Watch These 7 Star Trek: Discovery & Strange New Worlds Episodes To Truly Understand Captain Pike

In only one season of Star Trek: Discovery and two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Anson Mount's Captain Christopher Pike has already become one of the franchise's greatest captains. Viewers of Star Trek: The Original Series first met Captain Pike (Jeffrey Hunter) in the season 1 two-part episode, "The Menagerie," which reused footage from Star Trek's original unaired pilot, "The Cage." The full episode of "The Cage" was eventually released, offering more insight into Pike's time as captain of the USS Enterprise.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Anson Mount breathed new life into Captain Pike, offering a more empathetic and immediately likable version of the character. Mount's take on Pike became so popular that Paramount+ made him the lead of his own show, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, alongside Ethan Peck's Spock and Rebecca Romijn's Number One. Even with his tragic future looming on the horizon, Pike maintains an attitude of hope and treats all of his crew members like family. He's a different kind of commander, but he still has the compassion, intelligence, and skills to equal Star Trek's greatest captains.

7"Brother"

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, Episode 1

Captain Pike hits the ground running in his first Star Trek: Discovery episode, arriving on the USS Discovery and immediately taking command for a high-priority mission. Discovery's crew is leery of getting another new captain after Captain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs) betrayed them. Pike, however, could not be more different than Lorca and he acknowledges the understandable skepticism of the crew.

When Ensign Silvia Tilly (Mary Wiseman) accidentally puts Pike's file up on Discovery's viewscreen, Pike makes the most of the opportunity, introducing himself to the crew and laying out their mission. Pike takes the time to learn the names of his crew members and comes across as incredibly likable from the jump. Pike commands obvious authority but also manages to be funny and down-to-earth. All in all, "Brother" does a great job establishing Pike's personality and revealing what type of captain he is.

6"New Eden"

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, Episode 2

As Captain Pike and Discovery's crew investigate the mysterious red burst signals, they visit a distant planet that is home to a previously undiscovered human population. When Pike, Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green), and Lt. Joann Owosekun (Oyin Oladejo) beam down to the planet, they find a pre-warp civilization that practices a faith that combines several Earth religions. Pike strives to maintain General Order 1 (later known as the Prime Directive), even at risk to his own health and safety. When a young girl picks up a phaser, Pike dives in front of the beam, taking the stun shot directly to his chest.

Throughout "New Eden," Pike respects the locals' religion and acknowledges that science cannot explain everything, hinting at his own potential faith in something bigger than himself.

Pike is willing to sacrifice his life to save people he just met, even after one of the townspeople had knocked out the landing party and stole their bags. This scene perfectly encapsulates Pike as a person, as does the later scene when Pike reveals the truth to a townsperson named Jacob (Andrew Moodie). While telling Jacob about the Enterprise and the Federation technically violates General Order 1, Pike understands, as all the best starship captains do, that sometimes doing the right thing supersedes the law.

5“Through The Valley Of Shadows”

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2, Episode 12

As seen in the Star Trek: The Original Series two-parter, "The Menagerie," Captain Pike will eventually be gravely injured while saving a group of Starfleet cadets. In Star Trek: Discovery's “Through The Valley Of Shadows," Pike learns of this tragic future when he touches a Klingon time crystal on Boreth. Pike takes the crystal, even knowing that it will seal his fate, to keep the Sphere data from the dangerous AI entity Control.

In less than ten years, Pike will be horrifically injured, disfigured, and confined to a wheelchair, barely able to communicate. While Pike is understandably frightened of this future, he insists on taking the time crystal anyway, saying: "I'm not going to abandon the things that make me who I am because of a future that contains an ending that I hadn't foreseen for myself." This moment defines Captain Pike and this foreknowledge shapes his future decisions.

4"Strange New Worlds"

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, Episode 1

After the events of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, Captain Pike spent some time away from the Enterprise, settling in Bear Creek, Montana, and pursuing a romance with Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano). When Admiral Robert April (Adrian Holmes) interrupts Pike's shore leave to inform him that Number One has gone missing while on a mission of first contact, Pike embarks on a rescue mission to Kiley 279.

Pike remains shaken by what he saw on Boreth in Star Trek: Discovery, and he confides in Spock about his now inevitable fate.

After Pike and his crew successfully rescue Number One, the Enterprise captain breaks General Order 1 to convince the people of Kiley 279 not to use a weapon they reverse-engineered from warp drive technology. This mission helps Pike come to terms with his fate, as he delivers a passionate speech imploring the Kiley to strive for peace. As a reminder to them (and to himself), Pike says that "right up until the very end, life is to be worn gloriously," and he upholds that philosophy throughout Strange New Worlds.

3“Lift Us Where Suffering Cannot Reach”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, Episode 6

When the Enterprise rescues a young boy and his father from a shuttlecraft, Pike encounters his former flame Alora (Lindy Booth), who is now the leader of the planet Majalis. Pike reconnects with Alora but later learns that her planet maintains its paradise-like quality due to the sacrifice of a young boy known as the First Servant (Ian Ho). Pike is horrified by the suffering placed upon the First Servant, but he is unable to do anything about it as the Federation has no jurisdiction over Majalis.Not only does this episode offer some insight into Pike's past as a lieutenant on the Enterprise, but it also illustrates his value systems. Alora wants Pike to remain on Majalis with her, which, as far as he knows at this point, could be a way to avoid his tragic future. Still, Pike adamantly refuses, clearly disgusted by the fact that Alora allows her civilization to continue prospering due to "the suffering of a child."

2“A Quality Of Mercy”

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 1, Episode 10

In the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 1 finale, the Admiral Pike from an alternate future visits his past self to implore him not to try to avoid his tragic future. "A Quality of Mercy" shows how the events of the Star Trek: The Original Series episode, "Balance of Terror" would have played out with Pike at the helm rather than Captain Kirk (Paul Wesley). Although Pike negotiates a ceasefire with the Romulan Commander they encounter, another Romulan officer summons an armada.

Anson Mount is wonderful as both versions of Pike.

Spock is grievously injured in the ensuing battle, and the Romulans declare war against the Federation. Unwilling to let Spock suffer the fate meant for him, Pike finally begins to accept his future, aware that his sacrifice will allow others, like Spock, to change the galaxy for the better. Anson Mount is wonderful as both versions of Pike, and it's fascinating seeing the events of "Balance of Terror" from a different perspective.

1"Those Old Scientists"

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 7

With its excellent ensemble cast and only ten episodes per season, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds shifted the focus to other characters for some of its second season. Still, several episodes offered further insight into Captain Pike, and the excellent Star Trek: Lower Decks crossover provided him a hopeful glimpse at his Star Trek legacy. When Ensigns Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) inadvertently travel through a wormhole, they end up in the past on Pike's Enterprise. Boimler, in particular, cannot help but geek out about meeting his heroes, particularly Captain Pike.

When Boimler accidentally reveals that Pike's birthday is coming up, the crew begins planning a surprise party. Pike, however, learns about it and tells Boimler that he doesn't want to celebrate his birthday. Boimler points out that one day, his crew members will wish they had had more time with Pike, so he should celebrate with them while he can. Between this conversation and the knowledge that he's remembered as a hero, Pike ends the episode with a more positive outlook, despite his destiny in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

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