This episode certainly leaves one eager to experience its conclusion. What is so uniquely awful that Captain Pike discovered on Talos IV thirteen years ago? Why is it imperative now that Spock returns him there? Will Captain Kirk be able to forgive him? Well, maybe we don't have a lot of doubts about that third question, but those first two won't be answered easily. Part I of The Menagerie has successfully created a web of intrigue, spun deftly across two separate narratives; this makes it remarkable regardless of how well or poorly Part II will deliver on its considerable promise.
The Menagerie, Part I
- Thread starter Mendon
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I'm still not sure which I prefer: the original The Cage or this newer two-part retro-version. The wraparound plot in itself is also a great piece of drama and very much 'Spock' development backstory...
Part I, I think, is excellent because it sets up this great mystery around the character of Spock. Part II is weaker in the context of current events, because Spock plays such a minor role in those events of the past. We really don't learn a whole lot about his past, beyond his being there. So, the flashbacks in Part II are much more about Pike than they are about Spock. In as far as the Pike material was going to be used to develop the Spock character, I think it was destined to be a little underwhelming. I think its narrative utility would have been boosted a great deal if the Pike character was better developed in the current timeframe. Maybe a scene or two between Spock and Pike, where we learn why this is so important for Spock to do, why Pike needs it even though he doesn't know it. That, I think, would have sold it a little better for me.
But those are all complaints about Part II. Part I remains a fantastically interesting episode, in my opinion.
But those are all complaints about Part II. Part I remains a fantastically interesting episode, in my opinion.
...and there you have the thorn of this particular rose: what happened to Spock? Yes, it took me a few viewings (albeit over a number of years) to work out the weak link in the chain here. There's really not a lot about Spock in The Cage is there? Looking back at it now I'm surprised that "Number One" wasn't the cosignatory on the quarrantine order for Talos IV (rather than a very junior Lt. Spock)...
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