You truly get what the heart of Star Trek is when I see how you react to the friendship of the big three. It's what makes all of us care so deeply for them. Great reaction to a great episode.🖖
Let's not get into that. She doesn't like spoilers! But the character interaction among the "big three" is emphasized in Star Trek 5 just as it is here, and in The Wrath of Khan. Let's just leave it at that.
Chapel’s ex-husband turned into a robot. An emotionally repressed alien is a step up. In all seriousness, I hate that the syndicated version of this episode cut down to 40 minutes by removing all of Chapel’s scenes. Something had to go to fit in more commercials, but it guts the heart and characterization that the side-plot added to this episode.
I like the Chapel in Strange New Worlds so much better. She is not just a nurse, she is one of the top scientists on the ship. If a room full of Klingons were to provoke a fight with her, she would say, "Ya, you and how many armies? Now, go back to your little ship, I think it is your nap time."
@@mmattson8947 Plus the scene where they are walking on the stone bridge to the arena. This was added in in the 2,000's when they added scenes and remastered effects. Up until the late 80's, the FCC allowed only 5 minuets of ads per hour so the original run time was 50 minuets, now where done to around 35 minuets run time.
19:40, The look on Spock’s face when he realizes Kirk is alive. This episode really shows the lengths to which the big three are willing to go for each other.
@@rogershore3128 Oh, Facebook and TikTok were there. It's just that their priority was too low for subspace, so it would have taken years for that to get anywhere at only light speed (radio). 🙂
@@bunnytailsREACTS When you rewatch the movies, you'll have a much better understanding and appreciation of their history, and why they would do anything for each other. Not that you didn't appreciate it already, I'm just saying it will have another dimension.
This is considered one of the greatest episodes of the original series, and you’re really get the sense of how deep their friendship is. Actually the whole command crew is a family dynamic.
And I've always how Spock's "I also request...Maccoy accompany me." shows how things actually stand between Spock and Maccoy. Accompanied by his closest friends. 🙂👍
This episode was written by Ted Sturgeon, one of the most influential of the New Wave of science fiction in the 60's and 70's. His stories tended to center on love, intimacy, and sex, meditations on how these things influence culture and science. A terrific writer, totally worth looking up. (Nice guy, too; I got to meet him at a summer solstice celebration at the Philosophical Research Society in the 70's.)
In writing the episode, Sturgeon did more than that: he largely invented (revealed?) Vulcan society from the ground up. Its being portrayed as a Matriarchy, its value of shielding 'the basics' from outsiders, the Ponn Far and how ritual accommodates it, everything. (Including elements that seem designed to make Western audiences both intrigued and uncomfortable. Like when T'Pau asks T'Pring: "Are thee prepared to become the property of the victor?")
Or to paraphrase Iman from Star Trek 6, "not everyone keeps their genitals in the same place." But on a serious note, Spock was in Pon Farr, not to be confused with "porn star." 😮
Spock: Let's sit down Jim. You see, there comes a time in a man's life, and woman's, when they love each other very much, and so..... Kirk: Ew. We're not going to talk about that, are we?
Yep, it was done for budget reasons, but it is also a nice bit of continuity, since the ceremonies involving pon farr would predate the Romulan exodus from Vulcan.
This is one of the best TOS episodes and why Spock’s death in The Wrath of Khan is even more devastating to OG fans of the show. The heart of TOS is the relationship between these three characters and this is a perfect example of it.
Definitely. Knowing that was the first episode broadcast for season two, I was disappointed after watching her season one top ten video that she was reviewing in production order rather than broadcast order and I had to wait for this episode.
I am so struck by your intuition, appreciation and analysis of Star Trek and basically how much you get into it, and how much you are moved by it. it's a beautiful thing to see and for me to relive the episodes through your viewing. It's, well, fascinating.
@@BarebonesNetwork-w3s Well, we know that Bones is extremely good at what he does, despite Spock's statements to the contrary or even Bones's own statement, "I'm just an old country doctor."
Excellent episode. I really like that Bones took initiative on Vulcan (without authorization) and absolutely saved the day. The episode also gave us some great insight into Vulcan society and culture. 🖖🏻 Also, there is a very significant bit of real world wisdom that I picked up from this episode: when Spock says: “You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting… it is not logical, but it is often true” was a genuine insight into human nature that I picked up as a pre-adolescent boy.
Yeah, this is my favorite from Season 2 (so far) as well. The episode is really embedded in my memories, I will always remember the music during that battle sequence. I can tell that you really get the essence of Star Trek, it is about friendship and loyalty, above all else. The relationships between not only Kirk, Spock and McCoy but with all of the cast is what draws us in.
The deep base notes and accompanying violin notes are called "Spock's Theme". It'll show up again in later episodes related to Spock. I actually love the incidental music in Star Trek TOS. They got actual composers for the themes, like the fight scene music here, often parodied. Also: I always felt tgat T'Pau should have spelled out that "...dis combat is to da det!"
When Kirk talks about owing his life to Spock, I remember that they dedicated their lives to each other. That includes all of the principle characters. There are people in the real life military who are like that. Especially those who have survived combat over the last 25 years. They're often more dedicated to each other than their own spouses and children.
This is a great episode showing that dedication of brothers from other mothers for certain. Thankfully we see that here and in other episodes of the original series. I didn't think we ever see it again in future offerings.
I think the expression you're looking for is bumping uglies. So either the Vulcans bump uglies or fight to the death. Either will burn off that excess hormones apparently.
Arlene Martel - she guest starred in a whole lot of '60s TV series. I particularly remember her from an episode of The Outer Limits called "Demon with a Glass Hand"
She was also in a classic episode of the original Outer Limits featuring Robert Culp called; "Demon with a Glass Hand." The actresses name is Arlene Martel.
That smile makes the episode and McCoy and Kirk winding him up at the end is a joy to watch. Again showing that the classic show is about the trio friendship of Kirk, Spock and McCoy..... They know their boundaries in relation to each other and the age differences between the characters is important. McCoy being older than Kirk makes that difference. At times McCoy is almost a mentor to Kirk. Spock normally stoic acting as the go between between the very emotional McCoy and a very focused calm Captain. I can safely say you are in for more gems ahead.....
T'Pring was played by Arlene Martel, who also had a notable role in The Outer Limits, in the episode "Demon with a glass hand." She was a regular at Star Trek conventions for many years. Bonus points if you can say the other TV episode where Nimoy and Martel appeared together.
*she is also in the FAMOUS **_Twilight Zone_** episode **_"Room 22"_** about the dreamed plane crash that **_"Final Destination"_** movie uses......and she was on many '70s-80s tv shows.*
A great supporting cast. T'Pring is played by Arlene Martel, who also starred in Demon With a Glass Hand, one of the greatest episodes of the original Outer Limits, which I hope you get to check out someday. Oddly enough, Demon was written by Harlan Ellison, while this was written by Theodore Sturgeon, and it so happens that Ellison and Sturgeon were personal friends. T'Pau is played by Celia Lovsky, who also had a key role in the Charlton Heston science fiction movie Soylent Green. I keep fantasizing what it might have been like for Greta Garbo to play T'Pau. T'Pau was also the name of a singing group which had some success with the song "Heart and Soul."
Glad you saw this one this is one of my favorite episodes. As i'm sure you recall from the balance of terror that one time in vulcans had violent history until they evolved. Kepp watcing bunny some of the best episodes are coming up soon.
Amok Time is one of the best episodes of TOS, and a lot of the "mysterious" things about Vulcans became well known after this. It laid the basis for the audience to learn more about Vulcan life. Pon Farr became pretty much common knowledge, and Vulcans are allowed to return to Vulcan when the time comes. There was an all Vulcan ship called "The Intrepid". With 430 Vulcans aboard, it must have been a madhouse.
You saw a tiny bit of the planet Vulcan in the films, too. Star Trek: The Motion Picture, we saw Spock on Vulcan fulfilling his pure logic quest but was emotionally called back to the Enterprise and could not accept the completion of that quest as a result. We also saw a tiny sliver of Vulcan when the crew landed the Klingon bird of Prey ship there and left Saavik there as the crew went to stand trial for going to the Genesis planet to save Spock and McCoy. The theme on Vulcan was also a red atmosphere in each scene. -OG
@PhysicalMediaPreventsWea-bx1zm Dude, take a chill pill. I know she started the movies. I didn't remember how far she got. It's been a minute. In fact, I think she should rewatch the early movies she did watch. But it's laughable that I just spoiled the whole film for her. It's not like she'll now not watch the film. I wasn't trying to spoil anything for her. She'll also live and be just fine. -OG
Some facts about the woman who played T'Pau. Her name was Celia Lovsky and she was the ex-wife of Peter Lorre (of Maltese Falcon fame). When she was married to Peter Lorre, he wouldn't let her work because he wanted to be the breadwinner of the couple. After they divorced, she started working in TV and movies, usually as older dowager types. The accent she speaks is her own Viennese accent which I think adds to the gravitas of the role. It also makes sense due to the age of the character and that her native language would be Vulcan.
The music featured during the fight scene was famously reused by Ben Stiller for his film "The Cable Guy" with Jim Carrey. Stiller has long been a Trek fan, named his production company "The Red Hour" after the festival in "Return of the Archons".
oh my!!! the look on your face - several times - in this reaction was priceless!! When you realized it was about "biology". when you thought T'Pring wanted to jump Kirk! your look when you thought spock and nurse chapel were about to go to town! the surprisingly poignant bits even! it sounds kind of silly to try to explain the plot, as you said, based around "deadly blue ba**s" - but it make sense when you see it, and its a good episode! Keep up the great work!
@@bunnytailsREACTSits the best Spock themed Episode. Together with Journey to Babel. I will not spoil you, but you'll learn more about Spocks relationship to Vulcan and its culture there.
The cello theme in Spock's quarters when Nurse Chapel goes to him -- probably my favorite piece of music in the Original Series. Celia Lovsky played T'Pau and she is amazing. BTW, the phrase you were looking for is "bumping UGLIES." But "bumping monkeys" -- IDK, it may just catch on! Great reaction, looking forward to more!
I've also heard it called "bumping fuzzies". Probably the oddest euphemism for it that I've heard is "making the beast with two backs". My personal favorite was from the Jesse Stone series: "plonking". Short, sweet and to the point.
Yes! This is another one of my favourites, really well acted. By the way, the hypodermic that McCoy uses, does not have a needle, but uses (I think if I remember correctly) compressed air to deliver medication, directly into the blood stream without harm, or the pain associated with actual needles. It may surprise you to know that this technology is available to us today, however, needles are easy to make and cheap compared to the cost of one of these 'Hypos'.
One of my fav episodes. Good call on both the 'to the death' non-surprise and bones' hypospray. And just re the new camera... has a more movie/cinema feel to it. Warmer tones. Personally, I like it.
Bit of trivia for you: it’s been long enough they I don’t recall where I saw this; I think it was an interview with someone on the production staff, but don’t hold me to that. The story goes that Celia Lovsky (who played T’Pau) tried for quite a while to make the “Vulcan salute” as McCoy once called it. She was unable to do it, so the production staff tweaked the story so T’Pau wasn’t required to do so (possibly because of her rank; my memory utterly fails me here). She literally figured it out during the shot, which is why you see her hand come up with her fingers splayed from off camera @11:20. I can’t say why, but that (clearly) always stuck with me. Glad you enjoyed this; cheers.
Yeah this one hits on all cylinders; great acting, insightful script and excellent casting. For such a serious subject, it's a remarkably humorous episode too. I think the animated series delves a bit more into Spock's childhood, etc. I guess I don't have a lot to add to what you said; it's just a great character driven episode that really drives home the friendship, the brotherhood, of the Big Three, and you as usual captured all of that in your review. See you next week!
There's a spinoff novel where T'Pring engineers the Vulcan version of Brexit purely to get her own back at Spock when, as he predicted, it doesn't work out as well with Stonn as she had hoped.
@@BlameThande ... "Spock's World" (1988) by Diane Duane. I read it when it was first published. It was pretty good, although I didn't like its depiction of Dr. McCoy. That's the only Star Trek novel I've read.
I think that yes, McCoys little hypo can put out a number of drugs that McCoy wants, without going into how. He obviously didn't anticipate the combat.
Spock's music in this is a great fit for the character. Still, T-pau really might have mentioned the terms of the fight before pushing Kirk for a decision. There is a nivel where T'Pau comes aboard the Enterprise for a diplomatic mission. She has not forgotten McCoy tricked her, but concedes his choice was not illogical, if emotional.
The actor who plays Stonn reprised the role in a fan-made production called "Of Gods and Men". He actually gets a pretty happy ending after being discarded by T'Pring. The film takes place after the sixth official film. I highly recommend it.
If you look closely you will notice that the actor playing Stonn is the same person who played the Second In Command on the Romulan ship in Balance of Terror!
Love the cameraderie in this ep, and the last line is such pure Trek family, "C'mon Spock, let's go mind the store!" That kind of story and relationship just makes you want to see these people more. Plus the writing was so good, and what a great introduction for a secondary character like T'Pau, "All Vulcan in one package." What a character sketch introduction to add gravitas to a character and allow so much to be accomplished in one episode. And it paid off well at the end, again to tie up the story, "How about that, they couldn't turn her down." Another reason writers (and fans) can look past the sometimes low-budget sets and recognize something special in this show that made it so influential.
3:13 For some reason, I love the scene of Kirk standing in the turbo-lift doorway with his fists on his hips. He is like a strict schoolmaster who must deal with a naughty student. 😁
Not only Kirk's life, but by extension Spock's too, as well as preventing what probably would have turned into an extremely messy diplomatic incident and the possible exposure of some of Vulcan's most closely guarded secrets. Sweeping away the murder of one of Starfleet's most famous captains at the hands of his first officer (who fully intended handing himself in to Federation authorities to answer for the crime) would have been difficult, so the resultant fallout would have been a nightmare for T'Pau. The flipside, of course, is that it wouldn't have taken very long for T'Pau to realise that Kirk wasn't actually dead, at which point she would logically have deduced that McCoy's hypo was the only possible answer as to how.
@@cylelle376 Right. She could have complained to Starfleet/The Federation, or, thinking that the main thing was to guard Vulcan tradition from "outworlders", wisely left the whole thing alone.
In the Star Trek novel "Avenger" Ambassador Spock has a young assistant named Srell. He is the grandson of T'Pring and Stonn. The Star Trek novels, supposedly written by William Shatner, feature Kirk, Spock and McCoy and the Next Generation crew. These are great stories that tie into episodes from the original series, as well as the movies. They link together small events from episodes of the original series, that are all part of major events in the future.
Very nice reaction to a very groundbreaking episode. So many details of the Vulcan culture were established here that is it one of the reasons it is so well liked. Here are a few info to complement your review: • Dr. McCoy's hypospray syringe uses compressed air to deliver the medicine; • all of the medications he carries are in little sealed caps that can be clicked on the device. You will eventually get to see that in greater detail in future episodes; • everything fits into the small pouch he always carries with him as the hypospray is no bigger than the multicolored pen you mentioned; • this is the first time we see the Vulcan Salute in Trek.
And allegedly one of the sources of "inspiration" for The Terminator, which led to a settlement out of court and Harlan Ellison added to the movie credits.
Everything about this episode is first class. The acting, the character development, the world-building, the music (!!!), the story, the dialogue, the costumes, the sets, the props, the staging (actor movement and positioning), the lighting, the stunt work, etc.
Another great reaction, Bunny!! 🐇 Your emotion over the friendship among Kirk, Spock, and McCoy is truly touching, dear Bunny! 🐇 You are such a sensitive and gentle and loving soul!!! ❤ You're a true inspiration, dear lady!!! 🥰❤️🌹
The banter at the end of many Star Trek episodes is always great. A lot of TV shows back then would usually end the episode with something that would put a smile on the viewer's face.
Great reaction! You really “get” the essence of Star Trek TOS. I was barely too young to experience this when it was on prime time TV. Not to mention that my parents were not into SciFi at all!! But I was just old enough to see the first round of syndicated reruns which was really when the popularity of the series was huge. I’ve seen every episode over five times ( maybe ten.)
super reaction. regarding the kirk/spock friendship, i'll share a conversation roddenberry had with the great sci-fi writer isaac asimov between season 1 and season 2 . roddenberry says "ive got this spock character with so much fan mail, and a headline star who is supposed to be in almost every scene. what would you do?" asimov said "i'd just make them inseparable best friends". try to avoid vulcan and pon farr spoilers for just a bit. you might get some answers soon enough to want to avoid comments on that subject part way through De'spring. (get it? de'spring!) let me know sometime what you thought about the bass guitar being chosen to represent spock's trouble with emotion. i'm sure 5 or more people will point out that the actress who played t'pau had to have someone shape her hand for her off camera, because she couldnt make her hand do a vulcan salute herself. some incorrectly suggest it was a hand double. but its her hand, positioned offscreen. loved your take on spock's quarters. and good summary as well as emotional reaction to the situation. keep up the great work. we'll go over pon farr details a bit later.
Thanks for sharing the Asimov convo! I've purchased a book by him (I, Robot) and it will be my first time reading any of his work. My dad had a lot of his books, but they all got thrown out/sold(?) after his passing, sadly. I wish I'd kept his book collection, but it was massive and I only picked out a small handful to keep. I did listen to the Amok Time score that you shared, and it was really nice to be able to sit and listen without any distractions. The bass guitar was especially touching and well done!
This is one of my favorites too, Bunny. It was written by notable American SF writer Theodore Sturgeon. If it's not on the page, it's not on the stage - great writing. They pulled all the stops out for this episode, kinda blew the budget. This episode is the first time we see the, "Live Long and Prosper" hand sign, which was created by Leonard Nimoy himself. The hand sign is from Jewish mysticism which a young Nimoy witnessed. At the time this episode was sensational. Thanks Bunny!
There was or is a 1980's pop group. A "one hit wonder" group called "T' Pau." named after the character in this episode. They had a top 5 hit called "Heart and Soul."
this episode has one of my favorite scores: the famous fight tracks, which start slow with the introduction of the vulcan attendants ("processional") and get progressively faster up to and including the climactic -- and much parodied -- death match ("the ancient combat"). 10 years back all 3 seasons of the original series music and sound fx were released in a 15 cd box set called "star trek: the original series soundtrack collection" that has all the tracks clean, without dialog on top.
Another top 5 favorite of mine (top 3?). I love hearing the Vulcan lore, and how it is otherworldly. They didn't call it Vulcan soup, they called it Plomeck (sp?) soup. They invented a unique language just for the episode, and I absolutely love it. Also T'Pring is just gorgeous! And I dearly love her logical mind. And let's not overlook the fantastic score for this episode! And that "Jim...!" moment is everything.
That was the first time the planet volcan was shown,and the first time the volcano salute was used in the series. It was invented by Leonard Nimoy. It was a sign he seen used in the Jewish temple as a child. R I P. Leonard Nimoy and Deforest Kelley.✌🏽❤️🙏🏽🙏🏽🖖🏽
This episode shows Vulcans as salmon that have to return home to spawn. The actress that played T'Pau could not easily make the Vulcan "V" with her hand, so she had to use her other hand to form the gesture and simply raise her hand when needed. There is a musical group named T'Pau (named for this character) that had one hit called "Heart and Soul". The actor that played Stonn also played a Romulan in Balance of Terror. Because of the budget, they didn't have a lot of money to portray Vulcan. They just used a red background and the arc lights are visible. One wonders if T'Pring and Stonn stayed together or divorced. Amok Time was the first broadcast episode of the second season.
Oh my. I SO love watching these with you!! I never had kids, but I had bought all of these on DVD many years ago, as well as some other classic shows and movies, in preparation for kids one day that never came. It's SO fun seeing this through new eyes, especially ones that enjoy and appreciate it. Looking forward to it all yet to come!!
This episode always reminds me of the "fight" scene between Jim Carrey and Mathew Broderick at Medieval Times in the movie The Cable Guy. The Star Trek fight music plays and Jim Carrey's character starts singing it, too.
The blade that Spock was nervously holding was a letter opener. Of course, today's technology has made letter openers obsolete today. But in 1967, letter openers were ubiquitous and it made a good nonverbal cue to show that Spock was nervous and upset.
You're close. It is, in fact, a Stylus. You'll see Kirk and others using them to sign various reports on the TOS version of the PADD. Otherwise, you are correct. Spock was using the Stylus in the manner that one might use a Stress Ball.
Maybe I misread the emotion, but it really looked like you were getting choked up contemplating Capt. Kirk's devotion to his friend, even to the point of jeopardizing his own career for him. As a 10-year-old, such an image of friendship and devotion set the standard for my own "best friend" relationship, and the type of commitment that friends have for each other.
I always loved how this episode reveals the love and true affection that Spock feels for both Jim Kirk AND for McCoy and keeps buried deep inside. He couldn't go through that ceremony without his friends there. 🖖
It's so nice to see how you've gotten to know the characters and why the series has affected us old-timers so much. Enjoyed your emotional reaction when Kirk decided to go to Vulcan despite any potential backlash to him.
You truly get what the heart of Star Trek is when I see how you react to the friendship of the big three. It's what makes all of us care so deeply for them. Great reaction to a great episode.🖖
Thank you!
@@greyinvaderthat was directed by shatner. Why it sucked he’s no director.
Let's not get into that. She doesn't like spoilers! But the character interaction among the "big three" is emphasized in Star Trek 5 just as it is here, and in The Wrath of Khan. Let's just leave it at that.
@@bunnytailsREACTS
Also the amazing depth of the character development.
Very true. That's what was missing from the Cage episode. A little bit of friendship and comedy.
My heart always goes out to Nurse Chapel for her unrequited love for Spock.
Terrible unhealthy fixation on wanting what you can't have
Chapel’s ex-husband turned into a robot. An emotionally repressed alien is a step up.
In all seriousness, I hate that the syndicated version of this episode cut down to 40 minutes by removing all of Chapel’s scenes. Something had to go to fit in more commercials, but it guts the heart and characterization that the side-plot added to this episode.
I like the Chapel in Strange New Worlds so much better. She is not just a nurse, she is one of the top scientists on the ship. If a room full of Klingons were to provoke a fight with her, she would say, "Ya, you and how many armies? Now, go back to your little ship, I think it is your nap time."
Why she thought Spock would pick her over his -captain- *cough*, wife, i meant wife, is beyond me.
@@mmattson8947 Plus the scene where they are walking on the stone bridge to the arena. This was added in in the 2,000's when they added scenes and remastered effects. Up until the late 80's, the FCC allowed only 5 minuets of ads per hour so the original run time was 50 minuets, now where done to around 35 minuets run time.
One of the most important Episodes ever in TREK!!!! We're officially introduced to Vulcan, Pon-Farr, and the Best fight music ever in Sci-Fi!!!!
19:40, The look on Spock’s face when he realizes Kirk is alive. This episode really shows the lengths to which the big three are willing to go for each other.
It's a beautiful shot!
Thank goodness the Enterprise wasn't on facebook or tictok or Spock's smile would have been all over the internet...
@@rogershore3128 Oh, Facebook and TikTok were there. It's just that their priority was too low for subspace, so it would have taken years for that to get anywhere at only light speed (radio). 🙂
@@rogershore3128 I can just see Spock's dad calling him about that big ole smile.
@@technofilejr3401 I can see it now "Listen son, it's not what Vulcan's do"
The fight scene score is the most iconic ST score, ever.
It was parodied beautifully by Jim Carey in the medieval fight scene with Mathew Broderick in the Cable Guy movie. 😂
Both the Vulcan salute and the phrase "Live long and prosper" Leonard Nimoy got from attending synagogue.
Jews from Canada imitating American spacemen.
@@floycewhite6991American?...it's an eclectic group...Spock isn't even an Earther..
It's great to see someone care so much for these characters ❤🎉
♥
@@bunnytailsREACTS When you rewatch the movies, you'll have a much better understanding and appreciation of their history, and why they would do anything for each other. Not that you didn't appreciate it already, I'm just saying it will have another dimension.
@@miller-joel I've only seen ST2 so far, so I can't wait to see the others for the first time :D
@@bunnytailsREACTS You're really going to like iii, iv and vi. Spoiler alert. Specially now that you've seen TOS.
"So if blue balls were a death sentence." LOL You are so badass.
With Bunny talking about blue balls, porn stars and S&M Dungeons this is a really um….kinky review
@@markallen2984, Hahahaha 😂😅
Blue balls are a death sentence.
Well said, firegod.
I ain't dead yet@@SilverFox-qr1ci
This is considered one of the greatest episodes of the original series, and you’re really get the sense of how deep their friendship is. Actually the whole command crew is a family dynamic.
And I've always how Spock's "I also request...Maccoy accompany me." shows how things actually stand between Spock and Maccoy. Accompanied by his closest friends. 🙂👍
This episode was written by Ted Sturgeon, one of the most influential of the New Wave of science fiction in the 60's and 70's. His stories tended to center on love, intimacy, and sex, meditations on how these things influence culture and science. A terrific writer, totally worth looking up. (Nice guy, too; I got to meet him at a summer solstice celebration at the Philosophical Research Society in the 70's.)
I met him at a convention, too. NIce fellow with a great sense of humour!
Also wrote the episode "Shore Leave".
Originator of Sturgeon's Law.
In writing the episode, Sturgeon did more than that: he largely invented (revealed?) Vulcan society from the ground up. Its being portrayed as a Matriarchy, its value of shielding 'the basics' from outsiders, the Ponn Far and how ritual accommodates it, everything. (Including elements that seem designed to make Western audiences both intrigued and uncomfortable. Like when T'Pau asks T'Pring: "Are thee prepared to become the property of the victor?")
@@Caseytify Indeed so. 95% of everything is crap. :)
Recognize Stonn? He is Lawrence Montaigne, who also played on Balance of Terror as Decius!
Thank you that always bugged me he looked familiar!
One of several recurring characters in the series.
He looks a lot like Nimoy. Guess T’pring just replaced Spock with his doppelgänger.
Lawrence Montaigne was considered to replace Nimoy as Spock when Nimoy considered leaving the show.😊
On Vulcan, blue balls are called "green balls".
Hahahaha 😅 😂
Or to paraphrase Iman from Star Trek 6, "not everyone keeps their genitals in the same place." But on a serious note, Spock was in Pon Farr, not to be confused with "porn star." 😮
Are you sure? Vulcans are green-blooded unlike red-blooded humans. By that measure, if humans had blue balls, wouldn't Vulcans have orange balls?
There was a band in the '80s called T'Pau. (They took their name from this episode.) "Heart and Soul" was their biggest hit.
Oh my gosh! I love that song, totally forgot that the band was called T'Pau!!! I remember when it was a hit!
Heart and Soul; still a New Wave banger: ua-cam.com/video/SwrYMWoqg5w/v-deo.html
Remember the song, but forgot the bands name 😊
I'd dispute that; how can you deny 'China In Your Hand'?
Kirk and Spock finally have "the talk."
Spock: Let's sit down Jim. You see, there comes a time in a man's life, and woman's, when they love each other very much, and so.....
Kirk: Ew. We're not going to talk about that, are we?
"the talk". 😄 Most excellent.
Oh shit! Now I can never look at that scene the same way again! LMAO!
@@spinynorman887 So you've never heard the Kirk/Spock intimate encounter parody?
This was the first episode broadcast to open Season 2. Talk about opening with a bang.
Fun Fact! The weird little helmets the background Vulcan men were wearing are the same ones worn by the background Romulans in Balance of Terror.
Yeah and they were used because they had not enough Vulcan Ear prosthetics for All. They were not cheap.
Yep, it was done for budget reasons, but it is also a nice bit of continuity, since the ceremonies involving pon farr would predate the Romulan exodus from Vulcan.
Repainted and with some added details, but yes.
Another fun fact. The actor who played Ston, also played one of the more prominent Romulans in Balance of Terror.
This is one of the best TOS episodes and why Spock’s death in The Wrath of Khan is even more devastating to OG fans of the show. The heart of TOS is the relationship between these three characters and this is a perfect example of it.
As an OG fan, I reach.
One of the most famous episodes. I'll bet a lot of us, including myself, were waiting for you to see this one.
Exactly. Top Tier Star Trek right here. We get a tiny peek deep into Vulcan culture here.
Definitely. Knowing that was the first episode broadcast for season two, I was disappointed after watching her season one top ten video that she was reviewing in production order rather than broadcast order and I had to wait for this episode.
👍
I'm hoping for "A Private Little War".
What turned Tyree breaks my heart to this day.
I am so struck by your intuition, appreciation and analysis of Star Trek and basically how much you get into it, and how much you are moved by it. it's a beautiful thing to see and for me to relive the episodes through your viewing. It's, well, fascinating.
William Shatner had his 93rd birthday a couple of days ago.
That was quite some shot McCoy gave him.
@@BarebonesNetwork-w3s Well, we know that Bones is extremely good at what he does, despite Spock's statements to the contrary or even Bones's own statement, "I'm just an old country doctor."
Excellent episode. I really like that Bones took initiative on Vulcan (without authorization) and absolutely saved the day. The episode also gave us some great insight into Vulcan society and culture. 🖖🏻
Also, there is a very significant bit of real world wisdom that I picked up from this episode: when Spock says: “You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting… it is not logical, but it is often true” was a genuine insight into human nature that I picked up as a pre-adolescent boy.
It was also a nice way of saying: "Stonn, you can have the bitch."
With each passing episode, you are "getting Star Trek" more and more. And the more you get it, the more you'll want it.
Before they discovered logic, Vulcans were brutal and bloodthirsty, and almost destroyed themselves.
“Savage, even by Earth standards.”
- Spock in “Balance of Terror”
Yeah, this is my favorite from Season 2 (so far) as well. The episode is really embedded in my memories, I will always remember the music during that battle sequence. I can tell that you really get the essence of Star Trek, it is about friendship and loyalty, above all else. The relationships between not only Kirk, Spock and McCoy but with all of the cast is what draws us in.
Very entertaining reaction bunny, as usual nice reaction to fashion designs. Having is not as pleasing as wanting, never forgot that line.
The deep base notes and accompanying violin notes are called "Spock's Theme". It'll show up again in later episodes related to Spock.
I actually love the incidental music in Star Trek TOS. They got actual composers for the themes, like the fight scene music here, often parodied.
Also: I always felt tgat T'Pau should have spelled out that "...dis combat is to da det!"
When Kirk talks about owing his life to Spock, I remember that they dedicated their lives to each other. That includes all of the principle characters. There are people in the real life military who are like that. Especially those who have survived combat over the last 25 years. They're often more dedicated to each other than their own spouses and children.
Spilled blood shared in battle is thicker than the water of the womb. Blood brotherhood closer than family. Blood is thicker than water.
@@jeffreysmith236thus Shakespeare's phrase Band of Brothers, from Henry V's St. Crispin's Day speech.
This is a great episode showing that dedication of brothers from other mothers for certain. Thankfully we see that here and in other episodes of the original series. I didn't think we ever see it again in future offerings.
I think the expression you're looking for is bumping uglies.
So either the Vulcans bump uglies or fight to the death. Either will burn off that excess hormones apparently.
Ah, the debut of the iconic music! Trivia time - T'Pring was the creepy nurse and flight attendant in an episode of Twilight Zone.
Arlene Martel - she guest starred in a whole lot of '60s TV series. I particularly remember her from an episode of The Outer Limits called "Demon with a Glass Hand"
"Room for one more, honey!"
The "room for one more" one?
Several Hogan’s Heroes episodes as Tiger.
She was also in a classic episode of the original Outer Limits featuring Robert Culp called; "Demon with a Glass Hand." The actresses name is Arlene Martel.
I like how the music increases the dramatic atmosphere in Spock's quarters as he begins to relate the details of pon farr.
That smile makes the episode and McCoy and Kirk winding him up at the end is a joy to watch. Again showing that the classic show is about the trio friendship of Kirk, Spock and McCoy..... They know their boundaries in relation to each other and the age differences between the characters is important. McCoy being older than Kirk makes that difference. At times McCoy is almost a mentor to Kirk. Spock normally stoic acting as the go between between the very emotional McCoy and a very focused calm Captain. I can safely say you are in for more gems ahead.....
T'Pring was played by Arlene Martel, who also had a notable role in The Outer Limits, in the episode "Demon with a glass hand." She was a regular at Star Trek conventions for many years.
Bonus points if you can say the other TV episode where Nimoy and Martel appeared together.
Mission Impossible or Columbo?
@@TroyConvers5000 The Rebel, "The Hunted" (according to Wikipedia) (Possibly they were together in some other show, but not AFAIK.)
@@ronaldgarrison8478 as an aside, Nimoy and Mark Lenard were in an ep of Mission Impossible.
*she is also in the FAMOUS **_Twilight Zone_** episode **_"Room 22"_** about the dreamed plane crash that **_"Final Destination"_** movie uses......and she was on many '70s-80s tv shows.*
As ever, your emotional reactions are the highlight. And, the Vulcan hand gesture ... You are now a true Trekker.
6:17 Yep. Even Vulcans got to do the freaky deaky every now and then.
All 7 years in fact
@@mythenmetzermewtufreund128 That must be one heck of a release. Talking about curling your toes.
This is why Star Trek is still here. IT was a different way to see the future. Thanks for sharing and the hand clapping.
A great supporting cast. T'Pring is played by Arlene Martel, who also starred in Demon With a Glass Hand, one of the greatest episodes of the original Outer Limits, which I hope you get to check out someday. Oddly enough, Demon was written by Harlan Ellison, while this was written by Theodore Sturgeon, and it so happens that Ellison and Sturgeon were personal friends. T'Pau is played by Celia Lovsky, who also had a key role in the Charlton Heston science fiction movie Soylent Green. I keep fantasizing what it might have been like for Greta Garbo to play T'Pau. T'Pau was also the name of a singing group which had some success with the song "Heart and Soul."
Glad you saw this one this is one of my favorite episodes. As i'm sure you recall from the balance of terror that one time in vulcans had violent history until they evolved. Kepp watcing bunny some of the best episodes are coming up soon.
9:56 Actually Vulcans can pick mates that aren’t Vulcan. Spock’s dad isn’t the first Vulcan to take a liking to a human.
Yes. She will get to that when she watches Star Trek: Enterprise.
😊👍
Amok Time is one of the best episodes of TOS, and a lot of the "mysterious" things about Vulcans became well known after this. It laid the basis for the audience to learn more about Vulcan life. Pon Farr became pretty much common knowledge, and Vulcans are allowed to return to Vulcan when the time comes. There was an all Vulcan ship called "The Intrepid". With 430 Vulcans aboard, it must have been a madhouse.
Bunny I would have to agree with you this episode has much more deeper meaning and emotional attachment because of Star Trek II The Wrath of Khan.
You saw a tiny bit of the planet Vulcan in the films, too. Star Trek: The Motion Picture, we saw Spock on Vulcan fulfilling his pure logic quest but was emotionally called back to the Enterprise and could not accept the completion of that quest as a result.
We also saw a tiny sliver of Vulcan when the crew landed the Klingon bird of Prey ship there and left Saavik there as the crew went to stand trial for going to the Genesis planet to save Spock and McCoy.
The theme on Vulcan was also a red atmosphere in each scene. -OG
Pretty sure the shot where they walked the stone bridge was resurrected for "Voyage" with a little CGI tweaking.
She has not seen those movies yet so stop with the spoilers! The only movie she has seen thus far is Wrath of Khan. Don't ruin it for her!
@PhysicalMediaPreventsWea-bx1zm Dude, take a chill pill. I know she started the movies. I didn't remember how far she got. It's been a minute. In fact, I think she should rewatch the early movies she did watch. But it's laughable that I just spoiled the whole film for her. It's not like she'll now not watch the film. I wasn't trying to spoil anything for her. She'll also live and be just fine. -OG
Some facts about the woman who played T'Pau. Her name was Celia Lovsky and she was the ex-wife of Peter Lorre (of Maltese Falcon fame). When she was married to Peter Lorre, he wouldn't let her work because he wanted to be the breadwinner of the couple. After they divorced, she started working in TV and movies, usually as older dowager types.
The accent she speaks is her own Viennese accent which I think adds to the gravitas of the role. It also makes sense due to the age of the character and that her native language would be Vulcan.
The music featured during the fight scene was famously reused by Ben Stiller for his film "The Cable Guy" with Jim Carrey. Stiller has long been a Trek fan, named his production company "The Red Hour" after the festival in "Return of the Archons".
The fight music is also reused in a fight scene in Warehouse 13's episode "Don't Hate the Player".
oh my!!! the look on your face - several times - in this reaction was priceless!!
When you realized it was about "biology". when you thought T'Pring wanted to jump Kirk! your look when you thought spock and nurse chapel were about to go to town!
the surprisingly poignant bits even!
it sounds kind of silly to try to explain the plot, as you said, based around "deadly blue ba**s" - but it make sense when you see it, and its a good episode!
Keep up the great work!
This is one of my favorite episodes.
I can see why!
@@bunnytailsREACTSits the best Spock themed Episode. Together with Journey to Babel. I will not spoil you, but you'll learn more about Spocks relationship to Vulcan and its culture there.
The cello theme in Spock's quarters when Nurse Chapel goes to him -- probably my favorite piece of music in the Original Series. Celia Lovsky played T'Pau and she is amazing. BTW, the phrase you were looking for is "bumping UGLIES." But "bumping monkeys" -- IDK, it may just catch on! Great reaction, looking forward to more!
I've also heard it called "bumping fuzzies". Probably the oddest euphemism for it that I've heard is "making the beast with two backs". My personal favorite was from the Jesse Stone series: "plonking". Short, sweet and to the point.
Ah, the episode with Star Trek's "Love Theme".
Love it :)
oh, and you know someone gonna ask.... ahn'woon or lirpa?
Yes! This is another one of my favourites, really well acted. By the way, the hypodermic that McCoy uses, does not have a needle, but uses (I think if I remember correctly) compressed air to deliver medication, directly into the blood stream without harm, or the pain associated with actual needles. It may surprise you to know that this technology is available to us today, however, needles are easy to make and cheap compared to the cost of one of these 'Hypos'.
"I also request... McCoy" So there is a close bond there as well.
One of my fav episodes. Good call on both the 'to the death' non-surprise and bones' hypospray. And just re the new camera... has a more movie/cinema feel to it. Warmer tones. Personally, I like it.
Bit of trivia for you: it’s been long enough they I don’t recall where I saw this; I think it was an interview with someone on the production staff, but don’t hold me to that. The story goes that Celia Lovsky (who played T’Pau) tried for quite a while to make the “Vulcan salute” as McCoy once called it. She was unable to do it, so the production staff tweaked the story so T’Pau wasn’t required to do so (possibly because of her rank; my memory utterly fails me here). She literally figured it out during the shot, which is why you see her hand come up with her fingers splayed from off camera @11:20. I can’t say why, but that (clearly) always stuck with me. Glad you enjoyed this; cheers.
The actress that played T'Pal her name is Celia Lofsky.
Yeah this one hits on all cylinders; great acting, insightful script and excellent casting. For such a serious subject, it's a remarkably humorous episode too. I think the animated series delves a bit more into Spock's childhood, etc. I guess I don't have a lot to add to what you said; it's just a great character driven episode that really drives home the friendship, the brotherhood, of the Big Three, and you as usual captured all of that in your review. See you next week!
"You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing, after all, as wanting."
I have often quoted that in some of my college papers....and giving advice to my nephew.
@@flashgordon6238 Gordon's ALIVE???
T'Pring is the greatest antagonist in Trek history. She wins.
Spock gave her a SICK BURN (as the kids call it) at the end
@@mem1701movies ... It's the Vulcan idiom for "My dear, you're not all that..."
There's a spinoff novel where T'Pring engineers the Vulcan version of Brexit purely to get her own back at Spock when, as he predicted, it doesn't work out as well with Stonn as she had hoped.
@@BlameThande ... "Spock's World" (1988) by Diane Duane. I read it when it was first published. It was pretty good, although I didn't like its depiction of Dr. McCoy. That's the only Star Trek novel I've read.
T'Pring obviously doesn't believe in the NO LOSE scenario.
One of the best episodes of the best Star Trek series.
I think that yes, McCoys little hypo can put out a number of drugs that McCoy wants, without going into how. He obviously didn't anticipate the combat.
Spock's music in this is a great fit for the character.
Still, T-pau really might have mentioned the terms of the fight before pushing Kirk for a decision. There is a nivel where T'Pau comes aboard the Enterprise for a diplomatic mission. She has not forgotten McCoy tricked her, but concedes his choice was not illogical, if emotional.
The actor who plays Stonn reprised the role in a fan-made production called "Of Gods and Men". He actually gets a pretty happy ending after being discarded by T'Pring. The film takes place after the sixth official film. I highly recommend it.
It is so cute the way Bunny pretends not to know about "bsdm dungeons" 😊
One of the top episodes. Great in terms of world building and character building at the same time.
If you look closely you will notice that the actor playing Stonn is the same person who played the Second In Command on the Romulan ship in Balance of Terror!
Thanks!
William!
@@bunnytailsREACTS The women!
Love the cameraderie in this ep, and the last line is such pure Trek family, "C'mon Spock, let's go mind the store!" That kind of story and relationship just makes you want to see these people more.
Plus the writing was so good, and what a great introduction for a secondary character like T'Pau, "All Vulcan in one package." What a character sketch introduction to add gravitas to a character and allow so much to be accomplished in one episode. And it paid off well at the end, again to tie up the story, "How about that, they couldn't turn her down."
Another reason writers (and fans) can look past the sometimes low-budget sets and recognize something special in this show that made it so influential.
3:13 For some reason, I love the scene of Kirk standing in the turbo-lift doorway with his fists on his hips. He is like a strict schoolmaster who must deal with a naughty student. 😁
T'pau was played by Celia Lovsky, and she had a lot of trouble with the Vulcan salute!
I think my favorite scene was Spock's reaction to seeing Kirk alive and well after he thought he had killed him. "JIM" 😃😃😃😃
That was merely his response that Starfleet had not lost such a highly proficient Captain 😅.
@@robertszekely8686 A Quite Logical Response
Good thing, in retrospect, that Spock also chose McCoy to beam down to Vulcan with him, as McCoy ends up saving Kirk's life.
Not only Kirk's life, but by extension Spock's too, as well as preventing what probably would have turned into an extremely messy diplomatic incident and the possible exposure of some of Vulcan's most closely guarded secrets. Sweeping away the murder of one of Starfleet's most famous captains at the hands of his first officer (who fully intended handing himself in to Federation authorities to answer for the crime) would have been difficult, so the resultant fallout would have been a nightmare for T'Pau. The flipside, of course, is that it wouldn't have taken very long for T'Pau to realise that Kirk wasn't actually dead, at which point she would logically have deduced that McCoy's hypo was the only possible answer as to how.
@@cylelle376 Right. She could have complained to Starfleet/The Federation, or, thinking that the main thing was to guard Vulcan tradition from "outworlders", wisely left the whole thing alone.
In the Star Trek novel "Avenger" Ambassador Spock has a young assistant named Srell. He is the grandson of T'Pring and Stonn. The Star Trek novels, supposedly written by William Shatner, feature Kirk, Spock and McCoy and the Next Generation crew. These are great stories that tie into episodes from the original series, as well as the movies. They link together small events from episodes of the original series, that are all part of major events in the future.
Very nice reaction to a very groundbreaking episode. So many details of the Vulcan culture were established here that is it one of the reasons it is so well liked.
Here are a few info to complement your review:
• Dr. McCoy's hypospray syringe uses compressed air to deliver the medicine;
• all of the medications he carries are in little sealed caps that can be clicked on the device. You will eventually get to see that in greater detail in future episodes;
• everything fits into the small pouch he always carries with him as the hypospray is no bigger than the multicolored pen you mentioned;
• this is the first time we see the Vulcan Salute in Trek.
Possibly my favorite episode of ANY episode.
The late Arlene Martel appeared in "Demon With A Glass Hand", the single best episode of the legendary Outer Limits. Harlan Ellison wrote it.
And allegedly one of the sources of "inspiration" for The Terminator, which led to a settlement out of court and Harlan Ellison added to the movie credits.
Everything about this episode is first class. The acting, the character development, the world-building, the music (!!!), the story, the dialogue, the costumes, the sets, the props, the staging (actor movement and positioning), the lighting, the stunt work, etc.
Another great reaction, Bunny!! 🐇 Your emotion over the friendship among Kirk, Spock, and McCoy is truly touching, dear Bunny! 🐇 You are such a sensitive and gentle and loving soul!!! ❤ You're a true inspiration, dear lady!!! 🥰❤️🌹
The banter at the end of many Star Trek episodes is always great. A lot of TV shows back then would usually end the episode with something that would put a smile on the viewer's face.
Great reaction! You really “get” the essence of Star Trek TOS. I was barely too young to experience this when it was on prime time TV. Not to mention that my parents were not into SciFi at all!! But I was just old enough to see the first round of syndicated reruns which was really when the popularity of the series was huge. I’ve seen every episode over five times ( maybe ten.)
super reaction. regarding the kirk/spock friendship, i'll share a conversation roddenberry had with the great sci-fi writer isaac asimov between season 1 and season 2 . roddenberry says "ive got this spock character with so much fan mail, and a headline star who is supposed to be in almost every scene. what would you do?" asimov said "i'd just make them inseparable best friends". try to avoid vulcan and pon farr spoilers for just a bit. you might get some answers soon enough to want to avoid comments on that subject part way through De'spring. (get it? de'spring!) let me know sometime what you thought about the bass guitar being chosen to represent spock's trouble with emotion. i'm sure 5 or more people will point out that the actress who played t'pau had to have someone shape her hand for her off camera, because she couldnt make her hand do a vulcan salute herself. some incorrectly suggest it was a hand double. but its her hand, positioned offscreen. loved your take on spock's quarters. and good summary as well as emotional reaction to the situation. keep up the great work. we'll go over pon farr details a bit later.
Thanks for sharing the Asimov convo! I've purchased a book by him (I, Robot) and it will be my first time reading any of his work. My dad had a lot of his books, but they all got thrown out/sold(?) after his passing, sadly. I wish I'd kept his book collection, but it was massive and I only picked out a small handful to keep.
I did listen to the Amok Time score that you shared, and it was really nice to be able to sit and listen without any distractions. The bass guitar was especially touching and well done!
This is one of my favorites too, Bunny. It was written by notable American SF writer Theodore Sturgeon. If it's not on the page, it's not on the stage - great writing. They pulled all the stops out for this episode, kinda blew the budget. This episode is the first time we see the, "Live Long and Prosper" hand sign, which was created by Leonard Nimoy himself. The hand sign is from Jewish mysticism which a young Nimoy witnessed. At the time this episode was sensational. Thanks Bunny!
There was or is a 1980's pop group. A "one hit wonder" group called "T' Pau." named after the character in this episode. They had a top 5 hit called "Heart and Soul."
this episode has one of my favorite scores: the famous fight tracks, which start slow with the introduction of the vulcan attendants ("processional") and get progressively faster up to and including the climactic -- and much parodied -- death match ("the ancient combat"). 10 years back all 3 seasons of the original series music and sound fx were released in a 15 cd box set called "star trek: the original series soundtrack collection" that has all the tracks clean, without dialog on top.
Another top 5 favorite of mine (top 3?). I love hearing the Vulcan lore, and how it is otherworldly. They didn't call it Vulcan soup, they called it Plomeck (sp?) soup. They invented a unique language just for the episode, and I absolutely love it. Also T'Pring is just gorgeous! And I dearly love her logical mind. And let's not overlook the fantastic score for this episode! And that "Jim...!" moment is everything.
That was the first time the planet volcan was shown,and the first time the volcano salute was used in the series. It was invented by Leonard Nimoy. It was a sign he seen used in the Jewish temple as a child. R I P. Leonard Nimoy and Deforest Kelley.✌🏽❤️🙏🏽🙏🏽🖖🏽
The episode is famous for the first onscreen use of the famous Vulcan Salute.
This episode shows Vulcans as salmon that have to return home to spawn. The actress that played T'Pau could not easily make the Vulcan "V" with her hand, so she had to use her other hand to form the gesture and simply raise her hand when needed. There is a musical group named T'Pau (named for this character) that had one hit called "Heart and Soul". The actor that played Stonn also played a Romulan in Balance of Terror. Because of the budget, they didn't have a lot of money to portray Vulcan. They just used a red background and the arc lights are visible. One wonders if T'Pring and Stonn stayed together or divorced. Amok Time was the first broadcast episode of the second season.
6:15 🤣🤣🤣🤣 7:44 Kirk's remarks about Spock saving him a dozen times and ending with "He's my friend," gets me every time.
Oh my. I SO love watching these with you!! I never had kids, but I had bought all of these on DVD many years ago, as well as some other classic shows and movies, in preparation for kids one day that never came. It's SO fun seeing this through new eyes, especially ones that enjoy and appreciate it. Looking forward to it all yet to come!!
This episode always reminds me of the "fight" scene between Jim Carrey and Mathew Broderick at Medieval Times in the movie The Cable Guy. The Star Trek fight music plays and Jim Carrey's character starts singing it, too.
Every other episode: "He's dead Jim."
This episode: "Jim's dead!"
@@mmm-mmm Great minds think alike.
Yes, the doctor's hypo has different medications that can be selected.
The blade that Spock was nervously holding was a letter opener. Of course, today's technology has made letter openers obsolete today. But in 1967, letter openers were ubiquitous and it made a good nonverbal cue to show that Spock was nervous and upset.
You're close. It is, in fact, a Stylus. You'll see Kirk and others using them to sign various reports on the TOS version of the PADD. Otherwise, you are correct. Spock was using the Stylus in the manner that one might use a Stress Ball.
In TOS they often signed status reports on the presumably electronic clipboard with a stylus. That is what Spock is gripping in the scene.
Letter openers obsolete? Hardly. People with class use them all the time to open their mail.
The fight sequence music is iconic and has been referenced in a few movies, comically. The soundtrack to this series is part of its success.
Maybe I misread the emotion, but it really looked like you were getting choked up contemplating Capt. Kirk's devotion to his friend, even to the point of jeopardizing his own career for him. As a 10-year-old, such an image of friendship and devotion set the standard for my own "best friend" relationship, and the type of commitment that friends have for each other.
I love the fight music in this episode, it's so iconic.
Omg...pausing here. That reaction you had when Kirk gives that speech to McCoy... THAT is why we love this show.
I always loved how this episode reveals the love and true affection that Spock feels for both Jim Kirk AND for McCoy and keeps buried deep inside. He couldn't go through that ceremony without his friends there. 🖖
"I fail to see the logic in preferring Stonn over me."
Gotta love the way Spock throws shade.
Interesting note - the Lirpa is basically the same as a weapon in martial arts called a Monk's Spade.
one of the episodes where the new CGI scenes look great as kirk,spock,and mc coy walk across the stone bridge to the ceremonial arena 9:57
It's so nice to see how you've gotten to know the characters and why the series has affected us old-timers so much. Enjoyed your emotional reaction when Kirk decided to go to Vulcan despite any potential backlash to him.
Great episode, one of the best. It was written by Theodore Sturgeon, a genuine science fiction author.
Spock's Vulcan side seems to be much more powerful than his human side. He resembles a full-blooded Vulcan, physically.