Star Trek - Pike & Spock Series May Happen

https://www.darkhorizons.com/star-trek-team-open-to-pike-spock-series/

Now that is something I've been waiting to hear. They've got several years of stories to tell before Kirk ever shows his face. I love the casting so far from Discovery, and the Enterprise looks fucking awesome.

Gawd bless JJ Abrams for saving Star Trek!

This.

but only six or seven years until he gets all melty and crippled. I just don't think we can get 100+ episodes built around likability. Knowing the inevitable means either ending the series well before the accident or trying to avoid it through alternate futures.

Garamet should be pushing for the Pike series to end on a jump-forward and adapt Burning Dreams, because that was a fucking beautiful send-off for Pike even if you strip out the life history that makes up most of the book (which is also excellent but not strictly needed for the denouement).

Unfortunately, that's not how The Franchise works. With rare exception, the novelists were never given the cachet that the script writers had. GR's official position was that the novels weren't "canon," and I'm not sure that's changed much in the intervening decades. Anyway, I'm so far removed from Trek these days I doubt very much anyone in the Pocket offices would be interested.

But thanks for the thought.

If you don't mind me asking, do you still find yourself slipping into something like writer mode when you watch current Trek? Is there a part of your mind looking at Michael or Saaru doing something and going, Huh, that could be an idea for a novel? Or do you switch that off and just sit back and enjoy (or not) the show?

Haven't watched it.

Don't see any of that as a problem. At all.

yes and no... we could drag out a few seasons worth maybe... but how long would you pay attention knowing what's coming?

I mean, we always know what's coming. Other than Tasha Yar and Jadzia Dax, we always know the main characters are going to survive every adventure, except maybe the season finale. And even then, we'll likely have already seen stories about which actor is leaving the show. But we'll still watch every episode if it's done well.

How can this possibly go wrong???

You're a good writer. They should be interested.

I know what you mean.

I stopped watching all historical dramas and World War II movies a long time ago. They kinda suck because I know how they all end.

It just doesn't work that way.

But thanks.

Remember when "Titanic", flopped because the iceberg was right in the trailer, and the music video?
James Cameron never worked again.
It was so sad.

seriously? Historical settings vs character arcs?
Do you watch WW 2 movies to see how the war ends or if/how the hero survives?
Hell, even Titanic you kind of hoped Leo would beat the odds (fat chance after he won the ticket, i know.. but still.)
c'mon... I deserve a better argument than that.
There's never going to be any peril for Pike... and worse than us viewers knowing it, he knows it.
Figure out a way for him to beat the odds without the incels losing their shit over minor realignments/technicalities of canon like they did to DSC and I'll be all over it.

Transporter duplicates, one gets wheelchaired while the other joins Section 31.

No, you don't.

Back to my original point: I may as well not watch films like Braveheart, Darkest Hour, United 93, etc., etc., etc. because I know exactly how it's going to end up for the main characters.

Which actually creates some very interesting dynamics and drama for the series.

like Braveheart stuck to anything resembling historical accuracy... And yeah, we sat through the PT despite knowing he'd turn into Vader, too.
but those are three hour movies. not several seasons of a show.
It isn't just that we know his fate, but that we've seen it. Besides, neither Tasha nor Jadzia nor the audience saw their deaths coming.

I've already agreed that there'd be room for "interesting dynamics and drama" by stating there'd be a few fulfilling (if not exactly groundbreaking) seasons, it was the lack of peril or payoff available for the last season-plot armor not withstanding.

Now, if somewhere in the first few episodes someone comes back from Discovery:32C and somehow convinces him that the timeline/fate needs to be altered and he has to save himself, you might convince me.

Better to just have regular Enterprise episodes on the S-31 series... hell, you might even come up with an excuse to not turn him into captain bacon mushroom melt.

Realistically, you would've known watching TOS that Kirk and Spock would survive each episode...since they're the show's leads.

It's only been recently--*cough*Game of Thrones*cough*--where one could have real doubts about main characters surviving.

If they do a Pike and Spock series, I hope they show the Andorians using their ice powers.

70's Blake's 7 continued on BBC TV for two seasons after "killing" Blake. The 80's UK ITV detective drama Taggart lasted years after the main character's actor dies of cancer, focusing on his proteges.

You Americans. Think you invented everything grumble grumble.

Movie still sucked.

I just want a Pike series that embraces the cheese and just features the Enterprise going up against godlike aliens and gangster planets without any galaxy threatening problems hanging over it all.

Don’t you know the only way to create drama is through wonky exposition, explosions, lens flares, Mary Sues and man shaming.

This would explain your posts, except the only man you're shaming is yourself.

On topic: not that I trust the Trek powers that be to do it nearly so well, but Vince Gilligan has proven that you can do a "prequel" extremely well even though most viewers know exactly how the story ends.