Best "Star Trek" captain?

[Joel007]

Picard is wiser than Kirk. Well, it's what I'd look for in a Captain anyway.

 

[thaddeus6th]

Sisko I picked.

DS9 was actually pretty good. I think it's probably my favourite of the series, though I'm just a casual viewer and not a hardcore trekkie or anything. It had more real characters that developed over the course of the seasons (Garak and Odo being good examples). Sisko seemed like the kind of guy you could have a friendly drink with but would be utterly professional in his role as captain.

 

[The Ace]

By the way, where the h*ll did Scotty get that accent ?

He sounds about as scottish as Mao Tse Tung.

 

[Momoka]

My sister will probably have my head for saying this, but Picard is the best.

?

I know hands-down Picard was the better choice for captain - he didn't go traipsing around the galaxy willy-nilly, ignoring the Prime Directive like a certain Kirk I voted Picard.

I just love the kitch value of the original series... and perhaps a certain vulcan

less of a womaniser than Corset Boy.

Exactly! Why anyone would want him (or as a captain either) is beyond me! It should have been Pike as the original captain anyway - he wus robbed, I tells ya

 

[Erin99]

?

I know hands-down Picard was the better choice for captain - he didn't go traipsing around the galaxy willy-nilly, ignoring the Prime Directive like a certain Kirk

Really? I always thought you didn't like Picard's era.

By the way, where the h*ll did Scotty get that accent ?

He sounds about as scottish as Mao Tse Tung.

When I was a kid, I loved his accent.

But yes, I was, and still am, daft.

 

[daisybee]

Picard, because I love the episodes with Q, and the dynamics between them.

Picard was also extremely uhm, interesting.

 

[Ursa major]

Oddly enough, BBC2 is currently showing the STNG episode where Capt. Scott is rescued from the pattern buffers of an old crashed ship.

 

[Talysia]

Sisko I picked.

DS9 was actually pretty good. I think it's probably my favourite of the series, though I'm just a casual viewer and not a hardcore trekkie or anything. It had more real characters that developed over the course of the seasons (Garak and Odo being good examples). Sisko seemed like the kind of guy you could have a friendly drink with but would be utterly professional in his role as captain.

I picked Sisko, too, for pretty much the same reasons. Picard would be a very close second, though.

 

[sloweye]

I voted Picard, although its a close call with sisko.

 

[manephelien]

Picard and Sisko for me too.

 

[Pyan]

Yep, Picard for me too. A proper captain, without the gung-ho of Kirk, the involvement in local politics of Sisko, or the inconsistency of Janeaway ("Prime Directive? What's that?")

I thought Archer would have gone on to be good as well, but even a Starfleet Captain can't beat the ratings...

 

[Grimward]

I'm bummed!

Someone lost my Captain Pike image from my previous post (ya gotta like the strong, silent type!). Maybe done in by the crash?

Since no true discussion of this topic can occur without our "wheelchair" warrior, am posting again!

 

[J-Sun]

This is kind of a tough one. I can take "Janeway" and "that bloke from Quantum Leap" off the table immediately, but then it becomes difficult.

First, it's hard to separate the character from the actor. Stewart is so head and shoulders above the others that Picard is unfairly advantaged. The converse works for Sisko - Brooks wasn't terrible, but he didn't really help Sisko out much.

Then, are we talking best character or literally best Captain? Because Picard and even Sisko may be more complex characters than Kirk, but lack the sort of archetypal focus of Kirk. But all three are certainly spiffy captains in the sense of avoiding (or overcoming) disasters and achieving objectives.

Overall, in the end, I think it comes down to Picard or Kirk and I think the relative realism of Picard (older, not on every away mission, someone more aware of the diplomatic necessities of high-level interstellar interspecies relationships and able to co-ordinate a more complex crew than TOS shows, etc.) gives him the edge. Kirk's probably more fun, though - he's not dumb or incapable of subtlety or blindly pugnacious, but he's certainly usually direct and not much for red tape and more willful and independent. He's rarely plagued by doubt. "My ship" first and foremost. That's one of the things I liked about DS9 and Sisko - Sisko had a lot more grays and shadows to wrestle with than either Kirk or Picard.

*** Warning: Poll Spoilers***

Anyway - yeah, Picard. I voted before seeing the results and am surprised that Kirk is rated so low at this point, and by how much Picard is ahead. The rest (Sisko, Janeway, Bloke, in that order, well behind) doesn't surprise me though I'd probably put Janeway last. I gave up on that show though, so don't know the whole story and gave up on Enterprise even earlier, having wasted too much time with Voyager before, so I'm not very familiar with the bloke.

 

[kythe]

I find this a tough choice between Picard and Sisko. Picard is an excellent leader, diplomat and mediator, and wise decision maker. He really is the perfect captain, but this is what you would expect from the captain of the Starfleet flagship. It's why he was chosen for that ship.

Sisko was assigned to an old space station out in the middle of nowhere, on the outskirts of the Federation space in an area first thought to be relatively unimportant. He wanted a stable environment without too much fuss to raise his son. What he got was something entirely different, yet Sisko rose to the challenge. When things took unexpected turns with the Bjorans and Cardassians, and with the Federation/Dominion problems, Sisko proved himself capable at every turn.

I voted for Sisko because considering his assignment and original plans, he far exceeded all expectations for himself and became a key leader in troubled times for the Federation.

 

[Omphalos]

Picard. He had me at "engage!"

Seriously though, The Inner Light is perhaps one of the best episodes of any show ever made; maybe one of the best hours of TV made so far, and Stewart made that episode what it was.

 

[mpc]

Sisko. Hands down. Why? It's an old list but here it goes...

1) Coolest look with the shaved head and beard.
2) Kirk's women usually tried to kill him, Picard's woman ran off with Q, Janeway's lover was a hologram. Sisko chased his woman down, put her in jail and she still came back and married him for his sweet lovin.
3) Sisko's XO looked better in leather.
4) When Sisko chases Maquis into the Badlands he doesn't get lost on the other side of the galaxy.
5) Kirk killed a god, Picard was thought to be a god, Janeway worshipped a god. Sisko did all three and with style.
6) Taught the Klingons the meaning of the word "surrender".
7) Only Captain to fight a Klingon, a Romulan, a Cardassian, and a Jem Hadar in hand to hand combat and win.
8) When a Klingon killed his freind he didn't surrender or cry. He kicked the Klingon's ass. Hard.
9) Kirk lost the Enterprise to a Bird Of Prey. Sisko fought the entire Klingon fleet and won.
10) Sisko got an alien race to destroy 3000 enemy Dominion ships just because he asked them to.
11) Only Captain to out Ferengi a Ferengi.
12) Made a better looking Klingon than Worf.
13) Picard drank tea. Janeway and Kirk drank coffee. Sisko drank rakatazin--because he liked it.
14) The other Captain's were never given command of an entire fleet.
15) He was a better cook.
16) First time he met Q he punched in the mouth.
17) If he were split into 2 halves in a transporter accident they would the Bad Half and the Bad-Ass Half.
18) His Doctor didn't shy away from killing now and then.
19) His First Officer never betrayed the Federation.
20) When he lost his ship fighting the Dominion they gave a newer, more powerful ship--and he was still a Commander. Kirk and Picard got pretty much the same ship with a software upgrade. Janeway was never trusted with a new ship when she got back.
21) He actually saved his son from the Klingons.
22) Q only visited DS9 once and was scared away. Picard and Janeway couldn't get rid of him.
23) He lets Worf get violent.
24) His bartender doesn't wear silly hats.
25) When he tells Worf to fire a spread of torpedoes Worf fires more than one.
26) Can get his uniform tailored so he doesn't have to keep tugging at it to fit.
27) O'Brien and Worf left Picard just to work for Sisko.
28) Time travel. Kirk has to slingshot around the sun. Janeway and Picard are sucked into temporal rifts. Sisko has an orb that is safe, clean and quick.
29) Knows what a hotdog is.
30) Only Captain to be prophesied.
31) Starfleet actually listens to him.
32) Holds a grudge. When someone betrays him he promises to hunt them to the ends of quadrant.
33) When Admirals go crazy he holds them at phasor point. Picard just talks
to them in a stern voice.
34) His ship has armor.....and quantum torpedoes.
35) Sisko saved Kirk's life from a tribble.

 

[tangaloomababe]

Its a good list mpc but for me its Picard, no question. I was not a fan of Star Trek until Picard came along. He has the voice, the look, the presence, from a female point of view who could resist him?

 

[kythe]

I don't agree with every single point, but I like your list, MPC. It was enjoyable to read and brings back memories. DS9 was an awesome show.

 

[Grimward]

I think I'm a Picard, too, but also enjoyed your list, MPC. Very well researched and thought out!

 

[Shadow Trooper]

Went with Picard, to me he seemed the best of both world's (pun intended). He could be kick @ss (Kirk, Sisko) as well as a more well rounded character (Janeway; whose curves made her a very nice well rounded individual).

Although I picked Picard, i must confess my favourite series was DS9.

I kinda deliberately forgot about Enterprise.