AMOK TIME | S.2.E.1
Star Trek - The Original Series
Original air date: September 15.1967
Captain’s Log, Stardate 3372.7
SYNOPSIS
In the throes of his Pon Farr mating period, Spock must return to Vulcan to meet his intended future wife, betrothed from childhood.
CANON CONTEXT
It was the first episode to air featuring Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) as the ship's navigator. It was also the first episode to list "DeForest Kelley as Dr. McCoy" in the opening credits. This is the first episode to use the "Vulcan salute" and introduced the concept of pon farr.
RECAP
Having seen the first season of Strange New Worlds I’ve got to say this first: holy cow! Okay, now that I’ve got that out of the way, let’s get into it.
There’s a lot of stuff that happens on the ship before we get to the real meat of the story so let’s quickly get that out of the way. It starts with Spock acting rather strangely. He seems to be easily agitated and quick tempered which is not like him. Then, at one point he does what could only be considered “flirting” with Nurse Chapel? More on that in another series.
The conclusion to his erratic behavior is to take Spock to his Vulcan home world immediately or risk that he might die. Not to put it too lightly it appears that Spock is “in heat” but not in the way humans would think of it. He must return to Vulcan where he did his original mind meld with his betrothed T’Pring. She is quite a woman. But before we get to Vulcan or the woman of the hour, we need to spend a moment with Ensign Chekov. Finally, the man, the myth, the legend joins the cast and crew of the Enterprise as the navigator.
He’s got a few comical lines for his first episode where they joke about the Enterprise changing course several times over. Unsure of whether they should follow Starfleets orders and go to Altair VI or take Spock home. The decision finally comes down to forego Starfleet and head for Vulcan. Good ole Kirk can always be counted on to help his friends. To thank him and show his gratitude, Spock asks if Kirk and Bones would join him on the planet to witness this very time honored tradition called the pon farr.
What the men can wait to see is Spocks wife make her grand entrance. As are all women of Star Trek, she is quite the looker, even if she’s terribly logical in her thinking.
When they transport down to Vulcan, Spock must first greet T’Pau. She is highly regarded by Starfleet as being the only leader to turn down a position on their board/council thing. This is not usual for someone to decline but because of it, she’s got mad respect from Kirk who is impressed that Spock has such connections in high places.
Also, this is the first time we see the Vulcan solute which we had not seen in the entire season one. Pretty cool.
I got the impression that she is simply present at all of these ceremonies regardless of who is involved.
Now comes the time for the ceremony to begin where Spock bangs some gong to signify that he still wants to be with T’Pring. Except, and out of the ordinary, she stops him!
When she stops him it basically signifies a challenge. She will choose someone that Spock must fight to the death in order to prove that he still wants her to be his wife. Why has she done this? All in good time the answer shall be revealed. I will point out that standing ominously nearby while all this is happening is this dude:
It is obvious to everyone, including Kirk, that this guy is here to be T’Pring champion and fight Spock. Bones is concerned that Spock might not be in the right mental state for a battle. The curveball they get hit with is when T’Pring decides to name Kirk her challenger against Spock. Kirk, feeling it would not look good if he were to decline, does so not realizing that the battle is to the death!
The air quality and extreme heat make it difficult for Kirk to keep up with his fight against Spock who seems to be overtaken by extreme adrenaline. Bones intercedes with permission from T’Pau to give Kirk a medicine that will allow him to breath better and give him a fighting chance against Spock. Fat lot of good that did as Spock manages to strangle Kirk to death! Damn…
Now Spock is faced with a decision since he has won: To take T’Pring for his wife or let her go. Now we get to the answers as to why she chose Kirk. Diabolical! She has feelings for Stonn (the dude I mentioned earlier) who was a bit butt hurt when she chose Kirk over him to fight Spock but he was quickly told to back down and did. And according to her, Stonn has feelings for her as well. In her logical mind, if Kirk killed Spock he would not want her and therefore she can go be with Stonn. If Spock won he would need to leave to be at Starfleet and that wouldn’t be so bad because she’d have his money, his property on Vulcan, and Stonn. Or he would not like that arrangement, not want her and again she would have Stonn. Either way, she will get what she wants; Stonn. We’ll just all gloss over the fact that she really feared that Spock might kill him and then where would she be. She couldn’t risk that!
Spock gives her the freedom she wants and warns Stonn that wanting something is very different once you have it. Ooh, stinger!
Spock returns to the Enterprise to face whatever his punishment will be for killing the captain, only to discover that Kirk is alive! You didn’t really think he was dead did you? No way! That thing Bones gave him down on Vulcan was some sort of tranquilizer that only made him appear dead. This was the only way they could see to help Spock do what he needed to. But when Spock realized the kind of woman T’Pring was, the animal like lust he had for her instantly vanished and he was free from his agitated emotions.
Not that he’d ever admit to any form of emotion even though it seems Kirk and Bones enjoy teasing him about it at the end of every episode lately.
DID THEY REALLY SAY THAT?
T'Pring: Spock. It is I.
Spock: T'Pring. Parted from me, and never parted. Never and always touching and touched. We meet at the appointed place.
T'Pring: Spock. Parted from me, and never parted. Never and always touching and touched. We meet at the appointed place. I await you.