Episode Spotlight: TOS The Menagerie, Parts I and II

Episode Spotlight

TOS The Menagerie, Parts I and II

Part I

Stardate 3012.4.  The USS Enterprise arrives as Starbase 11 in response to a message apparently received from the base from the Enterprises former captain, Christopher Pike.  Kirk, Spock and McCoy beam down but are told that the base sent no message to the Enterprise.  Inquiring further Kirk and co. are informed by the base commander, Commodore Jose Mendez about the condition of Captain Pike, critically injured and now paralyzed after a recent disaster aboard a training ship.  In the medical section they meet Captain Pike (played here by Sean Kenney), now horribly radiation scarred and confined to a wheelchair.  Unable to even speak Captain Pike can use his brain waves to signal yes or no responses to questions via a light and beep built into the chair (one been for yes, two beeps for no).  Spock speaks to Captain Pike alone, telling him "I have it well planned", "It's only two days away from here at maximum warp". and "I know it's treachery and it's mutiny but I must do this".  While Kirk, McCoy and the commodore attempt to unravel the mystery of the message received by the Enterprise Spock takes over the base's communications center and sends false orders to the Enterprise relieving Kirk and programming secret coordinates into the computer.  McCoy gets a message to beam up to the Enterprise for a medical emergency.  Mendez shows Kirk a top secret on a planet that the Enterprise under Captain Pike visited 13 years earlier: Talos IV.  Kirk understands, contact with Talos IV is prohibited under penalty of death per General Order 7.  Mendez points out that among Pike's crew at the time was a half-vulcan science officer, Spock.  Suddenly Captain Pike is discovered to no longer be in his room, immediately after this the Enterprise warps out of orbit, locked on course by the computer.  On the bridge Spock orders Uhura not to respond to hails from the Starbase and announces to the crew that Kirk has been given medical rest leave and that he is in command.  McCoy enters the bridge trying to figure out what is going on.  Spock accompanies him to quarters to see Captain Pike.  He shows McCoy a forged recording of Kirk giving orders not to disturb Captain Pike.  Pike blinks "no" continually.  Returning to the bridge Spock is told by Lt. Hansen that a shuttlecraft is approaching, Spock says to make no contact.  On the shuttlecraft Kirk and Mendez keep trying to contact the Enterprise with no success.  As the shuttle's fuel runs out and it begins coasting Kirk and Mendez discuss the consequences for Spock should the Enterprise reach Talos IV.  On the bridge Spock feeds the computer instructions to come to a stop and bring the shuttle aboard.  He then orders security to the bridge, gives command to Lt. Hansen and surrenders to McCoy as the ranking officer for mutiny.  Kirk and Mendez beam aboard, as Hansen relinquishes command to Kirk the ship resumes its course to Talos IV.  Kirk tries but is unable to release the computers course control-the control is tied into life support and can't be released until the ship reached Talos IV.  As the Enterprise continues on its course a preliminary hearing is held, but Spock waives rights to the hearing and requests court-martial.  Kirk denies the court-martial, but Spock argues that there are three command officers available: Kirk, Mendez and Pike (Pike is still on the active duty list).  The court-martial begins and Spock presents evidence: the screen activates and begins showing incredibly detailed footage of the Enterprise 13 years ago under Captain Pike (footage from The Cage).  Kirk questions what they're viewing, Pike signals yes that it is him in the video, but no, no records that detailed were made 13 years ago.  Spock will not reveal the source but insists they watch.  After seeing the Enterprise bridge and Pike's crew picking up an old style radio signal Mendez again questions the footage.  Spock asks Pike if they are indeed watching the events of 13 years ago, Pike beeps yes.  Mendez wants to rule summarily, Kirk votes to continue.  Pike is asked if they should continue, he beeps yes.  As they continue to watch Pike and crews visit to Talos IV, Pike's capture by the
Talosians, the revelation that the SS Columbia survivors were an illusion, the seduction of Pike by the Earth woman Vina and the crew's efforts top rescue Captain Pike, Uhura interrupts to report that Starfleet has detected the Enterprise receiving transmissions from Talos IV, in violation of General Order 7.  The images  they have been viewing are coming from Talos IV.  Kirk is relieved of command.  Mendez tells Spock that he has now invited the death penalty for both himself and Captain Kirk.  He orders Spock to release control of the Enterprise, Spock declines.  Mendez declares a recess.  Kirk confronts Spock, Spock pleads for Kirk to see the rest of the transmission "It's your career, and Captain Pike's life".  Kirk orders the security officers to lock Spock up.

To Be Continued...

Part II

The court-martial resumes.  Kirk, Mendez, Pike and Spock continue viewing the images coming from Talos IV: Pike's imprisonment, the series of illusions he's forced to experience (his home in Mojave, his horses, Vina as his wife; a recent incident on Rigel VII, owning Orion slave women), and the crew's attempts to rescue him.  The watch the crew attempt to beam down inside the Talosian community, but only Number One and Yeoman Colt are allowed to beam down ("the women!").  The Keeper tells Pike that he now has a choice, he is to choose a mate from the three women.  Number one discovers that their laser pistols don't work, but Pike deduces that this is an illusion.  The images stop, and Mendez says that the Talosians have abandoned Spock.  Pike, Mendez and Pike vote: guilty as charged.  Lt. Hansen reports from the bridge the Enterprise is inorbit of Talos IV.  Spock says that Talos controls the ship now, just like 13 years ago.  The images resume.  The Talosians abandon their efforts to capture humans as breeding stock when Una tries to overload her phaser pistol.  This and the info the Talosians gained from scanning the Enterprise computers shows humans have unique hatred of captivity, preferring death.  Pike and the others are free to go.  Pike offers to take Vina but she declines.  The Talosians reveal the truth: she was the sole survivor of the SS Columbia crash, she was badly injured.  The Talosians tried to heal her.  They show her true appearance, horribly disfigured: her youthful appearance is an illusion.  Spocks purpose for bringing Pike back to Talos IV was to let him live out the rest of his life in similar fashion, with the illusion of health, unhindered by his paralysis.  Realizing Spock's reason for returning Pike to Talos IV Kirk addresses Mendez, but the commodore disappears-he was also an illusion.  The Talosian keeper contacts Kirk telepathically, explaining that the commodore was never on the Enterprise or the shuttle.  The illusion of the court-martial was intended to keep Kirk from retaking control of the ship too soon.  The Keeper offers to let Pike stay on Talos IV for the rest of his life, unfettered by his paralysis.  Kirk challenges Spock, saying that Spock could have asked him for help.  Spock says he didn't ant to risk subjecting Kirk to a possible death penalty.  A message is received from Commodore Mendez at Starbase 11, he also saw the images from Talos IV.  General Order 7 is suspended for this occasion.  Kirk asks Pike if he wants to accept the Talosians offer, he beeps once for yes.  Spock pushes Pike out and sees him off.  The Talosian Keeper shows Kirk Pike and Vina on the viewscreen, Pike unhindered by his wheelchair.  "Captain Pike has an illusion, and you have reality.  May you find your way as pleasant." 

This is a really neat special episode.  For viewers watching when the series first came out in the 60s, this was the introduction to Captain Christopher Pike, Number One, Jose Tyler, Dr. Boyce, Yeoman Colt and the rest.  At the time Star Trek was facing a problem: the episodes that had been filmed were running behind in post production, they were looking at possibly not having an episode ready to air for at least a week.  The solution was ingenious: this two part episode used mostly existing footage from the unaired pilot The Cage, the added framing story was very simple and used mostly existing sets, thus was very easy to produce.  For essentially less than the effort normally needed produce one episode, two episodes were produced, buying the time needed to finish other, more ambitious, more effects heavy episodes.  The episode itself, the framing story, really establishes Spock's loyalty, to Pike and by extension to Kirk.  the flashing back to the earlier voyages of the Enterprise also does some great world building, establishing that the Enterprise has been around for years, Spock's years of service, and of course, Captain Pike.  I personally also enjoyed getting to see Starbase 11 (also seen in Court Martial).  General Order 7 is an interesting point but it makes sense, the Talosians powers are so great as to be dangerous n the wrong or even the right hands.  The Talosians even say "your race would learn our power of illusion and destroy itself, too".  

Trivia

Malachi Throne (Commodore Mendez) also voiced the Keeper in the original cut of The Cage.  For The Menagerie (and the eventual release of The Cage) Throne's voice was overlayed with that of Meg Wyllie (the Keeper).

To avoid any association or confusion, Majel Barrett as Number One (in The Cage footage) is credited as M Leigh Hudec.

Marc Daniels, who directed the framing story sequences has the director credit for part 1, while Robert Butler, who directed The Cage is credited as director for part 2.

Unlike all future two part Star Trek episodes (TNG-onwards), both parts of The Menagerie are numbered the same, episode 16.


Quotes

Spock: Captain Pike, may I remain for a moment? 
Pike: (one beep)
Spock: You know why I've come, Captain. It's only six days away at maximum warp and I have it well-planned. 
Pike: (two beeps) 
Spock: I have never disobeyed your orders before, Captain, but this time I must. 
Pike: (two beeps)
Spock: I know.  I know it is treachery and it's mutiny.  But I must do this.  I have no choice. 
Pike: (two beeps)

Kirk: (reading) For eyes of Starfleet Command only.
Mendez: Oh, I'm certifying I ordered you to read it.  Know anything at all about this planet?
Kirk: What every ship Captain knows.  General Order 7, no vessel under any condition, emergency or otherwise, is to visit Talos IV.
Mendez: And to do so is the only death penalty left on our books.  Only Fleet Command knows why.  Not even this file explains that.  (unlocks the magnetic strip) But it does name the only Earth ship that ever visited the planet.
Kirk: The Enterprise, commanded by Captain Christopher Pike.
Mendez: With a half Vulcan science officer named Spock.

Mendez: Screen off. Mister Spock, I'm truly amazed at your technical prowess in somehow manufacturing all this.  I congratulate you on your imagination.  But this is a court of space law, not a theatre.
Spock: Captain, please tell the court this is not imagination, nor some clever photographic record.  Are we seeing the actual events of thirteen years ago? 
Pike: (one beep)
Spock: Yes, gentlemen.  On that screen as it happened, the incredible experience of Captain Christopher Pike on Talos IV. If, after witnessing this, the court wishes to turn this vessel back, I will release this ship to manual control.

Kirk: Do you know what you're doing? Have you lost your mind?
Spock: Captain, Jim, please don't stop me.  Don't let him stop me.  It's your career and Captain Pike's life.  You must see the rest of the transmission.

Spock: Talos controls the vessel now, as they did thirteen years ago. You asked me 'why' Commodore.  You'll see your answer now.

Kirk: Mr. Spock, even if regulations are explicit, you could have come to me and explained.
Spock: Ask you to face the death penalty too?  One of us was enough, captain.

Keeper: Captain Pike has an illusion, and you have reality.  May you find your way as pleasant.