I never thought I would witness such a lovely and emotional reaction to a Start Trek TOS episode.

A beautiful gesture of mercy from Spock to his former captain. I love this character insight into spock. His loyalty is so strong that it transcends duty.

A brief moment of silence: Robert Butler, the director of "The Cage" and through majority-screen time use of archive footage here, the director of "The Menagerie, Part II," has passed away earlier this month. The man was an accomplished film and television director, but his grand specialty was in pilots and early-stage episodes. While "The Cage" is probably the most well-known pilot he ever handled, he had also taken the helm for the premier episodes to shows like "Hogan's Heroes," the Adam West "Batman" show, and "Hill Street Blues," which earned him the Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Drama Series in 1981. Butler was honored by his peers with the Directors Guild of America Lifetime Achievement Award for Distinguished Achievement in Television Direction in 2015, alongside his equivalent in the realm of sitcom pilots, James Burrows. For the man who was tasked with directing the first ever "Star Trek" production in existence, the best thing to say here is...now he truly belongs to the stars.

You're right; you can watch an episode dozens of times and still pick up nuances that you missed from previous viewings. a truly remarkable series. RIP to all those responsible who've passed, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. May the show forever live long and prosper.

Susan Oliver (Vina) was indeed in a near airplane crash, but the plane avoided that fate. Traumatized, she got over that fear by earning a pilot's license. Later she turned to directing and did that for some time. She very much wanted to direct a Star Trek The Next Generation episode, but that dream was curtailed by failing health. She passed away in 1990.

YOU GUESSED IT! It’s bizarre how proud I am of a complete stranger, but I’ve never seen anyone guess how an hour-long episode would end before it technically even started… 😮😂 It’s really amazing how rewarding it is to see you go through this watch-through of the series… 😊

Thank you for watching and appreciating these episodes. Lovely reaction.

The way they repurposed The Cage was very creative and, more importantly, economic. Considering how much it probably cost to produce, why let it go to waste?

I am seeing with each reaction how she is rediscovering and reliving WHY this show was cherished by her dad. And how it is now slowly becoming cherished by her.

FINALLY an EMOTIONAL REACTION to an incredibly EMOTIONAL STORY. Thank you BunnytailsREACTS for validating what I thought was an intense response that only I had (for ~50 years now). The part that really triggers the waterworks for me is at the end of the Talosian transmission when the camera slowly zooms into Pike’s face, as he blinks kinda fast… which I interpret as hope and a longing to take on the unfettered illusion (the emotion in his face despite being “caged” in his shell of a body). Great direction there by Robert Butler and acting by Sean Kenney. And yes, “THE WOMEN!” always draws a good chuckle from me too! 😂

making such a remarkable pilot, and using it to create a later episode of this caliber was astonishing...i don't think this has ever happened in television history...

You always make me feel as if I was watching for the first time something I have seen dozens of other times. You have a gift of empathy that hits me most deeply. As always, thank you BT.

Hi Bunny, my husband has showed me your reactions to watching Star Trek and I just love it. We are watching you watch The Menagerie right now. When you realized why Spock was bringing Captain Pike back to Talos IV and got emotional even though we have seen this many times we were right there with you. It is just such a beautiful and compassionate thing that's he is doing for Captain Pike against all odds and knowing he will get the death penalty for this.

For me, this is the episode that really defines Spock as a character. Yes, he's devoted to logic, and seeks to purge himself of all emotion. Yes, he's a calculating alien who's often at odds with his crew. But underneath all that is a deep compassion, so strong that he's willing to risk a death sentence to bring peace to a friend. Btw, the currently-running Star Trek series, Strange New Worlds, is about Captain Pike's tenure on the Enterprise. A lot of fans of the old series love it.

I love how they set up the twist that the Commodore was never really on board. When Spock turned himself over to McCoy he told the transporter room to beam over Captain Kirk specifically, even though we saw Kirk and the Commodore both on the doomed shuttle. I know I didn't catch that subtle detail the first time I saw this episode. This was one of the greats of Star Trek and I enjoyed seeing your reaction to it. :)

That was a thoroughly enjoyable reaction. Not that I want you to cry during every episode you watch, but that genuine "aha" moment was really very beautiful, and then I started getting choked up, after promising myself I wouldn't cry. You're right too about the "The women!" moment, the pose Leonard Nimoy strikes in the transporter room always struck me as funny.

Wonderful reactions from Bunny, to this incredible two part episode of classic Star Trek.

Bunny caught me off-guard TWICE! first, with the "...as they walk away you see two butts" and second with the "...they had never seen a human, so they'd imagine she'd be similar to Talosian anatomy...and put a butt on the back of her head!". You slayed me with those! And I needed the laugh! Can't wait till you see "The Doomsday Machine".

Jeffrey Hunter, who played Pike in the first pilot, was making films at this point. Also, his wife convinced him not to do the second Trek pilot. If they asked him to return, maybe she talked him out of it. He died in 1969. He suffered a brain hemorrhage that, it's believed, was the result of a concussion he received on a film set in 1968. If he'd stayed with Star Trek, he probably wouldn't have been making that film in 1968.

What the Talosians meant about their eventual extinction was something talked about in the original episode, but I think was cut here. The Talosians had become so wrapped up in their illusions that they forgot how to maintain the equipment that their ancestors built, and are no longer physically capable of handling the work to rebuild the surface of their world - which had been devastated in an ancient war. That was why they needed the humans - they needed someone who could replant and regrow the surface before the underground equipment finally failed. Now they have only a matter of years or decades before their ability to synthesize food fails and they starve. It is unfortunate, and it was a warning that we really need to heed ourselves. If we forget how to grow food and repair equipment, we are either dependent on those that do... or just doomed outright. I spend too much time playing games, but I do grow a garden... it's something. XD

Roddenberry and his team felt vindicated from THE CAGE being rejected when this episode won a Peabody Award.

Bunny, watching your honest emotional reaction brought tears to my eyes. It reminds me of why I enjoyed the original series. I'm glad you wete able to see some season 1 episodes first to understand the character dynamics. If you keep with it I think you'll find Ansell Mount's portrayal of Captain Pike in Strange New Worlds true to why Spock risked everything for him.

Another fun little twist is that the actor who played Commodore Mendez was also supposed to be the original voice actor for the Keeper in the original version of the pilot.

Really love your emotional reaction to this. As a kid who grew up on the original series, it's just a real treat to watch a younger person experience this wonderful show for the first time. Thanks for your reactions!

What we see of Pike in The Cage, is a very tired captain that has barely escaped with his life from an incident we don't see. The rest of the crew are also tired and injured. This gives the impression of a stern leader, who is thinking about giving up Star Fleet. Kirk seems to have a sense of humour, and enjoys teasing Spock at nearly any opportunity. He loves the Enterprise, and being a captain is what he is meant to do. And of course Shatner is very charismatic. The re-use of the 'old' footage gives the series a sense of history and depth, which is a huge plus, and helps develop the lore.

This episode showed some sophisticated computer hacking for the 60's. The sound board phone phreaking by Spock to convince the crew to give him control of the Enterprise computer (4:09). Then Spock locking out the crew and forcing the ship to go to Talos IV (9:31). I love it!

9:39 Love how Kirk looks up at Scotty, not so much to order him to go check on the helm control, but more like, "You go do you." 22:00 "Would their hands feel it?" This would be a perfect application for the "Somebody Else's Problem" (SEP) field generator from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Way easier to engineer and operate than an invisibility cloak, it achieves the same effect by amplifying people's normal propensity to ignore anything that doesn't directly concern them, which is itself so powerful that an SEP field generator can run for over a century on a single flashlight battery....

It is cool that they included scenes from The Cage. Even if the reason was to save money.

Ironically, this episode is the ULTIMATE reaction video! Me watching you, watching Kirk watching the Telosions watching Captain Pike! I guess we can all relate to telosians now… I enjoyed your emotional response too! Thanks

"No ship makes record tapes that detailed! Except at my court martial, last week!"

The creation of the 2-part episode was meant to solve a few issues early in the production of the series. Some episodes weren't finished as they were waiting for the time-consuming special effects shots to be completed so they were running out of completed episodes to air. Another was that some of the scripts going into production weren't finished yet either. Framing the episode around footage from The Cage also saved money. If I remember correctly, after broadcasting these 2 episodes, the airing of the show went on break for Thanksgiving and then a few reruns were broadcast so they had 3-4 weeks to finish the special effects on the already filmed episodes, polish the scripts and prepare for their production.

My favorite ending of the whole series, especially that closing line and the awestruck smile on Kirk's face. Never fails to bring tears to my eyes.

I hope you had a nice Thanksgiving! I enjoy your empathy, intelligence and perspective. Your husband should count his blessings for a lovely bride, like you.

This is my favorite story in all of the Star Trek series. If the two parts were released as a movie it would be my third favorite Star Trek movie. It is SF storytelling of the highest order.

I bet that Bunny got a shock to her system to see Pike in the condition that he is in. Being wheeled around in a futuristic wheel chair.

18:58: "Ahhh!" --that was the minute you got it, the minute it dawned on you and you were suddenly overcome by emotion, and it was something beautiful to behold. You weren't the only one with tears in your eyes at the end.

Malchi Throne (Commodore Mendez) voiced the Talosian Keeper in the pilot. So, they changed the pitch of his voice for the footage here.

The genius of Gene Roddenberry and the expertise of the editors on full display here. Perfectly done with the technology available at the time.

A great reaction to a great show. Amazing that this series only lasted 3 years.

Interesting tidbit: Did you happen to notice that Pike's first officer "Number One" is played by the same actor as the one who plays Nurse Christine Chapel? That was something that escaped my attention for some time initially! She is also the voice of the Enterprise Computer. She is Majel Barrett Roddenberry (Gene Roddenberry's wife). Gene is the guy that created Star Trek. Majel also played a recurring role in Star Trek The Next Generation and was the voice of the Enterprise Computer for that series also. Sadly she passed away in December of 2008. I keep wondering if they will bring her voice back in the franchise now that they have perfected deep learning AI based text to speech. Perhaps one day. :). Thanks as always for the great and thoughtful reactions!

When you said "rwo beeps!", I literally yelled out nooooooooo! The you corrected it to one beep and I pumped my fist. 😅

"Maybe he's just out of frame." 🤣😂😅

Mrs Bunny; u was so compelling when u cried at the end ❤

My cat of 17 years died...i cant tell you how sad i am ....bless you Ashley...my friend.

I agree, "The women!" -- shouted by Spock, no less -- is an immortal line. Yes, Jeffrey Hunter (born Henry Herman McKinnies Jr) was a solid actor, he looked the part of a heroic captain, but Shatner brought something extra. I would call it "swagger," even though he never literally swaggered. You felt assured that he was as handy with camaraderie, gamesmanship, even humor, as he was with regulations and a moral code. I continue to be in awe of the ideal casting of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy -- and many of the others aren't bad either. Thank you for permitting me to relive not simply the experience but the raw emotion of when I watched this extraordinary episode for the first time. Oh, and not to spoil anything, but I guarantee that you will absolutely freak out over the very next episode. Thanks, Bun.

Thank you for reacting to this. I saw this in 1968 on a black and white television set. Have seen it repeatedly before I saw the original pilot episode much much later. You having reacted to ‘The Cage’ and ‘The Menagerie’ so close together … I was balling my eyes out at the moment of you realizing where the episode was going! I was a teary-eyed mess at the end. Thank you for this.

IMO, Shatner is an underrated actor. His style isn't appropriate for everything, not by a long shot. But he's perfect casting for this role. The casting of all the familiar characters carries this show more than the writing, and that's why we have more warm memories of the crew over the specific adventures. Excellent reactions, BTW. I think you're seeing the show clearly, despite the vast difference in eras.

It's been great to be on this journey with you and to see your reactions to this series. It's especially nice to see that it can still tug at the heartstrings still for an almost 60 year old show. Looking forward to more of your reactions here

27:46 Yup. That's why the show had a chance to come back long after it had been canceled from TV, because people just kept watching the re-runs over and over, and grew to love it more and more, and by the time Star Wars came out, studio execs realized the show was more popular at that time than it had ever been during its original run.

Love this reaction, it May have been mentioned but this was aired on TV first, and I think the original pilot was lost until 1988 and was aired

It's not really canon, but in one of the ST novels, Pike's Number One sought out Spock when after she tried to see Pike, no one knew where he was. Spock told her there was nothing for him to say. She then queried him with a number of theories, getting no response. Finally she asked him was he with Vina. She noticed something in his face and knew that was what happened. She then broke down with tears of joy, and then thanked Spock for helping Pike and giving her a sense of peace.

Color television was still fairly new and a lot of shows weren't even in color at the time so it was really a big selling point. Our family didn't get a color TV until the 2nd season of Star Trek. Shows that did have color tended to make it really vibrant. As you can imagine, if you just got your first color TV and one network was showing something in color while the other two weren't it would definitely factor into your decision.

The most underrated line: "I congratulate you on your imagination, but this is a Court of Space Law, not a theater." It feels like something Zap Brannigan would say.

I love you so much thank you for doing the Star Trek episodes. My father as well was the one that introduced me to science fiction books and Star Trek. Thank you

Great job figuring it out. It's a unique episode. Mostly done this way to just save money. But rhe results make a special show with an almost unexpected happy ending. You have ro remember, when this was resleased almost no one had seen The Cage.

Thank you so much Bunny for making this classic episode such a joy to revisit. Your reactions and emotions are so in touch with the characters of the series that gives us long time viewers a whole new perspective of what it's like seeing it do the first time. We didn't have access to the original pilot back in 1970's like everyone has now and since you saw it before the Menagerie I was wondering how soon in the story you would figure out what Spock was up to and why he was risking everything for his former captain. Keep em coming Bunny and as probe ahead be on the lookout for other bunnies.

"They might have glued her ass to the back of her head..." - great scenario! Good thing we don't ever see any Talosian pass gas through the back of their head.

I lost count how many times I have seen this episode but this was the first time I got emotional. Your comments made me appreciate it in a new light. Thank you.

It's good to see that you're beginning to see and understand the attraction of "Star Trek." The first time I saw the entire "The Cage" pilot, it was Gene Roddenberry's private copy at the first "Star Trek" convention in New York City in the early 70s. Pike will pop up here and there in the "Star Trek" franchise.

What a sweet reaction to a great story. This just made my day. Trek on Bunny.

Blinkin' awesome. Imagine if it was an illusion at the end when Pike was blinking once to say yes he wants to go there....

Before Star Trek aired on television, Gene Roddenberry was at a science fiction convention to promote the show and showed the 2nd pilot. The audience loved it and asked if he had more episodes with him. He did have a copy of The Cage and showed that also. So technically some did see the first pilot before this episode or it's VHS release or its first airing long into the next generation years.

The beauty of this episode to me is that it is about the horror of disability, of being unable to move or express oneself or fulfill your dreams or live a life like others can and do. Anyone who is or who knows someone who is paralyzed, like I have, or disabled sees this as Star Trek's greatest episode. It's a story about the most emotionless of beings, Spock, risking his life and career out of love for his former captain to bring him to a place where the captain's disability makes no difference at all. To posit that someplace in the future or the universe there is such a place is to me the most hopeful and beautiful statement that ST can make. And to think that it came out on network television in 1966? Breathtaking.

The director of this episode passed away this month Nov. 3, he was 95 yrs. old.

Thank you so much for your honest emotional reaction to this episode. You are a true Star Trek fan!

Hiya Bunny. Great job. In case nobody said it yet, THE CAGE was never broadcast. It first became available somewhere in the 80s. What's tragic is we never got to see Pike, Spock, and #1 become the first Trek triad. If you don't know, the brand new show STRANGE NEW WORLDS is exactly about that. OH YEAH. BREAKING NEWS: If Talosians can read minds, they'd know EXACTLY what Vena looked like. (The episode is very well written but sometimes stuff like this reveals when it was written.)

For the longest time this two part episode was all we ever saw of the original pilot. It wasnt until around 1990, I think, that a version was released on VHS that used the footage in this episode and filling in the missing pieces with footage from the only surviving print of the original version but was in black and white. So, all the scenes that are cut in this two-parter were in black and white, and from a very grainy print that belonged to Roddenberry. I dont know if the studio ever coughed up the original 35mm print or if the black and white version was colorized and cleaned up but that's all there was back then

Another great reaction. Watchingbyou laugh, and cry, and genuinely connect with these characters. It makes me love them even more, and I see things I didn't before. Of you continue watching these the current show Strange New Workds is set during Pike being captain and a young spock.

The guy who played Captain Pike in the chair in this episode, was also in the “Arena” and “A Taste of Armageddon”. Sean Kenney

Please consider how WILD this episode would have been for American television in the 60s. Never mind how wild Star Trek was in that era on its own, but the recut resulting in a two-parter in a show which only did standalones, the crazy setup in the present day plot with Spock being OOC, the use of heavy flashbacks in an era where they weren't nearly as typical in TV...

Bob Justman (Associate Producer, Co-Producer) wrote in his book with Herb Solow (Executive in Charge of Production) titled "Star Trek: The Real Story”, that Shatner brought an energy to the role that Hunter didn’t have and that the show needed. Even though Hunter had chemistry for the role his style was more subdued and he really wasn’t feeling it. He was offered the series again after NBC picked the show up and sent his wife to decline for him.

I believe this is the only episode in all of TOS, where a Starfleet facility, full of technology like turbo lifts, transporters, starships and even brain-controlled wheelchairs, yet has a *hinged door that must be pushed open to get to Pike's room*.

GREAT REACTION, BUNNY!!!! 🐇👏👏👏👏 You have such a good heart, sweetie, as shown by your tears in reaction to the story of Captain Pike. You are absolutely amazing, dear!!! Lots of love from your biggest fan!!! 🥰🥰🥰🥰🌹

Yeah.... I just KNEW this episode was going to kick you in the feels. Well done, Bunnytails! Well done!

No human man can resist Bunnytails. And speaking of making more humans… sign me up!

Who knew a Sci-Fi show from the '60s could be so emotionally impactful. It wasn't just a matter of re-purposing previously shot but unreleased footage, rather it was the recontextualization of that footage with the added twist of Capt. Pike's current condition, and how Talos IV might serve to improve it, that really takes this episode to the next level for me. I had never seen the first pilot when I saw this episode as a kid, but also, I wasn't emotionally mature enough to comprehend the episode on that level either. Re-watching it now, even so recently after the first pilot, I understand why you were so choked up at the end.

the thought of seeing a taloshan with no clothes on would've never crossed my mind, until you 😂

The creators of South Park are fans of Star Trek and they did a two part episode, where Jeff Bezos is a Talosian. I highly recommend watching it

Durring the the cold war, it was therapeutic to watch the only program on T.V. that gave hope (in many episodes) that humanity would survive the insanity of Mutually assured destruction (MAD). It was commonly believed that it was only a matter of time before the world would end in a nuclear holocaust (and it almost did a few times). And the hope that we humans could evolve to something honorable and ethical. Star Trek is one of the most re-watchable shows; many of its predictions came true; both technologically and historically. Let's hope we don't blow it.

Jeffrey Hunter was invited to do the new pilot for _Star Trek,_ "Where No Man Has Gone Before," but he declined in order to accept more film roles, which he wouldn't have time for if he was doing a series. Jeffrey Hunter died at 42 around the same time _Star Trek_ ended. He had been injured in an accident on the set of a film where an explosion had gone in the wrong direction. He seemed to recover completely. Several months later he had a cerebral hemorrhage at home and died shortly thereafter. It's believed that the earlier injury led to the later medical issue that caused his death. The series would have been different with Jeffery Hunter for certain. I imagine I still would have enjoyed the show. Oddly, if Mr. Hunter had accepted the new offer, he probably would have lived much longer since it's unlikely he would have been working on the film where he was injured. Incidentally, if you would like to see Jeffrey Hunter in one of the roles he was most well known for, you could watch _The Searchers_ alongside John Wayne. He also played Jesus in _King of Kings_ and had a smaller role in _The Longest Day._

Great show. Fyi you know after the pilot failure. The show was only saved by Lucille Ball from I love Lucy who was the producer. It is only because of her insistence that Star Trek got a second chance and became the most successful tv series franchise in the world. She also produce Mission Impossible.

This was your BEST reaction yet!! The emotions 🖖 you experienced, shows the power and quality of Star Trek even now, almost 6 decades later!! The comment about seeing the 2 butts was hilarious!

I cannot thank you enough for watching these videos and sharing the reactions. Seeing the glee with the anticipation of where the episode might go and the bliss when it was achieved was very cathartic!

Hunter’s son told me directly that his father regretted not doing STAR TREK.

What a lovely reaction to this two parter.

What a-GREAT-episode. Spock showing his loyalty,dedication and friendship to his former captain,then doing whatever it took to bring Capt Pike back to the Talosians.The Talosians have very powerful mental abilities,to cast an illusion ( the commodore in the shuttle )several parsecs from their planet,then take control of the Enterprise. But,their compassion and thoughtfulness for Captain Pike was boundless. I think we as humans can learn a lot from the Talosians. Live Long and Prosper

"No, let me finish!!!" shouted every woman ever.

Your reaction to the ending hit me hard in the feels. Absolutely lovely! Well done spotting the direction the show was headed during the Part 2 recap! The writers did a really nice job of integrating the first pilot into this storyline. Some interesting twists and turns leading to the big final act. THE WOMEN!!

23:35 Pike now has a blond, brunette and a redhead! Trifecta!! 😆

I love the fact this episode impacted you so emotionally. I think City on the Edge of Forever may impact you as well. There are some great episodes ahead in this season. Watching these through your eyes helps me see this classic show with a new perspective. Thank you.

your perceptive skills are really impressive and only surpassed by your emotive responses. Thanks Bunny

Anyone who's had a loved one that ended up in a vegetative state like this, this episode and it's endearing wishful message really hits home.

I was a kid of about 10 when I first saw this episode. That was in 1976 or 77. We normal people had no idea that there had been a pilot episode called "The Cage". We assumed all the footage with Pike and that Enterprise had been filmed for this episode. It wasn't until many years later that "The Cage" was shown in TV.

This "Menagerie" 2-parter won a science fiction Hugo award.

I love Majel Barrett as Number One.

Speaking of "what might have been," did you know that William Shatner wasn't Gene Roddenberry's first choice to play Captain Kirk? His first choice was Lloyd Bridges. But Lloyd Bridges never got past the title. At rhe time, he thought doing science fiction was beneath him as an actor. (I guess he changed his mind about that before being featured on "Battlestar Gallactica" a decade later.) Roddenberry's second choice was Jack Lord, who later went on to fame starring in "Hawaii Five-0." Lord read the script and loved it, and was all about playing Captain Kirk... but he had notes. He had his own ideas about who Captain Kirk should be and how he should be played. Roddenberry wasn't interested in Lord's input. So he went with Shatner, because Shatner, having done numerous "Twilight Zone" episodes, had no compunction against doing sci-fi, and, more importantly, was willing to act like he was told. So how do you think the show would have been if Bridges or Lord became Captain Kirk instead?

Two buts waddling has got to be my favorite line of yours 😊

As a kid in the 70s, I watched reruns of STAR TREK with my parents often. We watched each episode multiple times. In the 80s, Paramount released that original Pilot episode on VHS, which we happily purchased for $19.95 and watched over and over, also the 2nd and 3rd Trek movies. Since the 80s I eventually collected them all on DVD. Over 50 years and I've watched so many TREK episodes multiple times... never got bored. TOS TNG DS9 VOY ENT, all great. Over 700 hours of entertainment.

The truth is that the episodes were taking longer than a week to finish & deliver to the network. They were concerned that they would end up not having an episode ready in time for delivery. The producers came close to missing the deadline several times, so they prepared a two-part story that used footage from The Cage to save time & money. The framing scenes were filmed relatively quickly. This plan was nearly the equivalent of a bye week in football; it gave the studio a chance to catch up. The settings you admired were matte paintings. Basically the only real part of the set was the small area where they beamed in. They do something similar with green screen today. The planet set used forced perspective to provide the illusion of a vast outdoor setting. The new series Star Trek: Strange New worlds is set about 6 years after the events of The Cage, with Pike still Captain of the Enterprise. Kirk won't take command for a few years. They introduced this Enterprise as a cliff hanger for Star Trek: Discovery (a hideous show) season 2 finale. On STD Pike learned of his eventual fate, but chose to remain in Starfleet anyway. We've seen two seasons so far of Pike commanding the Enterprise. There are some familiar faces such as Mr. Spock and Nurse Chapel, but most of them are new to us. Rebecca Romijn plays Number One.

You were talking about how Shatner excelled as the character, Kirk. I wanted to add something I've thought about for a long time. You don't know this, but another really good-looking actor was considered for the role of Kirk: Jack Lord. Lord eventually starred as the lead in a really good cop series, "Hawaii Five-O." When I heard that he'd been considered, I immediately thought of how similar Lord's mannerisms were to Jeffrey Hunter (Pike). Tough, stern, solid. What I found so appealiing, in a contrasting way, about Shatner was that he had a rounder, softer, less hard-edged look and manner. I found Shatner very cute; not just rugged. He was also soft-spoken and had a way of commanding authority without raising his voice. I think Shatner was lightning in a bottle...actually Shatner, Nimoy, and Kelley were lightning in a bottle. As a boy, I often thought I wanted to look like Shatner.