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Poor Pike is just trying to enjoy his vacation with his horrible looking beard while he wallows because he has seen his future and knows he’s going to die.

Or at least, he’ll no longer be the man he currently is. Especially if he continues on his path with Starfleet.

He’s encouraged by WYNONNA EARP – yes, I know it’s not her, but I forgot her name in show and I love this bitch – to get back on board the Enterprise and continue on.

Despite her words, he’s uncertain until his Admiral shows up and tells him that his Number One has gone missing. Apparently, she wasn’t interested in a vacation. Instead, she went off to investigate some world that now has Warp and has gone radio silent. And who better to fetch Una than her captain?

Not to mention, possibly get him out of his funk.

Pike takes the case and calls his crew in, getting a new temporary Number One in the process.

Also, I asked my dad who is a longtime Star Trek fan if this nickname is a common thing for the First Officer of the ship because I’m also currently watching Star Trek: The Next Generation and Picard always calls Riker that. He said that he couldn’t remember anyone besides Picard calling their First Officer that.

So can anyone else tell me if this is a common nickname or if Pike and Picard are just similarly weird?

Thank you!

Also, I figured this show wouldn’t spoil much for me since I don’t plan to watch the Original Series and it technically takes place before The Next Generation. I didn’t think there was any risk of spoilers to the other show.

Meanwhile, we’re slowly introduced to the Enterprise crew. The one that Pike will have for a while it appears since he’s got ten years before he’s melted. Ouch. That has got to hurt.

Even more so when he tells Spock that he could feel his death.

No wonder he went into hiding to avoid it. I would too.

However, it also means that the people he saves are left to die without him. How do you decide what to do?

Regardless, we’re introduced to the officers that will go onto other things but also the ones that will command the Enterprise alongside James T. Kirk in The Original Series.

I also liked that the show pulled some bait and switch by telling you that Pike had requested Kirk to be part of the personnel changes aboard the ship while they were docked and the ship repaired or updated. However, it’s revealed to be Samuel Kirk at the end of the episode.

I’m assuming this is James’ brother or something.

I loved the little, nope, not yet!

On the other hand, I’m also really glad it wasn’t Kirk because I kind of hate him most of the time. I find him arrogant and pompous and I spend most of my time wishing to punch him in the face. And this is just based on the clips I’ve seen of him and the movies made in the Kelvin timeline.

Really glad we’re not dealing with him yet.

Because I really love Pike.

I thought he might continue keeping things to himself after he didn’t tell Wynonna his issues. But he opened up to Spock and I think this was a deliberate choice. Not only in trusting the officer who was with him for the event, but also someone who prides himself on using only logic to make choices.

Posing the questions he himself has been wondering – can he be an effective captain knowing the future?

Will he be too risky? Too safe? Second guessing himself every step of the way? Will this change what he would normally do? Inevitably causing more problems?

I love that he chooses to trust someone but also trusts no one to save Una but himself.

I really love the loyalty and care he has for his first officer. Because there’s a clear level of respect and trust between them. The moment they see each other again, they’re thrilled. She immediately answers to his call when he says, ‘Number One.’ As though nothing has ever changed.

She immediately requests her return to the Enterprise to serve with him. And he accepts keeping his station and his future intact despite knowing what’s coming.

Because he learned something when dealing with a society they accidentally brought into the future.

He learned that his pain can be a gift.

He can impart a point of view that no one else can.

Such as explain to the world he found himself on, what their future would be. He’s seen it. Earth nearly died because of their arrogance. And they did not possess a warp bomb. Just nuclear weapons.

You will wipe yourselves out. There will be nothing left to rise form the ashes. Or you can find peace.

Because even in pain and suffering there are things to learn and be taken away from those events. He may not be able to save himself, but he might be able to save others. Like the people he rescues when he dies. Or the planet he helped stop from destroying itself.

I also thought this solution felt very Picard like.

He chooses words over violence.

Although, he did scare them first to make them listen. However, I don’t think he planned on using the Enterprise to blast them off the face of the planet. Just enough to get their attention.

The old adage of ‘there’s always a bigger fish.’

He got them in the same room and then he got them to listen to him and understand where they were headed if they kept this up. And I love that he made this decision in spite of knowing that Starfleet wouldn’t like it. Because it was far too late.

They had warp because of mistake Starfleet already made.

They were going to destroy themselves with something they were not meant to have yet because Starfleet interfered already. What’s the harm in stopping them from using it? When harm has already been done.

I do like that Picard probably would have made a different choice because he does not think one society should inflict it’s will upon another. Which is why Pike is great, because he’s not a carbon copy of Picard. He’s his own person with his own version of right and wrong.

In this case, he felt interfering was the only way to right a wrong.

Whereas, Picard might have opted to remove all the data they had about warp and return the planet to the status quo, allowing it to evolve with as little interference as possible.

Regardless, I loved his choice.

I loved the characters.

I love this version of Spock rather than the cold one I saw on TV sometimes as a kid. I mean, he’s still cold and logical, but he still very much has a human half.

His conversation with T’Pring and their scenes were adorable. I loved that he’s not ready to be first officer yet and it was proven when La’an is right about the shields and alert. She made an accurate assessment with the information she had.

But I also love that Pike was like you could have trusted me instead of taking the decision from both of us. While also trusting that his new first officer earned the job for a reason and listened to her reasoning that he asked her for and acted accordingly. I loved that she was very willing to ask for permission even though she didn’t tell him that she knew Una.

She was still an excellent officer and I’m glad he kept her around after her temporary assignment. Because I did not want to choose between these women.

We’re got cadet Uhura and Nurse Chapel.

And a whole slew of Strange New Worlds to explore while I remind myself this takes place before Next Generation so we may not know certain things yet or certain alliances. Like are we friends or at least civil with Klingons yet?

It should be an interesting ride. But one that appears to be so well done that I’m looking forward to more!

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