Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 3, “Shuttle to Kenfori”
Captain Christoper Pike (Anson Mount) is keeping four big secrets onStar Trek: Strange New Worlds. As captain of theStarship Enterprise inStrange New Worlds, Pike has proven himself to be an excellent leader time and again. While Pike does his best to uphold the rules of Starfleet, he also understands when it’s necessary to bend the rules a bit.
Anson Mount’s Captain Christoper Pikemade his debut inStar Trek: Discovery’ssecond season, during which time he was involved in a galaxy-saving mission that has been partially erased from the history books.Pike also learned some devastating truths about his own futureonDiscovery, which greatly affected him moving forward.
Captain Pike has unwavering faith in each of his senior officers, and he repays their trust in him by keeping their secrets when necessary. Pike has a strong sense of morals, and he knows his crew members well. While he would never cover for someone he knows is dangerous, Pike will always look out for his crew.
4Number One’s Status As A Genetically Engineered Illyrian
Pike Knew Una’s Secret Long Before Starfleet Found Out
At the end ofStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 1, Pike’s first officer, Una Chin-Riley, akaNumber One (Rebecca Romijn), was arrested by Starfleet for lying on her application about being an Illyrian. Because of Starfleet’s ban on genetic engineering, Illyrians were not allowed to join, butUna had spent her life dreaming of the stars.
Captain Pike was one of the only people who knew Una’s secret, buthe also knew that she was an exemplary Starfleet officerwho had no control over the genetic engineering that was done before her birth. While Una had enhanced strength and an incredibly strong immune system, she never flaunted her Illyrian abilities or used them as an unfair advantage.
Number One was put on trial inStrange New Worldsseason 2, episode 2, “Ad Astra per Aspera,” and ultimately won her case thanks to some help from her childhood friend (and lawyer) Neera Ketoul (Yetide Badaki). By this time, Una’s status as an Illyrian had become public knowledge, butPike faithfully kept her secret up until that pointand continued fighting for her to remain a part of his crew.
3Dr. M’Benga Murdered Klingon Ambassador Dak’Rah & Covered It Up
InStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 2, episode 8, “Under the Cloak of War,” the Enterprise hosts Klingon Federation Ambassador Dak’Rah (Robert Wisdom).Dak’Rah had previously been a general during the Federation-Klingon Warand had committed numerous atrocities during that time, eventually being labeled as a war criminal by the Klingons.
Having served on the front lines during the Klingon War,Dr. Joseph M’Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) had an understandably strong reaction to Dak’Rah’s visit.M’Benga had been stationed on J’Gal and had witnessed Dak’Rah’s brutality firsthand, as the Klingon general ordered the deaths of innocent civilians.
Dr. M’Benga begins suffering from PTSD-like symptoms triggered by Dak’Rah’s visit to the Enterprise, and he does not react well when the former general tries to bury the hatchet. When M’Benga finally confronts Dak’Rah in sickbay,the encounter ends with the Klingon dead on the floor.Although M’Benga andNurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush)both claim the act was in self-defense, Captain Pike has his doubts.
In “Shuttle to Kenfori,” Dak’Rah’s daughter, Bytha (Christine Horn), tracks down M’Benga when he and Pike are on an off-the-books mission. Bytha fails to kill M’Benga, but she does force him to admit that he assassinated Dak’Rah. Despite hearing M’Benga’s confession,Pike does not turn the doctor in, considering M’Benga had been under duress and on a secret mission at the time.
2What Happened To Michael Burnham And The USS Discovery
Even Starfleet Believes The USS Discovery Was Destroyed
At the beginning ofStar Trek: Discoveryseason 2,Captain Pike takes over command of the USS Discoveryto investigate a series of mysterious red signals that have been popping up throughout the galaxy. This mission eventually leads to a complex series of events that involve a dangerous AI called Control that threatens the entire galaxy.
The Discovery then travels 900 years into the futureto prevent Control from accessing massive amounts of data that had been gathered by an ancient Sphere. Commander Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) leads the ship into the future using a special Red Angel suit that allows a person to travel through time.
To prevent another similar incident from occurring,Spock (Ethan Peck)recommends that all knowledge of the Discovery, the Red Angel suit, and the events that led the ship to travel into the future be kept secret, even from Starfleet.Captain Pike and Spock are two of the few people with knowledge of the truth,while everyone else believes that Discovery and its crew were lost during the battle with Control.
Spock and his parents, Sarek (James Frain) and Amanda (Mia Kirshner), agree never to speak of Michael Burnham in public.
After Discovery traveled to the 32nd century, Captain Pike continued his exploratory mission as captain of the USS Enterprise. The ship returned to Earth for downtime beforeStar Trek: Strange New Worldsbegan, andthere is no indication that Pike has told anyonewhat really happened to the USS Discovery.
1Captain Pike’s Future In Star Trek: The Original Series
Pike Learned Of His Tragic Fate In Star Trek: Discovery Season 2
Captain Pike’s tragic future has been set in stone sinceStar Trek: The Original Seriesseason 1, episodes 11 and 12, “The Menagerie.” This two-part episode reveals thatPike suffered a horrific injury while rescuing a group of Starfleet cadets.Star Trek: Discoveryseason 2 provides more information about this incident, and Pike himself learns of his future.
InDiscoveryseason 2, episode 12, “Through the Valley of Shadows,” Pike travels to the Klingon monastery world of Boreth to acquire a time crystal. In order to take a crystal,Pike must view his future, and once he does, it will be unavoidable.This leads Pike to see the accident that will leave him horrifically scarred and confined to a life-support chair.
Pike attempts to prevent the accident that will cause his injuries, but he learns that Spock will suffer the consequences if Pike doesn’t accept his fate.
AlthoughPike has shared his fate with Spock, Una, and his partner,Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano), he has not informed the rest of his crew.It’s also unlikely that Starfleet knows about Pike’s rapidly approaching tragedy,and it remains to be seen if he will choose to share the information with anyone else.
Star Trek: Strange New Worldshas already cemented Pike as one of the franchise’s best captains, and it turns out he’s also a great person to entrust with your secrets.
