Mendez sent the Enterprise a message which Uhura received right after the Telosian flashbacks were completed. Mendez was receiving the same images back on Starbase 11 and immediately sent out the waiver mentioned.
The Menagerie
- Thread starter Wingsley
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Mendez sent the Enterprise a message which Uhura received right after the Telosian flashbacks were completed. Mendez was receiving the same images back on Starbase 11 and immediately sent out the waiver mentioned.
Considering the distances involved, the prohibition on any contact with Talos IV makes a helluva lot of sense, doncha think?
I mean, if they're able to send the whole record all the way to Starbase 11, either telepathically or some old communications technology they've got laying around, it pretty effectively reinforces just how dangerous the whole idea is of trying to deal with those buttheads.
I mean, if they're able to send the whole record all the way to Starbase 11, either telepathically or some old communications technology they've got laying around, it pretty effectively reinforces just how dangerous the whole idea is of trying to deal with those buttheads.
Umm, there's no dialogue or anything else to indicate that the real Mendez was recieving images from Talos IV back on Starbase 11. The message was recieved immediately after the Mendez illusion dissapated most likely because the Talosians were preventing Uhura from seeing that the Starbase had sent a message until the 'imaginary' court martial was ended.
The framing story doesn't really hang together; it's that simple.
from http://www.voyager.cz/tos/epizody/17menagerieiitrans.htm
Message from Starbase 11, sir.
"Received images from Talos IV.
"In view of historic importance of Captain Pike"
"in space exploration,"
"GeneraI Order 7 prohibiting contact Talos IV"
"issuspended this occasion."
"No action contemplated against Spock."
"Proceed as you think best."
"Signed, Mendez,J.I., Commodore, Starbase 11. "
The Menagerie was serendipity, as good as it gets. The decision to save a few bucks gave Star Trek a rich history. I can'y imagine a new series of that vintage intentionally constructing such a flashback ("Hey, let's just go and say that Spock's been around 13 years with another Captain!") They'd write it off as unnecessarily confusing.
Most clip shows are of the order of "Shades of Gray", i.e., barely tolerable at best.
"The Menagerie" has the double advantage of not only being a clip show of clips nobody had seen to that point, but a two-part clip show.
What would normally cost them two weeks, a horribly blown budget, and a half ton of overtime, only took four days, mostly on standing or slightly redressed sets.
Roddenberry may have been a mediocre writer, but he was a genius as a producer.
"The Menagerie" has the double advantage of not only being a clip show of clips nobody had seen to that point, but a two-part clip show.
What would normally cost them two weeks, a horribly blown budget, and a half ton of overtime, only took four days, mostly on standing or slightly redressed sets.
Roddenberry may have been a mediocre writer, but he was a genius as a producer.
Actually, filming of "The Menagerie" commenced on October 12, 1966 and finished on October 18. This information was obtained from the dates on the production slates.
This two-part series is irreparably linked to the term "hiney heads", for me. I can't help but smirk every time I see the Talosians. My sister coined that phrase. I'll never forget it... she walks in to see what I'm watching and exclaims "Eww! Hiney heads!" 
Aside from that little quirk, it is one of my favorite episodes. I know it's been said a million times, but the ingenuity of tying in the original pilot... just brilliant. Economical to the last. However, there is just one plausibility problem I have... the illogical act of risking so many lives for the happiness of one person is so NOT VULCAN of Spock. Really... when you think about it. Completely illogical.
Aside from that little quirk, it is one of my favorite episodes. I know it's been said a million times, but the ingenuity of tying in the original pilot... just brilliant. Economical to the last. However, there is just one plausibility problem I have... the illogical act of risking so many lives for the happiness of one person is so NOT VULCAN of Spock. Really... when you think about it. Completely illogical.
Okay, six days.
Chalk up another error in TMoST. Or my Swiss cheese memory kicking in, take your pick.
No, he simply reasoned that the only logical solution was an irrational act, and came up with a completely logical plan to enact it.
Solution to what? To Pike's condition? But asking Pike whether he wanted to go to Talos IV or not resulted in two flashes, "No". He didn't want to go. For Spock to go against that would be disobeying orders (Pike is still an active superior officer). So, did Spock then reason that the only way Pike could be truly happy would be to have the freedom of the Talosian illusion, and that this happiness was worth risking the lives of others as well as his career (and future priceless contributions to Star Fleet)? But then that leads back to the sacrifice of life... and thus, really the most logical thing would have been to kill Captain Pike and put him out of his misery. That kills the story, obviously... Should have been another way to make the motive for the episode work. Perhaps a long range hypnotic suggestion from the Talosians on Spock, whose psyche would be sensitive enough to pick up on it.
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