"Amok Time": What If Kirk's Decision was Tougher?

[JonnyQuest037]

In "Amok Time," Kirk chooses to defy Starfleet orders and arrive late to a Starfleet diplomatic function when he realizes that Spock's life is in danger because of his Pon Farr:

MCCOY: Well, that's that.
KIRK: No, it's not. I know the Altair situation. We would be one of three starships. Very impressive, very diplomatic, but it's simply not that vital.
MCCOY: You can't go off to Vulcan against Starfleet orders. You'll be busted
KIRK: I can't let Spock die, can I, Bones? And he will if we go to Altair. I owe him my life a dozen times over. Isn't that worth a career? He's my friend.

As a "What If?" scenario, let's pretend that Kirk and the Enterprise were needed for something more urgent than a showing of the colors. Let's say there was suspicious activity along the Neutral Zone, a vaccine that was desperately needed at a Federation colony, or a Klingon attack that needed investigation. Do you think that moves the needle for Kirk at all? Would he still divert the Enterprise to Vulcan in defiance of Starfleet's orders, or would he try to come up with some alternate arrangement?

Please remember that this is TOS Kirk, not Movie Era Kirk, and doesn't have quite as many years of friendship with Mr. Spock under his belt. At the time of Star Trek III, it's a no brainer that Kirk would risk everything to save Spock. At the time of TOS' second season premiere, it's less of a foregone conclusion, even though as Kirk says in the episode, he already owes Spock his life a dozen times over.

What do you think, folks?

 

[DonIago]

I'd like to think if Kirk was faced with deaths occurring if he didn't get the E to wherever it was supposed to go then Spock himself would be telling Kirk that he must continue on course. "The needs of the many..."

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I'd like to think if Kirk was faced with deaths occurring if he didn't get the E to wherever it was supposed to go then Spock himself would be telling Kirk that he must continue on course. "The needs of the many..."

But Spock is losing his mind at this point. I'd say that if the mission were important, Kirk would put his orders ahead of Spock's needs. He has to.

Also, if I were Kirk: even if the mission was just to show the flag at Altair, I would not throw my career away. I would either:

1) Put Spock and Sulu in a shuttlecraft they can fly to Vulcan, or

2) Ask McCoy to put Spock in hibernation or suspended animation until he could be delivered to Vulcan.

 

[DonIago]

I'll assume a shuttle wouldn't have gotten there in time. Why putting Spock in stasis was never considered is one of those suspension of disbelief aspects I suppose; if Spock can be put in stasis, that aspect of the episode falls apart.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

I'll assume a shuttle wouldn't have gotten there in time. Why putting Spock in stasis was never considered is one of those suspension of disbelief aspects I suppose; if Spock can be put in stasis, that aspect of the episode falls apart.

In all fairness, I must admit that stasis wouldn't meet the emergency, because T'Pring's parents have laid out a fortune for this wedding. Spock has to show up or he'll never hear the end of it.

 

[DonIago]

T'Pau was a budget line item in and of herself!

 

[Jedi Marso]

Simple question, simple answer, and Bones explained it very clearly:

If Enterprise hadn't diverted to Vulcan, the hormone imbalances would have killed Spock. So no more Spock. A few years later, V'Ger would have sterilized the Earth. So no more Earth.

Good thing he diverted the ship, eh?

 

[Delta Vega]

I must admit, I've never really "got" the Pon Farr thing, was Spock the only male Vulcan we saw being affected in this way?
I mean, he could die if he doesn't mate?
And this happens every seven years?
Too many snags I think.
Despite my misgivings, I suspend belief and for me, this episode is the best of Star Trek, not "The City On The Edge Of Forever"
Just my input, I don't want to upset people who understand the premise of Vulcan mating habits more than me, and as I said, great episode.

 

[BillJ]

I must admit, I've never really "got" the Pon Farr thing, was Spock the only male Vulcan we saw being affected in this way?

Tuvok in “Blood Fever”, IIRC.

 

[UssGlenn]

That was Vorik, Tuvok's was later.

 

[Ssosmcin]

Well considering Kirk would pine for Rayna while Flint diddled around with the Ritalyn, Kirk would push the limits to get Spock where he needed to go. Kirk also was hesitant to get medicines top Merak 3 while searching for the Galileo. I think it woulda been the same.

I must admit, I've never really "got" the Pon Farr thing, was Spock the only male Vulcan we saw being affected in this way?
I mean, he could die if he doesn't mate?
And this happens every seven years?
Too many snags I think.

The "seven Years" thing wasn't stated in the episode, that was mentioned in "The Cloud Minders." Personally, it works better without the repeated ticking clock. One time deal, to insure Vulcan's mate and then once it's done, it's done. That's the implication in "Amok Time." Spock even seems to hint this is his first time and that the early life joining with T'Pring makes it important that it's her he mates with.

If it were every 7 years and any sex will do, this is a non-issue all around. Chapel would have been happy to oblige. And as much as I adore TSFS, that whole Pon Farr sequence shows a real misunderstanding of the concept as presented here.

I suspend belief and for me, this episode is the best of Star Trek, not "The City On The Edge Of Forever"

Well, I put "City" further down the list than 90% of fans do.

 

[Mres_was_framed!]

sequence shows a real misunderstanding of the concept as presented here

Could you elaborate on what you feel does not fit in this case?

 

[Ssosmcin]

For The Search for Spock, Harve Bennett has Saavik say that Vulcan males must endure it every 7 years for their adult life. Regenerated Spock reached that biological age and needed cooling off by Saavik. It made for a memorable scene, but...

In Amok Time, there's no mention of the cycle repeating every 7 years and Spock's dialog of "I hoped I would be spared this" implies this is his first time around. Also, the intent is that Spock was compelled to return to Vulcan to mate with T'Pring, not just any random person.

KIRK: Marriage party? You said T'Pring was your wife.
SPOCK: By our parents' arrangement. A ceremony while we were but seven years of age. Less than a marriage but more than a betrothal. One touches the other in order to feel each other's thoughts. In this way our minds were locked together, so that at the proper time, we would both be drawn to Koon-ut-kal-if-fee.

Regenerated Spock didn't have that connection. Pon Farr wasn't just "gotta get laid in 7 years" it was a drive to return home, mate, and in effect, keep the species going - at the proper time. If it were a regular, like clockwork 7 years, Spock would have put in for some time off, done his business, and headed back.

I don't blame Bennett for all of it, The Cloud Minders threw a wrench into it with the every 7 years and Roddenberry, et all, ran with it in interviews, books and the Inside Star Trek album. I'm also fairly sure it was in TMOST, but it wasn't mentioned in Amok Time - and at the end of the episode, the feeling is Spock had his one and done. He was, as Gene Coon said in memos, free to screw like everyone else.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

When "The Cloud Minders" was scripted, it was not effortless to look up the details of a prior episode. Maybe the production office had every old script on a bookshelf, but the writers aren't in that room, and if you phone someone and ask them to read "Amok Time" to you over the phone, you are very much a pain in the ass. Writers wanted to get the next gig after this one, so they didn't do that.

The other thing you could do was ask them to screen "Amok Time" just for you. Also a pain in the producers' asses.

My theory: "The Cloud Minders" writers referenced ponn farr from memory, and they falsely conflated two unrelated lines in the script:

SPOCK: The giant eelbirds of Regulus Five, once each eleven years they must return to the caverns where they hatched.

and

SPOCK: By our parents' arrangement. A ceremony while we were but seven years of age.

That's where the timed, repeating cycle came into it, got mixed up with the reference to seven years, and presto, the Seven Year Cycle was born.