Anson Mount Responds To Fan Petition Calling For Star Trek Pike Series

The second season of Star Trek: Discovery wraps up this Thursday, in which it’s expected we’ll see the departure of Captain Pike, as Anson Mount is already confirmed to not be part of the third season. However, fans are not ready to say goodbye to Pike and Anson Mount wants them to know he appreciates their feelings.

Asking for more Pike

Since he first came on board in the second season premiere (“Brother”), Mount has been widely praised for his portrayal of Captain Christopher Pike, the captain of the USS Enterprise seen in Star Trek‘s first pilot, “The Cage.” In part one of the season finale, which aired last Thursday, Captain Pike returned to his command on the USS Enterprise and handed over command of the USS Discovery to Commander Saru. The first part of “Such Sweet Sorrow” also featured brand new sets for the USS Enterprise, including the iconic bridge which was built on its own soundstage as opposed to being just a redress of another regularly used set.

Anson Mount returns to the USS Enterprise in “Such Sweet Sorrow”

Even before the first part of “Such Sweet Sorrow” aired, many fans were lamenting Pike’s coming departure. Though canon dictates that he would have to return to the USS Enterprise—as Pike remains in command until Captain Kirk takes over the ship—it is hard for many to say goodbye to both the character and the actor. As noted in the TrekMovie review of “Such Sweet Sorrow,” there was already a fan petition to bring Pike back for his own series on the USS Enterprise. Seeing the new sets has only fueled fan speculation and interest in the idea, generating even more publicity for that change.org petition which currently has over 11,000 signatures.

Mount responds

Yesterday Anson Mount made his first comment about the interest, responding to an article about the petition on comicbook.com. He commented on Facebook saying he was “humbled and deeply touched by this amount of love” and that he was grateful to be “given the opportunity to walk in Captain Pike’s boots.” On Twitter Mount said seeing a report about the fan petition “brought tears to my eyes.”

https://www.facebook.com/ansonmount1/posts/2223114031079502?__tn__=-R

 

Could it work?

Of course, fan petitions are nothing new. There are dozens of petitions about Star Trek alone on change.org, ranging from requests for various changes to Discovery, Paramount movies, and licensed merchandise and games. There is even a popular current one at ipetitions to lobby the Dublin City Council to erect a statue of Miles O’Brien as an Irish hero.

These online petitions are the letter-writing campaigns of the Internet age, and Star Trek has a long history of fan activism going all the way back to the campaign to save The Original Series. Generally, even the most high-profile fan campaigns don’t result in action, but the second season of Star Trek: Discovery has demonstrated that the-powers-that-be behind Star Trek at CBS are listening to fan feedback, resulting in a number of changes in the show that have generally been regarded as improvements.

Anson Mount as Captain Pike in “Brother”

CBS already has a plan for an expanding universe of Star Trek series. Speaking to TrekMovie last month, Alex Kurtzman noted how the next couple of years will be a busy time for Star Trek shows.  The current focus is a new ongoing series starring Sir Patrick Stewart as Jean-Luc Picard, which is set to start production very soon and will premiere by the end of the year. CBS has also announced the development of a Section 31 series starring Michelle Yeoh and have a two-season order for an adult animated comedy titled Lower Decks plus another animated show (this one for kids) in the works at Nickelodeon. There are some other potential Star Trek projects that have also been reported to have been in development, including a Starfleet Academy series.  And on top of that, the third season of Discovery goes into production in July. Fitting another series into that mix—at least into the short term—would stretch the resources for CBS and their distribution partners.

One thing we do know is that Ethan Peck is interested in returning to the role of Spock. He told TrekMovie “Yeah, I think it would be pretty cool” when asked if he would want to do a show set on the USS Enterprise. While Anson Mount hasn’t indicated specific interest, he has been enthusiastic about his time on Star Trek: Discovery, so returning to the role for more adventures seems quite plausible.

It’s also worth noting that CBS has other options besides a new ongoing series. In the past, they have talked about doing limited mini-series, and executive producers Alex Kurtzman and Heather Kadin have already confirmed there will be more Star Trek: Short Treks coming, starting with a couple of animated episodes this year.

Ethan Peck as Spock


Keep up with all the Star Trek: Discovery news at TrekMovie.

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Sure, why not? Just hire Nick Meyer back and give it to him. Where’s THAT petition?

My guess is that as far as Nick is concerned, the franchise has seen his backside heading for the horizon for the last time. Why should he believe that this time around would be any different from last season, when he got a few on-screen exec producer credits but otherwise was all but ignored for a year?

Nah, I agree with you, sadly. I would have thought someone like Meyer, a seasoned force of logic and intuition, would have been a great help in a young writers’ room like Discovery’s. I suspect he saw the writing on the wall pretty quick…

“I suspect he saw the writing on the wall pretty quick…”

I saw what you did there. :-)

Meyer’s a talented guy, no question. But I’m not certain he’s as grounded in story logic as, say, Bob Justman, whose tightly-argued single-spaced memos were, I’m certain, the bane of every freelance writer who walked onto the Paramount lot during TOS’ production. Meyer could be whimsical in his story choices at times, whereas Justman was an absolute hardhead. But I completely agree with you than they really need someone to fulfill that role.

Probably not, but pretty sure we’d have had a lot less “wait- what…?!” moments over the last two seasons had Meyer been utilized properly.

His participation in Season 1 actually gave him a writing job for the Ceti Alpha Trilogy…. so much about “he franchise has seen his backside heading for the horizon”

But go on and keep up tranforming wishes and emotions into statements like yours…

You do know that Meyer himself said that his trilogy is officially on hold and that nothing probably would come out of it.

I’m pretty sure that Khan thing is never happening.

I think Meyer was just too “old school” was these group of producers. They wanted someone who can get on in with the times and do the stuff according to modern standards.

No doubt. Lesser standards, by my reckoning.

Meyer’s Trek heyday was the from 81 til 91. That’s a long time ago, and while he has a decent roll of credits as writer or uncredited cleaner of Stories and screenplays generally, it’s a long time since he was in the world of Trek, let alone been a part of modern TV and the storytelling form that’s popular these days. I think Disco (and any future Trek ventures) could do with a smaller pool of writers with a more cohesive and tighter concept, I don’t think Nick Meyer is the man. (As the author of two of my favourite Trek movies, he’s more than welcome to prove me wrong of course)

I’m a huge fan of Meyer, but actually, if true, I’m sorta glad the Khan series will not see the light of day. If memory serves, the focus was going to be Khan on Ceti Alpha V, which I thought was not very solid. Khan’s history and story is more interesting detailing the rise of genetically augmented humans, their conquest of earth, their rule, defeat, escape, then their exile rather than just their time on Ceti Alpha V. The cancellations of Meyer’s limited series, opens up the possibility that sometime in the future we might be able to see Khan’s story told with more interesting focus, direction and epic detail.

Agreed. I would have liked a story that tied into real world events and conflicts charting the rise of eugenics and a secret war.

Do it! Do it! Do it!

Give Captain Pike/Anson Mount & Spock/Ethan Peck & Numer One/Rebecca Romijn their own show NOW! Don’t let this golden opportunity slip away! @captainpikeent #StarTrekPike

Yes, make it so!

OH YES!

They should do this. Captain Pike deserves his own show. Just do it!

Anson Mount was great, and I’d watch the hell out of a Captain Pike prequel set on the Enterprise… but I’ve gotta ask: How come Ethan Peck never rated more than a post-episode guest star credit?

In many of this season’s episodes, Peck’s Spock was a much more important character who was central to the story. I was really surprised that Ethan was never featured in the opening credits.

Who knows. But I doubt it was any kind of diss to Peck, who did just about as well with the thankless task of stepping in for Leonard Nimoy as anyone could have hoped.

That usually comes down to contract negotiating. Way too many flavors of it to really speculate exactly what kind of deal he had.

Sometimes “guest” stars make more money than season regulars (on an episode-to-episode basis), sometimes it’s down to the contract and whether or not producers were willing to hand someone a contract (or that the star was willing to accept one).

Exactly. There’s a lot of inside baseball among lawyers, SAG, etc.

It seems as though rankings in SAG (the US guild) and not ACTRA (Canadian) are determining who goes where.

Several of the Canadian actors, who are quite highly ranked in Canada, aren’t even getting their names in separate titles as guest stars at the end. Instead they are in the listing with the bridge crew regardless of the size of their roles.

This is dependent on how many and what kind of roles in US productions they’ve had…which wouldn’t be so weird except that it’s ACTRA that is protecting the rights and setting work standards in Canada where Discovery is filmed. Not to mention looking out to see whether CBS is keeping it’s commitments to hiring Canadians as part of its funding from Canadian federal and provincial funds.

For example, Hannah Spear (Siranna – Saru’s sister) didn’t get a guest star credit nor was Hannah Cheesman given one for Project Daedalus. It says something when the NY Times critic is praising their guest star performances but they don’t rate that in the titles.

Harry Judge got the same – doesn’t rate guest star status – treatment for his turn as the Tellerite captain in The Escape Artist short trek. His US experience is mainly on stage and his extensive Canadian TV experience doesn’t seem to be a factor.

By contrast, Rachael Ancheril always rates a guest star post episode title because she’s had bigger roles in American TV productions at some point although her Canadian leads are not as extensive.

Last note: If the Pike show goes forward, it looks like there will be a senior Canadian Union Rep on the cast. Samara Smallwood who was playing a command yellow lieutenant on the Enterprise bridge is ACTRA’s head of diversity and an actor with a long stage (Shakespeare) and TV resume in Canada.

Thanks for the insights, makes a whole lot of sense (or doesn’t, depending on where you’re coming from, I guess ;-))

Thanks for the information!

I’d like to see this. How does a man approach his life and his command knowing the fate which awaits him?

He can’t escape his fate. He tries to enjoy life.

I know of an individual with an incurable illness. It’s only made him one of the most motivated humans I’ve ever seen, lives every single day to the fullest and continues to try and have as many experiences as possible in the time he has left, he’s only in his 20’s. Point is there’s precedent/answers in real life for this question.

Good point Lukas.

And I think that it provides for excellent drama simply because not all people respond the same way.

Some feel life isn’t worth living if they can’t do all the things they’d planned, while others are determined to make the most of what they have.

That’s actually a human universal if you think about it. We all know we’re mortal and that if we live long enough we’re likely to become more frail. Pike simply has the misfortune of knowing more of the detail, but then that’s also true of people in the real world with a life-limiting or terminal illness.

That’s precisely what would make it potentially so interesting and resonant as a theme. It’s what we all face, but much more specific in his case. I’ve been pretty dismissive of the idea of a Pike show (five year mission of exploration on the Starship Enterprise; been there, done that), but if the series played-up that aspect of Pike’s foreknowledge from time-to-time, maybe even tying it in with the story being told that week, it might be worth a go.

When there’s something unpleasant/major/life changing you know you have to do, or go through, and you know there’s no avoiding it, there’s 2 things you can do: 1. crawl under a rock and wait passively until it happens or 2. be the best you can be, muster all your strength and resources and face it full steam ahead, with your eyes open, as it were…

There is so much story potential for that reason alone! I think Spock finds out about Pike’s vision of his future. Someone mentioned maybe through a mind-meld. Spock would finally be able to see logic (only choice Pike could make as a Starfleet Captain) and emotion (that allowed him to MAKE that decision because of the lives it would save) could exist together in one person. Spock already admires Pike…..imagine him finding out just what Pike did…….that alone would be one helluva story arc.

Pike seems to have recieved a LOT of positive buzz. Far more than Michelle Yeoh has for her cartoonish MU Hitl… er… Georgeau. CBS may, sadly, be committed to Yeoh’s Section 31 show but if they pay attention to buzz, they really ought to give serious thought to doing SOMETHING with Pike, Spock and No. One. Movie, series… Something. (I’d say mini-series but the shows already are mini-series’)

Maybe they are considering a Captain Pike show after Discovery.

Shortly after the announcement of Yeoh’s Section 31 series, they walked back it back a bit as there hasn’t been a series order. Technically, it has not been greenlit.

With Discovery sent to the future, this seems like a door left conveniently ajar for another Pre-TOS series. Especially one many, many fans have shown interests in.

I’ve said exactly the same thing Dave. Kurtzman and Kadin have spoke about it but the studio still haven’t greenlit it and the development timescale seems long even for modern event television. I’d still be interested in seeing the Yeoh show air butI’d be lying if I didn’t say I’m far more interested in a Pike show. I personally feel that an Enterprise series has always been the plan and that Pike has been introduced much like Frank Castle in season 2 of Daredevil to serve as one long backdoor pilot for the concept. Nothing sells Star Trek like Spock and the Enterprise to a studio exec.

Agreed. Perhaps even these two episodes are appropriately named as the sorrowful parting of Pike, Spock, Number One and the Enterprise is also sweet when thinking upon the possibility of their return.

It’s not that a Section 31 show couldn’t work, but the concept seems so at odds with what Trek is usually representing – the bravery and nobility of the human spirit, the quest to transcend all our human foibles, the betterment of mankind – that to wrap an entire new series around it just seems misguided. (I’ll say unfair too, seeing as Discovery hasn’t really done a whole lot of, y’know, discoverin’ over the last two seasons unless it pertains to Burnham…) It ALMOST feels like the people in charge of this show don’t r-e-a-l-l-y understand what makes it so great and latched onto the one aspect they felt they felt comfortable with…

…but I’m sure that’s just me.

To be fair, it’s a big universe out there and not every Trek show need be about strange new worlds and new life and new civilizations. And to be honest, while Section 31 is not my favorite thing in the Star Trek universe, a show set there is not the worst thing in the world. My issue is that it involves mirror Georgeau. One of the poorest conceived characters in a show replete with poorly conceived characters.

Agreed, but currently we don’t HAVE a Trek show about strange new worlds, new life, civilizations, etc. We have a show about Burnham saving the universe two seasons in a row.

That is true and I suppose that is a hole a Pike Enterprise show could fill. In addition to Pike knowing his ultimate fate one day.

Saving the universe from the consequences of her own very existence, I’d like to add.
(It’s not really her fault, but still…)

>We have a show about Burnham saving the universe two seasons in a row.

Kirk, Picard, Sisko, etc. saved the universe a lot more than twice. (“Once again, we’ve saved civilization as we know it.”) Their first officers, too. Why the double standard for Burnham?

I don’t know, about that, in the other shows it generally felt like more of a team effort.

I think the issue with her is the poor writing and acting and how forced it all comes across. It takes time to build a relationship and care about a character. But we were supposed to just accept this messiah figure from the word go.

They also did a bunch of other stuff. The save-the-universe plotlines only got trotted out every once in a while, to spice things up a bit. Most weeks, it was exploration and ethics and whatnot. You know, “Star Trek.”

It appears that save-the-universe plotlines are all “Discovery” can do, and thus far it’s not those those terribly well.

In TOS season 1 alone:
1. Lazarus (existential threat to all universes)
2. Guardian of Forever (existential threat to Federation)
3. Gary Mitchell (likely existential threat to Federation)
4. Charlie X (likely existential threat to Federation)
5. “Tomorrow is Yesterday” (possible existential threat to Federation)
6. Talosians (possible existential threat to Federation).
7. “Errand of Mercy”/Klingons (serious threat to Federation, maybe higher in light of DISCO)
8. “Balance of Terror”/Romulans (serious threat to Federation)
9. Gorn (medium-to-serious threat to Federation)
10. “Operation: Annihilate!” (serious threat to Deneva)
11. “Space Seed” (medium threat to Earth)

Last I checked, 11>2, and definitely more than “once in a while.”

1. Sure. Notice also that this is one of the worst episodes.
2. Hmm. Interesting. I’ll allow that, although that’s not really the emphasis of the episode.
3. Sure, I’ll grant you this one, too.
4. Notice how the emphasis was personal and relatively confined, though. And there was no need to spend fourteen episodes on it. Discovery would have had him threaten to destroy the multiverse or something silly like that.
5. That’s a stretch.
6. Not even vaguely the focus of those episodes; the Talosians never threaten the Federation.
7. A very limited conflict; not even vaguely what you’re trying to make it out to be. And Discovery does not retroactively change anything about the episode; I reject that notion out of hand.
8. Ditto.
9. Ditto.
10. Localized, not a galaxy-spanning threat like the Red Angels.
11. I hope you limbered up before trying to stretch that hard.

If you were discussing the plot for 11 entire seasons instead of individual episodes, you’d maybe have a point. You’ve picked 11 out of 26 episodes. If Kirk had single-handedly resolved all these plots, you’d maybe have a point.
1. I’ll give you that, even if the Enterprise crew are mainly observers to the plot.
2. Nope. Kirk is forced to make his choice via Spock’s research. Not the same.
3. Sure.
4. Nope. Kirk and co. don’t resolve this one. Charlie’s minders snatch him back.
5. Nope. Kirk doesn’t resolve anything here single-handedly. He relies heavily on Spock.
6. Nope. Nothing is resolved with the Talosians. Nor are they ever really presented as a threat to the universe. They just want Pike back.
7. Nope. The Organians resolve the plot, not Kirk and co.
8. Nope. The Romulan factor is not resolved. Also, this episode is important because it shows us Kirk is a superior strategist.
9. Yeah, maybe.
10. Spock and McCoy work together to resolve the dilemma. Kirk’s pretty much a bystander.
11. Ehh. Yeah, Kirk takes care of business here.

You’re really only proving my point, y’know. If you took all those plots and applied them to Discovery, the writers would have had Burnham resolving everything herself while the rest of the crew made up of Starfleet’s OTHER finest scientists just look on helplessly.

Let’s also remember that Roddenberry absolutely insisted the Enterprise and/or all life as we know it had to be threatened every single week for dramatic purposes. As forced a concept as that can be, even he would have insisted – and rightly so – that the resolutions were shared amongst the crew working as a unified team.

Kirk/Picard/Sisko/etc., rarely saved it single-handedly at the expense of the rest of the crew’s involvement and they didn’t save it every single plot line.(we’ve only HAD two plots in Discovery so far) The double standard is aimed at weak writing which insists that if anything important happens, it must concern Burnham primarily. Only she can say the important lines, only she can decide the next action. At least when Shatner insisted upon all the good lines back in TOS, he was just being a real life dick. SSM seems a far gentler personality, thankfully, but the point still stands. Just to clarify: I love SSM and I’m perfectly happy with her being the focus of the show. Just wish the scripts were stronger.

I wasn’t too concerned over her involvement in ending the Klingon war and to be fair she DIDN’T end that alone, she was simply part of the catalyst who did but in reality it was really L’rell who directly ended it. Yes Burnham came up with the idea but she didn’t directly end it all by herself.

But the current story line bothers me more because it really does feel like it comes down to her saving the entire universe. I mean the main character is suppose to be the hero, thats just how stories work, but when it ALL revolves around you and such big stakes at that it does feel a bit eye rolling.

oooh, ML31, you used the word “replete”. How often do we hear that word used these days?

Nowhere near enough.

It’s not just you. Many people, including me, agree with you. I won’t even watch Section 31. It isn’t Star Trek to me. But I would love an Anson Mount Star Trek series. That would be Star Trek. It’s that simple to me and to quite a few others.
I wish these people actually researched what Gene Roddenberry was trying to do. Martin Luther King knew. Kurtzman& co., not so much.

From Smithsonian Magazine:
“Upon hearing that Nichols planned to leave the show, Dr. King offered her some advice. “He said, ‘You cannot leave,’ Nichols recalls. “‘Don’t you see what this man [Roddenberry] has brought? He has changed the face of television forever, unless you leave.'”
Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/q-a-nichelle-nichols-aka-lt-uhura-and-nasa-180943982/#RFdKE5hyaVIWMqle.99

I agree that S31 is pretty antithetical to Trek’s values, but why blame Kurtzman? Your beef is with Ira Behr, Ron Moore, et al for opening up that particular door.

It sure is. And I hold a grudge against them for it to this day.

I have no problems with Section 31 existing in the Star Trek universe, after all, Section 31/Sloan was presented as antagonists in DS9. You can pull that off once in a while in Trek (like “In the Pale Moonlight”), but a whole show centered around that kind of pessimism and unethical behavior just seems hard to swallow.

That’s the big sticking point here for me. The organization is unethical. Section 31 isn’t like the CIA or MI-6 or something. They’re more like the Obsidian Order or Tal Shiar, except no one officially recognizes they exist. They definitely do evil in the name of “good.”

I tend to think that Section 31 is very much like “the Centre”/”Section One” in La Femme Nikita and it’s 1990s American remake. They are inherently evil (ends always justify the means, and it’s usually assassinations or extortion that meet those ends), but much of what they do is for the “greater good.”

I brought this up in another article on here a while ago, but I’ll reiterate it here. Should a show be greenlit, I see it potentially going a few ways:

1) They admit that the gritty/grim-dark tone couldn’t be downplayed and that anyone who doesn’t like it has any number of other, older, optimistic Trek shows they could watch instead.

2) They “soften” Section 31 and turn it into a run-of-the-mill spy agency, like how the CIA or MI6 are often portrayed in film and television. The people in the organization are just regular citizens, but occasionally have to get their hands dirty or make “hard decisions.” I would suspect that the “hard decisions” would likely be just run-of-the-mill stuff like blackmail and not a conspiracy to wipe out an entire race like in DS9.

3) Or it starts as a run-of-the-mill spy agency and Mirror Universe Georgiou corrupts Section 31 and puts it on a path to being the “ends always justify the means” blackmailing/assassination organization we end up seeing in DS9.

I think knowing where Section 31 ends up in DS9, I have no interest in watching any possible series surrounding that organization.

What Ira Behr, Ron Moore and co wrote for S31 kept me interested. For their S31 show I would have been curious. Disco’s S31 is 2 dimensional and we do not need to know more about it.

I have issues with the very existence of Section 31, but I agree that those are all good writers, so if they wrote a Section 31 show, it’d be good tv if it wasn’t good Trek.

I don’t trust Discovery’s writers to make good tv; I certainly don’t trust them to make good Trek. They’ve only done it once or twice so far, and I’m not sure those weren’t accidents.

It’s not just you. I hated the concept when it was introduced on DS9, and have warmed up to it very little since. (Flawed human being still making questionable decisions in spite of their best efforts, sure; but did Starfleet really need its own CIA to make the point about gray areas? Let’s not even imagine what Gene Roddenberry would have had to say about that.) But it’s firmly entrenched as canon now, so what can you do?

I think they needed 31 to hang the founders plague on somebody not-us … but still kinda-us. You don’t give that kind of move to Garek.

It’s not even the CIA, which still operates as part of the executive branch and under congressional oversight (however flawed). It’s more like the Soviet GRU. Which is not something I want to see in Star Trek at all, and certainly not as the centerpiece of a new series.

There are tons of stories out there about how the writing staffs chafed under the restrictions that Trek’s characters could have no conflict (which was never actually true — they simply had to share common goals, but could and did come into conflict frequently despite that). So as soon as Moore, Behr, etc. were able to ignore the Roddenberrian aspects like that, they began doing so.

They made some great television, but I’d argue that they also hurt the ideals that underpin the franchise. And I’d also argue that if they weren’t creative enough writers to work within the strictures that were already in place, they didn’t deserve to be writing for “Star Trek.” They changed the system because they weren’t up to the tasks at hand, and “Discovery” is doing the same thing but on steroids.

It’s all a real shame, if you ask me.

I don’t think the restrictions imposed through most of TNG reflect the old trek values at all, just on account of human nature. You always have a Ron Tracy, and you still have middle managements like Capt Esteban and jerks like Styles (both of them) — but the perfected humans of TNG are an incomplete and dramatically impossible picture to sustain for me. DS9’s greatest strength for me might be winning me back from major (not total) disillusionment with TNG. Some of that was sour grapes, not selling anything to them, but not all of it, as I had given up on watching the show nearly a year before actually getting stuff read there.

DS9 brought me back, too. The fact that it was so very different from TNG made me like it. Then the fact that the characters were so much more rich and interesting than anything we saw on TNG kept me there. And the vastly superior writing (overall, that is. There were certainly their share of dog episodes like most shows) really kept me wrapped in the entire series.

Agreed. This is such a massive golden opportunity to give trek fans a series they want. Anson Mount’ s Pike has completely blown people away, and Ethan Peck as Spock has been superb in my opinion.
The Enterprise looks fantastic too. It’s all there to be exploited. A Star Trek prequel series, fitting in perfectly with canon, with perfect re casting of original characters.
Absolute no-brainer. It would be the most successful Trek series to date.

I have a feeling they might mix up the two shows, maybe get Pike and the Enterprise involved with the section 31 show from time to time.

There’s no reason they couldn’t combine the Section 31 idea with the Pike series.

Evil Georgeiu is the campiest character on the show. I cringe during most of her lines. Anson Mount’s Captain Pike on the other hand was an amazing character that deserves his own show. I would love to watch that, probably more than ST:D itself.

Kill the Section 31 show. There seems to be little interest for it.

Given the show runners for it are responsible for the best episodes of Discovery, I really want to see what they do with it.

Given the same thing, I want to see what they’d do with a more interesting series concept.

Mystical Digital I’m with you.

Bo Yeoh Kim and Erica Lippoldt are turning out to be among my favourite new Trek writers.

I’m looking forward to seeing what they do with it.

As I’ve been reading Dayton Ward’s latest TNG Trek-lit offering which includes some of the fall out from public exposure of the 200 years of S31, and thinking that Discovery’s jumping forward will enable some kind of medium term solution for the AI, …

there is still a possibility that the Relaunch Section 31 and Uraei/Control AI novel arc can be respected by the show.

If Tyler and Georgiou have a mission to keep Uraei and Control contained, that would be a positive mission for two grey characters.

And Kim and Lippoldt are really the best writers to get into what it would take to counter neuropsychological manipulation via surveillance and programming in all Federation smart-tech.

I support Scott’s comment.

I agree with you Scott.

That would be a win win scenario.

Or at least this… If there is to be a Section 31 show then set it in the TNG-Voyager-Memesis era. And do not involve a cartoon dictator from the MU.

*rolling my eyes*

What give you pause here? The time frame? Losing the cartoonish Georgeau? Or are you just trolling?

Just the way you say things. Cartoonish. Justing to another era. Just enjoy the show. Because in the end, it’s just a tv show.

So it sounds like you have no real issue here. You are just being impudant because you are easily offended. Got it. Here’s a tip… Just ignore posts that bring that characteristic out in you. Anything that involves opinions you are unhappy with to just a writing style that sets you off.

Happy trails.

Wish they had a block function for your repetitive posts. The only difference is that you switch between cartoonish and moustache twirling from time to time.

There are people here I ignore without the need for a block. You see, I’m a grown up and we can do things like that. Maybe one day you will be able to do things with out any hand holding.

Maybe you can say something different in your posts.

Or maybe you can do the same and also show some self restraint.

Oh I do! But seems like you and a bunch of others are broken records.

No offense Captain Ransom, but you are also sounding just as much of a broken record. Once again, you don’t seem to ever post anything here much outside of attacking people who has issues with the show. And you almost seem obsessed with ML31 lately. I had someone who I felt was becoming obsessed with me here and thankfully he was banned (although that had nothing to do with me). I’m not saying you are doing that, but seriously man, all ML31 is doing is giving his opinion. You don’t like it, fine, but it looks like you are trying to censor him for opinions you don’t like. If they are too repetitive, why are you always reading them then? Especially if none of them are aimed at you?

You also told me once you were no longer going to post here because of all the negativity and yet here you are. Dude, seriously, if you don’t like what he posts, then just ignore him and move on. Telling people to stop saying bad things about a show you like has about as much of a chance of succeeding as telling Trump not to tweet anymore. It only encourages them to do it more in fact.

Just tired of hearing the same complaints about discovery article after article.

Captain Ransom, you have been complaining about this for literally two years now. Maybe you just have to accept people are going to say how they feel about a show or episode. Sure you can certainly say how you feel about them as well but nothing is going to change. TM isn’t just here for people to gush over Star Trek, people are also allowed to be as critical as they want.

Look, this is always been my thing, I have NO issues about me or anyone else being negative about something just as long as they aren’t attacking others for liking it. Be honest, 100% honest,has ML31 or anyone here EVER attacked you for liking the show? Not disagreeing, I mean insulting you for simply thinking its a good show? If no one has done that man, then you simply have to respect their POV is different from yours and move on already.

And sorry Captain Ransom, but being honest here, if anything, you are the one who seem to attack others here for having an opinion different from yours. I suspect ML31 doesn’t have an issue with your opinion on anything here until you start attacking him for his.

Ain’t it the truth. It’s like an old folks home in here.

You were banned before A34 and you are back. So it can’t be that bad, even for an old folks home. ;)

You still have the wrong guy Tiger. I’ve only been posting here for a few months now. What did this guy do to you?

Yes outside of having the EXACT same writing style, 99% of the same views (including the constant ‘Discovery is super great and everything about past Star Trek blows today’) and even making basically a similar handle as before you are a totally different guy lol. Not fooling anyone man, seriously. This board is just too small.

And what you did was TROLL and attack people, constantly. Its not your opinion that was the problem, it was how you baited other people over it. You are doing it less this time thankfully but your old ways still shows up here and there.

Yeah, I really don’t get what’s going on with you. God Bless.

Sure you don’t. You can play dumb forever, but your posts gives it away nearly every time. No one is fooled.

God Bless you Tiger. I think you’re a really good guy. I just hope you find your way.

Curious that you think you do. That’s not what it looks like to others.

Goodbye Captain. Have your last word if you feel you must.

LOL

This comment is hysterical! “I’m a grown up and you’re not. Nana nana boo boo…stick you’re head in doo doo.”

I can’t even.

ML31 and I don’t see eye to eye on much, God knows, but I have to agree with his assessment of the character being cartoony, though Michelle Yeoh has certainly done her best to make the concept work. Great lady, but I’d much rather see her play Prime Georgeau, frankly.

Agreed. Although I think she’s actually been pretty good as Mirror Georgiou in the past few episodes. Not enough to make me want a show with her as the lead, though, especially if it’s a Section 31 show.

She’s been better the last few episodes for sure but she still comes off like a cartoon character. It’s really hard to take her seriously as some big bad.

Yeoh’s Georgeau would be a great fit for The Orville… IF they went back to having more jokes and humor in the show.

I really liked Prime Georgiou but as a Captain she is very similar to Pike and if they do go down the route of an Enterprise series then her Terran counterpart provides a better alternative for pinning a series on.

Maybe not kill it fully but they can certainly retool it to involve Pike and the Enterprise.

That whole idea seems to be based on the fact they have Michelle Yeoh onboard and don’t want to let her depart the franchise. Screwy logic to say the least when they could have a ready made hit out of the gate with Pike and Spock.

And I get it: she’s an amazing actor. But so was Benedict Cumberbatch. Both were wrong *for their parts*.

God, casting Cumberbatch as Khan actually happened, didn’t it? I somehow keep forgetting that.

My point as well. Yeoh is good. When she gets the right part. She is not good enough to make every part work for her. Georgeau is just not the right part for her. At all.

+1 to Scott.

I actually hate the concept of section 31 as it goes against everything that Star Trek is about. At least in DS9 it was this secret organization that no one even knew about or ackowledged, and the protagonists seethed that it even existed. But in ST:Disco it is this big out in the open thing – and the characters only voice minor disagreements with it. That was a narrative mistake. I think the plot of season 2 should have ended with Section 31 being disbanded, but maybe implied that somehow it reformed itself in the 24th century in time for DS9.

Although I think Pike isn’t portrayed correctly, I appreciate the idea of a series with him. I just wish the producers had respected Roddenberry’s plan for a captain who is struggling with himself and what he does for Pike. Unfortunately that aspect of the character is completely missing and they made him to much of an hero. Almost like Kirk….

Because the struggling aspect was years ago in the story, if he’s been struggling for that long, he shouldn’t be Captain.

To be honest though it was just one episode in an unaired pilot. Pike has grown into a larger than life figure from it but I don’t blame anyone from going a different direction with him because he wasn’t all that defined in the first place. Even in the Kelvin universe, Bruce Greenwood’s version was basically a different character as well although he came off a little more hard nosed like the original I guess.

That said I don’t totally disagree with you either. The new Pike could really just be a new character and in fact I almost wish it was because they could’ve kept Mount on full time. Call him Captain Tyson or something and keep the same personality and commanding style and you lose nothing. But yes, you would lose all the fan service stuff associated with him like Talos IV and obviously commanding the Enterprise. But they probably still could’ve included a lot of that with Spock around but then find a way to do it where Pike himself is down played so I guess that wouldn’t have been a good idea either.

By that logic (pun not intended), Spock should also smile and yell more based off of how he was in The Cage.

Characters shouldn’t be so limited to canon that they’re restricted to their detriment.

The situation in “The Cage” was similar to DS9 “Emissary” (and TNG “Family”). All three captains resolved their struggles, more or less. We’re seeing Pike several years later.

Could CBS do an All Access/Netflix joint film? Or is that that where Paramount really gets in the way? I mean if they’re going to compete, Netflix has their films, Disney+ has already talked about the original films that they’re putting on their streaming service exclusively. CBS could do a 2.5 hr Pike film with Number One and Spock. Frakes could direct it if they wanted. Or make it work with Paramount and put it on Netflix (including here in the US) and let that be the gateway drug to getting more All Access subscribers.

PEB Disney+ has Star Wars, Marvel, The Simpsons and other stuff. CBS needs to do this. Captain Pike needs to tell his story, he deserves his own show.

PEB CBS executives have said that they want to move more to direct interface with consumers in countries outside the US. That is the want Trek to be a flagship franchise to take CBSAA into international markets in a way that they failed to do with Showtime.

They aren’t looking to increase their partnering on Trek with Netflix… in fact, distribution of Picard outside the US isn’t sorted as yet.

CBSAA exists now in Canada and Australia. In Australia, they were able to buy and build on an existing service so. They have their foot well in the door.

In Canada, it’s more risky and complicated. BellMedia is a large player. Discovery runs on BellMedia’s Space cable channel as well as streams on BellMedia’s Crave service. The Twilight Zone is on Citytv another Bell channel. And Discovery uses Pinewood Studios in which BellMedia is the principal owner (partnering with the city if Toronto.)

Frankly, it might make sense to partner with BellMedia on a miniseries production.

In terms of a gateway, putting a Pike movie or miniseries on broadcast TV might be the better option.

If Kurtzman was willing to cast Canadians in co-starring roles in the Pike show the way The Expanse does, and to rely more on Canadian directors, the show might get the next level of federal Telefilm and province of Ontario funding. Not to mention tax credits that will be more important to CBS corporate now that CBS is building and opening a major studio in Mississauga.

>Could CBS do an All Access/Netflix joint film?

Could they? Sure; it’s called a “joint venture.” Does it make strategic sense? Doubtful.

I would prefer a Pike series waaaaayyyy more than Section 31. These actors and characters are fantastic and could be the best thing for Trek! Do it!

CBS can do a Captain Pike miniseries. Even a movie. I like a Pike show more than a Section 31 show. CBS has the wrong priorities for Star Trek. Do it!

There is no reason why CBS can’t do both. I would just prefer a Pike show if it were one or the other.

I totally agree with you Spock, but my question is does the Paramount split throw a wrench in CBS making a Star Trek film? Like, does Paramount own the rights to do any Trek film or could CBS still put something out there based on one of their tv shows?

The faster we get a merger, the stronger the franchise can be. I will say, for anyone who watched The Mandalorian trailer and behind the scenes, it should make much more sense now of what Alex and CBS are trying to do. They’re about to blast on the scene with two live action shows, a return to Clone Wars, a future post-Rebels animated show and more. And it was so cool to see that they 3D printed a model of their ship and lit it internally with LEDs and built a special rig to do flyby shots instead of use CGI (granted they have ILM at their disposal who have done this the best in the past). Bring on the STLV announcements!

And I do think Sect 31 is a show that’s supposed to appeal to the audience that wants more intrigue and less exploration/standard Trek. If people through Discovery was bending the rules of being a Trek show, Section 31 is there basically to be able to not have rules you have to follow. At least that’s my take on it.

Paramount owns the rights to anything Trek in the cinematic sense only. CBS could still make a movie if it was just intended for streaming or TV.

Blackmocco, I believe that Matt Wright has confirmed more than once that CBS owns the rights and Paramount has a licence to make cinematic release movies.

Thing about licences…they aren’t for indefinite periods…and sometimes they have provisions that crystallize if certain conditions aren’t met…

e.g. there may be a contractual provision that the licence expires early if no films are produced within a certain fixed time period, or options to renew depend on product getting made.

Would be interesting to know how long Paramount can go without a green-lit project before the licence is null and the rights revert to CBS…

TG that’s been my whole curiosity. Releasing films strictly on streaming services is a new and very popular trend now and it feels smart for CBS to get on that train with Trek. The appeal of saying ok fans, the next Trek film will be released exclusively on All Access could be a nice boost. I think having Kurtzman at the helm or even on a more basic level having someone at the head of it all making those kinds of creative decisions is what the franchise has needed.

I see where your thinking is going PEB…

The question to be answered is very like the one Kurtzman has posed:

What can a cinematic release offer that a streaming release can’t?

His point is that unless a cinematic release will allow a different kind of story to be told, and that the difference would be allow something important to Trek to be told, then they should stick with streaming and broadcast media.

Especially, in an era where big screen actors are willing to do streaming productions and the quality of Vfx is very similar.

(By the way, I think that Kurtzman has got a lot of the high-level strategic things right, but has been overstretched due to an awful situation with Discovery right from the launch.

And having a show that was designed to be ‘a bullet’ in his words, was not the best format to bring on board a new generation of writers.

Most TV shows have 90% of backstory and universe known to the writers and not the audience. At this point in Trek, the audience knows 97% of the backstory and new writers are struggling to get on par with the audience. It takes a special kind of humility and creativity to work in that framework.)

Yeah, sorry. Bad wording on my part. I really just meant that Paramount’s got the rights to theatrical Trek as of the here and now. I know CBS owns everything overall. My bad.

Where there is smoke, there is fire. Section 31 as a standalone series was “interesting” until this iteration of Pike and Spock caught fire. It would be imminently foolish for CBS to ignore this. Everyone wants this. Pike has been the most “Trek” character of the new Trek (and I LOVE Disco). Let Pike lead!

Please forget about the Section 31 show and give us the Pike series!

Make it so. — But they gotta fix the straight jacket uniforms they’re wearing, and klingons have to revert to a more manageable model. The Discovery look is over done and appears still to stifle the actors. The TNG era Klingons were good. Slight modifications and more variety is fine, but the redesign just isn’t particularly good or worth the trouble.

Captain Pike is the best part of Star Trek Discovery this season. I will watch it and keep subscribing to CBS All Access.

Yes

Agreed. Pike was the best part of Discovery this season. And last season too! But my CBSAA subscription ends Friday. And it’s not coming back until the Picard show starts. The only other show that MIGHT have caused me to hold on was the Twilight Zone. And the three episodes I have seen thus far have not been good at all.

And so, ML31 you have demonstrated precisely why CBS needs to develop more Trek, and can’t easily pass up on a Pike show.

The 90s series each produced 26 episodes per year. With two series running concurrently, that was 52.

Peak television seasons run from 10 to 13 per year.

Which means a lot of ‘churn’ in subscriptions.

CBS has had solid numbers from Discovery despite the extreme teething pains. But having the second most demanded sci-fi show for just 3 months a year will not keep CBSAA viable.

IMHO Pike was underused in the show. I liked the dicretion of the 2nd episode “New Eden” and was exspecting to see more Pike. That was the most Trek-thing I saw the last 20 years! He should have been the lead character of season 2.

Beep

(as for a Section 31 series – meh – it’d make a better one-off miniseries… 6 eps tops, and it’d have to focus on something truly spectacular to even warrant bothering with it)

Please and thank you, love Anson as Pike

Now, that’s how you ask for something.

I would be more than happy to see a miniseries of Pike, Spock and Number One on the Enterprise.

With all the fanfare with Pike and Spock in Discovery and the (mostly) scorn or at least the divided opinion over MU Georgiou and Section 31 in the same story line it looks like CBS is backing the wrong horse over which should have its own show…greatly.

And I’m someone who isn’t all that motivated for a Pike show and was at least curious to see what they could do with a Section 31 show. But watching this season of Discovery its not exactly hard what is the more popular aspect of the season. But I have said this before, which seems to get ignored a lot lol and that is they are probably partly mindful of the fact they don’t want two starships mining the same territory and it would go against what Kurtzman view as the shows just feeling like the same product. You can differentiate them but for most its still just going to feel like two starships exploring the same area of space.

NOW, yes, obviously if the rumors (and story line so far seems to suggest it) is true and Discovery really is heading into the future, then obviously that changes everything. So we’ll see I guess. But reading what Mount said, either he’s playing it super super coy or he’s just being polite and knows its not happening because they have their plans and sticking to them. But its still Star Trek, anything can happen. Patrick Stewart is about to step into the role of Jean Luc Picard again this week after he said countless times he had moved on from the character for years, so yeah.

Anyway if there isn’t a full on series for whatever reason I don’t see why they can’t make a mini-series down the line or even TV movies. AA is going to need ALL the help it can get and with the behemoth known as Disney+ arriving this year and all the crazy plans that site has AA is going to probably need more than a ton of Trek shows to stay relevant. But for now its all they really got so use every advantage they have with it.

I still think if they don’t get a show they may include them in the Section 31 show, even in an reoccurring role. Maybe the Enterprise can work directly with them on missions since we literally see them doing that with Discovery this season. So anything is possible.

Tiger2 I’m okay with a Section 31 show but a Captain Pike series sounds more fun to me. Section 31 is a bad idea.

Tiger2 I’m okay with a Section 31 show, but that sounds like a bad idea. Captain Pike series is more fun to me. CBS should do that instead.

I won’t lie I’m pretty torn on the idea of a Section 31 show now. I knew we were going to get a heavy S31 story line on DIS this season and that would tell us the direction the show itself would be going in. Well after seeing it, I don’t know if its a great idea now. I like MU Georgiou more but I agree with others who say she still feels like a cartoon character. The whole Control thing sounded like a great idea when it was first mentioned but that’s definitely not happening on the show anymore lol. Tyler is OK, but nothing special in the role. But I can see him on the show. I really do like Leland though but it looks like his time is done after this season.

Of course I suspect they will have a whole new team of characters for the show but all this season of DIS has proven to me is that maybe S31 works better in small spurts. Full on story lines where they are the focus may feel too far away from traditional Star Trek to work. But I’ll still give it a shot regardless.

Start with a Pike/Number One/Spock series on the Enterprise. Towards the end of that series, introduce Kirk. (The Menagerie showed that Kirk knew Pike.)

Take it a step further: Show us how Kirk came to know Gary Mitchell, Matt Decker, others. Utilize the Pike series to lay the foundation for a future TOS Kirk series.

But start with an Anson Mount-led Captain Pike series. Please.

>Towards the end of that series, introduce Kirk. (The Menagerie showed that Kirk knew Pike.)

I thought it showed the opposite: Kirk had met Pike, but did not know him well, and did not know of Pike’s accident.

That’s correct. Kirk only learned of Pike’s condition when the Enterprise was diverted to Starbase 11. They were aware of each other but that mentor / student relationship was a 2009 movie thing.

Anson is in competition for the best Captain, IMHO. He gave a magnificent, though somewhat understated, portrayal of what a Star Fleet Captain should be. Certainly a couple of mini-series of him in command with Spock and #1 would be nice

Can Discovery Season 3 and Section 31 and go forward with Pike and Picard.

Imagine if they’d had Anson Mount, Ethan Peck, Rebecca Romjin, and much of the Discovery cast and characters, Doug Jones, Anthony Rapp, Wilson Cruz, Mary Wiseman, and Sonequa Martin-Green on board the Enterprise.

If they’d done that instead of the mucked up melodramatic plot-hole ridden mess of Discovery, they would’ve had a winner. Of course, it would’ve required writers who know what Star Trek is and what makes it successful.

I’m torn as to how I feel about Discovery on the whole. I like it and I don’t like it… nevertheless, “mucked up, melodramatic plot-hole ridden mess” is a pretty spot on description.

Just a thought but CBS registered multiple trademarks last year and the one that would seem to work for a Pike/Spock/Enterprise show is Star Trek Destiny.

Nice – destiny as in Pike now knows his and fights on anyway.

@Kirksean. That’s what I was getting at but of course we all know that Spock and the Enterprise have a pretty big destiny too.

Agreed – would be interesting to see Pike change from being willing to sacrifice because of guilt to a redemptive fearlessness now that he knows how it ends for him. Or maybe a story arc that could explain or plant the seeds of why ultimately he kept telling Spock “no” in the TOS cage episode. Could be a circle of guilt from missing the Klingon war and coming back around to maybe guilt over not being able to save number one and others from various adventures. Maybe thinks he deserves the chair and doesn’t want to be saved by Spock or anyone. Even though the characters of Pike and Spock are safe from death, the relationship and adventures can still be interesting.

“Even though the characters of Pike and Spock are safe from death, the relationship and adventures can still be interesting.”

Totally agree, most Star Trek series ran for 7 seasons of 26 episodes and for the most part we knew that none of the main characters were getting killed off. Therefore I’m pretty sure we could all cope with knowing that Pike or Spock wouldn’t be getting killed off.

It would be interesting to see opening scenes of Pike in the chair as a framing device, much in the way that “Better Call Saul” (no season 4 spoilers please, I’m not caught up) opens with scenes at the Cinnabon in Nebraska.

Perhaps or even open with him post “The Menagerie” on Talos IV.

The Picard show title could be called Star Trek Destiny.

It could Professor Spock, Destiny is about as generic as you can get so I guess it’s easy to pin it to almost any show. Of the names they trademarked I have a feeling that Revolution might be attached to the Picard series.

A lot of people on Reddit are theorizing that’s what the show will be called Destiny which is the same name from a set of post-Nemesis novels. Maybe not but I still wouldn’t be surprised its called that. Then again, with all the secrecy around it, you would also think maybe it is something more canon revealing like the Star Wars Episode 9 title. Hopefully we don’t have to wait for a trailer 6 months from now to get it. ;)

The Vegas convention would seem like a good opportunity for them to release a first trailer. Mount and Peck are both down as guests as well so hopefully they might have an announcement;) Destiny and Revolution seem the likely candidates for Picard but I’m leaning towards the latter as it would seem to fit in with what little we know about the show as well as those alleged character descriptions and what they imply.

I was thinking along similar lines. That might be where the title will be revealed along with any possible Pike announcement. If one is indeed coming, that is.

Certainly there’s precedent for such big announcements as it was at this same event that they unveiled the Picard show so with Mount and Peck there I’m cautiously optimistic but I guess we’ll have to wait and see. I would imagine that we will be introduced to the Picard show cast and probably see some footage from Lower Decks as well.

I’m giving some thought to heading out to STLV for the first time this summer. Still need to convince the significant other (who is not into Trek at all) to give the stamp of approval. I might have to turn in some credits to make it work. But not sure I want to use them for this. We shall see…

CBS’ goal in luring people into All Access via Star Trek and the Twilight Zone, etc is to create a growing revenue stream. I hope someone at CBS is reading these boards to see that A. We’re an open-minded fanbase.

We’re open to new ideas and new ways to present things. B. We’re not a homogenous base that all like “one true way to do a Star Trek show”. But what is Star Trek when it’s not exploring humanity itself while exploring the universe? Section 31 show is a great pitch to a network executive. “Cool – Mission Impossible meets Star Trek. I like it. Check off some elements that marketing will want and we’re set! That’ll draw new subscribers.” Really?! A few die hard Trek fans who already have all access will tune in, but that’s not what Star Trek is to them.

As for new viewers, they’re not gonna pay money to watch that Star Trek show when there are other franchises out there that do that stuff well. And when Star Trek isn’t Star Trek, like any fanbase, we’re gonna walk away. Do what Star Trek does best and get back to exploring people, places and humankind as well as dropping in some interesting but somewhat plausible science theory. That’s how you GAIN viewers. Introduce to those new viewers what makes Star Trek special to this day in 2019. Not what’s trendy. Otherwise, it will burn out. Fast.

Look at the JJ movies. They burned so much fan goodwill with Into Darkness that when they finally started to get things more right than wrong with Beyond, they A. Hadn’t grown a size able new fanbase and B. Turned off the fanbase they had.

As for the Captain Pike show, I’m ambivalent about it. I just wanna see Star Trek being Star Trek and not trying to be something it’s not. “To thine own self be true”

You have a good point.

>Section 31 show is a great pitch to a network executive. “Cool – Mission Impossible meets Star Trek.

It doesn’t “meet Star Trek” at all; a show about the political officer on starships is just about the antithesis of Star Trek.

If you want “Mission: Impossible meets Star Trek,” what you want is ASSIGNMENT: EARTH, about the adventures of Gary Seven. That’s one I’d watch in a heartbeat.

A Gary Seven show, to me at least, would feel a little bit more like Dr. Who than it probably should.

Captain Pike is the “Captain America” of Star Trek.

People are starving for Gene Roddenberry’s Positive Outlook of the future that made the Original Star Trek such a Worldwide phenomenon.

Anson Mount and Ethan Peck deserve their own series and CBS should take advantage of this low hanging fruit and commit to it.

Petition is growing – over 12,000 signatures so far!

Star Trek Christopher Pike! CBS do not be stupid and miss this opportunity. This is the show we as older fans want. (By the way the older fans have the money to subscribe to CBS Access)

THAT is the Star Trek I want to see. I like Discovery, but if it ended today I’d be fine with it. Bring back Pike!!

I’m just going to add my voice to the growing chorus of:

Do a Captain Pike on Enterprise show as opposed to the lame Section 31 show!!!

In fact, I would rather a Captain Pike/Enterprise show over another season of Discovery even!

It would funny if they DIDN’T make a series with Pike.

So for the first time in over a decade, CBS/Paramount has almost universal fan approval of the casting of Pike and a re-imagining of the Enterprise… and they don’t capitalize on THAT.

Pike & Enterprise this season is the singular overarching element of the franchise I’ve observed on all the website and forum posters pretty much being in sync over since before “Enterprise” went on the air in 2001… you’d think the producers would be like “ok… these freakazoids actually are being positive for once… let’s move ahead with this..”

Well Discovery is on a ship called Discovery not Enterprise. Not every Star Trek show needs the Enterprise but I understand its importance for the franchise.

The Discovery was that we like the Enterprise even more.

I find it quite fascinating that on every billboard, every poster for Star Trek Disco that features USS Discovery, it also features USS Enterprise. Furthermore, the Enterprise is considerably larger than Discovery in the ads. That’s not by mistake. That’s a marketing admission that the Enterprise draws viewers that the show really wants to attract (namely Trekkies). I’m convinced CBS et al have just as little a clue as some of the JJ people about what Star Trek is.

Of course. I noticed that straight off. Also, the way the light gleams off the ships give one the mistaken impression they are firing on each other. An obvious attempt to draw in the “pew pew” crowd.

>Not every Star Trek show needs the Enterprise

In point of fact, I think it does, or at least a historic name like it. “Voyager” was too humdrum, “Discovery” almost as much. (I’m talking the names of the ships here, not necessarily the shows, but I do think that in VOY’s case, at least, the lake of a majestic name contributed to the “meh” factor of the series.)

Look at Sulu’s ship, which is quite popular in fandom: Excelsior. Other good names would be Lexington, Yorktown (Roddenberry’s original plan, BTW), Independence, or Excalibur. Maybe Bonhomme Richard, Yamato, or Mary Rose, in a tip of the hat to history, although those names may be too obscure.

Fans also love DS0’s the Defiant. I still remember being in the theater for First Contact and a woman in front of me shouted to her boyfriend/husband “IT’S THE DEFIANT!” when it first showed up. I think she was just as excited seeing that ship as the Enterprise lol. It’s not a science or exploration vessel but the tough little ship has teeth! :)

You’re right. It’s almost like the studio is doing the exact opposite of what fans want. Granted that the vocal fans on the internet are only a very small portion of the viewing audience, but you’d think the studio would jump at something people are responding positively to. But nope!

You like Pike and Enterprise? Well, here’s a Georgio on Section 31 instead!

I am speculating here but there might be some ego involved with the writers and producers too. I mean two TOS characters becoming more popular than the original characters they have created might have rubbed them the wrong way and made them want to show these original characters more. I suspected this might have happened before the season started and they said they were including Pike and Spock this season.

That would be awesome!

A Captain Pike series… If done correctly —- Ira Steven Behr, Ronald D. Moore, René Echevarria, Bryan Fuller. Ladies and gentleman, I give you a portion of Star Trek’s ‘Dream Team’ to work on a Pie series.

I think its safe to say you will never see Bryan Fuller name attached to any future projects after the Discovery debacle.

As a Fuller fan, I’m probably the sole poster on here who still wants to see him unleashed upon a Star Trek show. I know, I know…

I’m not sure you’ll ever see him work on ANY show again. Dude can’t keep a job lately.

It’s true. I even understand the reasoning behind him being jettisoned. I still think he’s awesome.

I was with him until “American Gods” (and, it must be admitted, “Discovery”), at which point it felt to me like he disappeared all the way up his own fundament. He’s a legend if only for “Hannibal,” though.

Awww. I miss Hannibal.

I never saw Hannibal.

Manny Coto. The only one who really inspires confidence doing a prequel.

I’ve been singing the Manny Coto praises since season 4 of Enterprise. If anyone has earned the right to run a Trek show, it’s him.

He ran Enterprise into cancellation. NO THANKS

Pike!!!!
Please

God, NOT Saru as Captain, if that happens, done watching.

I’m not much of a Saru fan, either. Doug Jones does a good job of playing him, but as a character he bores me. But I think we are very much in the minority.

I found him more interesting when he had his ganglia. Now that that’s gone, somehow he is less interesting. Not sure why they felt the need to change him like that. It’s yet another in a long line of bad creative choices on Discovery’s part.

Why not the whole cast of TOS recast with a new Kirk for real this time. Not set in an alternate universe. We already have a new Spock in Ethan, so all we need is a new Kirk, Uhura, Scotty, Chekov, Bones and Sulu. A new 5 year mission for the Enterprise. Making up for the shows cancellation in season 3. They won’t do that though because they don’t want to step on the toes of Kelvin Star Trek which is already dead.

I don’t want a TOS reboot. A Captain Pike show is enough. I don’t want a TOS recast either. Leave it alone.

I seriously see this coming somewhen in the future! Who knows how far CGI and AI might go in the next decades? Someday it will be common that actors will be replaced by CGI. I wouldn’t be that surprised if they will resurrect Shatners and Nimoys Kirk & Spock and make a new show.

Because if you do that, then you will effectively be rebooting the universe again like the Kelvin did. I DON’T have any problems with that and have said many times they should just call Discovery a reboot and then they CAN do things like another TOS show. But as long as it all stays in the prime timeline then they can’t do that. That’s the problem, everyone (for some odd reason) don’t want Star Trek to be in another universe (which is a reboot essentially is) but yet they get mad any time you retcon something major in the prime universe and you can’t do remakes in the same universe. So it has to be one or the other.

Dude, that won’t stop them.

Actually I think they really do consider it because NO ONE is even remotely suggesting to make another TOS, at least the current runners. They have about a dozen shows on the board and I don’t think any of them has even hinted at the idea because they know its sacred ground so to speak and they know by doing it they are opening up a can of worms.

And I do think Kurtzman learned from the Kelvin movies its not as easy for fans to accept no matter how much you bend over backwards to please everyone. They literally put the characters in another universe not to touch TOS in any way and said things are different because its in another universe and people still complained about it. From a marketing viewpoint, putting on another TOS or even TNG show probably seems like a no-brainer but how you actually do it is where the main problem lies considering how much people are a stickler for canon.

Thats why a Pike show would just be easier too. They can literally do whatever they want outside of killing Pike or Spock (as if that would happen anyway) and nothing stops them from bringing in more TOS characters like Scotty or Sulu because we know basically nothing about their lives outside of a few lines about their lives in Starfleet prior to TOS.

I really wish the JJ movies had just been a clean reboot. Would have been a lot neater.

Yeah end of the day that probably would’ve been the best idea. I understand what Orci and Kurtzman was trying to do and make it feel relevant to the Trek franchise as a whole while being given the freedom to do their own thing. But as STID proved, once you break your own rules (white Khan) then it just creates more problems, even in another universe.

You just say its a hard reboot, you can do whatever you want. I don’t get why people just can’t accept a clean slate? Especially when they complain how much canon is being screwed up by the current films and shows but yet still expect any show or film to be in the same timeline as the others.

I honestly think a straight reboot of Trek would not go over as badly as Paramount people think it would. Just a gut feeling.

It’s true, but really if you’re going to reinvent Star Trek for a new audience, it’s probably better to start with a brand new ship and brand new characters and have the setting unencumbered by any canon. Just set it after TNG and go for it. NEW worlds, NEW civilizations, etc.

But can you blame Paramount for not wanting to throw a large budget at a Trek film that did not involve ANY previously known characters? Save a new ship with new characters for a new TV show.

They threw a large budget at Star Trek: Beyond. Didn’t do them much good. What’s the difference?

The difference is they were coming if a decent return from the previous film so there was an incentive to go ahead with the 3rd. Plus that film and the one that preceded it contained known characters. A Trek movie with brand spanking new characters would never have been made into a feature film to begin with.

No, but it could well have worked, is all I’m saying. The delay between STID and Beyond damaged the third movie, in my opinion. People had lost interest. Tarantino’s movie was rumored to have all new characters initially before the Kelvin cast started weighing in looking for a job. I’d rather see a new cast of characters for that one. What the hell, y’know? If you’re gonna fail, fail big.

It might have worked, sure. But it’s a bigger risk than going with known characters. If you were going to invest heavily in something, you would want the highest chance of return I would imagine.

Too much respect to the fans in the end. Sometimes you just have to wipe the slate clean and follow your gut. I would’ve been fine with a cinematic reboot, if done well. Canon should be open to being ignored if you’ve a good story to tell. George Miller had no such qualms with Mad Max: Fury Road.

But I understand what ML31 is saying though. It is pretty risky to throw so much money in a franchise without unknown characters and studios are risk averse. Its the entire reason why we have so many franchises today because studios are afraid to invest in brand NEW material that didn’t come from a previous novel, comic book or TV show. MCU was taking a ‘risk’ with Guardians of the Galaxy because they were obscure characters most people never heard of but they were still known characters and part of a bigger franchise of movies. I have a feeling if they didn’t have MCU branded on them they may have thought twice about it.

Look at Star Wars, arguably the biggest (or was) movie franchise ever. You would think they would be brave enough to not just rely on old characters over and over again since they have such a big following. And YET every film up until now has been filled with tons of old characters and even found ways to bring back dead ones like Darth Vader in Rogue One and Han in Solo. Rise of Skywaker looks like it will bring back nearly every major character from the OT minus Solo and Darth Vader (although it is the end of a long saga so understandable). And remember all those rumored standalone films: Yoda, Obi Wan, Boboa Fett and on and on? They seem to think SW is really only a success if you remind people of the OT over and over again.

I’m happy that most of those movies are now dead and they are FINALLY going to go a different direction completely, but who knows? They still might find a way to sneak a few known characters in future movies.

What’s funny is though the first live action Star Wars project that we are getting with completely brand new characters is the TV show, The Mandalorian.

But if something like Star Wars is afraid to go with completely new territory I guess I can understand why they are afraid to do it for the Trek movies. TV shows there is a lot less risk involve. If the Kelvin movies are dead though I really hope we don’t get ANOTHER TOS reboot so soon. That would be a mistake IMO.

Well, the Disney buyout has a lot to do with the direction the SW franchise went in. They’re playing it safe, and it shows. Lucas had outlines he wanted to go in, and there were some initial stabs at screenplays before JJ came onboard and blandified it. If they were making good, well-written, intelligent stories with the Star Wars name on them populated with new characters, you really think they’d tank? Hell no. The studio and producers have played it too safe worrying about fan backlash. The one good thing Lucas brought to the franchise – regardless what you think of the results – was an almost sadistic hatred of fan expectations. I’ll applaud him for that alone. Trek needs some of that fearlessness. In my humble opinion, of course…

Yes you could be right about Lucas screenplays but they still involved all the old characters just the same. Mark Hamill himself confirmed that. Lucas was already in discussions to bring him, Ford and Fisher back for his new set of films before he just sold the whole thing off to Disney. So it may have been a more risky story wise but even Lucas thought it would be suicide to have a sequel trilogy without the characters that started it all back.

I think Disney just went a little crazy with it, finally getting one of the biggest franchises ever, but it does look like they are finally calming down a bit at least.

And I’m not disagreeing with your viewpoint though, I agree with you. But to be fair about this, we’re just the consumers, we have zero stakes in any of it outside if we are going to spend the $10+ to watch a movie in a theater or not. The people who makes these things, puts up hundreds of million in capital and then spend several years to develop it, they can’t think like us hardcore fans do. If they don’t drive a profit, their entire careers could be over. I have made it clear I wish studios did think a little more originally and creatively but its easy to say that when that decision isn’t going to cost me a dime suggesting it on a message board.

Its probably very different when you have so many stakeholders to please and more importantly, just a guaranteed ROI and what happens when you don’t deliver. It would be nice to just try to do more original stories and characters, but when you are spending upwards of $200 million, it just becomes about getting as many butts in the seats.

IF they are going to do something more original (and is still happens) it is often with a much smaller budget and it is not considered to be a tentpole. If that film does great, it’s a bonus.

And it makes total sense that The Mandalorian is a TV show. Highly unlikley Disney make a feature film like that. Although Rogue One has showed to me that a film featuring original characters can still work. So far it has been the very best of the Disney Star Wars films. By a very wide margin.

A TOS reboot would be my first choice, too. I wouldn’t mind a Pike series either though. Still better than DIS or Section 31.

The fanboy in me would LOVE a TV TOS reboot. But the realist in me is thinking that is territory we have seen and is done and over with. That said, it would hard to be worse than what they have given us of Discovery so far. Unless it’s the same showrunners and writers doing it. In which case, I don’t want to see it done at all.

Doing a new series with the TOS cast would present some challenges. Since Discovery supposedly follows canon, you’d want to fit a TOS show in with the original series in terms of stories. So do you remake the old episodes, create new stories that happened in between or just jump to the 4th year of the mission?

I think a Captain Pike show would be a little easier to pull off since that era of Trek is a little more grey in terms of events. You could also use it to introduce TOS characters like younger versions of Kirk or McCoy during their more formative years in guest roles or go the other direction and maybe do episodes where Pike crosses paths with Robert April, George Kirk, Captain Garth or other characters from that era.

Personally, I’d love a show that let us see or visit with some of those notable characters from Trek’s history far more than a Section 31 show or any of those animated series being planned. I think it would be a better path to fleshing out the mythos and Trek’s backstory a bit.

The easy choice is to bring in Lt. Kirk for a little on Discovery. However I would like to see some of the lesser characters brought in. Not even regulars. Someone we saw in perhaps one episode. Like Garth or Tracey or Wesley or even just a name we saw with no face like Komack.

Scrap Section 31, give us Pike!

I would gladly live with a Pike show instead of the anti-Star Trek Section 31 one.

As I stated in greater detail above, Section 31 show even if done well, wont be as well-received as the finest secret intelligence shows on TV. Fans love to talk about the mystique of Section 31, but we don’t want episode after episode covering them. It’s like what Voyager did with the Borg.

Exactly. It will pale in comparison to THE AMERICANS, MI:5, and JACK RYAN.

I don’t see the Section 31 show being nearly at the level of The Americans or MI:5. Haven’t seen the Jack Ryan show and since Amazon doesn’t share it doesn’t look like I’m ever going to. Would kinda like to see it, though.

Yeah, Homeland comes to mind too. No way this group could pull off a show with that kind of brilliant pacing and tension.

Dump the ridiculous wrong headed disaster that is waiting to happen with the mirror Georgiou show and make this instead.

I love Michelle Yeoh, but I have little to no interest in Section 31. I certainly have interest in a Pike/Spock series on the Enterprise.

Honestly, I’m not too fazed about anything other than a short, limited ‘Picard’ show, same with Section 31. I don’t want any animated or even worse, comedies – there is that awful Orville for that kind of thing. I’d much prefer a Pike-based show on the updated Enterprise running for as many years as they can get, ending with his accident. Then to finish, a recast Kirk etc. for a limited ‘Year 4’ TOS sequel, also in the updated Prime timeline.

>I don’t want any animated or even worse, comedies – there is that awful Orville for that kind of thing.

Exactly. All these animated/comedy proposals dilute the brand.

Not necessarily. I’m actually very much looking forward to the comedy show. Really hoping it’s set in the TNG era, too as that is the era that feels more rife for comedy.

“or even worse, comedies – there is that awful Orville for that kind of thing.”

You haven’t seen season 2 of The Orville. There is precious little comedy to be found on it now. They have opted to pretty much go full on TNG rip off.

I also want a series with Pike, No.1 and Spock so if Kurtzman and company are keeping number on how many people are asking for this then they can add me to that list too.

Here’s the solution for everyone wanting a Pike series but not wanting a Section 31 series. Pike becomes angry and disillusioned because he knows what fate awaits him in the future, so he loses faith in Starfleet’s ideals and asks to be transferred to Section 31 duty. He takes over for Leland and is the co-lead of the new series with Georgiou.

Palizia that sounds like a great idea but I don’t want a Section 31 show. I don’t care about them. Captain Pike, I care about him as a human being.

Yuck.

My new favourite Captain…he’s the new Kirk only better.

I’d say he’s the new Picard, but (maybe) better. :)

His command style is much closer to Picard’s.

I’m all for it. But can we please wait until the merger is finished, Kurzman sacked and his soap opera writers ejected back to the prolefeed sweatshop where they crawled from? If we learned ONE thing from Discovery, it’s that we are gonna need actual sci-fi writers. The real ones, preferably those from the times before the “participation award” era.

(And definitely let’s keep that Deverell lady. She’s rad, and she seems to be possibly the only one on the set who actually respects Star Trek.)

Kurzman has a long term deal, he ain’t going nowhere … unfortunately. Never thought I’d say I miss Rick Berman but …

Yeah, really classy to debase and demean a bunch of strangers because their work didn’t give you your nerd fix. Next you’ll be telling us that Discovery isn’t Star Trek, as if you ever knew what that was.

Funny that you like the version of Pike written by the very same guys you’re smashing…

Anson and Yeoh are the best on this show. Nuke the current canon mess and go with them.

If they don’t do something with these characters after such a positive response then they really don’t know what they are doing. Pike and Spock in their second five year mission is a show that would keep fans subscribed to All Access.

This is my first time ever posting, though I have lurked for years, because I had to join the chorus of people calling for a Pike show.

Anson Mount is fantastic, and despite some problems with this season of Disco the writers have made Pike a principled, fun and relatable character that you enjoy watching in action.

Yes, I love how Anson channels Shatner. Sometimes it feels like the glory days of Shatner is back. Pike/Spock show would be amazing!

Make it so.

Just do it.

How about something completely new and original? I’m getting a little tired of the retelling of these characters stories (Star Trek, Star Wars, etc.) These were great in their original ST airings and original SW films Even the first few iterations of reruns and “sequels/prequels” . . . But, C’MON! These stories are 42 to 52 years old. ST:DS9 was original and fresh . . . what we have now is reheated leftovers.

I agree about DS9, but that was the exception. I want that Captain Pike/Enterprise show. I want that more than something new because I like what I saw so far and I don’t trust the producers to make something new that works. The Enterprise sets are awesome. Anson Mount, Peck, and the Number One actress are all awesome. Give me more that awesome!

This is how I feel too. I would certainly give the Pike show a chance because of how great he came off in Discovery but I would prefer something completely new and original. But this is how Hollywood operates nowadays and its constant reboots, spin-offs and/or revivals. I’m super happy Picard is coming back for example but I would be just as excited if we got a post-Nemesis show with completely new characters and in a lot of ways would prefer that (but would be open to seeing old characters appear of course). But for marketing purposes I get why we have things like the Kelvin moves or even making someone a sibling of Spock in Discovery because they oddly feel fans only care if you have some attachment to someone familiar.

Its odd considering every Star Trek spin off show from TNG through Enterprise had completely new characters and situations (and outside of Enterprise were hits) but I guess that was a different time compared to today.

Gotta get me some of those “member berries!”

I join a lot of people if offered a choice of going with Captain Pike, #1, and Ethan Peck as very enjoyable Spock – or going with Michael Burnham and ’empowered’ associates into the distant future leaving abslutely no trace of Burnham, spore drive etc, in the Star Trek canon starting with TOS – it’s a no brainer.
I salute #1 and request permission to come aboard for the perfectly cast prequel to TOS.
And leave the Michael Burnham show to the SJW, feminist writers.
If they had gone with it, it would have been a perfect way to cancel Discovery. Tilly,Stammet, Burnham go boldly into the future.
And are never heard from again.
In it’s place, we get “Prequel: Captain Pike and The Original Enterprise Crew.” It would be a nifty way of filling in the background on thinks like the Prime Directive, what makes green skinned women from Rigel 7 so renowned as hot!

>And leave the Michael Burnham show to the SJW, feminist writers.

Those would be the same SJW, feminist writers who brought Pike back in the first place.

Thanks for saying that River Temarc.

There are many issues with how Burnham’s role has been conceived and written, and Discovery’s inconsistent writing more generally

but when critical voices try to make the problems all about gender and diversity

1) it undermines legitimate critiques about how the show is being force-fit around a problematic character who’s progress as a leader isn’t earned

2) it’s discouraging for many of us who have viewed Trek as a beacon of diversity to share a love for the show with those who never got its fundamental message of appreciating and valuing difference.

Whatever. He doesn’t write his own scripts, so whether or not his presence polishes a turd is less than pressing. But dig that “Save Star Trek” spirit. Still, maybe if AK is sufficiently spread thin, some quality work could sneak through, if the fates allow. So what we want is 5 Trek shows, thereby potentially mitigating the AK contamination. OK, I will sign the petition.