If only there was a way to look these kind of things up….
TrekBBS - One of the leading authorities on Star Trek.
OR: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By_Any_Other_Name
Star Trek TOS Re-Watch
- Thread starter Commander Troi
- Start date
TrekBBS - One of the leading authorities on Star Trek.
OR: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/By_Any_Other_Name
I've always considered this part to be a genuinely shocking scene. I think killing the woman goes against expectations and qualifies as a twist.
And IMO underrated to boot. Over time it became my all-time TOS favorite, likely due to its original special effects. Kirky and company light up like Christmas trees, while Chekov is more dried-up than ever before.
Never had a Yeoman bought it on camera until here. And the only TOS black crewman to die during the show, or at least on-camera, was the very last crewman to perish during the run: Watkins from THAT WHICH SURVIVES.
The best one, IMO.
Is that S1, S2, or S3?
You did see that I actually answered your question?
This episode would probably be top 10 for me, but as I've gotten older I realize what a tonal shift there is once they are through the barrier. The first half (half?) of the episode is HARROWING. There's real jeopardy of a kind not really seen in other Star Trek. It's all of the "pawns in the hands of an overwhelming force" that we saw in Squire of Gothos or Gamesters of Triskelion or Who Mourns for Adonais? But the Kelvans are chilling! There is no malice there is no interest. They want what they want and you're just in the way.
Then we get through the barrier and Our Heroes concoct their zany plan. And it's all yuck yucks after that. They are GOOD yuck yucks. I mean, "It's green!" is memorable for a reason. (Shout out to re-using Jerry Fielding's "bagpipes" from Tribbles.)
So... Really good episode.
I always wondered how many more worlds would have been completely blocked, had the Kelvans invaded. In the Blish adaptation, Rojan tells Kirk those on other worlds ''will not be mistreated, merely subordinated.'' But as you point out, the episode ramps it way up beyond that prospect. Rojan himself is on a suicide mission his descendants will complete. Kirk almost considers wasting everybody aboard with the antimatter gambit. But considering Rojan detected it at some point, and he doesn't even retaliate further (as if he'd kill a regular officer), it's a formidable display of power that week.
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Thank you. Why do some consider S2 "the best one?" There's only 3, and they're all good.
Watkins was the last one we see die, but Kirk did mention in his log at the beginning of "REQUIEM FOR METHUSELAH" that others died due to the disease aboard.
Heh, I watched this one recently and had the exact same thought. I think previously I was thinking of it more like “Wink of an Eye” where the tone is pretty consistent from start to finish.
Yeah, the tone shift was a bit jarring, especially after the scene with Kirk in the corridor with the polyhedrals. But somehow, it worked anyway.
I forgot to mention the unsurprising sexism. Kalinda is easily overcome by Kirk during the cave escape and then just stands there being fought over by Kirk and Rojan. OTOH, Drea seems remarkably competent.
I forgot to mention the unsurprising sexism. Kalinda is easily overcome by Kirk during the cave escape and then just stands there being fought over by Kirk and Rojan. OTOH, Drea seems remarkably competent.
Not equally. Two's more dynamic with less soft-focus while no bloopers are deliberately left in due to budget cuts. (The BABEL flying-leg-kick-gone wrong is a CHARACTER blooper, not a writing blooper.) One has the most diverse landing parties, but Uhura has somewhat more to do in Two (in TRIBBLES and TRISKELION at least.) Two has excellently-directed action and killer fight-theme music. Three's landing parties have so many Kirk/Spock/McCoy landing trios they might as well be Tuvix Plus One. 2-1-3 is my order and I'll stick to it.Thank you. Why do some consider S2 "the best one?" There's only 3, and they're all good.
Good point which I forgot many times before. Blish wrote the deaths off as one or more yeomans, which won't hurt the Enterprise's monthly grade-point-average in the slightest. Still no excuse for Kirk to smile so much when dancing. I find Rayna fascinating too, but get back to work, Captain!
She's supposed to be. She's a Kelvan, not a yeoman. She's basically stuck on the bridge in her yellow suit for the most part. As for Kelinda, she gets to make her own final nooky-choice in the end. I'm glad it's not Kirk. Warren Stevens has already been dissed as a weak link in FORBIDDEN PLANET by Anne Francis. But here, he gets the..........beautiful woman, as Shatner would often pause it.
Well, the number of seasons has no bearing on whether one has a favorite.Thank you. Why do some consider S2 "the best one?" There's only 3, and they're all good.
Space:1999
Lost in Space:
Buck Rogers
War of the Worlds
Human Target
SeaQuest
Airwolf
Alphas
All shows that had two-three seasons and had producer / tone changes and people often prefer one year over another.
Star Trek had several tone and producer changes, even though the format remained the same. Like you, I love all three. But I totally get why other fans would prefer one season over another.
Some shows, though, can happily sail along with one season pretty much being just like another.
The Rat Patrol is a great example of a series where both seasons, hell even most of the episodes, are so unchanging, there's not enough variety to distinguish one from another. The Fugitive was so solidly high quality from the start, the first 3 seasons are equally excellent.
I bought TOS on Blu-Ray and just watched "The Cage" with the original effects. I'm already doing a re-watch of DS9, but I'll be doing a re-watch of TOS as well. This re-watch will be less frequent than my DS9 re-watch. Basically, I'll post about an episode of TOS whenever I feel like taking a break from DS9 before getting back into it again. I'll be re-watching this series in Production Order not Airdate Order. I think that's everything, so now I'll start off with...
"The Cage"
I think this is Gene Roddenberry's best work. You can tell how much this project meant to him. There's something very special about "The Cage" and the fact that NBC rejected it says more about them than it does about "The Cage" itself.
I like the original original cast. Jeffrey Hunter brings a real gravitas to Captain Pike that left quite an impression on me. Even though I've never seen King of Kings, I can see why they'd cast him as Jesus Christ. It was a brave thing to start off the series with Pike already feeling worn out, coping with loss, and getting to see everything Pike told Boyce about in play when the Talosians make him experience his memories, fantasies, and desires. We see the fight on Rigel VII, we see what riding out with a picnic lunch would look like, and the crazy idea of Pike mingling with Orion Slave Girls. The only life for Pike is his life on the Enterprise and he has to deal with whatever that entails.
Majel Barrett is effective as the analytical Number One, trying to make sense of the situation on Talos IV, being pragmatic, and taking charge after Pike is captured by the Talosians. Even though she's analytical and can be clinical, she still has warmth and empathy. The warmth when she introduces Colt, and the empathy when she says nothing will be said if anyone wants to back out of going down to Talos IV when the crew is worried what might happen to them when they beam down. Number One actually compliments Pike. Pike feels things acutely. Number One can detach herself. She seems very matter-of-fact and will do or act how the situation calls for. Pike doesn't seem to be able to do that as easily.
I've seen John Hoyt, the actor who plays Dr. Boyce, elsewhere. The first thing that comes to mind is an episode of The Twilight Zone. I don't remember which one, but he was wise, with a devilish streak since he played an alien. Boyce is also wise, he gives a pep talk to Pike when he's feeling down, and had the most insight when Number One held a briefing about the Talosians. He also has a bit of a streak to him where he knows how to get the Captain to open up or can find out what he needs to from him. Offering Pike a martini is what got him to finally start talking about what's on his mind. Otherwise, Pike would've probably preferred to brood and not say anything at all. At the end of the episode, when Boyce needles Pike about being "Adam" on Talos IV, and Pike deflects, he finds out that Pike's mind is on the ship and on duty, not if he'd get into a relationship with Number One or Colt.
I like Colt as character, but also feel bad for her. She has to replace Pike's previous yeoman and he's very strict and stern with her. Later on, when she's beamed down to Talos IV, Vina basically calls her stupid. Afterwards, when Colt wants to know who would've been "Eve", Number One cuts her off before Pike would've had a chance to answer or not answer and says, "Yeoman, you've delivered your report." Then Colt leaves. Hopefully she had a better second day! Laurel Goodwin did a good job in the role, and while I can't picture her as in the types of stories Rand was in, I wouldn't have minded if Colt had been there in the actual series.
There's not much to say about Jose Tyler. He doesn't get to do much except be excited and give exposition. I know the character was originally called Jose Ortegas. I don't know why they changed it. According to the series proposal, the character hated how difficult things in life were and wanted to be a lover. None of that comes across here. Although, in fairness, the story didn't call for it.
Then there's Spock. Everything that's been said about Spock in "The Cage" has been said 100,000 Million Trillion times. I'll keep it brief. Leonard Nimoy plays him inquisitive, emotive, and there's not much sign of the character he'll become. Humble beginnings. At this stage, he's just the resident alien.
Susan Oliver gave a stellar performance as Vina. She runs the gamut of emotions: happy, sad, desperate, resigned, romantic. The roles she plays in various illusions is equally diverse. Stranded with scientists, damsel in distress, housewife, and Orion Slave Girl. But all of that is also an illusion. The real Vina's extremely tortured soul and emotionally very damaged. She's spent 18 years with the Talosians. She's lonely, wants to be around other Humans, and she's been back-and-forth with the Talosians and their mind-games. Yet she wants to stay because of how disfigured she was, she doesn't think she'd be accepted, and feels Talos IV, and the life of illusion is the only place for her. I actually do think Vina loves Pike. She's trying her hardest to be whatever will make Pike want to stay, even though he can't. That they give her an illusion of Pike to live with is at least something for her. Although I can't imagine it being the same thing. When Vina's true appearance is revealed and she explains why she wants to stay on Talos IV, and we hear the music in the background, it makes me tear up every time. It's really sad.
Last but not least are the Talosians themselves. At first they seem like zookeepers, looking down on Humans like the animals they have. Then we find out that they see the potential in Humans and care about their well-being even though they don't know to deal with them. The Talosians want the Humans to serve a very specific purpose for them: to repopulate Talos IV and want to condition them to make this possible. At the end, when the Talosians find out they can't use Humans for their plans, they let them go. Since the Humans can't fulfill what they need, they let them go as simple as that. What's interesting here is if they're so intelligent, why can't they find another way to survive or develop the discipline not to rely on their power of illusion so much? Can't they learn everything they've forgotten how to do? I don't hold it against the episode because it makes clear that the Talosians don't think like we do. How we think is a mystery to them, so how they think should be a mystery to us.
Robert Butler was a great director. To someone who's never seen Star Trek before, he gives a sense of the scale of the Enterprise and makes it feel like you're really flying through space. The clever use of the matte paintings makes the surface of Talos IV look vast. Underneath the surface of Talos IV, where the Talosians are watching everything looks extremely alien. The purple background, the textures, the strangely shaped viewscreen. The Talosians themselves look very convincing, now or then. When Pike's in his menagerie, and you see the neighboring aliens, it crates a sense of dread. It gets me every time when that bird-like alien works its way onto and off the screen with that eerie music. I know the larger budget also helps, but Rigel VII looks like the dangerous medieval palace it's supposed to, Mojave looks nice and peaceful, and the palace with the Orion Slave Girls looks appropriately expansive, elaborate, and hedonistic. The clothing that Pike and Vina wear on Mojave and the civilian clothing the couple passing by in the Enterprise hallway wear looks relatively contemporary for when the episode was made. Probably because anything outlandish would've been distracting. Everything seems focused on making this look like a believable future with a lived-in world.
Summing Up: This is still my favorite Star Trek pilot. As much as I like TOS, I wish it would've somehow been possible to have also had a show with this cast. I like "The Cage" just as much now as when I first saw it. I give it a 10.
"The Cage"
I think this is Gene Roddenberry's best work. You can tell how much this project meant to him. There's something very special about "The Cage" and the fact that NBC rejected it says more about them than it does about "The Cage" itself.
I like the original original cast. Jeffrey Hunter brings a real gravitas to Captain Pike that left quite an impression on me. Even though I've never seen King of Kings, I can see why they'd cast him as Jesus Christ. It was a brave thing to start off the series with Pike already feeling worn out, coping with loss, and getting to see everything Pike told Boyce about in play when the Talosians make him experience his memories, fantasies, and desires. We see the fight on Rigel VII, we see what riding out with a picnic lunch would look like, and the crazy idea of Pike mingling with Orion Slave Girls. The only life for Pike is his life on the Enterprise and he has to deal with whatever that entails.
Majel Barrett is effective as the analytical Number One, trying to make sense of the situation on Talos IV, being pragmatic, and taking charge after Pike is captured by the Talosians. Even though she's analytical and can be clinical, she still has warmth and empathy. The warmth when she introduces Colt, and the empathy when she says nothing will be said if anyone wants to back out of going down to Talos IV when the crew is worried what might happen to them when they beam down. Number One actually compliments Pike. Pike feels things acutely. Number One can detach herself. She seems very matter-of-fact and will do or act how the situation calls for. Pike doesn't seem to be able to do that as easily.
I've seen John Hoyt, the actor who plays Dr. Boyce, elsewhere. The first thing that comes to mind is an episode of The Twilight Zone. I don't remember which one, but he was wise, with a devilish streak since he played an alien. Boyce is also wise, he gives a pep talk to Pike when he's feeling down, and had the most insight when Number One held a briefing about the Talosians. He also has a bit of a streak to him where he knows how to get the Captain to open up or can find out what he needs to from him. Offering Pike a martini is what got him to finally start talking about what's on his mind. Otherwise, Pike would've probably preferred to brood and not say anything at all. At the end of the episode, when Boyce needles Pike about being "Adam" on Talos IV, and Pike deflects, he finds out that Pike's mind is on the ship and on duty, not if he'd get into a relationship with Number One or Colt.
I like Colt as character, but also feel bad for her. She has to replace Pike's previous yeoman and he's very strict and stern with her. Later on, when she's beamed down to Talos IV, Vina basically calls her stupid. Afterwards, when Colt wants to know who would've been "Eve", Number One cuts her off before Pike would've had a chance to answer or not answer and says, "Yeoman, you've delivered your report." Then Colt leaves. Hopefully she had a better second day! Laurel Goodwin did a good job in the role, and while I can't picture her as in the types of stories Rand was in, I wouldn't have minded if Colt had been there in the actual series.
There's not much to say about Jose Tyler. He doesn't get to do much except be excited and give exposition. I know the character was originally called Jose Ortegas. I don't know why they changed it. According to the series proposal, the character hated how difficult things in life were and wanted to be a lover. None of that comes across here. Although, in fairness, the story didn't call for it.
Then there's Spock. Everything that's been said about Spock in "The Cage" has been said 100,000 Million Trillion times. I'll keep it brief. Leonard Nimoy plays him inquisitive, emotive, and there's not much sign of the character he'll become. Humble beginnings. At this stage, he's just the resident alien.
Susan Oliver gave a stellar performance as Vina. She runs the gamut of emotions: happy, sad, desperate, resigned, romantic. The roles she plays in various illusions is equally diverse. Stranded with scientists, damsel in distress, housewife, and Orion Slave Girl. But all of that is also an illusion. The real Vina's extremely tortured soul and emotionally very damaged. She's spent 18 years with the Talosians. She's lonely, wants to be around other Humans, and she's been back-and-forth with the Talosians and their mind-games. Yet she wants to stay because of how disfigured she was, she doesn't think she'd be accepted, and feels Talos IV, and the life of illusion is the only place for her. I actually do think Vina loves Pike. She's trying her hardest to be whatever will make Pike want to stay, even though he can't. That they give her an illusion of Pike to live with is at least something for her. Although I can't imagine it being the same thing. When Vina's true appearance is revealed and she explains why she wants to stay on Talos IV, and we hear the music in the background, it makes me tear up every time. It's really sad.
Last but not least are the Talosians themselves. At first they seem like zookeepers, looking down on Humans like the animals they have. Then we find out that they see the potential in Humans and care about their well-being even though they don't know to deal with them. The Talosians want the Humans to serve a very specific purpose for them: to repopulate Talos IV and want to condition them to make this possible. At the end, when the Talosians find out they can't use Humans for their plans, they let them go. Since the Humans can't fulfill what they need, they let them go as simple as that. What's interesting here is if they're so intelligent, why can't they find another way to survive or develop the discipline not to rely on their power of illusion so much? Can't they learn everything they've forgotten how to do? I don't hold it against the episode because it makes clear that the Talosians don't think like we do. How we think is a mystery to them, so how they think should be a mystery to us.
Robert Butler was a great director. To someone who's never seen Star Trek before, he gives a sense of the scale of the Enterprise and makes it feel like you're really flying through space. The clever use of the matte paintings makes the surface of Talos IV look vast. Underneath the surface of Talos IV, where the Talosians are watching everything looks extremely alien. The purple background, the textures, the strangely shaped viewscreen. The Talosians themselves look very convincing, now or then. When Pike's in his menagerie, and you see the neighboring aliens, it crates a sense of dread. It gets me every time when that bird-like alien works its way onto and off the screen with that eerie music. I know the larger budget also helps, but Rigel VII looks like the dangerous medieval palace it's supposed to, Mojave looks nice and peaceful, and the palace with the Orion Slave Girls looks appropriately expansive, elaborate, and hedonistic. The clothing that Pike and Vina wear on Mojave and the civilian clothing the couple passing by in the Enterprise hallway wear looks relatively contemporary for when the episode was made. Probably because anything outlandish would've been distracting. Everything seems focused on making this look like a believable future with a lived-in world.
Summing Up: This is still my favorite Star Trek pilot. As much as I like TOS, I wish it would've somehow been possible to have also had a show with this cast. I like "The Cage" just as much now as when I first saw it. I give it a 10.
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You took my out of context. Someone reviewed X episode. I asked what season. The answer was "the best one." WTF does that mean? Cryptic as f*** which is annoying as f***. That's why I was thankful for the answer that someone else chimed in. Yes, I could have googled it, but that's not the point. When having casual conversation in person or online, I'm just not fond of people being cryptic, thinking they're the shit.
Regarding By Any Other Name....whilst it is certainly not a comic episode, its strength lies in the balance of horror and comedy.
To name a few:
McCoy's reaction as Spock goes into the trance.
Spock tapping McCoy and reminding him he needs another injection, whilst McCoy stares at Kelinda. (The framing is great, equal to the "please don't say it's fascinating" in the briefing room in The Ultimate Computer.)
Some moments of Kelinda's exploration of love/sexuality with Kirk.
Tomar's reaction to food, and of course the "it's green" scenes.
To name a few:
McCoy's reaction as Spock goes into the trance.
Spock tapping McCoy and reminding him he needs another injection, whilst McCoy stares at Kelinda. (The framing is great, equal to the "please don't say it's fascinating" in the briefing room in The Ultimate Computer.)
Some moments of Kelinda's exploration of love/sexuality with Kirk.
Tomar's reaction to food, and of course the "it's green" scenes.
Asking a closed ended question you could easily look up yourself is not exactly sparkling conversation, either.
As for posters here "thinking they're the shit", well...that's dangerously close to trolling.
I'd really advise you to take a step back.
This was regarding anyone with a pulse, not a specific person.
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