Strange New Worlds involves a lot of time travel, so this isn’t actually the first time the show has put some variation of Kirk in the captain’s chair. Wesley’s version of Kirk was introduced in the season 1 finale as the aggressive commander of the USS Farragut,

Strange New Worlds season 3 follows the adventures of Captain Pike and his fun team as they face new threats and tough moral questions.

The Sehlat Who Ate Its Tail' provides the crucible that 'Strange New Worlds' has been building towards since before it even existed: the forging of the team that made 'Star Trek'.