Time to actually post something now that the Archiving's done...12. The Menagerie, Part I
WHY WE LIKE IT: Puts "The Cage" into the canon in a very clever way.
WHY WE DON'T: Two parts? Aww, mom!!!! I can't wait that long!! (And if you saw The Cage 11 shows ago, it turns into a clip show.)
REVIEW: The Menagerie looks to be a very clever editing job using the precious footage from The Cage. More on that in our next review, since here, it's all introduction and no story changes needed to be made. For now, it manages to make the regular Star Trek production a little outbudgeted. The lasers and alien stunwand have excellent effects, for example, and the planet environment looks immense (not to mention to first tracking shot to the bridge).
Still, Starbase 11 looks nice too for the standards of the time, and we get our first look at a shuttle (admittedly unimpressive). And there's another story here too. It's too bad they had to turn Captain Pike into an invalid, but that wheelchair has since become iconic. Spock's kidnapping of Pike is quite impressive - that Vulcan is dangerous!
But for all that, it's hard to manufacture tension once the trial starts. You've got Mendez trying to constantly shut it down, but otherwise, all the cliffhangers have to come from The Cage, and we KNOW Pike came out of that adventure safe and sound. Not sure I understood the function of Miss Piper either, she's in, bats her eyelashes, and is immediately out. Kind of a waste.
LESSON: Don't throw away those rejected pilot episodes!
REWATCHABILITY - Medium/High: High if you don't have access to The Cage, Medium if you do. It's still an interesing editing experiment, and who can tire of looking into Vina's eyes? The first part at least is made mostly up of new footage, and it's a fairly exciting start to what would become a "sit-down" adventure.
Comments
THIS is actually the episode I own (both parts).