31. Amok TimeWHY WE LIKE IT: We learn a lot about Vulcans, providing great moments for Spock. Some excellent dialogue and guest-stars too.
WHY WE DON'T: Chekov's wig!
REVIEW: The second season starts with one of the most memorable episodes ever, and it introduces a number of things. As far as production goes, this is the first time DeForest Kelley gets his name in the opening credits, and the show really is about those three's friendship now. Kirk's loyalty to Spock is one of the best elements of the episode, and though McCoy and Spock have been at odds for a season, the Vulcan also brings him along as one of his closest friends. This is a theme that will carry over into the rest of the show and the films.
Also introduced for the first time are such iconic Vulcan elements as the hand sign and the phrase "Live long and prosper". Vulcan itself is well realized, though we only see an old ceremonial site. The idea that such a logical society would be ritualistic is interesting and adds depth to the culture. Pon-farr makes its first appearance as well, again, in contrast to the Vulcan logic we've come to know, and again adding depth to this alien race. There's a real effort to flesh out the Vulcans and the speaking parts aren't pale copies of Spock. T'Pau has real presence, and T'Pring's final solution is marvelously logical. You can tell a writer of Theodore Sturgeon's calibre is at the helm when Spock utters the memorable "You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting".
The story starts out as a mystery, with Spock acting strangely, throwing soup around, but also showing tenderness to Nurse Chapel. It sparks enough interest that we don't have to get to Vulcan right away. Sulu and Chekov get some humor out of the situation, which is fun. The young Russian is added to the cast with this episode and deserves mention. We don't see much out of him here except a thick accent and a terrible wig (that can't be a regulation haircut, can it?), but his appearance shows a truly united Earth despite what was going on politically when the show first aired.
The scenes on Vulcan are the most memorable, with some nice twists and turns, and a fight that is better staged than most, accompanied by one of at least two new musical cues that will be back (the other being the eerie, alien Spock theme). When Spock finally returns to the ship to find Kirk alive, his emotional outburst and immediate withdrawl back into his logical persona are beautifully handled, speaking volumes about the character.
LESSON: Always learn the rules of a game before accepting to play it.
REWATCHABILITY - High: We learn more about Vulcans in a single episode than in the entire preceding season, and as such, Amok Time is a model for any episode focusing on a single culture.
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