Star Trek 001: The Cage

Just to show some more of the stuff this blog will do/talk about...
 
1. The Cage

WHY WE LIKE IT: The start of it all! Vina as an Orion slave girl! And all things considered, a very good script.

WHY WE DON'T: This isn't the cast we know and love, except for Spock and he's acting... strangely.

REVIEW: It's really a "what if" kind of episode, isn't it? As in, what if this had been the series? Spock would have no doubt evolved as he did, but the rest of the cast is different enough. Captain Pike is a good strong character, but I can't see him becoming the icon Kirk did. William Shatner's performance is no doubt the culprit here, not that Mr. Hunter is bad at all.

As for the others, Number One is a little too much like Spock in function, and Dr. Boyce isn't as engaging as McCoy though he serves the same function. I'd say it's because he's a much older man and works as a father figure more than a friend. The rest of the cast doesn't really resonate with me. But that's all in hindsight, isn't it?

Overall, the pilot is as strong as its reputation. It's a good, classic science-fiction story, with kinda creepy aliens, and a good guest-star in Vina. There's a lot of money on the screen, what with all the illusions created, and that's always nice. (The show will suffer from a lack of this in the 3rd season, so it's appreciated here.) Really, the only reason I don't care as much as I should is because it feels so apart from the rest of the series.

LESSON: Never judge a book by its cover... or a series by its pilot.

REWATCHABILITY - High: If only because it airs less often than the others and is full of little differences the geek in me likes. Plus: An Orion slave girl! ;-)