“They didn’t go for that.”
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4's homage to The Hangover was a hilarious romp that centered mostly around Lt. Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) and Mr. Scott (Martin Quinn). However, one of the funnier subplots was Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) deciding to get a tattoo, while he was inebriated by the planet's atmosphere. However, if Mount had his way, Pike's skin would have been covered in dynamite — Kid Dynamite, that is.
Mount said in an interview (per TrekMovie.com): "I tried to get them to tattoo ‘Mike Tyson,’ but they wouldn’t. They didn’t go for that. For me, the one real scene that I have in that whole Alice in Wonderland episode — a lot of it was left up to interpretation because it was really just you know — they [Ortegas and Scotty] come they come to me, this is what’s happening, I say ‘Oh go get the shuttle’ and they go get the shuttle."
Mount continued discussing the Strange New Worlds episode ("Human Best Friend") that paid homage to The Hangover by saying:
“I just kind of had to go in there and play and figure out […] what kind of an inebriated Pike I wanted to be, and I made the decision that he’s the guy at the rave who wants to go to the chill tent and hold your hand and talk. For better or worse, that was my decision, and I went with it.”
I think Captain Pike sporting a Mike Tyson, aka Kid Dynamite, tattoo was a hilarious idea, and it would have been yet another nod to The Hangover, since the former boxing champion is such an integral part of the comedy’s climax.
Personally, though, if showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers wanted to take “Human Best Friend” to the next level of hilarity, they would have included an homage to Stu’s (Ed Helms) song about Tyson's giant tiger from the film.
For those who haven’t seen The Hangover and are curious about Stu’s song, check out Helms recreating the magic from the movie during his 2011 appearance on The Graham Norton Show below. And then imagining either Lt. Ortegas or Scotty belting out the Strange New Worlds equivalent.
How about you? Do you think Christopher Pike getting a Kid Dynamite tat would have made “Human Best Friend” even funnier? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages. And all four seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds are now available to stream on Paramount+.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!
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