originally posted 8/19/20
“Spock abducts the Enterprise’s injured former captain and sets a course for a forbidden planet. Facing a court-martial, Spock refuses to back down.”
I’m kind of glad I skipped the original pilot, because I knew the recycled footage would pop up soon enough.
The actors are on a sound stage in front of the fakest matte painting of all time.
I am amused that this is before the Enterprise’s uniform insignia became the Starfleet insignia. Different uniforms have different insignia on them. Not a super important detail, just a thing.
***
Kirk, Spock, and McCoy beam down to Starbase Matte Painting, believing they’ve been summoned, but it turns out this is not the case. Captain Pike, who Spock says sent the message, was severely injured in an accident and is unable to communicate apart from through beeps from his wheelchair.
***
Spock and Pike have a beep-filled conversation where Spock insists he must do something unspecified but Pike beeps “no” at him repeatedly. No means no, Spock.
***
Kirk doesn’t believe there was no message and that Spock might be lying. Commodore Mendez tells the computer center to check the records again. Meanwhile, Spock sneaks into the computer center and neck pinches a crewman in order to mess with the computer.
***
Pike’s wheelchair responds to his brainwaves and I think that’s fucking cool technology. Considering how Star Trek affected real-world tech, what if that became a thing in the future?
***
Spock is faking new orders for the Enterprise. Uhura is asking for confirmation, but Spock has been discovered and had to knock out the crewman, and has created fake tapes of Kirk’s voice to tell the crew to take orders from him.
***
I love Uhura’s boots. Pretty sure Star Trek is the reason I have a fondness for low-heeled black leather boots.
***
Pike keeps blinking “no.” No one knows why, but Kirk is thinking Spock is up to something. Bones says Spock is literally incapable of lying, as a Vulcan.
***
Bones is being recalled to the Enterprise for an unspecified medical emergency. Meanwhile, Commodore Mendez is telling Kirk about Talos IV, the only planet that is so illegal to visit, it’s punishable by death - the only death penalty left on the books, apparently.
***
Pike has disappeared, and the Enterprise has left orbit. Spock has programmed the course, so there’s no navigator. Spock is telling the crew that Kirk is on medical leave, so Spock is the acting captain.
Pike is aboard the Enterprise. Spock has faked another recording of Kirk telling McCoy to follow Spock’s orders and not ask Pike any questions.
***
A shuttlecraft from the starbase chasing them. Spock says to ignore them. The shuttlecraft, naturally, is Mendez and Kirk chasing the Enterprise. Spock has the computer calculate when the shuttlecraft will have to turn around, but it’s already past the point of safe return. Spock is not happy about this.
***
Spock has stopped the Enterprise and is surrendering. No one knows what to make of this, but Bones has him confined to quarters. The ship is still on course to Talos IV and can’t be overridden.
***
They’re holding a preliminary court martial hearing. Spock is attempting to waive his right to a hearing and requesting a court martial, but Kirk is denying his request because they don’t have three command-level officers. Spock points out that Pike is still a command-level officer, so it looks like Kirk has no choice.
Spock is pleading guilty and waiving right to counsel, even though he’ll be executed if they make it to Talos IV. Very strange behavior..,
***
And now we get the clips from the original pilot.
The original doctor has a medical bag full of booze. Ice included, because who wants a warm martini?
Jeffrey Hunter had a really odd delivery style. Maybe not Shatner-weird, but definitely odd by today’s standards.
In the clips, Pike and a landing party have beamed down to Talos IV. It’s definitely weird to see Spock smile at the weird vibrating blue plant.
They meet survivors of a crashed ship. One of them is a young woman named Vina, who creepily tells Pike that he’s “a prime specimen.” Because of course she does. That’s not a weird thing to say...
She leads Pike to some rocks, declares him to be “a perfect choice,” and disappears. At the same time, the crash survivors disappear, the big-headed aliens pop out of a rock and gas Pike, then kidnap him. He’s been kidnapped all over the place this episode!
***
Back in the court martial, Mendez received a message from Starfleet (the first use of that name, as far as I can tell) saying they’ve been receiving transmissions from Talos IV. Kirk is relieved of duty and Mendez is ordered to take command of the Enterprise. Kirk is now facing the death penalty as well. Spock was not expecting that, because Kirk had nothing to do with his plans.
Spock insists that Kirk see the rest of the transmission. Kirk has Spock taken to the brig.
CLIFFHANGER!
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