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Why Pike Really Wore Kirk's Green Shirt In Strange New Worlds
Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) raised eyebrows when he donned a green, V-necked Starfleet uniform in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode 5, "Spock Amok," but the deliberate choice of Pike's wraparound tunic was part of the joke. Of course, long-time Trekkers recognized Pike's verdant attire with the Starfleet badge on his belt as Strange New Worlds' spin on the green shirt Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) sometimes wore on Star Trek: The Original Series.
Pike's green uniform underscored the fact that "Spock Amok" was Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' first comedy episode. The Captain of the Enterprise took part in delicate negotiations between the United Federation of Planets and the R'ongovian Protectorate in "Spock Amok," but hijinks ensued when Spock (Ethan Peck) accidentally switched bodies with his Vulcan fiancée, T'Pring (Gia Sandhu). As T'Pring in Spock's body tried to parlay with the R'ongovians, Spock also had to do T'Pring's job while inhabiting her body. The entire episode was Strange New Worlds' proof that it was adept at comedy, and Captain Pike's green tunic was a visual cue for the audience that "Spock Amok" was going to have a humorous bent.
Why Kirk Wears A Green Uniform In TOS
Captain Kirk's green uniform in Star Trek: The Original Series is part of an overall happy accident. Originally, William Ware Theiss, who designed Star Trek's original Starfleet uniforms, intended Kirk's costume to be lime green. But in 1966, color televisions were still relatively new, and the green uniform appeared gold on-screen. However, the second, wraparound, V-necked uniform designed for Kirk was made of different material, and it did appear green on color television. Kirk's command uniform was later accepted as gold, but he sometimes wore the strikingly unusual green variant tunic, usually without rhyme or reason.
Kirk's green shirt wasn't intended to be funny, but generations of audiences found it amusing nonetheless. The V-neck that showed off Kirk's chest, and the wraparound top clinging perhaps too tightly to William Shatner's physique, are strikingly comical. But the classic TOS season 2 episode, "The Trouble With Tribbles," is perhaps what cemented Kirk's green uniform as funny because he was wearing it in the lighthearted romp where the green-shirted Captain bombarded by thousands of furry Tribbles. Captain Pike's variation isn't nearly as body-hugging as Kirk's, but his suddenly wearing a similar green shirt was a clear signal "Spock Amok" was going to be off-kilter.
Strange New Worlds Season 2 Will Have Another Comedy Episode
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 definitely has at least one comedy episode coming: In a highly-anticipated crossover with Star Trek: Lower Decks, Jack Quaid and Tawny Newsome will play their animated characters, Ensigns Bradward Boimler and Beckett Mariner, in live-action. Mariner and Boimler will come aboard Captain Pike's USS Enterprise and interact with his crew. The episode's director, Jonathan Frakes, promises that the crossover is "a flat-out comedy" and "a big swing" from a show that's "not afraid of big swings."
Strange New Worlds' episodic format allows the show to deftly shift across genres, but how funny the show can be is one of season 1's most delightful discoveries. Star Trek: Lower Decks has won raves as the franchise's first animated half-hour comedy, but the crossover with Mariner and Boimler will show Strange New Worlds' Enterprise can match the USS Cerritos with humor. There's no telling if Captain Pike will wear his green uniform for comedic effect in the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds crossover, but if he does, it'll be a sure sign that he's in on the joke and winking at the audience just like in "Spock Amok."
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2 Premieres in 2023 On Paramount+.
