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===Act Four===
 
===Act Four===
The ''Enterprise'' enters [[orbit]] around Talos IV. Spock tells the court that Talos controls the ''Enterprise,'' as it did on her previous encounter, and that Mendez's inquiry into Spock's motives will now be answered.
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The ''Enterprise'' enters [[orbit]] around Talos IV. Spock tells the court that Talos controls the ''Enterprise,'' as it did on her previous encounter, and that Mendez' inquiry into Spock's motives will now be answered.
   
 
The Talosians had abandoned their effort to capture and breed humans as servants when Captain Pike and the others threatened to destroy themselves, a decision the atrophied Talosians had claimed condemned them to eventual death. Vina had declined rescue by the ''Enterprise,'' for a reason made evident at the end of the Talosians' presentation: The Talosians show Vina to be horribly disfigured, though their mastery of projecting illusions lets her live a normal life. Spock's purpose in bringing Pike back to Talos IV was to enable Pike to live out the rest of his days in the same way; the Talosians are willing to "free" him from his wheelchair. The basis of [[General Order 7]], the capital crime forbidding contact with Talos IV, is also evident now: to keep humans from learning the Talosians' power of illusion, to their own destruction.
 
The Talosians had abandoned their effort to capture and breed humans as servants when Captain Pike and the others threatened to destroy themselves, a decision the atrophied Talosians had claimed condemned them to eventual death. Vina had declined rescue by the ''Enterprise,'' for a reason made evident at the end of the Talosians' presentation: The Talosians show Vina to be horribly disfigured, though their mastery of projecting illusions lets her live a normal life. Spock's purpose in bringing Pike back to Talos IV was to enable Pike to live out the rest of his days in the same way; the Talosians are willing to "free" him from his wheelchair. The basis of [[General Order 7]], the capital crime forbidding contact with Talos IV, is also evident now: to keep humans from learning the Talosians' power of illusion, to their own destruction.
   
Kirk then addresses Mendez, but Mendez disappears. A Talosian explains that Mendez's presence on board the ''Enterprise'' was an illusion. Spock and the Talosians orchestrated events to keep the crew from regaining control of the ship too quickly. Spock said the reason he did not simply reveal his plan to Kirk was to subject only himself to the death penalty.
+
Kirk then addresses Mendez, but Mendez disappears. A Talosian explains that Mendez' presence on board the ''Enterprise'' was an illusion. Spock and the Talosians orchestrated events to keep the crew from regaining control of the ship too quickly. Spock said the reason he did not simply reveal his plan to Kirk was to subject only himself to the death penalty.
   
 
The real Commodore Mendez, still at Starbase 11, sends a message that he too has received the Talosians' presentation. He suspends General Order 7 for this occasion and directs Kirk to proceed as he thinks best. Pike signals that he will remain on Talos.
 
The real Commodore Mendez, still at Starbase 11, sends a message that he too has received the Talosians' presentation. He suspends General Order 7 for this occasion and directs Kirk to proceed as he thinks best. Pike signals that he will remain on Talos.

Revision as of 06:32, 20 May 2013

Template:Realworld

While Spock faces court martial for kidnapping Captain Pike and hijacking the Enterprise, he further explains his actions with mysterious footage about Pike's captivity by the Talosians.

Summary

Teaser

Captain Kirk, in his personal log (excerpted below), ponders the events of the past day (which were seen in Part I of the episode).

Spock is facing a court martial aboard the Enterprise on multiple charges: Mutiny; kidnapping his former commanding officer, Fleet Captain Christopher Pike, mutilated by a recent space disaster and unable to speak; and locking the Enterprise on course for the planet Talos IV, for which the penalty is death. Spock has pled guilty to all the charges. However, when the presiding officer, Commodore Mendez, asks Spock about his motive, it gives Spock a legal opening to present his evidence: mysterious but authentic video from thirteen years before, as the Enterprise, commanded by Captain Pike, became the only starship ever to visit Talos. The recap concludes with the revelation that the video presentation is itself being transmitted from Talos.

Act One

The court martial reconvenes, this time in closed session. Mendez reminds Spock that Starfleet has ordered no contact with Talos IV, with no exceptions. Spock says that the Talosian Keeper has taken over control of their viewscreen. The presentation resumes as Captain Pike had been knocked unconscious and captured by the Talosians. (The events in the flashback are the episode "The Cage".) The Talosians make Pike relive the deadly battle on Rigel VII two weeks earlier. But Pike decides he is still in the cell, which Spock calls a "brilliant deduction."

Later, the viewscreen shuts off. Pike's head has slumped over, and Spock says the Talosians know that Pike is fatigued. As Kirk remarks that the Talosians care for Pike, Spock confirms that the Talosians want him back, alive. Mendez demands an explanation, but Spock insists that they will understand only after they reach Talos.

Act Two

Talosians 3

The Talosians

The court martial and the viewscreen presentation resume. The Talosians continue to show Pike a spacewreck survivor named Vina, in various guises, to induce Pike to breed, but he is only interested in learning from her the parameters of the illusions and of his imprisonment. Here she appears as a green-skinned Orion slave girl. Mendez mentions that the seductive women are said to be irresistible.

Act Three

The viewscreen presentation continues: The Talosians beam down Number One and Yeoman Colt to give Pike a choice of mates, but their lasers do not work. Pike deduces that this too is an illusion and uses a weapon to threaten a Talosian and win their way to the planet's surface.

The presentation is interrupted again and the Talosians seem to have abandoned Spock. Mendez demands that the court-martial panel of three captains reach a verdict. Spock asks Pike to wait to reach Talos, telling him that he will have a chance for life, but Kirk likens it to life as a zoo specimen or amusement. Pike, Mendez, and finally, even Kirk vote that Spock is guilty of mutiny, as charged.

Act Four

The Enterprise enters orbit around Talos IV. Spock tells the court that Talos controls the Enterprise, as it did on her previous encounter, and that Mendez' inquiry into Spock's motives will now be answered.

The Talosians had abandoned their effort to capture and breed humans as servants when Captain Pike and the others threatened to destroy themselves, a decision the atrophied Talosians had claimed condemned them to eventual death. Vina had declined rescue by the Enterprise, for a reason made evident at the end of the Talosians' presentation: The Talosians show Vina to be horribly disfigured, though their mastery of projecting illusions lets her live a normal life. Spock's purpose in bringing Pike back to Talos IV was to enable Pike to live out the rest of his days in the same way; the Talosians are willing to "free" him from his wheelchair. The basis of General Order 7, the capital crime forbidding contact with Talos IV, is also evident now: to keep humans from learning the Talosians' power of illusion, to their own destruction.

Kirk then addresses Mendez, but Mendez disappears. A Talosian explains that Mendez' presence on board the Enterprise was an illusion. Spock and the Talosians orchestrated events to keep the crew from regaining control of the ship too quickly. Spock said the reason he did not simply reveal his plan to Kirk was to subject only himself to the death penalty.

The real Commodore Mendez, still at Starbase 11, sends a message that he too has received the Talosians' presentation. He suspends General Order 7 for this occasion and directs Kirk to proceed as he thinks best. Pike signals that he will remain on Talos.

Kirk needles Spock for a disturbing tendency toward flagrant emotionalism. Spock regards this as an insult and insists that his actions have been completely logical. On the Enterprise viewscreen, the Talosian Magistrate shows Kirk the healthy Pike and Vina leaving hand-in-hand, with the greeting, "Captain Pike has an illusion, and you have reality; may you find your way as pleasant."

Log Entries

  • "Personal log, stardate 3013.1. I find it hard to believe the events of the past 24 hours or the plea of Mr. Spock standing general court martial... Why? Why does Spock want to take to that forbidden world his former captain, mutilated by a recent space disaster, now a shell of a man unable to speak or move? The only answer Spock would give was on the hearing room screen. How Spock could do this, he refused to explain, but there before our eyes actual images from thirteen years ago... Of Captain Pike as he was when he commanded this vessel, of Spock in those days and of how the Enterprise had become the first and only starship to visit Talos IV. They had received a distress signal from that planet and discovered there still alive after many years, the survivors of a missing vessel only to find it was all an illusion. No survivors, no encampment, it was all a trap set by a race of being who could make a man believe he was seeing anything they wished him to see. And Captain Pike was gone, a prisoner for some unknown purpose."
  • "Personal log, stardate 3013.2. Reconvening court martial of Mr. Spock and the strangest trial evidence ever heard aboard a starship... from the mysterious planet now only one hour ahead of us; the story of Captain Pike's imprisonment there."
  • "Personal log, supplemental. Strange evidence from the past... how the Talosians, planning to breed a society of Human slaves, tempted Pike with the Earth woman they held in captivity... and as she appeared to him in many forms, each more exciting than the last, Pike was beginning to weaken."

Memorable Quotes

"They're like animals, vicious, seductive. They say no human male can resist them."

- Mendez, commenting on Vina as an Orion slave girl


"Guilty, Captain, yes or no?"
(Pike offers a single beep from his wheelchair.)
"Yes. I must also vote guilty as charged. And you, Captain?"
"Guilty. As charged."

- Mendez, Pike, and Kirk, rendering their verdict against Spock


"Talos controls the vessel now, as they did thirteen years ago. You asked me "why," Commodore. You'll see your answer now."

- Spock to Mendez, as the motivation for returning Pike to Talos IV is about to be revealed.


"I want to talk to you. This regrettable tendency you've been showing lately towards flagrant emotionalism –"
"I see no reason to insult me, sir. I believe I've been completely logical about the whole affair."

- Kirk and Spock, as Pike is moved out of the briefing room


"Captain Pike has an illusion, and you have reality. May you find your way as pleasant."

- Talosian Keeper, to Kirk (mirroring the similar farewell that he gave to Pike thirteen years earlier)


For memorable quotes from "The Cage", click here.

Background Information

Production

  • The first draft of this episode's script (along with that of "The Menagerie, Part I") was completed on 3 October 1966 with the subsequent final draft being turned in on 7 October.
  • Robert Butler is the only credited director on this episode. However, Butler had actually directed "The Cage", which provided much of the material used in this episode. The courtroom scenes in "The Menagerie, Part II" were actually directed by the credited director of "The Menagerie, Part I", Marc Daniels, who receives no on-screen credit for them here. Likewise, Butler was not credited for the portions of his "The Cage" used in "The Menagerie, Part I". Essentially, both episodes feature material directed by both men but they are only credited once each, Daniels on the first part and Butler on the second. In addition, many of the production staff who worked on "The Cage" (cinematographer William E. Snyder, editor Leo Shreve, art director Franz Bachelin, etc.) are credited in this episode in place of the actual series staff, who received credit in Part I.
  • "The Menagerie, Parts I" and "II" constitute the only two-parter in the run of the original Star Trek. Combined, the two parts of this script only run to 64 pages, shorter than the scripts for many one-hour episodes. This is due to the heavy use of footage from "The Cage," which only had to be briefly noted by scene designations in the script format.
  • This is the only episode of any Star Trek series which uses a captain's log to recap the events of the previous episode in a story arc. All others use a more traditional "previously, on..."-type of recap.
  • In the script, McCoy and Scott have a scene wherein they explain to Kirk how they figured out which computer bank Spock tampered with to lock the ship on course. They took perspiration readings on all banks, and since Spock's sweat has copper in it, traces of copper were found. This scene isn't seen in the episode.
  • At the end of the episode, dramatic license is taken when Spock brings Pike to the transporter room. To make the scene as expedient as possible, Spock accompanies Pike to the transporter, sees him off and beams him down all in less than two seconds of screen time.

Cast

Continuity

  • The footage the Talosians send to the Enterprise differs from what had happened in "The Cage"; specifically, when Pike asks The Keeper if he'll give Vina back her illusion of beauty, The Keeper replies "And more" and restores Vina's appearance. However, in "The Cage", The Keeper not only restored Vina's beauty, but also created an illusion of Captain Pike for her and the two of them returned to the underground community. This was changed for "The Menagerie" so that The Keeper could show Captain Kirk the image of Pike restored to health (and back in his old-style Starfleet uniform) and going underground with Vina.

Awards

  • Along with Part 1, this episode won the 1967 Hugo Award for "Best Dramatic Presentation".

Remastered Information

  • "The Menagerie, Part II" was the thirteenth remastered episode of the The Original Series to air. It premiered in syndication the weekend of 2 December 2006. Among several new, digital shots created for the episode, a new, more realistic digital matte painting of the Mojave replaces the original backdrop, as does a high quality shot of Rigel VII and Talos IV from space.
The next remastered episode to air was "The Corbomite Maneuver".
  • A limited-time-only theatrical presentation with "The Menagerie, Part I" occurred on 13 November 2007 and 15 November 2007. It included a message from Gene "Rod" Roddenberry Jr., a 20-minute "making of" documentary about the restoration process, and a trailer for Season Two of the remastered series. [1]

Video and DVD Releases

Unusually, this tape contained both parts of "The Menagerie" (usually, US releases were single-episode).

Links and References

Starring

Also Starring

Special Guest Star

Guest Star

Also Starring

Featuring

And

Uncredited Co-Stars

References

court martial; death penalty; distress signal; Earth; General Order 7; hearing room; logic; Milky Way Galaxy; Orion slave girl; Picasso; Rigel VII; Starbase 11; Starbase 11 planet; Talos IV; Talosian system; Talosians; zoo

External link

  • Template:NCwiki
Previous episode produced:
"The Menagerie, Part I"
Star Trek: The Original Series
Season 1
Next episode produced:
"Shore Leave"
Previous episode aired:
"The Menagerie, Part I"
Next episode aired:
"The Conscience of the King"
Previous remastered episode aired:
"The Menagerie, Part I"
TOS Remastered Next remastered episode aired:
"The Corbomite Maneuver"