The final installment of the Short Trek’s Captain Pike-Era Star Trek episodes finds Captain Pike held prisoner on board a starbase in the middle of a Tholian attack. He’s been charged with treason and placed in the temporary custody of a Starfleet cadet and spends the entire episode trying to talk her into letting him go.
Obviously, I believe this episode to be underwhelming and, yes… even with the twist at the end, entirely predictable. The thing is, Anson Mount is great and Amrit Kaur manages to match his energy as the immovable object to his unstoppable force. The episode is directed well and does not overstay its welcome as it is incredibly short.
But, as I said, it’s incredibly predictable and underwhelming as a whole.
Here’s the thing: The twist is pretty much telegraphed by Captain Pike acting out of character. Threatening the cadet who is just doing her duty as he would otherwise expect her to. His tempting her with the safety of her husband, getting revenge on the Tholians… as soon as those promises left his mouth, I nodded my head and thought, “Yep, this is all a training exercise.”
Begs the question though… at the beginning of the episode, Cadet Sidhu was knocked unconscious by some exploding consoles. Was… that part of the training? Because that’s pretty hardcore. I guess it’s a good thing that the fire and debris didn’t do any damage. How would have Pike written that into his log if they’d accidentally blown the poor woman’s head off?
Nitpicky? Perhaps, but this is a question that needs to be answered.
If I can take any comfort from this episode, I honestly feel that this is just one more step to the inevitable Captain Pike television series that I desperately want. I mean, come on… we’ve got an amazing looking bridge set, corridors, a transporter room, a really excellent and brand new engine room set, and a growing cast of characters. This is a television series that’s ready to roll.
Give Pike his TV show already!
Jason Gaston 