Star Trek: Strange New Worldstells a better Kirk story than how J.J. Abrams’Star Trek(2009) rushed through James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) becoming Captain of the USS Enterprise. The highly anticipatedStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3premieres July 17 on Paramount+ after a 2-year wait.Strange New Worldsseason 3 continues the genre-bending voyages of the Starship Enterprise commanded by Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), with occasional guest appearances by Lieutenant James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley).
Paul Wesley played a few different versions of Kirkbefore settling in as Lieutenant Kirk.Wesley’s Kirk is the younger version of the same Kirk embodied by William ShatnerinStar Trek: The Original Series. When audiences met Captain Kirk in 1966, he was already the confident and capableCaptain of the Enterprise. How Kirk earned the center seat was only fleetingly referenced, and it wouldn’t be until J.J. Abrams’Star Trekin 2009 that audiences saw Captain Kirk’s origin.
However,Star Trek(2009) was set in the alternate Kelvin Timeline, and Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk was a different person living in a different reality. InStar Trek’s Prime Timeline, James T. Kirk’s ascent to become Captain of the Enterprise hasn’t been fully told. By bringing Kirk aboard Captain Pike’s starship,Star Trek: Strange New Worldsis telling Kirk’s rise to Captaincy in a better waythan how J.J. Abrams' movie blazed through that same story.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Is Gradually Making Kirk Captain
Kirk Will Earn The Enterprise’s Center Seat
Lieutenant James T. Kirk is a recurring guest star inStar Trek: Strange New Worlds, but this is to Kirk’s advantage as theStar Trekprequelgradually tells the story of how he rises to become Captain of the Enterprise. When Lieutenant Kirk officially boards the USS Enterprise inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 2,Jim is the newly promoted First Officer of the USS Farragut.Kirk is a fast-rising star in Starfleet, but he still has a great deal to learn about Starship command, hence Jim consults with Captain Pike’s Number One, Lt. Commander Una Chin-Riley (Rebecca Romijn).
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3’s trailer hints that Kirk’s education in starship command will continue, with Jim taking a stint on the bridge of the USS Enterprise during a crisis. Audiences have not seen howKirk fares as the USS Farragut’s Number One, but the Starship Enterprise is an entirely different beast as the flagship of the United Federation of Planets. Captain Pike also personally mentors Kirk about starship command, telling Jim,“The decisions you make in that chair… They are yours to make, and yours to live with.”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is properly charting Jim’s ultimate rise to become Captain Kirk.
How longStar Trek: Strange New Worldswill run on Paramount+ after season 4, which is in production now, isn’t known. However, Lieutenant Kirk’s step-by-step process of succeeding Pike as Captain of the Enterprise will continue towards the probable endgame of Kirk formally becoming Captain himself.Logically, a career path to Starfleet Captain would take years, andStar Trek: Strange New Worldsis properly charting Jim’s ultimate rise to become Captain Kirk as one of the series' numerous ongoing storylines.
J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Rushed Through Kirk Becoming Captain Of The Enterprise
Kirk Went From Cadet To Captain In One Movie
Lieutenant Kirk’s slow-burn story inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsis the polar opposite of how J.J. Abrams’Star Trek(2009) depicted the Kelvin Timeline’s James T. Kirk becoming Captain of the Enterprise. In the alternate Kelvin timeline,Kirk enlisted in Starfleet Academy on a dare, and Cadet Kirk was nearly drummed out for cheating on the Kobayashi Maru test. Kirk stowed away on the USS Enterprise during Nero’s (Eric Bana) attack on Vulcan, andJim’s roller-coaster rise to the Captain’s chair is truly mind-boggling.
Captain Christopher Pike (Bruce Greenwood) appointed Cadet Kirk as First Officer to acting Captain Spock (Zachary Quinto), but the Vulcan quickly kicked Kirk out of the Starship Enterprise for insubordination and attempted mutiny. Kirk returned to the Enterprise and took command after exposing Spock as emotionally compromised. Working together, Kirk and Spock led the Enterprise to destroy Nero and save the Earth.Kirk’s reward was being named Captain of the Enterpriseby the injured Admiral Pike.
Kirk was only 25 when he became Captain of the Enterprise in J.J. Abrams’Star Trek.
Star Trek(2009) is a wildly entertaining thrill ride of a movie, butto chart the logic of Kirk’s incredible career trajectory could induce madness. Kirk becoming Captain in the course of a single film movie was fun to watch, but utterly bewildering nonetheless. While Kirk’s heroism in saving the Earth can’t be questioned, the rationale for Starfleet to appoint Jim as Captain of the Federation’s flagship when he was merely a cadet days before can. However,Star Trek Into Darknessdid address Kirk’s deficienciesas Captain.
Paul Wesley’s Kirk Won’t Make The Biggest Mistake J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek Made With Chris Pine
Kirk Will Be Ready To Be Captain When The Time Comes
Star Trek Into Darkness, set a year after the events ofStar Trek (2009), exposed James T. Kirk as not truly worthy to be Captain of the Enterprise. Lacking wisdom tempered with experience, the headstrong Captain Kirk violated the Prime Directive at the onset ofStar Trek Into Darkness, andhe lied about it. Admiral Pike’s assessment that Kirk was promoted too soon, and thathe didn’t deserve it or"respect the chair,“was on point. Captain Kirk’s judgment continued to be questionable inStar Trek Into Darkness. Kirk heroically sacrificing his life may have allowed the USS Enterprise crew to defeat Khan (Benedict Cumberbatch), but it didn’t make him a better Captain.
Captain Kirk matured and proved to be a better commander inStar Trek Beyond,although that film began with Kirk ready to walk away from the Starship Enterprise.
Star Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3 looks to be audiences' first look at how capable Lieutenant Kirk is as an acting starship captain. Based on Kirk’s previous appearances inStrange New Worlds, however,Jim already shows more wisdom and maturity than his Kelvin timeline counterpart.Kirk was a patient and understanding friend who helped Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) through a crisis inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 2, episode 6, “Lost in Translation.” Kirk also listened to Number One’s advice about command inStar Trek’s first-ever musical episode.
Kirk becoming Captain at warp speed in J.J. Abrams’Star Trekmade for an exciting movie, butStar Trek: Strange New Worldsdepicting the process of James T. Kirk learning how to be a starship captain is better long-form storytelling. Kirk is not a series regular onStar Trek: Strange New Worlds, but his every appearance is another step towards his first, best destiny as Captain of the Enterprise. When Captain Kirk does take over for Captain Pike, there will be no doubt that Jim has earned and deserves it.
