Should Chuck Have Reviewed "The Cage" Solo?

[CMWaters]

Was rewatching the review of "The Menagerie", with the footage of "The Cage" used and commented on, it just makes me think...should he have reviewed "The Cage" by itself, including then commenting on the differences in the ending between the two?

I mean, he could still do it now if he wanted, but it would be retreading too much already covered ground, even more so than Trials and Tribbleations to The Trouble with Tribbles.

[RobbyB1982]

Not really. Yeah, there's a pilot version of the Cage that exists as a novelty, but the way it was first presented to the world and the way it exists the majority of time is cut up as part of The Menagerie.

The final cut is what counts, not the process version, though Chuck can comment on changes added later if he wants. Like the Star Wars special editions, or multiple versions of Blade Runner... he but you want to pick and go over the most publicly accepted definitive edition generally.

There's also cases like Godzilla where he went with the original japanese definitive version of the film rather than the american recut... but Godzilla 1985 he reviewed the scrambled messed up version, because that's the more interesting and requested thing to go over.

So its a case by case basis I'd assume, that mostly comes down to ... what was requested specifically, and what is more interesting. But in the specific case of the Cage... no, because it's bascially always just been part of the TOS episode, alternate version differences only warranting a footnote rather than a full review.

[Enterprising]

It was broadcast in full I believe either soon or just after TNG premiered in the States. I know being in the UK the BBC certainly put it on in the early 90s. I got crap from my dad for missing the 1st couple of minutes when I was tasked to record it on the VHS, fortunately that was footage already seen from Menagerie.

Still remember watching it that first time, had those bizarre transitions between black & white and colour. Now that it has been fully restored, I think it does merit a full review one day and would like to see one.

[ChiggyvonRichthofen]

I could see the logic either way. With a thorough review, The Cage scenes that don't show up in the two-parter might not be substantive enough to justify another review (despite some of those scenes being pretty interesting), at least not with plenty of regular Trek episodes yet to go.

On the other hand, for The Menagerie review I think it would have been possible to focus on the perspectives of Kirk, Spock, and Pike in the present day, addressing Pike's original adventure only in summary and as it related to the trial. That could have left room for a review of just The Cage.

Thematically, The Menagerie and The Cage are fairly different, and I always thought the repurposing of Pike's final scene with Vina was pretty clever. The Menagerie is a strong example of the power of good editing.

[PerrySimm]

It was broadcast in full I believe either soon or just after TNG premiered in the States. I know being in the UK the BBC certainly put it on in the early 90s. I got crap from my dad for missing the 1st couple of minutes when I was tasked to record it on the VHS, fortunately that was footage already seen from Menagerie.

Still remember watching it that first time, had those bizarre transitions between black & white and colour. Now that it has been fully restored, I think it does merit a full review one day and would like to see one.

The 1988 Writer's Strike delayed the start of the season until November. But in October that year, Paramount released "The Cage" and an accompanying documentary feature, to partially fill the gap. You say the BBC didn't get this feature until later in the 90s? Was it just "The Cage" by itself when it finally aired?

[Enterprising]

It was broadcast in full I believe either soon or just after TNG premiered in the States. I know being in the UK the BBC certainly put it on in the early 90s. I got crap from my dad for missing the 1st couple of minutes when I was tasked to record it on the VHS, fortunately that was footage already seen from Menagerie.

Still remember watching it that first time, had those bizarre transitions between black & white and colour. Now that it has been fully restored, I think it does merit a full review one day and would like to see one.

The 1988 Writer's Strike delayed the start of the season until November. But in October that year, Paramount released "The Cage" and an accompanying documentary feature, to partially fill the gap. You say the BBC didn't get this feature until later in the 90s? Was it just "The Cage" by itself when it finally aired?

From what I recall it was only "The Cage" by itself, and it was around 1992 or 1993. (UK channels were very slow picking up TV shows from abroad unless they were big & universal hits, until the advent of SKY getting into the homes of the masses a few years later.) The BBC didn't even start to air TNG fir the first time until around 1990.

[drewder]

The first time I saw the episode it was the cage which aired right as TNG got started. It was also the first Star Trek TOS episode I'd seen and that I would see for many years, I didn't really see TOS until Netflix came out.