"The Menagerie" Line-by-Line

[LeadHead]

Keeper: As you see, your attempt to escape accomplished nothing.

 

[ClayinCA]

PIKE: I want to contact our ship.

 

[Brian]

KEEPER: You are now on the surface where we wished you to be. With the female of your choice, you will now begin carefully guided lives.

 

[Leandar]

Pike: And start by burying you?

Even that they would cut the transmission and leave Spock hanging, but would resume transmission once the ship entered orbit? They could have just timed the playback better so that everything was revealed just as the ship reached the planet, and not had to resort to having the Mendez avatar go through the delaying tactic of a vote.)

In essence, you just answered your own question. Remembering that Mendez at every point after leaving Starbase 11 is just an illusion, that means that the entire procedure was under the control of the Talosians and that Spock had communicated what Kirk would likely do in accordance with regulations and other things that they likely predicted together. Also bear in mind that once the proceedings went closed door, the only one that was truly in the dark about what was happening was Kirk. Pike certainly knew what Spock was trying to do for him, even though he didn't want Spock risking his career and life for it and he couldn't communicate that to anyone. And Spock's return to his calm demeanor when the ship reaches Talos to me, indicates that he knew all along what was happening and that the reason for the delay was so that the answers would be given while the ship was there and then they could send Pike down if he so desired.

 

[scotpens]

KEEPER: That is your choice. To help you reclaim the planet's surface, our zoological gardens will furnish a variety of plant life.



NOTE: As long as we're doing commentary, it seems the Talosians, for all their advanced intelligence, don't have a good grasp of English. The Keeper obviously meant "botanical gardens."

And the interruption in transmitting the images was nothing more than a writer's device, so that the guilty vote could be a dramatic moment just before the commercial break.

 

[Adm_Hawthorne]

Pike: Look, I'll make a deal with you. You and your life for the lives of these two Earth women. You give me proof that our ship is all right, send these two back, and I'll stay with Vina.

 

[Orac]

Number One (Sets her weapon to overload): It's wrong to create a whole race of humans to live as slaves.

 

[Brian]

KEEPER: Is this a deception? Do you intend to destroy yourselves?

 

[JanewayRulz!]

VINA: What is that?

 

[Orac]

Pike: The weapon is building up an overload, a forced chamber explosion. You still have time to get underground, well go on! And just to show you how primitive humans are Talosian, you go with her.

 

[Leandar]

Vina: If... if you all think that it's this important then... I can't go either. I suppose if they have one human being, they might try again.

 

[Orac]

Pike: Wait!

 

[Leandar]

(Number One deactivates the overload as the lift approaches again with two more Talosians. One of them begins communicating telepathically to the Keeper)

Talosian: Their method of storing records is crude and consumed much time. Are you prepared to assimilate it?

 

[LeadHead]

Keeper: We had not believed this possible. The customs and history of your race show a unique hatred of captivity. Even when it's pleasant and benevolent, you prefer death. This makes you too violent and dangerous a species for our needs.

 

[Leandar]

Vina: He means that they can't use you. You're free to go back to the ship.

 

[LeadHead]

Pike: And that's it. No apologies. You captured one of us. Threatened all of us.

 

[Orac]

Talosian: Your unsuitability has condemned the Talosian race to eventual death, is this not sufficient?

 

[Leandar]

Keeper: No other specimen has shown your adaptability. You were our only hope.

 

[Orac]

Pike: But wouldn't some form of trade, or mutual cooperation...

 

[LeadHead]

Keeper: Your race would learn our power of illusion and destroy itself too.