As a binge-watching kind of guy, I've always enjoyed going through a long series properly(my ongoing "Going Through Doctor Who" thread is a testament to that). So to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Star Trek, I'm going back to the 60s and watching the entire show from past to present!
This isn't simply a rerun, however, as I've not really seen huge chunks of it. I enjoyed various episodes of TNG and Voyager quite a bit as a kid, and I've seen the entirety of Enterprise, but I've almost completely missed out on TOS and DS9, so those are the main motivations for this super marathon, which follows the same basic format as "Going Through Doctor Who". Starting off with The Cage...
The Cage doesn't simply stand up to time... it's excellent!
PLOT
Captured by the inquisitive Telosians in the middle of his midlife crisis, Captain Christopher Pike must solve their mind puzzles and prove the capacity of the human race to escape.
ANALYSIS
It's a very intriguing, psychological episode, and not really what I expected going into 60s Star Trek(I picture Kirk slow-mo fighting that Gorn). The storyline is very layered and requires a bit of thought to follow, and the Telosians are a very enigmatic, and effective foe.
I will admit that the whole Adam-and-Eve aspect of it all is a little dated("Will you let me please you?"), but I wouldn't call it sexist either... it makes sense on both the aliens' side, and Vina's, it's just not something you'd see nowadays, I think.
The pace was also noticeably slower than I remembered, but that's just something you have to take in stride. I do enjoy the straightforward, innocent nature of 60s television in general, so I quite liked seeing the Enterprise bridge crew operate in a clinical, realistic atmosphere as opposed to the friendly, cosy environment we all know and love.
The episode also gained a lot from great direction. The budget can't have been that big, but it looked properly cinematic and the focus was definitely in the right place.
CHARACTERS
Jeffrey Hunter made a great impression as Captain Pike, and the episode did a terrific job at establishing his character and background. I would've liked to have seen more adventures with him(and I really look forward to his comeback... don't worry, I don't know all the spoilers!)
The rest of the main cast tended to blend into one another, but I could easily see them evolving into more memorable characters. Already, we had Majel Barrett as the coolheaded Number One(who secretly fantasises about the captain!!) and her rival, the youthful Yeoman Colt.
We also see a precursor of the Kirk-McCoy relationship between Pike and his bartender-doctor Boyce, which was quite funny.
And of course, Leonard Nimoy himself appeared as Spock, although ironically, he didn't really do much.
NOTES
*I saw the episode in black-and-white due to a DVD player malfunction, but hey, so did half of the people in the 1960s, so...
*Gotta love the turtlenecks.
*Okay, between this and the James Bond films, I have to say: women were pretty darn hot in the 1960s.
*The special effects for the Telosians were fantastic. I loved the way the veins in their brains pulsated as they communicated telepathically.
*"Hand lasers"?
*The props for the communicators looked kind of unfinished to me. I thought I could see the wiring when they opened them up.
*The away team costumes looked quite odd, although not necessarily in a bad way... they had these woolly coats and jumpers. I found myself missing the Starfleet insignia on them.
*I didn't really understand the recurring joke of Pike getting upset at the Yeoman for bumping into him. He keeps telling her she's supposed to bring the report, and then she hands it over to him each time. Funny...?
BEST QUOTE
"Sir? I was wondering. Just curious... who would've been Eve?" - The VERY impulsive Yeoman...
CONCLUSION
Who in their right mind didn't pick this up???
This isn't simply a rerun, however, as I've not really seen huge chunks of it. I enjoyed various episodes of TNG and Voyager quite a bit as a kid, and I've seen the entirety of Enterprise, but I've almost completely missed out on TOS and DS9, so those are the main motivations for this super marathon, which follows the same basic format as "Going Through Doctor Who". Starting off with The Cage...
The Cage doesn't simply stand up to time... it's excellent!
PLOT
Captured by the inquisitive Telosians in the middle of his midlife crisis, Captain Christopher Pike must solve their mind puzzles and prove the capacity of the human race to escape.
ANALYSIS
It's a very intriguing, psychological episode, and not really what I expected going into 60s Star Trek(I picture Kirk slow-mo fighting that Gorn). The storyline is very layered and requires a bit of thought to follow, and the Telosians are a very enigmatic, and effective foe.
I will admit that the whole Adam-and-Eve aspect of it all is a little dated("Will you let me please you?"), but I wouldn't call it sexist either... it makes sense on both the aliens' side, and Vina's, it's just not something you'd see nowadays, I think.
The pace was also noticeably slower than I remembered, but that's just something you have to take in stride. I do enjoy the straightforward, innocent nature of 60s television in general, so I quite liked seeing the Enterprise bridge crew operate in a clinical, realistic atmosphere as opposed to the friendly, cosy environment we all know and love.
The episode also gained a lot from great direction. The budget can't have been that big, but it looked properly cinematic and the focus was definitely in the right place.
CHARACTERS
Jeffrey Hunter made a great impression as Captain Pike, and the episode did a terrific job at establishing his character and background. I would've liked to have seen more adventures with him(and I really look forward to his comeback... don't worry, I don't know all the spoilers!)
The rest of the main cast tended to blend into one another, but I could easily see them evolving into more memorable characters. Already, we had Majel Barrett as the coolheaded Number One(who secretly fantasises about the captain!!) and her rival, the youthful Yeoman Colt.
We also see a precursor of the Kirk-McCoy relationship between Pike and his bartender-doctor Boyce, which was quite funny.
And of course, Leonard Nimoy himself appeared as Spock, although ironically, he didn't really do much.
NOTES
*I saw the episode in black-and-white due to a DVD player malfunction, but hey, so did half of the people in the 1960s, so...
*Gotta love the turtlenecks.
*Okay, between this and the James Bond films, I have to say: women were pretty darn hot in the 1960s.
*The special effects for the Telosians were fantastic. I loved the way the veins in their brains pulsated as they communicated telepathically.
*"Hand lasers"?
*The props for the communicators looked kind of unfinished to me. I thought I could see the wiring when they opened them up.
*The away team costumes looked quite odd, although not necessarily in a bad way... they had these woolly coats and jumpers. I found myself missing the Starfleet insignia on them.
*I didn't really understand the recurring joke of Pike getting upset at the Yeoman for bumping into him. He keeps telling her she's supposed to bring the report, and then she hands it over to him each time. Funny...?
BEST QUOTE
"Sir? I was wondering. Just curious... who would've been Eve?" - The VERY impulsive Yeoman...
CONCLUSION
Who in their right mind didn't pick this up???
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