (wearing the monster maroon uniform) is in command of the U.S.S. Enterprise-A , Kirk never stayed in Starfleet, and Number One is in command of the Excelsior . These storylines also manage to weave-in references to First Contact , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and The Undiscovered Country .

The art for EARLY VOYAGES featured beautiful work from Patrick Zircher, Michael Collins, Javier Pulido, Greg Adams, Steve Moncuse, Marie Javins, Matt Webb, and Janice Chiang.

Burning Dreams by Margaret Wander Bonanno (2006)

Written by beloved Star Trek novelist, the brilliant Margaret Wander Bonanno, this book is basically an alternate biography of Christopher Pike. From his childhood in Mojave to his earliest career moves in Starfleet, and even an extensive portrait concerning his love of his horse, Tango, Burning Dreams is the apocryphal Pike story to rule them all.

The book’s epic scope begins in the rarely-explored late 2220s and ends in the pre-TNG 2320s, a few decades after The Undiscovered Country and well beyond Pike’s “death.” For fans who want to see how Pike’s life might have begun, but also how aspects of his influence touch various aspects of the Star Trek timeline, this book is a treat. Getting into the specifics of the plot of this one would spoil the huge swings Bonanno makes. In some ways, this book is like A Hundred Years of Solitude for Star Trek .

Naturally, like all the other entries on this list, there’s no reason to think Burning Dreams will be part of the real canon of Pike’s backstory. In fact, Discovery has already established several things about Pike’s parents that are different. But, Burning Dreams is still an amazing achievement, a book that managed to bring Pike to life beyond his time on the Enterprise in a way that is both exciting and extremely tender, too.

Official Trailer | Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

If you loved all the Pike-era ephemera on this list, here are a few more honorable mentions — the novel Legacy by Michael Jan Friedman (1991), The Captain’s Table novel Where the Sea Meets the Sky by Jerry Oltion (1998), the novel Children of Kings by Dave Stern (2010), the IDW one-shot comic book issue CAPTAIN'S LOG: PIKE by by Stuart Moore with art by J.K. Woodward (2010), and the DC comics STAR TREK ANNUAL: “All Those Years Ago,” written by Mike W. Barr, Marv Wolfman, and Dave Cockrum, with art from David Ross, Bob Smith, Carl Gafford, and Augustine Mass (1985).

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Ryan Britt is the author of the nonfiction books Phasers on Stun! How the Making and Remaking of Star Trek Changed the World (2022), The Spice Must Flow: The Journey of Dune from Cult Novels to Visionary Sci-Fi Movies (2023), and the essay collection Luke Skywalker Can’t Read (2015). He is a longtime contributor to Star Trek.com and his writing regularly appears with Inverse, Den of Geek!, Esquire and elsewhere. He lives in Portland, Maine with his family.

Beam Me Up, Doctor: Russell T. Davies Breaks Down That 'Star Trek' Easter Egg in the 'Doctor Who' Premiere

"I just know how many geeks are watching, and I include myself on that list," said Davies.

The Big Picture

• Doctor Who references Star Trek in the season premiere “Space Babies."
• Showrunner Russell T. Davies reveals his love for Star Trek , especially newer series like Discovery and Picard , and explains he wanted to delight "geeks" like himself with the reference.
• While a Star Trek x Doctor Who crossover isn't likely to happen anytime soon, Davies enjoys opening the door for fan theories.

When two shows about people traveling through time and space, making the universe a better place, have been on since the 60s, it’s natural to hope they’ll one day cross paths. As a huge sci-fi nerd, I was over the moon when, in the opening scenes of “Space Babies,” Ruby contextualizes traveling in the TARDIS by referencing Star Trek . This is hardly the first time Doctor Who has referenced Star Trek , with many companions making the same comparison as Ruby does, but it is, as Russell T. Davies noted in my recent chat with the showrunner, the first time the Doctor has responded as if the people and adventures of the long-running series exist in reality.

Speaking to Davies ahead of the two-episode premiere, I had to ask what motivated him to include that little quip. He explained that while he’d been a more casual viewer of the older shows like the original series and The Next Generation , it was the newer shows that really turned him into a proper Star Trek fan. “I'm coming to love Star Trek with an absolute passion,” said Davies. “I love the old show. I always watched the old show, but when Star Trek: Discovery came along, I kind of became a proper fan.” It’s always nice to see Discovery get the flowers it deserves. Responsible for kicking off the current era of Star Trek , the series gets an unreasonable amount of flack on the internet for its commitment to diversity and inclusion — two hallmarks of the entire franchise.

Davies went on to praise more of the recent Trek series, even gushing about his crush on Captain Pike — and honestly, who doesn’t have a crush on Captain Pike. “So now I'm devoted, with Picard and Strange New Worlds . Frankly, the fact that I'm not married to Captain Pike is a major problem in my life, and I look to you, Collider, to put this right, frankly. It’s a wrong that needs righting,” Davies laughed. “I love that man. Oh, god, he's beautiful, Anson Mount . What a great name.”

Will We Ever Actually Get a ‘Star Trek’ x ‘Doctor Who’ Crossover?

While there are innumerable hoops both shows would have to jump through on the legal and intellectual property side of things, the creatives behind both shows have already shown their love for each other in recent years. Despite a true crossover being almost impossible right now, Davies enjoyed opening the door for fans to theorize about the Doctor crossing paths with Starfleet. He explained:

“So I just know how many geeks are watching, and I include myself on that list. I know how many science fiction fans are out there, and I think we buzz. The interesting thing about that reference is it’s not the first time Doctor Who 's referenced Star Trek , but it is the first time Doctor Who 's referenced Star Trek as if it’s real. He says, “Let's go visit them.” So I think that should just cause excited ripples around the world. I hope.”

You can watch the Doctor talk about Star Trek in “Space Babies” right now on Disney+ and BBC iPlayer. New episodes of Doctor Who air on Fridays at 7 PM ET. Stay tuned for our full conversation with Davies.

The show follows the adventures of a Time Lord “The Doctor” who is able to regenerate, and the Doctor’s human friends. The Doctor and companion’s journey through time and space in the TARDIS – a time-traveling ship shaped like a police box – saving the universe with a combination of wit, bravery, and kindness.

Watch on Disney+

New Star Trek Drink Details Confirmed By Discovery Writer

• Commander Rayner's favorite drink, Kellerun citrus mash, is a moonshine-like liquor made from local citrus fruits on Kellerun.
• Captain Burnham connects with the USS Discovery's new First Officer by learning about Kellerun culture, including their indulgence in citrus mash.
• Co-writer Carlos Cisco clarified Memory Alpha's data entry about Kellerun citrus mash.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5's Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) promised his bridge crew casks of Kellerun citrus mash, and writer Carlos Cisco confirms what that alcoholic drink is made of. Rayner is a Kellerun , a species first introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) has made a point to learn about Kelleruns to connect with the USS Discovery's new First Officer. Along with boiling their cakes, Kelleruns like to indulge in a concoction called citrus mash.

Carlos Cisco (@carlos_cisco), who co-wrote Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5 , "Mirrors" with Johanna Lee, replied to an X post by Memory Alpha (@memoryalpha) explaining what Kellerun citrus mash is . Check out Cisco's post defining Kellerun citrus mash below:

Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Kellerun citrus mash joins list of star trek adult beverages, star trek likes to get its drink on.

Relaxing with an alcoholic drink has been a staple o f Star Trek since its original pilot , "The Cage," when Dr. Phil Boyce (John Hoyt) fixed Captain Christopher Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) a martini. Commander Rayner's Kellerun citrus mash on Star Trek: Discovery joins a long list of fictional and real-life alcohol enjoyed throughout the Star Trek franchise, from the scotch preferred by Scotty (James Doohan) to Pavel Chekov's (Walter Koenig) vodka to Klingon bloodwine to Romulan ale, which has been illegal for centuries. Cardassians like their kanar and Saurian brandy is always a favorite.

It sounds like there will be plenty of Kellrun citrus mash hangovers on the Discovery.

Starships in Star Trek often have bars where officers can unwind at the end of their duty shifts. Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) slung synthehol at Ten Forward on the USS Enterprise-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation and she had her own bar in Los Angeles in Star Trek: Picard . The USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks has a bar, and so does the USS Enterprise in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , known as a the Port Galley. The USS Discovery has a bar where Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) sips Vesper martinis ice-cold. After Star Trek: Discovery season 5's successful mission, it sounds like there will be plenty of Kellrun citrus mash hangovers on the Discovery.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery season 5 stream Thursdays on Paramount+

Cast Blu del Barrio, Oded Fehr, Anthony Rapp, Sonequa Martin-Green, Doug Jones, Wilson Cruz, Eve Harlow, Mary Wiseman, Callum Keith Rennie

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Alex Kurtzman

Directors Jonathan Frakes, Olatunde Osunsanmi

Showrunner Alex Kurtzman

Where To Watch Paramount+

Screen Rant

5 star trek: discovery characters who left burnham’s ship (& who came back).

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Star Trek: Discovery Season 5 Returning Cast & New Character Guide

Star trek: discovery season 5 episode 7 ending explained, tilly’s 6 star trek: discovery away missions explained.

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5.

• Captain Michael Burnham has been the central focus of Star Trek: Discovery, with other crew members taking on supporting roles.
• Crew members such as Ronald Bryce, Nhan, Nilsson, Tilly, and Saru have moved on to different positions within Starfleet.
• The dynamic of the USS Discovery crew has evolved over the seasons, reflecting a more realistic representation of typical Starfleet careers.

The USS Discovery has seen crew members come and go over the course of Star Trek: Discovery 's five seasons. More than any other Star Trek show that came before it, the story of Discovery is centered on one character — Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green). While many of the crew members of the titular ship have come to feel like family, Discovery's primary focus has always been Michael and her journey from infamous mutineer to accomplished Starfleet Captain. With an actress as talented as Sonequa Martin-Green at the helm, this focus often works in the show's favor, but it does mean some of the other cast members get less screen time.

The crew of the USS Discovery never coalesced into a cohesive whole the same way other Star Trek crews have, and several crew members moved on as the show progressed. Some secondary and even a couple of main characters have moved on from Discovery and taken other positions within Starfleet or the Federation. While this sometimes means the characters are written out of Star Trek: Discovery (at least temporarily), it also feels more realistic for a typical Starfleet career. It never quite made sense, for example, that Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) remained First Officer on the USS Enterprise-D for 15 years despite being offered numerous promotions.

As Burnham seeks the universe's greatest treasure in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, she'll need help from a host of new and returning characters.

5 Lt. Commander Ronald Bryce

Transferred to the uss curie & worked at federation headquarters.

Beginning in Star Trek: Discovery season 1 , Lt. Ronald Bryce (Ronnie Rowe Jr.) served as the communications officer on the USS Discovery's bridge. Although Bryce has rarely featured in Discovery's main storylines, he was a staple on the bridge for most of Discovery's first four seasons, often relaying incoming transmissions. He chose to remain on board Discovery when Michael Burnham led the ship into the 32nd century, remaining at comms.

Bryce was promoted to Lt. Commander and consulted on the USS Curie.

Bryce was promoted to Lt. Commander and consulted on the USS Curie. In his last appearance in Star Trek: Discovery season 4, Bryce was working with Dr. Kovich (David Cronenberg) at Federation Headquarters, looking for a way to communicate through the Galactic Barrier. In Bryce's only appearance in Star Trek: Discovery season 5 so far, he was on the bridge when Captain Burnham and Commander Rayner (Callum Keith Rennie) time traveled to Discovery's past in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, "Face the Strange."

4 Commander Nhan

Transferred to the uss tikhov & the uss locherer.

Prior to joining the crew of the USS Discovery, Commander Nhan (Rachael Ancheril) served as an engineer on the USS Enterprise under the command of Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount). Nhan accompanied Pike when he took over command of Discovery, and she later transferred to the new ship, eventually becoming Chief of Security. After Discovery traveled to the 32nd century, they encountered the USS Tikhov, a seed vault ship crewed by Barzans.

As a Barzan, Nhan had not seen her own people since joining Starfleet, and she volunteered to travel with the ship back to the Barzan homeworld. Nhan only remained on Barzan for a short time, after which she joined Federation Security. In this position, she briefly returned to Discovery to aid in the pursuit of Dr. Ruon Tarka (Shawn Doyle) and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) in Star Trek: Discovery season 4. Nhan returned again in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 7, "Erigah," as the security officer in charge of captured prisoners L'ak (Elias Toufexis) and Moll (Eve Harlow) .

Star Trek: Discovery's crew locates the final clue to the Progenitors' treasure, but a shocking twist brings the Breen to the Federation's door.

3 Lt. Commander Nilsson

Transferred to the uss voyager-j.

Since the premiere of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Lt. Commander Nilsson (Sara Mitich) has been a regular fixture on the bridge of the USS Discovery. After the death of Lt. Commander Airiam (Hannah Cheesman) , Nilsson took over the role of spore drive operations officer. Like most of the crew, Nilsson volunteered to stay on Discovery for its trip to the future, and she helped Commander Paul Stamets (Anthony Rapp) and Commander Jett Reno (Tig Notaro) repair the ship after its journey.

Nilsson was occasionally left in command of the USS Discovery's bridge when the other senior officers were away on a mission or otherwise occupied. Sometime after Discovery returned from the other side of the Galactic Barrier and their mission to communicate with Species 10-C at the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 4, Nilsson accepted a position on the USS Voyager-J. Nilsson had a (neutered) pet Tribble that she left with Lieutenant Christopher (Orville Cummings) after her departure.

Sara Mitich portrayed Lt. Commander Airiam in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, before Hannah Cheesman took over the role.

2 Lt. Sylvia Tilly

Began teaching at starfleet academy.

After her introduction in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, Lt. Sylvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) quickly became one of Star Trek's most relatable characters . Tilly's endearing enthusiasm and hesitant friendship with Michael Burnham made her difficult to dislike, and she has grown into one of the USS Discovery's most accomplished and well-rounded officers. Tilly began her Discovery career as a cadet with dreams of sitting in the Captain's chair one day, but her plans for the future have shifted over time.

When the USS Discovery arrived in the 32nd century, Tilly served as the ship's First Officer under the command of Captain Saru (Doug Jones) and, later, Captain Burnham. Having been promoted to Lieutenant junior grade, Tilly began exploring other career opportunities outside of her comfort zone. Based on their therapy sessions, Dr. Hugh Culber (Wilson Cruz) recommended Tilly to lead a training exercise for a group of Starfleet cadets. Tilly excelled at this assignment and later accepted a teaching position at Starfleet Academy.

The upcoming Star Trek: Starfleet Academy show will tell the story of a new class of Starfleet cadets, but it remains unknown whether Tilly will have a presence in the show.

During the Dark Matter Anomaly crisis, Tilly remained at Federation Headquarters and aided Admiral Charles Vance (Oded Fehr) in the evacuation of Earth. When Discovery took on the Red Directive mission to find the Progenitors' technology in Star Trek: Discovery season 5, Tilly rejoined the ship's crew as a science advisor. Tilly has since proven to be invaluable in the search for the five clues that lead to the Progenitors' treasure . She has helped Stamets and Ensign Adira Tal (Blu del Barrio) in the science lab, and accompanied Captain Burnahm on an away mission to Halem'no to find the fourth clue.

For Star Trek: Discovery's Lt. Sylvia Tilly, being part of Star Trek away missions don't just advance the plot -- they make Tilly a better character.

1 Captain Saru

Became a federation ambassador.

The first Kelpien in Starfleet, Saru served as a Science Officer on the USS Shenzhou under the command of Captain Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) when Star Trek: Discovery began. Saru was serving on the ship when Michael Burnham first joined the crew, making him the character who has known her the longest. Following Georgiou's death, Saru became First Officer of the USS Discovery under the command of Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) . Saru later took over command of Discovery, helping lead the ship into the 32nd century.

After the crew of the USS Discovery solved the mystery of the Burn in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, Saru left the ship for a time to serve as a member of his village council on Kaminar. When Saru returned to Discovery in the show's fourth season, he took on the role of First Officer with Michael Burnham as Captain. In Star Trek: Discovery season 4, Saru began a tentative romance with Ni'Var President T'Rina (Tara Rosling) and the two decided to marry in Star Trek: Discovery season 5.

Saru has had one of Star Trek: Discovery's best character journeys.

Because of his exemplary service to the Federation and Starfleet, Saru was offered a position as a Federation Ambassador . Not only would this position play to Saru's strengths, but it would also allow him to be closer to T'Rina. After one last away mission with Burnham, Saru resigned his Starfleet commission and accepted the role of Ambassador, and he has been largely absent from much of Discovery season 5 as a result. Still, Saru has had one of Star Trek: Discovery's best character journeys, and he will no doubt make another appearance before the show comes to an end.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Discovery

Star Trek: Discovery is an entry in the legendary Sci-Fi franchise, set ten years before the original Star Trek series events. The show centers around Commander Michael Burnham, assigned to the USS Discovery, where the crew attempts to prevent a Klingon war while traveling through the vast reaches of space.