Well my friends we finally made it. This is my pick for the best episode of Star Trek. City on the Edge is great but its a strict romance. Tribbles is great but it's a comedy. This feels like it has all the elements a good Trek episode is supposed to, most importantly the focus is on the friends.
Plot:Suffering through his first infliction of pon farr, the Vulcan biological mating urge, Spock must return to Vulcan to marry his betrothed or he will die.
Guest Stars:Celia Lovsky as T'Pau, Arlene Martel as T'Pring
Nitpick:I can't come up with one! I guess it is weird it took so long for Kirk to notice something was wrong with Spock if it was obvious to McCoy.
Summary:
Teaser-On the Enterprise McCoy stops Kirk to ask if he had noticed anything strange about Spock. He's been increasingly nervous and has been avoiding food for several days. Chapel them appears with a tray of food clearly meant for Spock, she says she noticed he hasn't been eating. As McCoy explains the hostel tone Spock used when he suggested a check-up, there is a scream from Spock's quarters as he tosses the food out the door and berates Chapel. When he notices Kirk, he says he needs the ship to divert to Vulcan long enough to drop him off. Kirk asks what it's about, and Spock simply yells at him and closes the door.
Act 1-Kirk wants to know why after years of turning down shore leaves, Spock is requesting one now. Spock says he needs rest, and refuses to say more. Kirk says the planet they are going has excellent shore facilities, but Spock insists that it be Vulcan. Kirk tells Sulu to change course to divert to Vulcan. Later, an announcement comes in which makes there trip to Altair 7 need to be sooner and will not give them time to divert to Vulcan (don't ask me why Spock couldn't just take a shuttle). Spock seems to understand, but when Kirk asks later how far beyond a change of course would put them Chekov says Spock changed it already. On the Bridge, Kirk tells Spock to come with him (I love how Kirk pulls rank here). Spock explains he does not recall changing the course but says it is possible. He insists he be locked away, and Kirk tells him to report for a complete medical exam. In Sick Bay Spock tries to avoid an exam but McCoy insists. Moments later, McCoy tells Kirk that if Spock doesn't get the Vulcan ASAP he'll die.
Act 2-Kirk wants to know why, but McCoy isn't sure. He explains that there is a growing imbalance of body functions and the physical and emotional pressure will simply kill him. McCoy says Spock knows wat it is but will not say. Kirk goes to talk to him. In his quarters Spock is looking at a picture of a little girl when Kirk comes in. He assures Spock that anything he tells him will be confidential. Spock explains that no outworlder may know, even they do not speak of it. It is regarding Vulcan Biology. Spock explains that there are drives in Vulcans that force them to return home every seven years to mate. Vulcans do not even discuss it instead they shroud it in archaic rituals. It strips all logic and brings a madness that rips away their veneer of discipline. It is the Ponn Farr time of mating. He had hoped to be spared this, but the drive is to strong. When Starfleet refuses Kirk's request for a delay (because he can't explain the urgency) he violates Starfleet orders to go to Vulcan anyway. Saying he ows Spock his life a dozen times over, and he's his friend. Later, the ship as arrived at Vulcan and Spock requests McCoy and Kirk accompany him. He is allowed to have is closest friends at his side. On the Bridge, the viewscreen is active and a woman welcomes Spock. Uhura asks who she is, and Spock says it is T'Pring-his wife.
Act 3-On Vulcan the three arrive at some kind of arena. Spock explains that he was sort of betrothed to T'Pring when they were very young. There was a ritual where they touched each other and felt each others thoughts. So they would know when the time came to Koon-ut-kal-if-fee. As the wedding party approaches, Kirk recognizes the elderly woman as T'Pau. The only person to ever reject a seat on the Federation Council. As the ceremony starts, T'Pring stops it. Basically saying she does not want Spock. She invokes kal-if-fee, her right to have Spock fight for her. Spock wanders in what T'Pau calls the Plak Tow, the blood fever. T'Pring will choose her chamption, who Kik and McCoy expect will be Stonn (another Vulcan in attendance). Instead, she chooses Kirk. T'Pau explains that since he is an outworlder, Kirk is not bound to there laws and therefore can decline the challenge if he wishes to. Figuring that Spock is in no shape to fight Stonn, he accepts the challenge. T'Pau then tells Kirk that the fight is to death. Which never made sense to me but stakes I guess.
Act 4-There's simply no way for me to do this fight justice, find it and watch it. I guess it makes sense it's like having Superman and Batman fight, it's gotta be epic. It's also not to long which is nice. After they struggle Kirk barely survives round one. McCoy then announces that the dry air is a disadvantage to Kirk, and he can help compensate with a hypo. Kirk is wiped out as McCoy injects him with a tri-ox compound to help him breathe. The second round begins and Kirk is quickly struggling. Spock manages to get a rope around Spock's neck, and apparently strangle him to death. When Kirk's body goes limp, all Spock can do is stare. McCoy goes over and says Kirk is dead, and asks Spock if he has any orders now. Spock tells McCoy to go back to the ship, he will follow soon. And put himself under immediate arrest for the crime he has committed. As McCoy and Kirk beam up, Spock asks T'Pring why she picked Kirk as champion. In a flawlessly logical argument, she explains she didn't want to be Spock's consort and the only way to divorce him and marry Stonn was having Kirk as champion. Spock tells Stonn she is her's and points out that he may find that having is not as pleasing as wanting, not logical but true. Spock bids farewell to T'Pau who wishes him to live long and prosper. Spock says he will do neither, he has killed his captain and his friend. On the ship Spock is explaining that he will resign his commission and put Scotty in command, when Kirk appears and says he should check with him first. In a moment of surprise Spock almost smiles, but contains himself and asks how Kitk is uninjured. McCoy injected him with a neural paralyzer not a tri ox compound, simulated death. Uhura reports that T'Pau cleared the way with Starfleet to overlook the whole disobeying order thing. And when McCoy points out Spock almost had an emotional reaction to seeing Kirk alive, he denies it saying his reaction was quite logical. McCoy agrees that it was logical, in a pig's eye!
Final Thoughts:I saw a reviewer wonder how come Kirk didn't beam up the second he got into trouble during the fight. Wow, talk about missing the point. Kirk has two or three chances to get out, but refuses to because Spock is his friend and he will stand by him. That's the whole point of the story, and it's beautifully done. It's a character episode and one I can't help but love. I like that they give the other characters some dialogue in the first half because it's pretty much just the main three for the rest of it. Except Scotty who is absent. And the fight scene between Kirk and Spock is easily my favorite fight of the series, wonderfully staged and the beyond amazing music helps elevate it. This music can be heard in other episode but here is where it fit the best. Yeah, you can nitpick things like where are Spock's parents and the easy solution to Kirk disobeying orders, but the episode is wonderfully written and performed and I love it.
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