Amok Time by: Theodore Sturgeon and directed by: Joseph Pevney

 

“Amok Time” is written by Theodore Sturgeon and is directed by Joseph Pevney.  It was filmed under production code 34, was the 1^st episode of Star Trek Season 2, the 30^th episode of Star Trek, and was broadcast on September 15, 1967.

 

There is something fascinating about watching Star Trek for the first time with the sheer amount of cultural osmosis that it’s interesting to see a full season has passed before any true exploration of some of the most iconic aspects of the franchise.  “Amok Time”, like the opening episode of the first season, was not the first episode produced of the season but it was the first episode aired and Season 2 of Star Trek is all the better for putting this best foot forward.  This is the episode where significant time is devoted to exploring Vulcan culture, now that a full season has passed and the writers have clearly established Vulcans as logical and emotionless, Spock being our only example in the show thus far but he has been given several subtle emotional moments (and a few not so subtle) to emphasize his human heritage.  “Amok Time” is an episode of two halves, the first half taking place on the Enterprise as Spock behaves rather oddly, resigning himself to his quarters and lashing out at all those who try to understand him.  This self-isolation is an interesting theme due to subtext weaved throughout the episode by Theodore Sturgeon placing Spock as an outsider.  Leonard Nimoy’s performance throughout the entire episode is fascinating and goes through several shifts, but it is actually Majel Barrett as Christine Chapel whose subtle delivery of care and unrequited attraction to Spock that sells these things.  While Chapel is a character whose last piece of development was “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” and she is essentially just acting as the nurse with a crush here, Barrett’s performance is something that shines through for the character.

 

The episode reveals that Vulcan reproduction and sexual dynamics are on a cycle where Vulcans enter a stage of pon farr where they must mate or die, Spock manipulating the Enterprise towards Vulcan so he can be with his betrothed T’Pring, played by Arlene Martel.  This mating as stated here is a process specifically male and specifically heterosexual, though this exclusionary framework is undercut by a subtext in the back half of Spock not being happy with his choice of mate.  Nimoy spends much of the back half of the episode without dialogue, but there is this sense that this arranged marriage is only occurring because it is what is expected due to Vulcan culture and their alien biological imperatives.  The Vulcan’s are also matriarchal, T’Pau played by Celia Lovsky being our insight into the hierarchy on Vulcan in perhaps the strongest written female character Star Trek has had to offer in this series.  Especially important as T’Pau does not conform to traditional female gender roles due to the alien nature of the Vulcans and Lovsky portrays the power as coming from T’Pau’s independence.  T’Pring demands a trial by combat, called a kal-if-fee, between Spock and a champion she chooses to break the engagement, not allowing herself into an unhappy union.  Martel’s performance is incredibly reserved, not showing visible emotion but internal conflict as she is as much a victim here being forced into a relationship.  Spock specifically brings Kirk and McCoy down to the planet Vulcan, being his closest friends, for the support through the ceremony with full intent to leave T’Pring once the ceremony is over.  The fight to the death heightens Spock’s emotions and ends with the apparent death of Kirk, Kirk stepping in voluntarily though without knowledge of the nature of the challenge.  This primal fight is enough to break the pon farr for Spock, using rage and violence through to circumvent the need for mating, the emotions of killing another and losing that connection.

 

Kirk of course isn’t dead, DeForest Kelley as McCoy getting to be an almost trickster figure, injecting Kirk with a drug to make him appear dead on the fly, something Spock is unaware of, leading to Spock’s most emotional sequence.  Spock is resigned to locking himself up and resigning completely at the loss of Kirk, the clear subtext being of love between them, though for obvious reasons this is never stated outright.  Nimoy’s emotional outburst of joy upon Kirk being revealed to be alive is also perhaps his best moment as Spock thus far, taking a single line and letting it all out through an exclamation of love.  Sturgeon’s script is full of this subtext of love and it’s translated to screen by Joseph Pevney who directs the silent action sequences incredibly well. Vulcan is portrayed as very red, signifying its heat which adds to the sexual subtext of the episode of the flames of passion driving Vulcans every seven years.  Pevney also executes several genuinely impressive camera movements and zooms for a late 1960s television show, imbuing the episode with flair and care throughout.  The Vulcan salute and accompanied by the phrase “live long and prosper” is introduced here as another piece of Vulcan culture and finally as a lesser note Walter Koenig appears as Chekov for the first time, though this is a footnote in the first half of the episode.

 

Overall, “Amok Time” is a perfect episode to open the second season of Star Trek.  Focusing in on Spock allows Leonard Nimoy one of his best performances and unlike the several rewrites like on “Shore Leave”, Theodore Sturgeon’s script is allowed to be presented with Sturgeon’s ideas and some very modern subtext allowed to pass through without having to be censored.  This is clearly an episode that is integral in the development of fanfiction as a concept and it is utterly brilliant at exploring an alien culture while also for once taking the focus of the episode entirely off Captain Kirk who is in the audience surrogate position for once.  10/10.