#acuriousmindsblog

[curator-on-ao3]

Hey! How's you? So sorry I'm being a nuisance again. But do you think that they're trying to somehow minimize the bond between Pike and Una just to drag us into Pike and Batel thing (whatever that is atp)?

I don't understand why they're trying to make it happen when it's not happening? They're good actors but the chemistry is off, there is no organic growth, no bond, no depth of connection, no nothing. I'm not invested in their relationship.

And it's increasingly feels like they're downplaying Una and even other Starfleet character arcs to somehow prop up a pseudo romance which was not even needed? Why?

Unless there's a big twist with Batel, I don't get it.

Like I want to see more of Una and also about others. Does Una miss Illyria, her parents? Does she feels like she's standing between two lands: Illyria and Starfleet and Pike is the only anchor keeping her steady and grounded?

Like Una becomes an anchor for Pike as well, pushing him to at least try to attempt at a different future? But I don't know what the writers are trying to do!

Even with Pike there's already so much history and struggle and conflict within his own self and his timeline and the peace and resolution that needs to happen and the character growth but all we are getting is Batel?

I don't even know honestly what is up with Gorn and Batel. And with how Anson says that he wishes the relationship continuous because he likes working with Melanie. I'm losing hope about Pike/Una.

Hi, @acuriousmindsblog! ❤️ No nuisance at all. I’m not sure if you’re going to like all of my answers, though.

To start, I love a lot about how SNW has built the canon friendship between Pike and Una. However, I think the show doesn’t value friendship the way it should, as evidenced by Yellow’s conversation with Christine about Spock in Charades:

Yellow: What is your relationship to this being?

Christine: Oh. Um … he's my friend.

Yellow: Friends are not allowed complaints outside of the response period.

Christine: What? Why not?

Yellow: Because they do not have sufficient connection to the being in question.

Christine: Uh, but … friends are different in our world. We ... we care about them.

Yellow: You are each other's ... caregivers?

Christine: No. Well, sort of.

Yellow: This would answer a question we had. During the accident, the other being diverted the shields away from himself to protect you.

Christine: He what?

Yellow: He chose to protect you at the risk of his own life. So... can you explain? What is your relationship to this being?

Christine: I don’t know.

Christine said friendship is different, but the episode then torpedoes that idea and proves friendship isn’t enough because it took Christine (eventually) admitting her feelings for Spock to get Yellow’s help … as opposed to actually proving the power of friendship. (Plus Spock and Christine getting together in that episode.) This is the same kind of writerly thinking, imo, that completed Seven of Nine’s Voyager arc to regain her humanity by giving her a romantic relationship. And, hey, lots of people like romance — me included. But romance isn’t necessary to “prove” a character’s care for another (which is among my many, many issues with Among the Lotus Eaters because requiring romance to be the bond to memory wasn’t necessary; the bond to memory could have been anything else, including Pike’s delta as a talisman to remember his duty to his ship and crew).

So, I do think the show elevates romance above other bonds, but I don’t know if this is specifically done in Batel/Pike to minimize Pike’s bond with Una. It could be argued that Pike chose Una’s side over Batel’s side each time he had that choice (the arrest and the trial), so there’s that.

It’s possible that all of this gets to why the show is trying to make Batel/Pike happen — the idea that romance is somehow needed for a character arc. I agree with everything you said about why you’re not invested in Batel/Pike, and that the time spent on the relationship isn’t needed. I want to get to know Erica. I want more time with Pelia. (Honestly, even as a Pikeuna shipper, the ship possibility of Pelia/Pike is fascinating to me — the guy frightened of what he perceives as his impending death and the woman who lives practically forever.) I want stories about our crew as a crew on adventures.

But I think the writers don’t know what else to do with Pike.

Maybe Batel will die and show him a “good death.”

Maybe she’ll become a Gorn somehow, showing him the monsters he believes in aren’t so monstrous after all.

Maybe she’ll just come to her senses and dump him.

I don’t know. Like you, I want more Una. Una is my favorite character and I hope her belief in another way for Pike comes true in a way that brings both of them happiness. As for what you said about not knowing what the writers are trying to do:

I agree but, believe it or not, will give them some grace on that since we left on a cliffhanger.

I agree and also think they don’t know what they’re doing is proven by the hair and makeup changes when Batel went from season one fuckbuddy to season two romantic interest.

As for what Anson said, I could easily believe it would suit him to have a continuing love interest for Pike, thus avoiding the awkward actor moments of, “Hi, I’m Anson, nice to meet you. So, uh, for this stage kiss we’re about to do … anything I should know?” Plus, her character doesn’t have prosthetics (yet), which has got to be a plus in terms of stage kissing. (Watching Trek actors avoid prosthetics during staged intimacy should be a bingo game — though I guess Marina Sirtis wins that one by refusing to kiss Michael Dorn with his false teeth in.)

In terms of hope for Pike/Una — honestly, if those two had gotten together early in the show’s run, I would worry more that it would be just to blow the whole thing up. There are so few canon Trek relationships, after all, that break the rule of thumb that canon Trek relationships aren’t as good as the non-canon ones.

I think the key to sanity in all this (✨manifesting✨) is to keep the multiverse in mind. In the reality we’re seeing, Batel/Pike is a thing. In forty-seven other realities, Pike and Una are already married. Canon can be cruel, but it’s only one version of the fictional truth(s) you can hold in your heart.

I hope this helps. ❤️

[curator-on-ao3]

Hi! How's you? Lord's Grace, I'm fine.

Just wanted to ask, what are the standout moments from both the seasons about, for, in, about Pike and Una? Ones that you remember or half-remember but they feel like they're the defining moments about them, or reveal something about them or just moments where they're together and we simply enjoy them, moments you'd love to write more fics about.

:') Lord Bless! Have a lovely more lovely even more lovely day

I’m glad you’re doing well. ❤️ Thank you for asking — this was fun to consider!

I understand the boundaries of your question, but I’m gonna color outside the lines a little bit to say that it starts for me in The Cage when Pike is so considerate of Number One’s feelings that he apologizes for the reasonable choice not to put her on the landing party. Then, on Talos IV, they work together so cleanly, handling the same equipment and picking up on each other’s ideas and plans. Yes, the episode kicks off the ship in the obvious way of revealing that Number One fantasizes about Pike. Yet the episode also makes clear why — a closeness and camaraderie that’s evident from the start. (And at the end. Colt asking who would have been Eve and Number One shutting Colt down, then Boyce pressing the question and Pike shutting Boyce down. Meanwhile there’s me ignoring the Lilith story to shout: “Her name is literally ‘Number One,’ y’all. Who else would be Eve?”)

Then we get to Discovery and she appears before him in a shimmer of transporter beam and the camaraderie, the understanding, the care for each other — it’s all still there. He teases her about her food and drink order. She teases him right back. She knows his orders before he gives them. He trusts her completely. It’s so lovely and comfortable and real-feeling.

There’s more in the Short Treks (Number One freaking out when Spock notes her “most careful study of the captain,” etc.), but let’s get to the heart of your question.

Strange New Worlds took the care, the camaraderie, the understanding, and deepened all that even more, made it so Chris has never served on a non-redacted ship without her, made it so they’ve known each other most of their lives, made it so we see them talk about life and duty and journeys whether in his quarters or the ready room, it doesn’t matter because the comfort they have with each other transcends location. Both times she even mentions resigning, he says absolutely not. Twice, he holds her service record in his hands and rushes off to do what he can to save her from a dangerous situation. And, as we all know, Mr. “He Views Resorting to Force as an Admission of Failure” (per Number One in Q&A) gets violent when Starfleet arrests her and is about take her away from him.

So, in terms of truly answering your question (finally), I love how, in the premiere, the second Chris walks in to rescue Una from Kiley 279 that she starts teasing him, he instantly teases back, and she knew damn well that he would come and rescue her even though he wasn’t technically on duty. I also love little things like how when he’s helping her get around despite her injured leg that there’s no self-consciousness in touching (even in underboob territory) because they’ve served together in close proximity for ages so why would they be self-conscious?

Which takes us to Children of the Comet and more talking and domesticity (yes, I can fully believe that dishwashers are a lost technology since that means I can watch them do dishes together) and sharing hard truths in his quarters. There are layers at the dinner party, stories and him teasing her in front of other people for everyone to be able to laugh together … and her deep care for his feelings when he’s not laughing at all.

Clearly, I could keep going for season one:

Ghosts of Illyria when he subtly checks in on her feelings at the beginning, then she’s so worried about him on the surface, and finally his stalwart support for her in the ready room.

Memento Mori when he asks how she’s doing — and the way he asks in the midst of a crisis with softness in his voice.

Serene Squall with the casual intimacy of her helping him put on his gear, then their history together and understanding via the Alpha Braga IV reminisce.

Quality of Mercy when she chases after him even though he put her in charge of the meeting, then his reaction to her being missing in the future, him trying to figure out what happened to her, him standing by the command chair when he finally sees her again, and, of course, as mentioned before, his reaction to her being taken away.

And I could keep going for season two:

Ad Astra Per Aspera, like, all of it but especially when he speaks of the loss it would be to him if she left, the fact that he’s an adult who suffered from asthma as a child yet he risks asphyxiation to help her, the picture of them both that she keeps in her quarters, everything about The Hug™️, and so much more.

Charades with the There Was Only One Couch scene and, earlier, the “🎶 first contact get down, get down, first contact get down” look on the bridge.

Those Old Scientists having them both like the communicator better than a commbadge — and getting how Pike and Una visually check in which each other so much than even their cartoons do it.

Subspace Rhapsody letting them kiss (I always say I will send a bouquet of flowers to the editor who put that in the show).

Under the Cloak of War showing him listening to her and trusting her where her talents exceed his.

I’m leaving things out that I’ll remember as soon as I hit post.

There are vibes and glances. There is body language. (🎶 There were moments of gold/ And there were flashes of light/ There were things I'd never do again/ But then they'd always seemed right.) There’s a certain groundedness that lets me believe these two truly know each other.

And, for all of that, I am grateful.

Fun fact: This is my first post in which I hit the image limit and couldn’t add more. Even after I combined some. Whoo-hoo! Also, I apologize for not sourcing the gifs. I had them saved and Tumblr gif search is a nightmare.

Edit: I remembered one of the many things I’m sure I’m leaving out: their conversation in The Broken Circle. The mutual concern, the lived-in feeling of their talk, the vibe that this was far from their first conversation since everything went down. I loved it all.

[curator-on-ao3]

Rewatching s1 ep10 & look how easy it is for Pike to be honest with and open up to Una compared to literally anyone else on the show. He's even mentioned their names to her and she's remembered all their names. Honesty flows between them like a clear river. Forming the very depth and foundation of their relationship. With Una, he simply just is.

Also even though he discusses *that* future and his apprehensions with Spock (& I love their friendship/paternal-familial relationship), Una is the only one who plunges right into the depths of his darkness and brings him back with hope, a sliver of optimism. She pushes him to at least try. For his own sake.

And look how desperate, how vulnerable and how craving of what Una offers him, that look in his eyes. Tears of fear, anxiety, grief and craving for the emotional intimacy and support (to be far away from the loneliness he suffers bearing the burden of his future).

When they plumb into the depths of darkness, the other is right there to offer themself up in whatever capacity the firmer wants from them. Be it Pike when Una almost resigns or when she's in captivity/trial and here.

👆👆👆

All of this, y’all. All of this is true.

Love this analysis, @acuriousmindsblog! ❤️

[curator-on-ao3]

Oh btw I'd love it, if you so choose to, to write a Una/Pike fic using this snippet as an inspiration? Probably Pike comforting Una or vice versa or something? I'd LOVE to read all of your fics! 😅

I saw this, the picture above on Tumblr, and immediately thought "Pike and Una"!

I am so, so sorry, @acuriousmindsblog. According to Tumblr, you sent this ask almost precisely a year ago. Yet, today, a few asks popped up in my inbox for which I’d gotten no notifications and I had never seen before. I don’t know if you’re even still interested in Pikeuna or the prompt you sent.

I do know:

I am deeply grateful for your kind words for my fics. Means so much to me. Thank you!

I actually can offer you something in terms of that prompt. The fic didn’t exist a year ago, but I see the vibe of that prompt in the last third of chapter 11 of my Pikeuna fic Ain’t No One but You. (No worries if you’re not reading the pairing anymore or if this story itself simply doesn’t appeal. I understand that a Western AU is a niche offering.)

Again, I’m deeply sorry for my delay in responding to your ask and I hope you’re doing well, @acuriousmindsblog. ❤️

[curator-on-ao3]

Sorry it's me again! 😬

Do you think Una has been sidelined in her own series? She should have been right infront of major scenes as the First Officer. But in almost half of the episodes we see Pike and Una separated barring a few scenes of them having a dinner or a drink in his quarters.

The show feels more like a Spock-Pike show where Spock is the First Officer given how much screentime he gets right alongside Pike. Which is good, I like Ethan!! But in all other Star Trek fleet the Captain and First Officer are pretty tight and share a lot of scenes displaying their bond.

I'd love to see Pike Una share an adventure together. To see how they help each other in their away missions, on ground, what makes them a team not just on the bridge but elsewhere.

Sorry for the rant again. I just feel like the show is direction-less a bit. It doesn't know what to do with their leads.

Hi! ❤️

I’ll start with the disclaimer that I’m biased on this. I could watch an entire episode of Una reading a book, turning a page every so often, and sighing a bit just before the credits roll and I’d be all, “Brava! A masterpiece! Better than The Inner Light!”

With that in mind …

Season one, I definitely think Una was sidelined. Yes, the series opens with her voiceover, but she’s barely in the episode (I know there were plans for more, including an entire bridge set for the Archer built around her in the command chair, but that didn’t happen), then she’s barely in The Elysian Kingdom, All Those Who Wander, and A Quality of Mercy. (I’m on the fence for The Serene Squall.) We did have Ghosts of Illyria, of course, and I’m very happy for that focus episode.

Now, we have an interesting bookending here with Una’s presence critically important for the first and last episodes of season one, both of which rely on Pike searching for her. And that’s nice and all, but can a gal get some screen time? I was so concerned about this that I actually wondered if Rebecca Romjin having last billing (which, for those unfamiliar, can signify greater celebrity than other actors, a reduced role, or both) meant this was purposeful and the series was built to have less Una.

Then season two’s start sidelined her again. However, I feel like her small parts in The Broken Circle and Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow make sense given the intense focus and line work needed in Ad Astra Per Aspera. My beloathed Among The Lotus Eaters seemed to forget her once she began to feel effects from the radiation she … canonically isn’t supposed to be affected by? (Look, I’m a Trekkie. Just throw me a Chapel line to Una like, “I don’t understand how this radiation is overriding your immune system,” and I’m happy. But the writers need to bother with such things.) Because Una, like Erica, can fly the ship? But Una is at least featured in that episode, including in command and as both a friend and XO to Pike, as she is in other season two episodes.

Bottom line: Over the two seasons, my take is Una is what a first officer should be in that we see her in personal and professional closeness with Pike — and she’s the connective tissue of the entire ship with a unique friendship not only with Pike but also with La’an, Joseph, and Spock (considering the Q&A Short Trek), plus a … complicated set of emotions with Pelia. Una stood up for Joseph, Christine, and Erica when Pike wasn’t cognizant enough of their pain in Under the Cloak of War. Una was there for La’an and La’an’s fears and heartbreak in Subspace Rhapsody. Una helped inspire Boimler (and who knows how many others) to join Starfleet via Those Old Scientists canon (and I love, love, love everything about Una and Pike agreeing that communicators are better than combadges). Considering Neera, Una even has a critically important friendship off the ship.

Do I want more? Hell, yeah. Because, despite all this, I agree that the vibes are Pike and Spock as central. And while part of me knows that Spock is too huge of a character in this franchise to not be prominent … I want more respect for Pike and as much Una as possible. I’d love what you say — an adventure for Chris and Una (arguable whether we kind of got that with others along for the ride in The Serene Squall) and just more of the two of them together. Give me allll of the “there was only one couch” scene in Charades, and then some. (I wish the early scene when the ensign says a derogatory remark about Illyrians in front of Una and Pike immediately shuts. that. shit. down hadn’t been cut from Ghosts of Illyria.)

(Note: I do agree with you that the show lacks direction and doesn’t know what to do with its leads. My examples here may make things seem better than they are.)

So, yeah, I think Una was sidelined in season one, but season two was an improvement, so hopefully that bodes well.

What do others think about this?