Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 — The Re-Introduction of Captain Pike

There’s been a lot of hype when it comes to the introduction of Spock into the Star Trek: Discovery season 2 universe, but he isn’t the only Star Trek: The Original Series character making an appearance in the sophomore season.

In the season premiere, which airs tonight, we meet Captain Pike, played here by Anson Mount, Spock’s commanding officer on the Enterprise of this era. Den of Geek was part of a group of reporters who had the chance to talk with the Star Trek: Discovery cast back in October about how Captain Christopher Pike’s character will fit into the crew.

As you may have guessed, especially if you’ve seen any of Pike’s appearance in other Star Trek incarnations, this captain’s command will be very different from Lorca’s.

“This is a complete 180 flip-flop from that dynamic,” said Doug Jones, who plays Saru, the Discovery’s First Officer. “He was a renegade cowboy, and Captain Pike is a gentleman and a leader.”

Jones called Pike’s style of command as “nurturing,” adding that he is the kind of captain Saru would like to learn from. Mary Wiseman, who plays Sylvia Tilly, another aspiring captain, echoed Jones’ comment.

“For me, similarly, it’s an actual positive influence to model behavior after,” says Wiseman. “Tilly just got into the command training program, so she’s gonna be on the bridge way more, kind of trying to learn the ropes of how to function there and be a contributing member of that ecosystem.”

“He’s so different [from Lorca],” Wiseman continues, “because he’s so nice. He’s an actual captain that represents some of the values of Starfleet.”

“His looks might fluster you a bit,” Jones teased Wiseman before adding: “His looks are gonna fluster all of us, so…”

“He is like a painting of a cowboy,” joked Wiseman. “We love Anson so much … So, it’s a really nice addition to our little family.”

read more – Star Trek: Discovery Season 1 Finale Ending Explained

Two characters that had particular clashes with the callous nature of Lorca’s command in Season 1 were Anthony Rapp’s Stamets and Wilson Cruz’s Culver.

“I get to actually have a captain who I can have a conversation with, and won’t just be ordered around, and will value my input,” gushed Rapp. “It’s collaborative. It’s what you’d want a captain to be. He cares about his people. He wants to do the right thing. All the great, traditional Trek [stuff].”

Rapp, who is a longtime Star Trek fan outside of his role on the show, assured viewers that it has always been the show’s plan to return to a more Star Trek-like captain.

Further reading: Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 Premiere Easter Eggs

“Last year, when Lorca was like the anti-captain, we knew why, we couldn’t tell people why,” said Rapp. “We could say, ‘Trust us, we know,’ or some version of that. Then we learned why. There was never any intention to un-Star Trekify our captain permanently.”

Cruz, whose character was killed off last season, remains part of the Discovery cast. While he wouldn’t reveal what capacity he would or wouldn’t be working with Pike, he did tease…

“All I can say is that I really, really enjoyed having Anson around, and part of the cast and getting to know him. He’s been a really wonderful addition to this already tight-knit group,” said Cruz. “He fit in perfectly. He’s doing spectacular work.”

Fine, Wilson Cruz. Keep your secrets!

Star Trek: Discovery Season 2 premieres on January 17th. Read more about Season 2 here.

Kayti Burt is a staff editor covering books, TV, movies, and fan culture at Den of Geek. Read more of her work here or follow her on Twitter @kaytiburt.