Star Trek, Paramount+, and a Defense of the Greatest Star Trek Captain

[Thunderfoot]

@Snarf Zagyg I will applaud you on another well themed and well executed post As usual, here are my departures/disagreements and the reasons for them.

STD... Still the best abbreviation for ST: Discovery because we didn't ask for it, but they gave it to us anyway...

Kirk and Spock as a pairing... While I agree that Kirk is one of the two best Captains, I think that placing Kirk and Spock as a pairing does a great disservice to DeForrest Kelly's portrayal as Dr. McCoy. They were much more of a trio, with interactions between Kirk and Bones, Spock and Bones, Kirk and Spock and all three together providing a solid basis for the series on its own. Add the rest of the cast and you have the powerhouse that set the stage.

Honestly, I would say the TNG and DS9 were the exceptions because ENT (Archer, Tripp and T'Pol) and VOY (Janeway, Chakoty and Tuvok) were trios set as foils against one another. But that's just my take.

 

[Mercurius]

I missed this thread, but I kind of see Picard vs. Kirk similarly to Daniel Craig vs. Sean Connery, respectively. Craig brought greater depth to Bond, but Connery is the classic.

 

[Catolias]

Sisko, then Picard, then Lorca, then Kirk. The others don’t bear mentioning. Picard only gets a mention because he kickstarted the franchise again in the late 80s.

Actually, TNG is pretty unwatchable. (You just try and sit through season 1 & 2, it’s pretty much unwatchable). However, despite a few iffy episodes in S1, DS9 is still fine.

Liked Disco, but, to use a McCoyism, it’s Star Trek but not as we know/knew it - it lacks the “this weeks message brought to you by Gene” preachiness. (As an aside, the Orville (which is not ST) handles the on-message button well, but IMO avoids two ST blunders: (1) the Orville crew don’t always win the day; (2) it’s not set and forget (mistakes come back in subsequent episodes and they avoid ST using a strange alien race to deliver “this weeks homily” only to appear again… ever?!)

 

[Mezuka]

There can be only one! Sisko.

 

[ART!]

The best captain are the ones who know when to lie and when to cheat. Therefore, Kirk is the best captain!

 

[Ryujin]

The best captain are the ones who know when to lie and when to cheat. Therefore, Kirk is the best captain!

Fizbin!

 

[Henadic Theologian]

1. Sisko
2. Kor, Dahar Master, even with a deternating mind he managed to fend off the Jem'hadar long enough for the other ships to escape
3. Jadzia Dax, techniquely the captain of the defiant when Sisko had a desk job
4. Pike, I'm loving strange new worlds
5. Kira Neyrs who ended up Captain of DS9 after Sisko left.
6. Picard, would have been higher, but lost some prestige because of Picard TV show.
7. OG Kirk
8. Kelvin Kirk
9. New Kirk (Captain of the Ferrogot)
10. Michael Burnham/Saru/Mirror Lorca
11. Janeway