Defining Moment For Each Captain

[Maj. Dick]

For Kirk I would say talking out of getting blown up in The Corbomite Moneuver. Kirk was so cunning he could just make things up to get out of an unwinnable situation.

For Picard it's when he found a loophole in the Sheliak treaty and then dusted off the Enterprise plaque in Ensigns of Command.

For Sisko it's from my favorite DS9 episode For the Uniform. Ruining the atmosphere of that planet is the most "ends justify the means", thing I have ever seen in star trek.

For Janeway I would say making a controversial deal with the Borg in the Scorpion is a good moment to define her arguable all over the place approach. She seems to bend the rules only before their breaking point.

For Pike it's him cooking for and hanging out with the senior staff like they're his kids in Children of the Comet. He is without question the "dad" of all the captains. His other defining performance is The Menagerie for obvious reasons.

I would assume Archer giving a really inspiring speech in one of the episodes where he acts like a wistful politician.

I don't know the other captains well enough.

 

[UssGlenn]

I would assume Archer giving a really inspiring speech in one of the episodes where he acts like a wistful politician.

The most famous Archer speech is the one about a Gazelle giving birth. It's certainly a defining moment, in a bad way.

 

[Qonundrum]

TOS - Kirk's "risk is our business" speech.

TNG - Either against the Shelliak or the Borg in TBOBW. Season 3 has a number of defining moments.

DS9 - Sisko addressing the Wadi leader in "Move Along Home" comes to mind. As does a speech in "Sons of Mogh" with lambasting Worf and Dax, and I recall a few scenes from Paradise (season 2) and Emissary that are just as good and those also don't involve yelling, and Sisko by far is the one yeller who keeps it interesting...

VOY - I don't recall the episode, but Janeway's speech about saving her crew (I think it was Borg-related, but on countless occasions she shows how she goes out of her way to save her crew. Even in de-Tuvixing Tuvok and Neelix!) Your example for Janeway is another robust example.


...and the following is why, when people ask me "Kirk or Picard", that my answer is a clear "Sisko!" :

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

Not as much yelling REALLY LOUD (which is already fantastic as far as impassioned commanders goes), but it is the content that he is yelling. That makes Sisko the best IMHO. Especially when demanding why the Jem Ha'dar is walking free while his own crew is locked up (a Trek captain trait that seems to generally be consistent for all Commanders...) Hell, he covers the gamut - even when not in "yell mode" (not included in that compilation), he's readily my favorite. He embodies the best of Kirk and Picard, as well as a show letting a commander make decisions that TNG and TOS would dare not tread, and even TOS - which came closer to DS9 - still wouldn't take off the kid gloves (in a show in a time where it had little in the way of kid gloves.)

DS9 rules. TOS is a close second.


On edit, one succinct comment says it best:

You turn to Picard when you want to prevent a war. You turn to Sisko when you want to win one.

 

[Oddish]

Even if it technically never happened...

To view this content we will need your consent to set third party cookies.
For more detailed information, see our cookies page.

Accept third party cookies

 

[kkt]

Kirk - I'll second the "Risk Is Our Business" speech

Sisko - "I'm not Picard."

 

[Ray Hardgrit]

The most defining moments in my opinion:

Kirk: In the episode The Deception Gambit, where he seduces a beautiful alien woman by teaching her a fake game he just made up in order to trick a jealous godlike being into becoming mortal so they can wrestle for the fate of the Enterprise crew.

Picard: In the episode The Debate, where he sips a cup of Earl Grey tea before utterly demolishing an old reclusive Romulan scientist's case that he has a legal right to make copies of Data to avoid anyone having to mourn another officer lost in duty. He then gives him a speech about how death is an important part of life, before catching a glimpse of Lwaxana Troi in the corner of his eye and running off to do some fencing practice in the holodeck.

Sisko: In the episode Deeds Beyond Mortal Laws, when Sisko comes back from supervising a construction project on Bajor and struggles to contain his rage when he discovers that someone has broken into his quarters and filled his cupboards with replicated ingredients. When he finds out that it was Jake and Nog who switched the vegetables in order to send the real ones to starving Bajorans, he realises what a great kid he has.

Janeway: In the episode Exposition, where Janeway finds that her crew have been infected by a virus that makes them relive all of her most horrifying choices. After five minutes moping in the dark about her decisions, she figures out a scientific solution to the problem that will involve grabbing a phaser rifle, crawling through Jeffries tubes, and steering the ship right into something extremely dangerous: an alliance with the Hirogen.

Archer: In the episode Temporal Echo, when Archer is told by Daniels that he needs to resolve a conflict between the Vulcans and Andorians as they'll be part of the Federation someday. He paces back and forth in his ready room, telling him to shut up and go away already, before doggedly tracking down evidence proving that by their own directive, neither side has any right to the planet.

Sorry, I'll stop now.

 

[Farscape One]

Kirk - I think I will have to agree about "THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER". This really showcased his tactical mind and how he can turn a defeat into a win. (I was originally going to go with "BALANCE OF TERROR", because it not only had him thinking tactically, but he deftly handled bridge bigotry and showed his human side in the end at the chapel and as he walks out. But because "THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER" was produced first, I'll go with that.)

Picard - I'm going to pick a moment that might be unexpected... "The Enemy". He asks Worf to reconsider his decision about refusing to give the Romulan a transfusion, but in the end, despite it being a real possibility of the Romulan's death causing a major interstellar incident, he respects Worf's personal choice of refusal.

Sisko- in "EMISSARY", when he finally breaks down and admits that he 'exists here', stuck in the moment of his wife's death. He shows us that he is just a man, with his flaws, pain, and grief, and begins to heal from that point on. This made Sisko the most relatable captain, because he is simply a man trying to live day by day doing the best he can.

Janeway - "SCORPION", when she is proposing the alliance with the Borg. I was completely against the idea of allying with them, but whether you agree with her or not... it's a truly gutsy move to attempt that.

Archer - "THE ANDORIAN INCIDENT", we see his curiosity, his distaste for secrets, and his ability to bring people together all in the forefront here. We also see how he, like Kirk, is a man of action... he's always in the thick of it. (He's also been knocked on his back more than any other captain, with the possible exception of Kirk.)

Burnham - the first time she starts a conversation about feelings in the middle of a ticking clock. It certainly defines her and DISCO.

Freeman - I might go with "In the Cradle of Vexilon". She rolls up her sleeves to get the work done, and was still able to keep a pretty cool head throughout the whole situation. (Overall, I think Freeman improved the most as a captain/leader out of all the others in the franchise. She was a bit of a joke captain at the beginning, but she has certainly done many things that make you see why she earned her rank.)

Pike - I'm going with an episode of DISCO instead of SNW... "Through the Valley of Shadows". He knows what his fate will be and how horrific it is, but still goes ahead to serve the greater good. Especially his dialogue when he reminds himself of why he is a Starfleet officer. "You're a Starfleet captain. You believe in service, sacrifice, compassion, and love." That's heroism... even more than dying for a worthy cause, but knowingly living such a hell for a worthy cause.

 

[Uhura's Song]

Kirk - I think I will have to agree about "THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER". This really showcased his tactical mind and how he can turn a defeat into a win. (I was originally going to go with "BALANCE OF TERROR", because it not only had him thinking tactically, but he deftly handled bridge bigotry and showed his human side in the end at the chapel and as he walks out. But because "THE CORBOMITE MANEUVER" was produced first, I'll go with that.)

Picard - I'm going to pick a moment that might be unexpected... "The Enemy". He asks Worf to reconsider his decision about refusing to give the Romulan a transfusion, but in the end, despite it being a real possibility of the Romulan's death causing a major interstellar incident, he respects Worf's personal choice of refusal.

Sisko- in "EMISSARY", when he finally breaks down and admits that he 'exists here', stuck in the moment of his wife's death. He shows us that he is just a man, with his flaws, pain, and grief, and begins to heal from that point on. This made Sisko the most relatable captain, because he is simply a man trying to live day by day doing the best he can.

Janeway - "SCORPION", when she is proposing the alliance with the Borg. I was completely against the idea of allying with them, but whether you agree with her or not... it's a truly gutsy move to attempt that.

Archer - "THE ANDORIAN INCIDENT", we see his curiosity, his distaste for secrets, and his ability to bring people together all in the forefront here. We also see how he, like Kirk, is a man of action... he's always in the thick of it. (He's also been knocked on his back more than any other captain, with the possible exception of Kirk.)

Burnham - the first time she starts a conversation about feelings in the middle of a ticking clock. It certainly defines her and DISCO.

Freeman - I might go with "In the Cradle of Vexilon". She rolls up her sleeves to get the work done, and was still able to keep a pretty cool head throughout the whole situation. (Overall, I think Freeman improved the most as a captain/leader out of all the others in the franchise. She was a bit of a joke captain at the beginning, but she has certainly done many things that make you see why she earned her rank.)

Pike - I'm going with an episode of DISCO instead of SNW... "Through the Valley of Shadows". He knows what his fate will be and how horrific it is, but still goes ahead to serve the greater good. Especially his dialogue when he reminds himself of why he is a Starfleet officer. "You're a Starfleet captain. You believe in service, sacrifice, compassion, and love." That's heroism... even more than dying for a worthy cause, but knowingly living such a hell for a worthy cause.

Really like those choices. Especially Andorian Incident for Archer and Valley of Shadows for Pike. Could not agree more.

As others have said, Corbomite for Kirk and Scorpion for Janeway are also excellent choices.

I'd have to think more on Picard & Sisko.