Warning: SPOILERS For Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, Episode 6 - “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail"James T. Kirk’s (Paul Wesley) first mission as a starship Captain inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3 blows away how Kirk (Chris Pine) became Captain of the Enterprise in J.J. Abrams’Star Trek(2009). Directed by Valerie Weiss and written by Bill Wolkoff and David Reed, “The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail” is one of the most important episodes ofStrange New WorldsinStar Trek’s Prime universe canon.
It’s startling, but not surprising, how much Jim Kirk’s trajectory to becoming Captain differs from what was seen in J.J. Abrams’Star Trek(2009), which took place in the alternate Kelvin Timeline. Chris Pine’s Kirk rocketed from a stowaway Starfleet Academy cadet toCaptain of the Enterpriseafter saving Earth from destruction at the hands of Nero (Eric Bana).
InStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6, Lt. Commander Kirk must become acting Captain of the damaged USS Farragut to rescue the Starship Enterprise from mysterious Scavengers.Kirk’s desperate mission tests his leadership skills, his ability to inspire others, and his self-confidencein ways J.J. Abrams’Star Trekdid not and could not do.
Captain Kirk In Strange New Worlds Makes Much More Sense Than J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek
Prime Universe Captain Kirk Learned Important Lessons And Matured
Acting Captain Kirk experienced a crisis of confidence inStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6, butJim emerged wiser and better.Kirk learned to listen to his fellow officers, especially Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) and Scotty (Martin Quinn), and utilized their talents to enhance his penchant for taking risks. The result was a gambit that disabled the enemy ship, allowing the USS Enterprise to escape.
Yet Kirk also matured as a result of his first time in the USS Farragut’s center seat. Jim’s victory came at the cost of 7,000 lives - human lives - and though they were his enemies,Kirk learned the importance of empathy, which will become one of his core attributes. Thanks to his ordeal inStar Trek: Strange New Worlds, Kirk will truly be ready when his destiny asCaptain of the Enterprisecomes calling.
Star Trek(2009) is a fantastic and exciting movie, butCaptain Kirk learned little in the way of a lesson or humility. Kirk was 100% convinced he was right, and while his bravado did result in saving Earth, no one can claim he actually earned the position of Captain of the Enterprise.Star Trek(2009) is riddled with logical absurdities about Kirk, no matter how exciting it is to watch.
Compare Paul Wesley’s Captain Kirk at the end ofStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6, and Chris Pine’s Captain Kirk at theend ofStar Trek(2009), and there’s no question which version deserves the rank of Captain.
Strange New Worlds Won’t Have Star Trek Into Darkness’ Problem
Paul Wesley’s Kirk Will Deserve To Be Captain Of The Enterprise
Lt. Commander Kirk’s time as acting Captain was his first taste of starship command, but it’s crucial that he will return to being the USS Farragut’s First Officer for the next few years.Paul Wesley’s Kirk is climbing Starfleet’s ladder the right way, gathering foundational command and life experiences for when he achieves his destiny.
Star Trek Into Darknessdealt with the fallout of Captain Kirk’s roller-coaster ascendancy, quickly proving that Jim lacked the judgment, maturity, and humility to be a starship captain. Kirk’s character growth came after realizing,“I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, I only know what I can do,“and sacrificing his life to save the Enterprise.
Star Trek Into Darknesswas perhaps themost frustrating version of Captain Kirkever depicted. Jim was in the wrong for most of the film, and he careened from one ill-thought-out decision to the next. It wasn’t even Kirk who defeated Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch); Spock (Zachary Quinto) and Lt. Uhura (Zoe Saldana) took down the genetically engineered villain.
Star Trek Beyondwas when Captain Kirk finally shed his boyish brashness and exhibited the leadership traits of his Prime timeline counterpart. In contrast, Paul Wesley’s Jim Kirk will have taken the necessary steps to become Captain of the Enterprise. It takes Prime Kirk longer, but he will still be Starfleet’syoungest starship captain at age 32 in 2265 - and this Kirk will deserve the center seat.
Strange New Worlds Has One Cool Thing In Common With J.J. Abrams’ Star Trek
One of the endearing similarities betweenStar Trek: Strange New Worldsseason 3, episode 6 andStar Trek(2009) is thatboth versions of Kirk had to prove themselves to their crews.The Kelvin timeline Kirk and the Prime universe’s Jim each faced doubters on their bridges, and rightfully so. Yet Chris Pine’s Kirk rallied a desperate USS Enterprise crew to blindly trust and follow him.
Commander Spock banished Kirk for mutiny inStar Trek(2009), but Jim returned and took the captain’s chair by proving the Vulcan too emotionally compromised to command. Amusingly, Scotty and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) considered a similar protocol when they contemplated removing Kirk from command onStrange New Worlds.
After Lt. Spock helped Kirk find his mojo, the way Jim rallied Scotty, Uhura, and Chapel, and turned them into the crack Starfleet team who will loyally follow him for decades, was magical.Star Trek: Strange New Worldswas so effective that Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) did not doubt Captain Kirk’s future greatness, and he never thought to utter,“I am relieved.”
