Category Archives: 051. 2009 Menagerie

Cracked.com’s Two Most Depressing Star Trek Ornaments

“Jeffrey Hunter refused to film additional scenes as Pike, which is why we got a story that allowed another actor to play the part under heavy make-up and a giant facial scar shaped like the Falkland Islands. Amazingly this convoluted plan to cut costs and buy time resulted in an acclaimed two-part episode that welcomed Pike into Star Trek canon – and it also gave us the second-most depressing Star Trek Christmas ornament of all time.”
Cracked.com; ‘Star Trek’ Only Saved Captain Pike Out Of Cheapness, May 20, 2022

“A Christmas ornament that lovingly recreates the famous scene in which one of the main characters slowly dies from radiation poisoning. Here’s your greatest tragedy dangling from a tree. Merry fucking Christmas, Spock fans!”
Cracked.com; 6 Movie Merchandise Misguided Messes May 29, 2015

Artist Inspirations: Scene Ornaments (2004-2019)

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**The City on the Edge of Forever** (2004)
The action shot of Spock and Kirk jumping through the portal is a sculpt inspired by their jump **from** the past (middle), not to the past (left).

**Locutus of Borg** (2005)
“Star Trek: First Contact”, Borg Queen and Locutus.

**The Trouble with Tribbles** (2008)
Unfortunately, Kirk’s eyes closely resemble Mr. Magoo’s in this otherwise accurate sculpt.

**The Menagerie** (2009)
Kirk and Spock are at slightly different angles to Pike compared to their position in the episode. The ornament has Kirk turned toward Pike 45 degrees while Spock is more squared up and perpendicular to him.

**Amok Time** (2010)
Any slight difference in the positioning of the Vulcan lirpas is quickly drowned out by the fantastic battle music that accompanies the ornament. Unfortunately, the sculpt depicts Kirk moments before his shirt is sliced open. We could use a torn-shirt Kirk ornament in a bad way.

**Mirror, Mirror** (2011)
In the episode, McCoy is pressed against the computer bank. In the sculpt, there is distance between him and the wall and his head in leaning back.

**An Extraordinary Meeting** (2012)
If you are wondering why the artist has the Spocks standing in front
of a wall adorned with the Federation’s delta insignia…
“Put aside logic, do what feels right”.

**Arena** (2013)
(A,B) The Gorn approaches a trapped Kirk and (C) raises his dagger, (D) the episode breaks for commercial, (E) the Gorn reaches out toward the rock, (F) grabs the rock and (G) pulls it away allowing Kirk to escape

This ornament is a view we never see on screen. It is the moment that occurs in image (F) but from the camera angle we are familiar with from image C. No explanation why the ornament does not include the vine netting around Kirk’s leg.

**The Devil in the Dark** (2014)
Spock’s elbows are bent and his forearms placed more vertically on the close shots (bottom left) while in the long shots his arms are more outstretched with his forearms horizontal (top). Spock’s boot and legs are exact copies from the long shots. The ornament is a blend of the different shots.

**The Needs of the Many** (2015)
While most (WARNING: 39 year old spoilers ahead!) of Spock’s death scene in The Wrath of Khan is shot from Kirk’s side of the glass, from the moment Kirk puts his hand on the glass until Spock’s actual demise, the scene is all shot from Spock’s side of the glass. While the ornament can be viewed from both sides it is impossible to reproduce the movie camera’s perspective from the back of the ornament. In the end, we get an ornament of a classic scene from Kirk’s perspective.

**The Man Trap** (2016)
Kirk and the Salt Vampire.

**The Naked Time** (2018)
(A) Sulu enters the bridge, (B) Sulu’s guard arm is raised in the scorpion position, (C) Kirk ducks Sulu’s lunge, (D) Kirk jumps over the bridge railing to the lower level, (E) Sulu resumes the scorpion position, (F) Sulu holding Uhura faces Kirk, (G) Uhura’s struggles draws Sulu’s attention, (H) Uhura breaks away

Sulu’s likeness is captured from image B or E. Kirk’s stance is closest to that of F or G. Kirk’s position to the sword is never closer than that in image C. The Naked Time ornament marries two different moments in the scene to capture an iconic but nonexistent moment in time.

**Saru and Burnham** (2019)
Burnham gives Georgiou’s telescope to Saru in the first season episode “Choose Your Pain”. In the episode, the pair simply stand in front of the telescope case which sits on a table and the ornament depicts them in a similar standing position but with Saru holding the case, a moment we never see appear on screen.

Star Trek The Menagerie Hallmark Keepsake Ornament Hand-Signed by Sean Kenney as Captain Pike

51) 2009 “The Menagerie”

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Logic or loyalty? Spock remains true to both in The Menagerie, a Star Trek original series two-parter from 1966. Written by series creator Gene Rodenberry, the award-winning episode incorporates pre-Kirk footage from an unaired installment that was originally set to be the pilot episode. Spock and Kirk find themselves at Starbase 11, where they meet Spock’s previous captain, Christopher Pike. Now burned and paralyzed from an accident, Pike can no longer walk or talk. Communicating with flashing lights controlled by his brainwaves, he can only answer yes or no, and Spock in the only one who can help him! His predicament and the mutinous lengths to which Spock will go for his former captain and friend lead to one of the series’ most well-known adventures.