Strange New Worlds is a hug from across the galaxy (a Christopher Pike appreciation post)
I had high hopes for Strange New Worlds, the new Star Trek show set in the pre-Kirk era. Anson Mount was phenomenal as Captain Christopher Pike on Discovery, so getting more of that seemed like a guaranteed good thing. And then the first few episodes aired, and….hoo boy. They weren’t bad, per se, but they weren’t great. To be totally fair to them, they had a lot of heavy lifting to do: reminding the audience that Pike is doomed and knows it, introducing new cast members, reintroducing beloved OG Trek characters. It was a lot of table setting and it took a toll on the pacing and scope of the first three episodes.
As a fan, it was a quandary. I was really happy that Uhura was getting to be more than just the Enterprise’s telephone operator, but the episode in which she uses her well-tuned ear to solve a musical puzzle was so all over the place that the resolution didn’t feel satisfying. It was more of an “Oh, I guess the ship isn’t in trouble anymore? Um…good?” It was similarly encouraging to see First Officer Una and Nurse Chapel getting more screen time, but the disease that rampaged the ship and revealed Una’s deep secret fell flat. I was really worried that the season would wrap up being an “A for effort” kind of affair.
Then Episode 4 happened. The crew of the Enterprise went toe to toe with the Gorn in a space battle that was tense, exciting, surprising, and wholly captivating. From that point on, each episode of Strange New Worlds was better than the last, effortlessly placing character development against a backdrop of adventure. But it wasn’t all breakneck space drama; there were moments of silliness (“Spock Amok” and its hijinks), horror (“Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach”), and sadness (“All Those Who Wander”). And then there was the fairy tale episode where tough girl La’an became a pretty pretty princess complete with befrocked puppy and Pike was a cowardly courtier — and both were clearly having an absolute ball.
Strange New Worlds earned every one of its moments by taking the time to give its characters lives both of their Starfleet roles and beyond them. Yes, they are very much dedicated, and in some cases defined by, their duty, but they are people, too. People often faced with questions for which they have no ready answer. Sometimes the questions are the difference between life and death and sometimes they’re personal. Should Uhura stay in Starfleet? Should Spock go through with his wedding? Should M’Benga accept his daughter’s fate? Each member of the crew has more going on than whatever the Enterprise encounters each episode, and growing with them as they navigate all of it increases our investment in the show.
Holding all of this together is Pike, whose approach to captaincy is to influence rather than command. Take the scene I’ve posted above. It would be appropriate for Pike to tell his officers what to do, but instead, he lets them get there together. That this happens as he’s cleaning up the breakfast that he cooked — enlisting Spock’s help with the dishes, because he’s got hands, why shouldn’t he pitch in? — emphasizes his quiet confidence in his authority. He loses nothing by serving others, because he’s the one in command, and everyone knows it. But more than that, it’s a sign of love. Pike is deeply empathetic and he cares about the people who serve under him. He makes them delicious food. He calls them by their first name. He smiles. If Christopher Pike has a defining character trait, it is perhaps kindness. Remarkable enough amongst men in positions of power, but even moreso given that Pike is living on borrowed time. He is hurtling inexorably towards the moment when he’ll trade his life for that of several young cadets, and he is choosing to live his life with generosity and empathy.
And magnificent hair. Seriously, that pompadour gives me life. If the hair and makeup people for Strange New Worlds don’t get some kind of industry recognition, I will riot.
The crew of Strange New Worlds is wonderful, but what makes the show so cozy is that it’s not trying to be some huge thing. There’s no season-spanning EVENT at play, no metanarrative to parse. It’s an incredibly well-done monster-of-the-week jaunt, which is all it needs to be. I’m not sure when showrunners got it into their heads that a season of television had to be more than just something that rocked up and entertained viewers on a weekly basis, but I’m guessing it was ‘round about the time Netflix started to be a tour de force. It seems like there’s an undercurrent of fear that unless you force viewers to watch every week, they won’t. And, yeah, they might not. But with so flippin’ many choices, it’s become easier than ever to tap out of something binary. If someone has to watch all 10 episodes for a show to make sense, but they only have 2 hours, well, that’s easy math.
Strange New Worlds doesn’t fall into that trap and as a result, is a less exhausting experience. Look, I love season-sprawling events as much as the next gal, but some things just need to be what they are. Does it make sense for Stranger Things to be a dip-in/dip-out show? Of course not. But Star Trek started as the kind of thing you could enjoy on a Saturday afternoon with a cool drink after you finished mowing the lawn and Strange New Worlds is, too. It’s there when you have time for it, and still loves you when you don’t. Catch up on the episodes you missed or just tune in for what’s happening this week — whatever works, hon, it’s all good. Just make sure you get some of the omelet. And the bacon. And the waffle.
Anson Mount has announced that he won’t be involved with Strange New Worlds past next season; knowing Pike’s fate, it makes me wonder how the tone of the show might change. For now, at least, I’m happy to appreciate this hug from across the galaxy.
And the waffle.