Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) changed a lot between the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 2 and the start of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Captain Pike was re-introduced in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, along with Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck), and Number One (Rebecca Romijn). The Starship Enterprise trio proved to be so popular, Star Trek fans clamored for Pike, Spock, and Number One to get their own spinoff. This resulted in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, which premiered in 2022 and has become the flagship Star Trek series on Paramount+.
Star Trek: The Original Series' two-parter, "The Menagerie," establishes that Fleet Captain Christopher Pike (Sean Kenney) is horribly disfigured by delta rays and confined to a mechanical wheelchair. Pike's injuries occur as he saves several Starfleet cadets. Star Trek: Discovery season 2, episode 12, "Through the Valley of Shadows" added an unexpected twist: Captain Pike learns of his dark future from a Klingon time crystal on the planet Boreth. Chris carries the burden of his future throughout the rest of Star Trek: Discovery season 2 and into Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. But Pike doesn't handle the knowledge of what's in store for him well.
Captain Pike Is Different In Strange New Worlds From How Star Trek: Discovery Ended
Pike had a complete 180
Star Trek: Discovery season 2 ended with the USS Discovery vanishing into the 32nd century, and the focus shifts to Captain Pike, Lt. Spock, Number One, and Commander Ash Tyler (Shazad Lafif) answering to Starfleet about Discovery's disappearance. After safeguarding the truth about Discovery, Captain Pike returns to the USS Enterprise, as does Spock, who dons his Starfleet uniform and resumes his post as Science Officer. Ultimately, Captain Pike confidently launches his starship onto their next mission - and their future headlining their own spinoff, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Pike's condition in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is an about face from how Star Trek: Discovery left him.
However, when Star Trek: Strange New Worlds begins, Captain Pike is on shore leave at his home in Bear Creek, Montana with his girlfriend, Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano). Pike is a shell of his former self. Chris is scraggly and disheveled, and Pike is seriously contemplating retiring from Starfleet. It's only because Admiral Robert April informs him that Number One has gone missing and needs rescuing that Pike decides to return as Captain of the Enterprise. But Pike's condition in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is an about-face from how Star Trek: Discovery left him.
What Happened In Between Star Trek: Discovery & Strange New Worlds?
Pike's future knowledge became a burden to him
Captain Pike's behavior in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 holds the answer to what happened between Star Trek: Discovery's season 2 ending and his own spinoff beginning. Throughout Strange New Worlds season 1, Pike struggled to reconcile the tragedy awaiting him. Chris does confide in Spock and Number One, and Pike researches the young people he will save in the future. Pike learns in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale that he can't alter his destiny, which would have tragic consequences for the galaxy and would transfer his fate to Spock.
Admiral Pike from an alternate future timeline mired in a forever war with the Romulans showed Captain Pike why he can't change his future.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds picks up in 2059, months after Star Trek: Discovery ended in 2258. During that period, Captain Pike was emotionally debilitated by his future knowledge, and it eroded his ability to command the USS Enterprise. When the Enterprise docked into Starbase One for repairs and upgrades, Pike took the opportunity to take shore leave, with his mind on not returning. After all, leaving Starfleet would mean avoiding his destiny. But Captain Pike has since learned in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds that he can't fight fate.
