Classic episodes now considered "lame" - ?!

[The Friendly Jewish Ghost]

Of course, if Pike had been able to communicate what he was flashing "no" to, there would have been no story.

 

[Phaser Two]

I don’t have a huge problem believing that something about Pike's condition and its interaction with available technology prevented anything other than yes/no answers. The script—which, let's not forget, was an envelope to present "The Cage"—wasn't detailed enough about it, but I think there are many reasonable explanations.