Star Trek: The Original Series - Episode 11: The Menagerie, Part 1

Episode 11 - The Menagerie, Part 1

• Shirts look more yellow and less puke. Awesome.
• Something happened to Pike?!?!?! This isn't good!
• Kirk and Pike met when he was promoted to Fleet Captain. (Future reference, Pike is in the J.J. Abrams new Star Trek movies as being a little bit more than just a meeting.)
• Spock has served with Pike for 11 years, 4 months, 5 days.
• Pike Saved kids! He's a hero! (duh.)
• THE WHEEL CHAIR!!! OMG CLASSIC!!! (South Park/Futurama) 

• Christopher Pike would be brilliant at ghost hunting (1 beep for yes, 2 beeps for no).

• It's stuck on No, except for Spock.
• Oh, wait, no, it is still stuck on No. That previous yes was an anomaly.
• It's a five year mission? That's kinda crazy. I guess it's that whole "tour of duty kind of thing."
• Kirk and Commander reviewing if Spock is. . . out of line.
• Oh Spock. . . no . . .betrayal? What are you up to?
• Pike's chair can move based on brainwaves and he can beep yes and no, but that's all... you would have thought a bit more technology would have evolved by then. Such as red and green lights instead of multiple beeps.
• Spock is getting loose with his vulcan neck pinch.
  
• Pike sits, lonely, beeping no, no. Wait... or is that yes, yes.
• Vulcans are incapable of lying. But what about Spock's human side?
• Talos IV: No crew for any reason can go there and no one knows why!
•  Logic and Madness walk a thin line, Spock.
• McCoy cannot be right, because he is not the Logical Spock.
• OH CRAP!!! Mutiny Spock? Oh geez.... 
• "Arrest me." You have baffled McCoy in a moment he could have relished. Was that a slight you designed by making sure he was back on board?
• I'd like to take a moment and say Mr. Scott's haircut is HORRENDOUS!
  
• A COURT MARTIAL! 
• Mendez: "Whatever he's up to, he's planned it well."
• Spock: "This is 13 years ago." So it has been 2 years since Spock served with Pike and, potentially, 2 years since starting to serve with Kirk.
• Those are some incredibly detailed tapes (oh, Kirk agrees!).
• Class M - Oxygen Atmosphere
• (Now we're into The Cage footage.)
• They are sending a transmission of the episode! That... is... awesome!
• To be continued NEXT WEEK!!! (oh thank goodness classic TV is reliable and does what it promises. Additionally, this was NOT a season finale... I don't have to wait all summer to find out what Spock is up to. I think that would have incited the loss of fans back then. They didn't put up with your crazy games.)
• Wait. . . where's Sulu?

I am very intrigued with this episode. It has some great history to it with tons of interesting tidbits. Everything from the history behind the pilot episode, to how Roddenberry came up with the idea for the creation of this episode, to the oft-parodied elements. Even the pieces of information about Vulcan's and Spock's past are notable fodder. Even these formal uniforms are looking really well done and the show is really starting to round out into a consistent groove. I am really quite excited to watch Part II.

As for MST3K connections, there are the same The Cage references, but some new ones with new information.

• John Hoyt (Dr. Phillip Boyce) appears in Episode 208: The Lost Continent as Rostov.
• Peter Duryea (Lieutenant José Tyler) appeared in Episode 204: Catalina Caper. 
• CHANGE: Bob Johnson (voice of Transporter Chief Pitcairon instead of the voice of Talosian #1) was the narrator, among other voices, in Episode 113: The Black Scorpion.
• Adam Roarke (Chief Petty Officer Garrison) was Harris in Episode 104: Women of the Prehistoric Planet.
• Tom Lupo (Security Guard) from Episode K19: Hanger 18 who was a stunt coordinator for the movie.