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THE MENAGERIE
STAR TREK, The Original TV Series
THIS IS ONE OF THE TEN BEST TREKS!
GUEST STARS...
Sean Kenney (and cast from THE CAGE)
PLOT SUMMARY...
Mr. Spock hijacks the Enterprise, and kidnaps
his former captain, his destination... a forbidden planet.
QUICK SCAN...
This important episode features a fascinating
performance by Leonard Nimoy as Mr. Spock defending his hijacking of
the Enterprise. The only two part episode in the Classic "Trek"
series, it cleverly incorporates much footage from the first pilot,
"The Cage". Viewers get a good opportunity to compare and
contrast early and later interpretations of Mr. Spock's bangs, eyebrows,
and personality.
SYNOPSIS...
Former Enterprise captain Christopher Pike, now
an invalid confined to a hi tech wheelchair, is kidnapped by Mr. Spock
from Starbase 6. The Vulcan takes over the Enterprise, diverting its
course to Talos IV, a planet it is forbidden to visit, under penalty
of death.
On the way to Talos IV, a Federation board of inquiry, convened aboard
the Enterprise and headed by Commodore Jose Mendez, listens to Spock's
explanation of the kidnapping and hijacking. Spock's speech is aided
by old tapes of the Enterprise's previous journey to the planet, under
Captain Pike's command.
Captain Pike chooses to stay behind on Talos IV, with the illusion of
health and youth provided by the planet's aliens. The Enterprise warps
out of orbit.
THE REVIEW...
Director Marc Daniels,' THE MENAGERIE, is an
excellent Sci-Fi head trip. Daniel's other directing credits include:
"Who Mourns for Adonais?", and numerous other classic Trek
episodes.
"Star Trek" production legend claims that Creator/Producer,
Gene Roddenberry, was dropping behind in meeting his quota of episodes
for the first season. He supposedly dreamed up the idea of a two part
episode, incorporating generous amounts of footage from the original
"Star Trek" pilot, "The Cage," as a way of saving
time and meeting his production schedule. Apparently, necessity is the
mother of great Classic "Trek" episodes.
Fans of Mr. Spock will notice a difference in the look and manner of
the Vulcan officer, between "The Cage" scenes and the newer
footage. The earlier Spock had coarser bangs, bushier eyebrows, and
a tendency to yell. Obviously the look and style of the famous Vulcan
had been fine tuned in the intervening time.
Alert viewers will also notice differences in the "Trek" weapons,
between "The Cage" and the subsequent series. The earlier
weapons are called "lasers" and look like the "blasters"
of traditional Sci-Fi, as opposed to the uniquely designed "phasers"
we have come to know and love.
Malachi Throne ("Lost in Space" and "Voyage to the Bottom
of the Sea") is quite good, as Commodore Mendez, a Federation official
taking part in Spock's court proceeding aboard the Enterprise. Throne
is best known for the role of Robert Wagner's government boss, in the
popular 60's TV series, "It Takes a Thief".
THE MENAGERIE should be highly watchable for most Sci-Fi viewers and
especially those fans interested in the way "Trek" changed.
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