This entire concept just reminds me of that kid you always hated to play with “oh, your guy can fly? Well, my guy can fly higher!” She should be played in any movie by Kristen Wiig using that voice from SNL “well, I actually INVENTED music….”

What I would love to see is one of two things happen:

Either 1.) season 3 ends with the introduction of the remaining characters to fill out the crew as seen in The Cage. Season 4 shows some story that leads up to the penultimate episode being a shot for shot remake of The Cage. The final episode shows Kirk taking over, and finishes bringing in the rest of the crew of TOS, showing what happened between The Cage and Where No Man Has Gone Before, and ends with the very beginning of WNMHGB. Season 5 could start with a montage of TOS moments reshot with new actors (they could even show as the opening credits). And the first episode of Season 5 picks up after the last episode of TOS. The rest of the season could be a continuation of the original 5 year mission.

OR…

2.) Season 3 builds towards the events of the Cage, and in the very end… something changes and Pike is saved. Season 4 could be more like the syndicated “single serving” episodes of the original series, with some TOS greatest hits episodes reshot to see what would have happened had Pike still been in command. They could end the season with them realizing Pike needed to be on Talos IV, time travel, BOOM, Kirk takes over. Season 5 picks up after TOS.