In the Star Trek pilot episode The Cage, Captain Christopher Pike is recalled to the bridge. Previously, his crew had detected a radio signal sent eighteen years ago from Talos 4. Pike had declined to investigate, opting to rush his sick and wounded crew members to Vega Colony over following up on such an old plea. Now his crew present him with proof that survivors of the crash still live, leaving him little option but to take his ship once more into danger.
When the Enterprise settles into orbit around this unexplored planet, his new yeoman presents him with a report he had requested. He barks at her that he doesn’t want a woman on the bridge. Yet, when his first officer, Number One, reacts to this seemingly sexist statement, he tells her: No offense, Lieutenant, you’re different, of course.
It’s easy to merely paint Captain Pike with a sexist brush. After all, the show was written during the 1960s. While the traditional role of women in society might have been actively questioned then, the rallying cry of women’s lib had yet to take hold. In the story though, remember that Pike has confessed to the ship’s doctor that he no longer wished to be weighed down with the responsibility for all two-hundred-and-three lives aboard the Enterprise. He feels as though duty will inevitably lead him to decide who among his crew will live, and who will die.
After the deaths and injuries back on Rigel 7, responsibility for his remaining crew weighs heavily on Pike’s shoulders. As his previous yeoman died during that attack, facing his new yeoman on the bridge, the ultimate seat of authority aboard his ship, would remind him of his failure on Rigel 7. Also, a yeoman holds the lowest rank aboard the ship, suggesting that she is the least experienced of his crew, and therefore the most in need of his protection. On the heels of his overreaction to the yeoman’s presence, he then excludes Number One from the Talos 4 ground team, opting to leave the ship’s most experienced officer behind to safeguard ship and crew.
His crew (as well as Dr. Phil, the ship’s doctor) react strongly to several of Pike’s recent words and actions, from his initial decision not to investigate the crash on Talos 4, to how he treats both women on the bridge. Yet Number One doesn’t call him aside to question his decisions. Dr. Phil seems to deal with him in a less formal and direct manner than he might ordinarily. And not once do we get the slightest hint that any member of the crew blames him for the deaths and injuries on Rigel 7. This suggests that Captain Pike has built up a great deal of respect during previous missions. While they recognize that he is going through a difficult period, they still trust his ability to lead them.
Sometimes life throws so much at us that we are mentally and emotionally knocked off our feet. We wonder how we can pick up even our normal responsibilities, let alone shoulder the new ones that knocked us down. The road ahead resembles a mine field, and we lack the will, strength, and focus to navigate a path through it. But if you’ve lived your life in the service of others, as Pike has, surely there are others nearby who love and care about you. No one who matters will think less of you if you occasionally request a helping hand. You might even find that they feel honored to have be asked.
When the Enterprise settles into orbit around this unexplored planet, his new yeoman presents him with a report he had requested. He barks at her that he doesn’t want a woman on the bridge. Yet, when his first officer, Number One, reacts to this seemingly sexist statement, he tells her: No offense, Lieutenant, you’re different, of course.
It’s easy to merely paint Captain Pike with a sexist brush. After all, the show was written during the 1960s. While the traditional role of women in society might have been actively questioned then, the rallying cry of women’s lib had yet to take hold. In the story though, remember that Pike has confessed to the ship’s doctor that he no longer wished to be weighed down with the responsibility for all two-hundred-and-three lives aboard the Enterprise. He feels as though duty will inevitably lead him to decide who among his crew will live, and who will die.
After the deaths and injuries back on Rigel 7, responsibility for his remaining crew weighs heavily on Pike’s shoulders. As his previous yeoman died during that attack, facing his new yeoman on the bridge, the ultimate seat of authority aboard his ship, would remind him of his failure on Rigel 7. Also, a yeoman holds the lowest rank aboard the ship, suggesting that she is the least experienced of his crew, and therefore the most in need of his protection. On the heels of his overreaction to the yeoman’s presence, he then excludes Number One from the Talos 4 ground team, opting to leave the ship’s most experienced officer behind to safeguard ship and crew.
His crew (as well as Dr. Phil, the ship’s doctor) react strongly to several of Pike’s recent words and actions, from his initial decision not to investigate the crash on Talos 4, to how he treats both women on the bridge. Yet Number One doesn’t call him aside to question his decisions. Dr. Phil seems to deal with him in a less formal and direct manner than he might ordinarily. And not once do we get the slightest hint that any member of the crew blames him for the deaths and injuries on Rigel 7. This suggests that Captain Pike has built up a great deal of respect during previous missions. While they recognize that he is going through a difficult period, they still trust his ability to lead them.
Sometimes life throws so much at us that we are mentally and emotionally knocked off our feet. We wonder how we can pick up even our normal responsibilities, let alone shoulder the new ones that knocked us down. The road ahead resembles a mine field, and we lack the will, strength, and focus to navigate a path through it. But if you’ve lived your life in the service of others, as Pike has, surely there are others nearby who love and care about you. No one who matters will think less of you if you occasionally request a helping hand. You might even find that they feel honored to have be asked.
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