Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 34: Amok Time [VHS]

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The fact that there is no review applauding this episode bothers me. This is the episode that introduces us to all the Vulcan history which has become so well-known. "Live long and prosper", the Vulcan hand jesture and the famous music people like Eddie Murphy and "the Cable Guy" imitate are all from this episode. If you consider yourself a Star Trek fan in the slightest then you must own this episode.

The original Star Trek TV series aired from 1966-1969 and reflected the era in which it was made. The Cold War was still raging although the threat of nuclear war had receded somewhat and a shooting war was in progress in Vietnam. The horrors of World War 2 were still fresh in many peoples minds and even World War 1 was still a living memory for many people. Thus, many people were groping for a way for mankind to overcome the urges that seemingly pushed it to greater and greater levels of self-destruction. The writers of Star Trek decided to create a character, Mr Spock, who would come from a world that had decided to cope with these challanges by banishing emotion. Mr Spock's struggle with this became the theme of many episodes, especially this one and Journey to Babel. Dr McCoy's criticism represents a critique of this approach, i.e. that man must live with his emotions and control them, not eliminate them entirely. Even though Spock and McCoy represent very different approaches to life, they are the closest of friends, as we see in this fine episode. People can live in peace, not by necessarily banishing all differences and living in some fuzzy, empty, middle ground, but by respecting all philosophies that search for the ultimate truths. This is the message of the original Star Trek and is represented beautifully in this episode and this is why I am so disappointed in the subsequent TV series and movies which lost this vision.

I love this episode so much. It is my second favorite from the series. My first is City on the edge of forever. This episode takes you on a ride to vulcan. Spocks home planet. Add this to your collection now.

Just saw a beastie boys video today that reenacts the pon farr battle on a street corner.

This script by sci-fi legend Theodore Sturgeon is well done. But the 5-star rating is iffy (4.5 would be more appropriate). If you could preserve one Star Trek episode for future generations, would this be the one? The main message seems to be that sexuality is a difficult subject.

The episode fills what would otherwise be a mysterious gap in Vulcan biology. The Mr. Spock we know would never fall in love (except on that planet where the spores got him). Nor do Vulcans seem interested in raising babies, who are (after all) most illogical. Why, then, don't Vulcans die out? The answer is that once every seven years, the mating urge takes control. It's not pretty. Spock acts horribly, shouting and throwing food at Nurse Chapel. For this to happen to Spock of all people is deeply disturbing. The message seems to be: for those who can't integrate love and romance into their lives, when sex finally raises its head, it's terrifying.

Spock must go to Vulcan and join with his "wife," a remarkably beautiful female Vulcan (the first we ever saw I believe) named T'Pring. Their minds were joined when teenagers. Kirk and McCoy join the wedding party at Spock's request. It is touching that Spock invites McCoy, for once showing us his true estimation of the good doctor. On Vulcan, things don't go as planned; Kirk is chosen as "champion" to fight Spock and accepts only because he thinks he can help his friend by fighting easy.

Tension remains high. Near the end, it looks like there's no way out of absolute disaster, until the final, surprising scene. But like the Kobayashi Maru in Star Trek II, it's kind of a cheat! Overall, an emotionally involving episode. Most memorable line: "Sometimes wanting is better than having. It is not logical, but often true." I don't know whether that's so or not, but I think of that line often.

In addition to being an excellent episode, this one features quite possibly the most beautiful woman to ever be in any episode of any Star Trek series. She plays J'pang (sic?), Spock's potential mate, and she is absolutely stunning! That, combined with the fact that this is just a wonderful episode all around, make this one a must own.

This is one of my very favorite episodes because it shows Spock's vulcan side along with his human side. He becomes very irritated while on board the enterprise; not even the good ole doc can figure out what is going on. Upon examining him, however, Mcoy finds that Spock will die unless he returns to Vulcan.
Kirk approaches him and Spock then explains the ritual of Pon Farr , where he is supposed to take a wife.
Of course, Kirk puts his friend's priorities first and quickly takes him home. Spock invites Mcoy and Kirk to join him for the occasion, which turns out to be a bad idea, for Spock's betrothed decides to challenge the ritual. She chooses Kirk for her man, so Kirk must fight Spock for her. Kirk decides to do so when Mcoy tells him that Spock probably cannot stand up to a big fight and would probably die.
But, Kirk isn't used to the Vulcan atmosphere and begins to show signs of fatigue against Spock. Mcoy realizes that Kirk isn't going to make it unless he intervenes.
When Spock kills the captain, he becomes normal again and returns to the ship with the intention of turning himself in.
This episode shows the relationship that Kirk and Spock actually has. Never before have we seen such emotion coming from Spock!!

This is the second best episode of the original series, trailing only "Mirror, Mirror" in quality. Spock suddenly grows irrational and emotional and will not tell anyone what is happening. Kirk finally orders Spock to tell him the cause and it turns out that it is the urge to mate. The mating urge is so strong in Vulcans that when it strikes them, they must either mate or die. Furthermore, their normal demeanor is completely destroyed, turning them into little more than mindless rut-fiends. Kirk violates a direct order in transporting Spock to Vulcan, where his wife (T'Pring) currently is and the only place where he can obtain the necessary release.
When they arrive at Vulcan, Kirk and McCoy accompany Spock to the surface, where the marriage ceremony is to take place. The guest of honor at the wedding is T'Pau, one of the highest ranking of all Vulcans. However, T'Pring chooses the challenge, selecting Kirk to be her champion, where he is to fight with Spock to win her hand. Kirk argues that he is only protecting Spock, he tells McCoy that he will quit at the first sign of trouble and that way Spock will not have to fight another Vulcan. However, he does not understand that the battle is to the death, so he squares off against Spock using unfamiliar weapons. After surviving the first round, McCoy offers to give Kirk a triox injection to help him compensate for the thin air of Vulcan.
Round two begins, but suddenly, it appears that Spock has choked Kirk to death. This leaves Spock in command and he orders McCoy to have himself and Kirk's body beamed back to the Enterprise. The subsequent conversation between T'Pau and Spock contains a great deal of repressed emotion, as only Vulcans could express it. When he gets back to the Enterprise, Spock is shocked to see that Kirk is alive and only barely resists the urge to squeeze the stuffing out of him. McCoy had injected Kirk with a compound that simulated death, and he revived him after beaming back to the Enterprise.
Having the Vulcans revert to such mindless, animalistic creatures when it is time to mate was an act of creative genius. Science fiction writer Theodore Sturgeon is to be commended for not only conceiving the idea, but for also carrying it out in such an excellent fashion. In previous episodes, the Vulcans were characterized as stolid creatures, controlled solely by logic, not much more than carbon-based digital computers. The reversion to the barbarous act of a gladiatorial contest to win a woman is completely in opposition to that characterization. Furthermore, having one of the most powerful Vulcans present demonstrates how fundamental the ceremony is to the Vulcan way of life.
I have said many times that Star Trek is at its' best when the stories are based on presenting information about non-human species and their culture. That is what this episode is about and the fact that it presents the Vulcans as bio-rhythmic sex-fiends renders it one of the best hours of television ever filmed.

Easily one of the top five episodes in trek history! If you're a fan of Nimoy's character you've gotta see this one! Too great for words! The whole series rocks and this is one of the very best!

I was surprised when I first saw "Amok Time." It features another good job of acting by Spock. Spock has to answer a mating call that happens once in a number of years. He won't let anything stop him, he turns violent against everybody and will die in 8 days if he does not get to his home planet of Vulcan.

Captain Kirk and Dr. McCoy are chosen to beam down with him as spectators. They all meet T'Pau and Spock's mate. Spock's mate chooses battle instead of just taking Spock. She then chooses who will have to fight Spock. If Spock wins, he can have her. Who will Spock have to fight? Will Spock win the battle? That's what makes "Amok Time" so good. You'll be on the edge of your seat while you watch it and wonder what's going to happen, especially after you find out who Spock has to fight.

I recommend getting "Amok Time" to add to your collection. It's definitely a one of a kind episode from the original Star Trek series and has some of the best suspense of any of the episodes. It's also one of the best episodes of any of the Star Trek shows.