While I like New Kirk

^{In fact, I spent the whole Star Trek movie in a state of permanent fangirl squee}

 ^*, I just don't think of him as a captain yet. He's too young and doesn't really have the gravitas I associate with Star Trek captains. Maybe in the sequel he'll seem more captain-y.

I think Kirk is a better captain in the sense that he is more likely to get the mission done and keep his ship and men alive. On the other hand, Picard is a more interesting character to watch. Haven't watched the other Star Treks, so no opinion on their captains.

edited 16th Aug '09 2:39:02 PM by jaimeastorga2000

Sisko is the best by far.

Then Picard, Kirk, Janeway, and waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay down at the bottom is Archer.

Picard. I love the shakesperean quality of Patrick Stewart's speaking voice, I like his wise-old-guy style, and I think that an older, more thoughtful captain is a good and believable choice for a mission like theirs.

As for Nu Kirk, the guy is a pre-teen from my perspective. I simply don't believe anyone in their sane mind would give a command to an underage, misbehaving, womanizing, spiteful rogue lacking in experience and practically everything else that makes a good captain. I really think they only went for that actor to get all the 18yo youngsters and their girlfriends into the theaters.

With Old Kirk it might be kind of unfair, since audience expectations were different back then, and Shatner is not to blame for script cheesiness and papier mache rocks. His acting WAS pretty bad, though.

edited 4th Sep '09 10:17:40 AM by vijeno

I've only watched 4 episodes of TOS, so I can't really answer this question.

While Patrick Stewart was the most impressive actor, I had serious, serious problems with Picard as he was written. Giving Wesley a bridge officer slot he hadn't earned, convincing Ro to remain in Starfleet when she was manifestly unsuited for it, and of course his general failure to exercise appropriate discipline when his people screwed up and his failure to return fire when being fired upon until it was too late. Also minor details like going to deal with an extremely legalistic species without carefully reading the treaty with them in advanced.

I do however rank Archer higher than Janeway, merely because it's more understandable if Archer makes mistakes and he's mostly dealing with races I care about. Also he's Sam Beckett! I can't hate Sam Beckett!

edited 5th Sep '09 11:51:43 AM by GameGuruGG

"I've only watched 4 episodes of TOS, so I can't really answer this question."

If you want, you can watch a few more online (unless there are georestrictions)

http://www.cbs.com/classics/star_trek/

http://www.youtube.com/show/startrek

edited 7th Sep '09 7:13:47 PM by jaimeastorga2000

The fact that every plan Archer had started with "OK, first I get myself captured and abused by the bad guys" causes me to rate him low regardless of humanity's inexperience. Picards "OK, first I'll hold my fire until the shields are down and then try to fire my weapons only to find out that that they won't work because the starboard power coupling is out and then open communications" was bad, but Archer was worse.

edited 15th Sep '09 4:28:32 PM by Nobodymuch

Janeway, she strikes me as human.

Sisko was truly a wise and intelligent leader, which makes him the best in my book.

TNG is my favorite series, but for some reason Janeway is my favorite Captain. She seems like she'd be more fun to hang out with than Picard.

Christopher Pike.

I'd have to say first Picard, then Sisko, then Kirk. Picard first because, as someone else before mentioned, he actually seems like a military officer. He does tend to speechify a lot, but I'd rather have him commanding my fleet than Kirk, who quite honestly would have gotten everyone killed if he were commanding any real troops. He's lucky the aliens he tried to pull the Corombite manuver on didn't just laugh at him, and blow his ship up. I think Picard might be convinced to shoot more and talk less, however I don't see it happening the other way around.

Also, the less said about Nukirk, the better.

Kirk (Both of him), then Picard. Frankly none of the others have been interesting enough to hold me past their pilots- The only interesting points of DS 9 and VOY were the Tribble episode and the Q plots. And the Q plots were only worthwhile for Q. ENT was, almost unbelievably, an It Got Worse moment for the franchise after it weathered DS 9 and VOY.

edited 4th Nov '09 8:16:12 AM by Ronnie

Honestly, I liked all of them, although Picard and New!Kirk are probably my favourites.