Like basically every current Star Trek fan, I love the character of Captain Pike as Anson Mount portrays him. I wonder, though, to what extent he is actually the same guy from “The Cage.” If we had only that episode to work from (which the Discovery and SNW writers initially did), we would know that he is broody, that he struggles with the responsibility he bears for the lives of others, and that he is remarkably able to conjure up emotions like anger and hate on command. Does any of that fit with Pike as we know him now?
One way to answer this question would be to imagine a very literal remake of the original pilot recast with the current actors. Everyone else would basically make sense, but I think seeing the current Pike act out his scenes would be jarring and even a little upsetting.
I’m sure we can come up with in-universe explanations – he was having a particularly bad day, he’s grown as a person, etc., etc. – but it does seem like the current-day writers are departing pretty abruptly from the ostensible basis for the character. What do you think?
I’ve always preferred to skip “The Cage” and considered “The Menagerie” the definitive view of Pike’s enterprise. It may appear to be a subtle distinction, but I think viewed through this lens the answer to your question becomes a much stronger “Yes”.
Could you elaborate?
“The Cage” shows us a brief glimpse at a gruff, no-nonsense Pike who appears closed off if not straight-up unfriendly. “The Menagerie” shows us the same person but presented through the framing of not only a very well respected starfleet captain, but someone Spock would personally risk his entire career for. In this context TOS Pike’s rough edges get considerably softened, which brings what we see of the character much more in line with what we’ve come to expect in SNW.
“The Cage” also technically isn’t part of continuity while “The Menagerie” definitely is. Also helps to smooth out some other stuff, like Pike making sexist comments in “The Cage”; that isn’t part of “The Menagerie” so it didn’t happen in continuity.