for a long time and the menagerie be my favorite star trek episode though in recent year it have be eclipse by city on the edge of forever . what i use to prefer about menagerie be that it more hard core star trek with this fascinate back story to the then current trek storyline . i still think it fairly ingenious the way gene roddenberry incorporate the original pilot into a two part episode . though the new part of the story be largely an excuse for kirk and a few others ( and u ) to watch the pilot and the idea of spock be court martialed be a clever one . you can poke hole in the plot if you want . for instance and give the talosians mind control ability and captain pike condition and why be it even necessary to physically bring pike back to their planet . and there be other confusing question about pike and commodore mendez . best to not think too hard about the detail and just enjoy st only two parter .