Star Trek: Captain’s Log: Pike

[Jeff of Earth-J]

I like stories about Captain Pike’s Enterprise if they’re done well, and this one is done very well, indeed. The story is told in two parts and deals with the relationship between Christopher Pike and Yeoman (later Captain) Colt. The first part of the story is set in the days immediately following the events of the TV pilot “The Cage.” We’ve seen Star Trek comics set in this time before, but rarely (as I indicated above) ones done this well. After establishing the emotional premise of the story, the action jumps 12 years into the future and deals with the accident aboard the Exeter (now captained by Colt) which disfigured Pike, placed him in a wheel chair and led to the events of “The Menagerie,” and that’s a story we’ve never seen in comics or on TV.

(The story also explains Pike’s unique rank of “Fleet Captain.”)

[Philip Portelli]

ONE BEEP!

[Doctor Hmmm?]

Philip Portelli said:

ONE BEEP!

I'll see your ONE BEEP! and raise you FOUR LIGHTS!

[Philip Portelli]

Even watching "The Menegerie" as a kid, I couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't come up with an easier way for the paralized Pike to communicate. I mean, all he could respond was "Yes" (one beep) or "No" (two beeps). Hardly a fulfilling life. Lord knows what he was thinking watching his younger self on the screen!

[Mr. Satanism]

At least set it up so that three beeps means "Please kill me".

[Figserello]

@ Mr S:

ONE BEEP!

[The Baron]

Philip Portelli said:

Even watching "The Menegerie" as a kid, I couldn't help but wonder why they couldn't come up with an easier way for the paralized Pike to communicate. I mean, all he could respond was "Yes" (one beep) or "No" (two beeps). Hardly a fulfilling life. Lord knows what he was thinking watching his younger self on the screen!

It's funny how badly certain elements of Star Trek have aged - some of their "23rd Century" technology is behind real-world 21st Century technology.

[doc photo]

Star Trek was always in a bit of a bind, trying to portray a futuristic world while still needing to follow 1960's TV storytelling conventions. By the 23rd century one would think Pike could have been fitted with a mobile exo-skeleton and audio communication devices to lead a somewhat normal life, but the TV audience needed to see him as a near total invalid for the sake of the plot.

[Philip Portelli]

Not only from today's point of view, but the show's as well. The Enterprise crew encountered beings who could have fashioned Pike a new body, albeit an android one. Not that his options were so great!

[The Baron]

Yeah, when you consider the number of androids Kirk's crew discovered, Data probably shouldn't've been all that amazing by Picard's time.

[Cavaliere (moderator emeritus)]

The Baron said:

Yeah, when you consider the number of androids Kirk's crew discovered, Data probably shouldn't've been all that amazing by Picard's time.

Be fair. Yes, they've encountered more advanced androids but there were made by more advanced civilizations. B4, Lore, and Data are pretty darned impressive because they were done by a human using technology developed by humanity.