McCoy, Spock, and the Platonians

I noticed a little something in ``Plato's Stepchildren''. In the big humiliation scene that ends with Alexander riding Kirk ... McCoy does at one point beg Parmen to stop it. But he isn't moved to beg by any of the danger or humiliation inflicted on Kirk. He begs it when the Platonians force Spock to laugh and then to cry.

I'm not sure if it's just that at that moment McCoy has had enough, or if it's that he's aware being forced to show emotions -- even ones he doesn't feel or has controlled himself -- is vastly harder for Spock than just surviving this scene is for Kirk, and wanting to save Spock because he needs the saving more.

 

It's because despite all the bickering, at least to me, McCoy and Spock have genuine respect for each other.

 

^^^agreed. As I've said before, McCoy is ALWAYS the first to come to Spock's defense.

 

I agree if needed be McCoy would die for Spock and plus I think he has had enough of what those people where doing to his friends.

 

Not in Galileo 7.

But I agree that despite everything they are good friends.

I think that McCoy realised that Kirk could take the humiliation but not Spock.
Also he knows that Spock would rather die than hurt Kirk.

 

I think in Galileo 7 McCoy's doubts about Spock's command ability were just that, but then the junior officers started on him. McCoy would not have disobeyed Spock, but he wasn't above grumbling and complaining. McCoy also challenged Kirk on several occasions when it was his responsibility. Unfortunately, the junior officers seem to jump on this to be disobedient, when Boma became really beligerent, McCoy did defend Spock. But it's not clear cut.

Back to the OP, I think Dr McCoy might know that that kind of forced display may injure a Vulcan in a way a human wouldn't be hurt. He might have a stroke or some similar type of problem from trying to hold back all emotions, I don't know.

 

there is a good bit of he's my brother, and no body can pick on him, but me in the relationship

 

A similar incident happens in "The Empath" when McCoy surreptitiously sedates Spock, rather than let him be the Vians' next test subject.

 

Mccoy is secretly in love with Spock and he argues with him to try to bring out his human emotions.

 

Platonius..

If any planet ever deserved General Order 24, it was this one.

 

Not necessary, you just have to yell at them and they'll die of the infection.

 

But on this planet, surely that love is Platonic.

 

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YMPAH67f4o[/yt]

 

Any questions about the nature of McCoy's relationship with Spock are answered in the monologue he delivers to an incapacitated Spock in Trek III. Of course, by then McCoy has already experienced sharing his mind with Spock's soul, so their relationship grew closer over time. There is so much emphasis on Kirk/Spock probably because DeForest stayed out of the limelight and died, but the McCoy/Spock dynamic was key.