Is the Captain Pike we know from Discovery and Strange New Worlds really the same dude from "The Cage"?
Is the Captain Pike we know from Discovery and Strange New Worlds really the same dude from "The Cage"?
Like basically every current Star Trek fan, I love the character of Captain Pike as Anson Mount portrays him. I wonder, though, to what extent he is actually the same guy from "The Cage." If we had only that episode to work from (which the Discovery and SNW writers initially did), we would know that he is broody, that he struggles with the responsibility he bears for the lives of others, and that he is remarkably able to conjure up emotions like anger and hate on command. Does any of that fit with Pike as we know him now?
One way to answer this question would be to imagine a very literal remake of the original pilot recast with the current actors. Everyone else would basically make sense, but I think seeing the current Pike act out his scenes would be jarring and even a little upsetting.
I'm sure we can come up with in-universe explanations -- he was having a particularly bad day, he's grown as a person, etc., etc. -- but it does seem like the current-day writers are departing pretty abruptly from the ostensible basis for the character. What do you think?
Yeah, I think he's absolutely the same person.
Firstly, "The Cage" portrays him at what I think is pretty unquestionably a low point - it wouldn't be fair to assume he's normally that angst-ridden.
BOYCE: Chris, you set standards for yourself no one could meet. You treat everyone on board like a human being except yourself, and now you're tired and you-
PIKE: You bet I'm tired. You bet. I'm tired of being responsible for two hundred and three lives. I'm tired of deciding which mission is too risky and which isn't, and who's going on the landing party and who doesn't, and who lives and who dies. Boy, I've had it, Phil.
The Pike we meet in "Discovery" is a couple of years removed from the mission on Rigel VII, and has been able to bounce back a bit. All the same, his character is practically defined by his faith in Starfleet's mission, and his willingness to make sacrifices in the pursuit of that mission, while also being acutely aware of the toll that takes..
The Pike we meet in “Discovery” is a couple of years removed from the mission on Rigel VII, and has been able to bounce back a bit. All the same, his character is practically defined by his faith in Starfleet’s mission, and his willingness to make sacrifices in the pursuit of that mission, while also being acutely aware of the toll that takes…
We also know that by Strange New Worlds, he's effectively retired to a small farm out in some snowy place, and decided to put his Starfleet career behind him.
It took an admiral effectively kidnapping him for him to even consider getting back in the Captain's Chair.
I've always preferred to skip "The Cage" and considered "The Menagerie" the definitive view of Pike's enterprise. It may appear to be a subtle distinction, but I think viewed through this lens the answer to your question becomes a much stronger "Yes".
Could you elaborate?
"The Cage" shows us a brief glimpse at a gruff, no-nonsense Pike who appears closed off if not straight-up unfriendly. "The Menagerie" shows us the same person but presented through the framing of not only a very well respected starfleet captain, but someone Spock would personally risk his entire career for. In this context TOS Pike's rough edges get considerably softened, which brings what we see of the character much more in line with what we've come to expect in SNW.
When James Bond was no longer portrayed exclusively by Sean Connery it was pretty jarring. But I got used to it, and after a while I didn't really think much of it.
Jeffrey Hunter is pretty wooden in the role (as are almost all the actors in The Cage). He comes across as a flat, somewhat listless characters with issues with women. Anson Mount plays the role with a much better sense of the humanity of Pike.
I'd love to see a literal remake but there are scenes that just wouldn't work (eg. the creepy scene where the young female ensign speaks to him).
Exhibit A would be the Pike that we see in SNW: “Among the Lotus Eaters” who damn nearly killed Zac Nguyen while a blank slate, before his memories and restraint were restored.
So yes, that Pike from 5 years ago is still under there. He grew as a person.