A Big Star Trek: Discovery Change Showed Captain Pike's True Power In Starfleet

In the early seasons of Star Trek: Discovery, ships in Starfleet use an interesting technology that rarely appears elsewhere in Star Trek. In the twenty-third century, when ships in Starfleet need to communicate with each other or with the Federation, they do so using holographic communicators. Throughout seasons 1 and 2 of Discovery, transparent semi-colored holograms flash into existence on the bridges of various starships - even Klingon vessels communicate with colorless holograms in Discovery. Nevertheless, after the USS Discovery jumps forward to the thirty-second century, the holographic communicators never appear again on Discovery.

Holographic communicators have a long history in Star Trek. In the timeline of every Star Trek series, Starfleet first encounters holograms in Star Trek: Enterprise. Holodecks, however, don't appear until Star Trek: The Next Generation, and in our world, the first appearance of holographic communicators came in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, where they are framed as new technology. So, between Discovery and Deep Space Nine, Star Fleet seems to have completely abandoned the technology for holographic communicators. There is, of course, a good reason for this disappearance: Captain Chris Pike (Anson Mount) got rid of them.

Removing Holograms From Star Trek Ships Showed Captain Pike’s True Starfleet Power

Where Enterprise Leads, The Federation Follows

Early in season 2 of Discovery, the USS Enterprise suffers a cascading systems failure brought on by the advanced technology of holographic communicators. Captain Pike has the whole system removed and says, "from now on, we'll communicate using good old-fashioned viewscreens." Indeed, when the Enterprise returns later in season 2 of Discovery, Captain Pike confirms that there will never again be holographic communicators on the Enterprise. With this simple declaration, Captain Pike banished holographic communicators for the Federation for a century.

Show	Number Of Episodes With Holographic Communicators
Discovery	16 episodes across three seasons
Short Treks	1
Deep Space Nine	2
Voyager	1
Films	Star Trek: Nemesis
Picard	2

In theory, when Captain Pike had his engineers strip the holographic communicators out of the Enterprise, he was only speaking for himself. Indeed, Captain Pike would not be made Fleet Captain until season two of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and most of his honors and accolades were earned in the years between Discovery and Star Trek: The Original Series. With that in mind, it does not necessarily follow that a single decision from Captain Pike would make a technology effectively disappear from the Federation.

The fact that Captain Pike is in the position to make these decisions reveals the deep respect that Starfleet leadership has for him.

Nevertheless, Captain Pike was the leader of the Enterprise, and the choices that he made in that role led the rest of Starfleet. If the flagship of the Federation decides that holographic communicators are not worth the effort, then they are not worth the effort for any other ship. The fact that Captain Pike is in the position to make these decisions reveals the deep respect that Starfleet leadership has for him. Even before he is highly decorated, Captain Pike is a powerful leader.

Holographic Communications Returned In Star Trek: DS9’s 24th Century

Starfleet Had Holograms, But Not Holographic Communicators For 100 Years

Of course, when Captain Pike got rid of holographic communicators in Star Fleet, he did not get rid of holograms. At the start of The Next Generation, Commander Riker (William Frakes) and Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) explore the holodecks on the Enterprise and are clearly impressed with the new technology. Star Trek: Voyager made another leap in technology with the EMH (Robert Picardo), an increasingly independent crew member. And finally, two years after the EMH, Deep Space Nine brought back holographic communicators on the USS Defiant, among other new holographic technologies on the Defiant.

Given the progression of holographic technology across Star Trek, it makes a lot of sense that holographic communicators would return. Indeed, writer and producer Ronald D. Moore said as much:

That's something I had been pushing for because I just think it's so absurd that in the twenty-fourth century they have holodeck technology that allows them to recreate Ancient Rome, but everybody talks to each other on television monitors.

By the time of season 5 of Deep Space Nine, it really made no sense for holographic communicators to still be out of use in Starfleet. And indeed, all the technological advancements from earlier Star Trek meant that Deep Space Nine's holographic communicators had full color and caused none of the issues that Captain Pike struggled with in Discovery.

Strange New Worlds Already Set Up Pike’s Starfleet Influence

Respect For Pike Is More Than Just Holographic Communicators

Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) receives the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor as Jake Sisko (Cirroc Lofton) watches in DS9 Tears of the Prophets

It goes without saying that the return of holographic communicators did nothing to tarnish Captain Pike's reputation in Starfleet. So even if getting rid of holographic communicators from the entire fleet proves Captain Pike's influence, it is not the only way in which the Federation honors him. In season 2, episode 6 of Strange New Worlds, Captain Pike is temporarily made Fleet Captain, and we know from later Treks that, after Christ Pike leaves the Enterprise, Fleet Captain will become his permanent rank.

Even long after his accident, Captain Pike’s position of respect in Starfleet lived on. In Deep Space Nine, Captain Sisko (Avery Brooks) earns the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor. This makes it clear that Captain Pike has been immortalized in Federation history, above and beyond his opinions on communication. So even if Captain Pike's holographic communicator ban from Star Trek: Discovery didn't stick, Captain Pike's legacy is eternal.