So let's pick up where we left off...
Plot:While Spock faces court martial for kidnapping Captain Pike and hijacking the Enterprise, he further explains his actions with mysterious footage about Pike's captivity by the Talosians
Guest Stars:Same as yesterday
Nitpick:It's pretty clear the framing device is just that, since none of the commercial cliffhangers lead to anything! Ok I get why Spock wanted to take Pike to Talos IV, someone want to explain why going there is so off limits it requires a death penalty? Oh yeah, there'd be no story!
Summary:
Teaser-Basically a "previously on" but with a little added footage of Spock being arraigned. I never how understood how he got off entirely at the end, he did assault two men back at the starbase!
Act 1-In the briefing room, Kirk explains that the signals from Talos IV keep coming forcing them to resume the court martial. On the viewscreen, the story continues. Pike wakes up in a cell when the Thalosians appear. They are amused by Pike and soon the experiment can begin. Pike is trying to find a way out, when suddenly he is no longer in the cage but back on Rigel at an incident that happened awhile ago. He realizes it's not real but has to play along. You gotta love how Pike isn't fooled for a second, he was badass. In the briefing room we see Pike fatigued and Kirk realizes that the Thalosians care about the captain and want him back.
Act 2-On the screen, Pike questions Vina but she doesn't really give any answers. On the planet the crew tries to blast thru the door the door with a massive laser. Nothing works. When Vina tries to answer Pike's questions the Talosians punish her. In the briefing room, the crew discuss how Pike was captured to breed with Vina. On the screen, after the Thalosians demonstrates punishment They confirm Vina was real, they repaired her injuries. Pike is shifted into another fantasy, with Vina at a picnic. Pike refuses to just accept the fake reality, and tries to find a way to defeat them. Suddenly he is shifted to another place, with Vina as a green Orion slave girl. I never got the point of this one. In the briefing room, the crew keep watching (riveting right?)
Act 3-I guess the reason is to tantalize Pike some more. You'd think the Talosians would have figured out by now Pike doesn't give in so easy. On the ship the crew plan to beam down to rescue Pike, but somehow only the women actually transport. The two appear in Pike's cage, with him and Vina. The Talosians say that they have given Pike options for him to choose. However Pike keeps his head filled with hate to ward off their abilities. Until they punish him. Later when a talosian tries to tale the weapons from the cell, Pike is able to grab them and hold a phaser to their head. Pike has a shorter fuse then Kirk it seems. On a gamble Pike is able to blast a hole in the cell. In the briefing room, the images suddenly stop. Kirk and the commodore move to a verdict, and declare Spock guilty. Don't worry it's just a commercial break.
Act 4-The Enterprise, in the present, reaches Talos IV. On the screen the images return of what happened next. They discover that the lacsr did blow apart the tore, they just weren't able to see it. The Talosian says that it;s time for Pike to pick the women he chooses. But when Pike threatens to destroy everything the Talosians abandon their quest for breeding stock. Vina refuses to leave, and then the secret is revealed. The beautiful Vina is an illusion, in reality she is horribly disfigured. The Talosians give her life and purpose with their power of illusion. Pike returns to the ship and say she understands why Vina stayed behind as the Enterprise goes on its way. In the briefing room, the truth stands revealed. Suddenly the commodore was never there (lame considering how he acted) and the images had been broadcast to starfleet also. As a result all charges are dropped and if he wants to, Pike is allowed to live on the planet. He does, and moments after Spock beams him down Kirk is shown an image of a restored Pike and Vina going to live their lives together.
Final Thoughts:First of all I am glad I watched this, finally at long last I get this episode. So what do I think of The Cage now? Ok yes it's not fair to judge the episode mangled into this one, fair enough. Gene Roddenberry had a big problem of having pilots with hardly any action, he did it again with "Encounter at Farpoint". But at least we met each character in that episode! Here everyone is just, there. I guess that is one of my biggest problems it's not a good pilot. It'd be a great Captain Pike episode of a series, but as a pilot? Everything feels to rushed in the opening aside from Pike's talk with the doctor. How about a little banter between the crew before we dive in? I've seen this a few times and have no idea who the characters are aside from the doctor, Number One and Spock (and I like the other girl, what the heck is her name?). It's also true sometimes a series can take a few episodes for fans to really get the characters down (it took tow or three episodes of Friends to get that Ross and Monica were related). But I can sure see why NBC told Roddenberry to lose everyone and recast the show.
That being said, it's a good episode and a really good story. But the biggest problem for me are those endless fantasies the Talosians put Pike thru. I get what they are doing, but the scenes just go on and on. They try to break it up by going back to the ship as the crew decides what to do, but man is it boring. This time watching wasn't as bad as when I was younger, context does help. Finally, while the Kirk stuff in part one was really well done every time we flash back to the present here it's truly a waste of time. Once the court martial begins, if you don't want to see The Cage, just skip to the last few minutes of part 2 because there is nothing here. Scotty and McCoy don't even get a line, and at one point we cut back to the present day on the Bridge and it catches you off guard. I'm always like, "oh yeah!".
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