Where no (disabled) person has gone before: A content analysis of Star Trek through the portrayal of Christopher Pike

Abstract

The Star Trek franchise presents a hopeful vision of the future that is free from many of the social issues that plague our current society. This research explores Star Trek’s utopian vision through a disabled lens, presenting a critical content analysis examining the representation of mobility disability in the Star Trek franchise, with a specific focus on the character of Christopher Pike. This analysis centers on five episodes of Star Trek contained in The Original Series, Discovery, and Strange New Worlds which aired between 1966 and 2022. A close examination of Pike’s character arc through dialogue and visual or auditory cues reveals recurrent themes and narrative tropes which rely heavily on ableist stereotypes and disabled stigmas. By critically analyzing the representational choices made in Star Trek, this study sheds light on the underlying power dynamics and broader sociocultural implications embedded within. This analysis shows that ableism, and the systemic oppression of disabled people, pervades even the newest Star Trek series. The findings of this critical content analysis highlight the significance of representation and its role in shaping societal perceptions of disability.