In light of my newfound Trek-geekdom (kick-started by the new film), I've decided to rewatch the original series online at CBS.com. They've got the episodes listed in the original airdate order, rather than the order they were produced, so I'll be going with that. Up first is "The Man Trap".

Classic small-scale episode. No great philosophical revelations, or allegory, but it serves as a nice introduction to the leads (Kirk, Spock, and Bones) with minor roles for Sulu, Uhura, and Yoeman Rand, as well. It's probably no better than average overall, but I really liked DeForrest Kelly's performance as Doctor McCoy (who utters the first "He's dead, Jim." in this episode). There are times when Kirk and Spock are spot on in their characterization, but moments from each where you can see that they're still figuring things out. And the final confrontation with the creature suffers from some terrible blocking, bad action, and over the top acting.

Things I liked: Spock and Uhura's interactions. Kirk teasing Bones about his old girlfriend.

Things I didn't like: Sulu's puppet plant. Kirk and Co. take WAY too long to figure out what's going on. Spock's sudden and out of character emotional shouting when Kirk is being attacked by the creature.

Spot on analyzing. That final confrontation scene was a bit absurd. And the puppet plant never reappeared.

One little bit that I liked is how the salt monster appeared unchanged to McCoy, yet slightly older to Kirk with bits of gray in her hair.

Kirk likes an older lady.

And Ensign Red Shirt (inexplicably wearing blue) liked 'em slutty and blond.

And a bit zoftig. She sure filled that uniform. No ass, tho.

Nice thread, Matt. I'd pretty much agree with your conclusions.

Ensign Redshirt or Ensign Redskirt? (I haven't seen the episode again
yet, so I don't know if you're talking about a male or female cast member.)

BTW, in his short stories which "novelized" TOS episodes, James Blish
has a better title for this which I wish Desilu used instead of "The Man Trap."
Blish's title was "The Unreal McCoy."

Ensign Redshirt was played by future soap star Michael Zaslow (who died of ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease).

I am now bypassing CBS.com and watching from the very beginning. So, next up will be the original pilot, "The Cage".

I'd skip it and watch The Cage via the two parter "The Menagerie" instead. Unless you really, really like that episode and want to essentially watch it twice.

Kirk likes any lady!

One of my favorite "small scale" episodes from the first season is "Operation: Annihilate!"

Kirk and crew versus the invasion of rubber puke. I love that one.

Too late.

It's pretty much impossible to watch The Cage without comparing it to what comes after. The story is very good. Aliens with telepathy capture the Captain, lock him in a zoo, and try to use illusions to keep him happy while they study him. A solid enough premise for any iteration of Trek. The crew is a bit more "60s TV" than the original series wound up being. Handsome Captain, serious woman as Number One, cuter younger girl as a yoeman, hotheaded younger guy, crusty old doctor and strange-looking alien. They all give good performances, and there's nothing especially wrong with them, but it's not an especially original or groundbreaking bunch.

I actually liked Pike quite a bit. He's sort of dark and brooding, and more of a thinker than a fighter (or a thinker first and a fighter second). Far more serious and introspective than Kirk.

Obligatory (though not negative) Byrne aside: I'm not entirely sure why he's doing a Number One mini rather than something with the Pike-era line-up. I think it'd be an interesting alternative to an Original Series mini, while still being old school Trek.

Obligatory Star Trek movie aside: Greenwood really did do a good job of playing Captain Pike.

Overall, I liked it a lot (much more than The Man Trap). I think I'll go a bit out of order again, though, and watch The Menagerie next (despite the repetition).

God help me, but with all due respect to Jeff Hunter, it's going to be hard watching "The Cage" again
without thinking how much ass Bruce Greenwood would kick if he were in charge. (Of course, Greenwood
was a 10-year old kid in Quebec when this pilot was shot in '66.)

Okay, so I realized I don't have The Menagerie yet, and CBS.com is being a douche, so I decided to just go on to Where No Man Has Gone Before. For a pilot, and a second one at that, it's really very good. The Kirk/Spock dynamic, both in their friendship and in the contrast between human instinct/emotion vs. logic, is established right from the start. Gary Mitchell winds up being a great villain for the piece, and the tension of his evolution is well-executed.

Kirk is a very different Captain from Pike. He's far more intuitive, taking in the information he has and immediately making a decision. And when he's wrong he's just as quick to acknowledge it and do what has to be done. Sally Kellerman does a good job in her role, as well.

Up next is The Corbomite Maneuver.

Given the pacing of the pilot vs. the movie, Greenwood has a definite advantage. It takes awhile for Hunter to really get going, but I really like him when he does. Greenwood gets to come in strong right from the start.

"Corbomite Maneuver" is one of my favorite original series episodes.

The reveal at the end is totally worth it.

Oh, my, Cruise!!! That is too funny!

But if were given the chance, I think Hunter also could whistle "real loud."

I watched The Cage via YouTube a couple weeks before the movie came out. I really like it -- I agree, Monk, that the crew is not anything too special; but I really love the way the Twilight Zone-ish premise unfolds. And I enjoy Pike a lot. Very cool character.

Bruce Greenwood's Pike in the film is -- indeed -- also awesome, but I don't see any grounds for comparison, really. They are pretty much two different characters. The show's Pike is indeed a more brooding, darker character. A bit anguished and tortured.

The movie Pike is more the "bad-ass" older, mentor/father-figure paradigm. I think they are both great characters, but with nothing in common other than a name and a rank.

I like this thread -- it is making me want to go watch the old "Star Trek"'s like you are doing, Monk. (But wait a minute ... Byrne said that the success of the movie will in no way translate as a success for REAL "Trek"! What is going on here??!?!?)