"The Cage"
Originally aired October 4th, 1988, but I'm sure there were unofficial airings (and possibly home video) before that. No fiver this time, sorry.
Memory Alpha Page
Transcript
In the name of mercy I'm skipping all of the now-obligatory rants about the inconsistent technical terms in the early episodes. This is the pilot and a soft touch is required if sanity and decorum is to be preserved.
The episode:
* After making the entries I notice a higher than usual nit ratio, so let's start with some positives:
** The characterization in the scene between Pike and Boyce is nice, you wouldn't need much tweaking to adapt to Kirk and McCoy.
** The approach shot, going from space through the bridge bubble to the interior was nice. Too bad the special effects couldn't quite match the vision.
** Once Pike stops whining he proves to be quite clever and resourceful. I could see Kirk asking similar questions and taking similar actions on Talos (of course, Kirk probably would sleep with Vina to butter her up and get more answers).
** The mission jackets are a nice touch, and I'm sad that we had to wait until the Wrath of Khan to see them again. Just because a planet is class M doesn't mean it has a surface temperature that's close enough to ship's standard to make a single uniform ideal for both.
* The first time the crew (of any series) believes that no Earth vessel has been out this far and thus shouldn't be encountered. My mind immediately goes to "Up the Long Ladder" on this one.
* I'm dubious about Pike not wanting to follow up on a distress call. How many times has any Enterprise crewman said "there can't possibly be anyone still alive" and there turns out to be be someone still alive? Isn't it in the regulations that all encountered distress calls need to be followed up on unless the ship is engaged in a critical mission?
* Pike whining about the burden of command in his first episode doesn't humanize him, it weakens him in my view. Starfleet doesn't put captain's stripes on any old shmuck and sticks him on a bridge ya know, these people spend years working up the ranks and dealing with increasing levels of responsibility. Q's words come to mind: "If you can't stand a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
* Scholars elsewhere have pointed out that this discussion also explains some of the things that the crew could encounter as a way to sell the show. But another adage comes to mind, this one goes something like "Are we seeing the most interesting event in the lives of the characters? And if not, why aren't we?" The trip to Rigel 7 sounds much more interesting that this mapping junk that the Enterprise is currently doing, so why aren't we seeing that?
* The lack of a "real name" for Number One continues to annoy. The nickname is great and will be used for decades to come in Trek, but I fail to see why a real name couldn't be mentioned. To this day whenever she appears in comics, books, etc. the writer either must decide on a name (contradictory with many others) or carefully avoid using one. Sorry, but no. It should've been in the writer's bible for the show day one.
*
Yet another Adam and Eve scenario. If the Talosians don't remember how to repair all of their equipment anymore, how can they hope to do the genetic engineering required to get around the nastier effects of this scenario? All they're doing is buying time equal to another human generation. At least the Asgard over on Stargate took their imminent doom with grace.
* Obviously Colt was attracted to Pike, but one wonders how Number One really feels. This smacks of "the lead must be irresistible to all women, lest the audience thinks he's a loser." What backwards and embarrassing thinking on the writer's part.
Memory Alpha:
* Number One was a lieutenant and not a commander in this episode because Gene was using older British naval ranks, not modern American naval ranks.
* I can understand the accusations from the studio that this plot is too cerebral. Look, I'm a proponent that the average sci-fi fan is intelligent enough to appreciate intelligent writing. However, this wasn't Gene's first failed pilot, nor was it his last. He should've known that you have to get a show on the air before you can satisfy the audience with intelligent writing. The studio should've gotten something closer to what they were promised the first time, and Gene should thank his lucky stars they gave him another chance. I wouldn't've.
* Apparently director Robert Butler...let's just quote from Memory Alpha: "Butler also wanted Roddenberry to change the title of the show from
Star Trek to
Star Track, feeling that the former was too pretentious, tedious, inert and boring." Star Track? Can you just picture it? The Trackies are coming!
* Apparently Zimmerman found similarities between "The Cage" and "Emissary." Huh? Okay, both feature Starfleet officers weary of the burdens of the job and wanting a simpler life, but that's it. Maybe the scene with a married couple enjoying themselves in a field, as well. However, the circumstances that lead Pike and Sisko to make their decision, not to mention their proposed future careers, couldn't be more different. I could name episodes (besides "The Naked Now" and "The Naked Time") that have greater plotline parallels.
* The NBC article says that when provided with possible scripts to film as the first pilot, they chose "The Cage" as a challenge to see if Desilu could actually do it, never intending to actually air it. Then they asked for a second pilot, an unprecedented event in television history.