Deron Generally
Deron GenerallyOn one of the penultimate episodes of the second season of Star Trek: Discovery, Captain Christopher Pike came face to face with his future and another connection to the original series of Star Trek was forged.
Anson Mount has been killing it this season as Captain Christopher Pike and his journey with the Discovery crew has highlighted both his past and his future with the latest episode of the series “Through the Valley of Shadows”. The Discovery finds another signal over the Klingon planet Boreth and the ship gets permission from the Klingon Chancellor to check it out.
When they arrive, they discover why the planet is so important. There are time crystals all over the planet and they are fiercely protected by the Klingons who live there including one with a connection to Discovery and Section 31 officer Ash Tyler. When Pike beams down to the local monastery to ask for permission to take one of the crystals, he is subjected to a trial that shows him his future. A future alluded to in the original series episode “The Menagerie”.
In the episode, Captain Pike is severely injured after rescuing cadets from a plate rupture. The resulting delta ray radiation exposure leaves Pike paralyzed, scarred and in a wheelchair. Spock takes command of the Enterprise to transport Pike to Talos IV in order to live the rest of his life without pain in the body he chooses.
In the Discovery episode, the only way that Pike can get the time crystal they need to try to stop Control is to accept that future reality for himself. A decision that could fundamentally alter his life going forward.
Both “Through the Valley of Shadows” and the previous season two episode “If Memory Serves” connect directly to Pike’s impending fate with the return of the Talosians, Vina and Spock’s return to the planet for healing. Knowing what awaits him, it will be interesting to see how that knowledge guides Pike’s actions going forward.
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