Why doesn't T'Pau tell Kirk the fight is to the death?

[Commishsleer]

TPau probably thought every ritual fight for a woman is to the death.

It probably is in some cultures on Earth.

 

[Amaris]

I always assumed T'Pau just knew exactly what she was doing. She always had that aura of having things well in hand, even when they seemed the most chaotic. YMMV, though.

 

[Corylea]

I always assumed T'Pau just knew exactly what she was doing. She always had that aura of having things well in hand, even when they seemed the most chaotic. YMMV, though.

Yes, that's part of why I'm assuming that she deliberately misled Kirk. My question is WHY?

 

[Amaris]

I always assumed T'Pau just knew exactly what she was doing. She always had that aura of having things well in hand, even when they seemed the most chaotic. YMMV, though.

Yes, that's part of why I'm assuming that she deliberately misled Kirk. My question is WHY?

Perhaps she knew the logical outcome? To prevent T'Pring from gaining a foothold to Spock's family's properties and name? Maybe she knew T'Pring's duplicity didn't stop with love alone.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I always assumed T'Pau just knew exactly what she was doing. She always had that aura of having things well in hand, even when they seemed the most chaotic. YMMV, though.

Yep. T'Pau has a little bit of heart and soul.

 

[jayrath]

She did tell him. Just not in a timely manner.

Anyway, it was widely assumed in the 1960s that any man would fight to the death to win actress Arlene Martel (T'Pring, and Tiger on "Hogan's Heroes.")

 

[USS Triumphant]

Yep. T'Pau has a little bit of heart and soul.

"This is the Vulcan heart. This is the Vulcan soul. This is our way."

 

[DaveM]

In "Amok Time," it always seemed strange to me that T'Pau didn't mention that the fight was to the death when she was explaining things to Kirk, and that made me wonder if she was intentionally concealing that fact from Kirk. And if she was, I wondered why she would do that. The reasons I can think of:

1. T'Pau doesn't have anything special against Kirk, but she doesn't have anything FOR him, either, and if he dies, that means that no Vulcans die that day, which would probably seem like the best outcome to someone whose job is to manage and look after Vulcans.
2. T'Pau is punishing Spock for bringing "outworlders" to the ceremony -- and possibly for having human friends to begin with -- by killing his friend.
3. T'Pau is punishing Kirk for not being adequately respectful about the whole thing.
4. T'Pau is prejudiced against humans. (Listen to the scorn and loathing in her voice when she pronounces the word "human" when she asks Spock if he's Vulcan or human.)

I think #1 is the most probable, but they all seem at least somewhat plausible. And I guess it doesn't have to be either-or; she could tell herself it's #1 while any -- or all -- of the others operates in the background...

Thoughts?

None of the above. She didn't tell Kirk because there was never any reason to do so to start with and it isn't her job to explain Vulcan mating rituals to outworlders. In fact she went out of her way to make sure Kirk understood Vulcan rituals are not binding on him and to explain them more than was necessary. She was under no obligation to tell him anything and in fact went out of her way to do so.
In fact- Kirk himself states that he knew Vulcans once had to fight and kill for their mates. What he never understood was that the biological drive was so strong- far stronger than in humans (and look what we do in the name of sex)-and that the potential to have to fight and kill was still the custom. As Spock himself said- the Vucans themselves do not speak of it and shroud it in ritual.

 

[1001001]

This one's over 4 years dead as well.

RIP



"Hailing Frequencies Closed"