| "Amok Time" | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Original Series episode | |||
 | |||
| Episodeno. | Season 2 Episode 1 | ||
| Directed by | Joseph Pevney | ||
| Written by | Theodore Sturgeon | ||
| Featured music | Gerald Fried | ||
| Cinematography by | Jerry Finnerman | ||
| Production code | 034 | ||
| Original air date | September 15, 1967 (1967-09-15) | ||
| Guest appearances | |||
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| Episode chronology | |||
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| Star Trek: The Original Seriesseason 2 | |||
| List of episodes | |||
"Amok Time" is thesecond seasonpremiere episode of the American science fiction television seriesStar Trek. Written by science fiction authorTheodore Sturgeon, scored byGerald Fried, and directed byJoseph Pevney, it first aired on September 15, 1967.
The episode features First OfficerSpock returning to his homeworld for a brutalVulcan wedding ritual. It is the only episode ofThe Original Series to depict scenes on the planet Vulcan.
It was the first episode to air (though the fifth, by production code) of season 2 featuring EnsignPavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) as the ship's navigator. It was also the first episode to list "DeForest Kelley asDr. McCoy" in the opening credits, and the first episode broadcast in the series' new time slot of 8:30 pm on Friday night. This is the first episode to use the "Vulcan salute" and introduced the concept ofpon farr, the Vulcanmating cycle.
Spock, first officer of theUSSEnterprise, exhibits unusual behavior and requests leave on his home planet Vulcan. CaptainKirk and Chief Medical OfficerDr. McCoy agree, and Kirk divertsEnterprise. En route, Kirk receives orders from Starfleet to represent the Federation at the inauguration ceremony for Altair VI's new president. Though Kirk sets course for Altair VI, Spock secretly changes course back to Vulcan. Spock claims no memory of ordering the course change.
Kirk orders Spock to Sickbay, where McCoy finds evidence of physical and emotional stress which will kill him within eight days if not treated. Spock explains that he is undergoingpon farr, a condition male Vulcans experience periodically throughout their adult life, and that he must mate or die. Kirk sets course for Vulcan, believing that Spock's life is more important than his career.
At Vulcan, Spock invites Kirk and McCoy to accompany him to the wedding. T'Pring, Spock's betrothed, arrives with Stonn, a pureblood Vulcan whom she prefers to Spock.T'Pau, a renowned matriarch, begins the ceremony. However, T'Pring demands thekal-if-fee, a physical challenge between Spock and a champion she selects; unexpectedly, she chooses Kirk. Spock begs T'Pau to forbid it, but T'Pau leaves the decision to Kirk; another champion will be selected if he refuses. Kirk accepts the challenge, only to learn that it is "to the death".
The two fight withlirpa. Kirk is challenged by Spock's strength and agility as well as the thinner atmosphere of Vulcan. T'Pau lets McCoy inject Kirk with a compound to offset the effects of the Vulcan atmosphere. Spock later garrots Kirk with anahn'woon. McCoy declares Kirk dead and requests transport toEnterprise.
Spock renounces his claim on T'Pring, who explains that she feared losing Stonn in thekal-if-fee. By choosing Kirk, T'Pring would have Stonn either way: If Spock was the victor, he would release her from the marriage for having made the challenge, and if Kirk won, he would not want her. Spock compliments T'Pring on her logic and returns to theEnterprise, warning Stonn that "having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting".
AboardEnterprise, Spock announces his intent to submit himself for trial for killing Kirk, when he discovers Kirk is alive and well. The injection McCoy gave Kirk was aneuroparalyzer. Asked about what followed, Spock states that he lost all desire for T'Pring after he thought he killed Kirk. Kirk learns that Starfleet, at T'Pau's request, has belatedly given theEnterprise permission to travel to Vulcan.
For the franchise's 30th anniversary,TV Guide ranked "Amok Time" No. 2 on its list of the 10 bestStar Trek episodes.[1] In 2009, Zack Handlen ofThe A.V. Club gave the episode an A rating.[2] In 2012,The A.V. Club ranked this episode as one of top ten "must see" episodes of the original series.[3]
In 2012,The Christian Science Monitor ranked this the best episode of the originalStar Trek.[4]
In 2014,Gizmodo ranked "Amok Time" as the 12th best episode ofStar Trek, out of the over 700 ones made by that time.[5]IGN ranked "Amok" number 9 in a top ten list of original series episodes.[6]
In 2015,Wired magazine did not recommend skipping this episode in their binge-watching guide for the original series.[7]
In 2015,Polygon ranked "Amok Time" as one of the three best Spock-centric episodes ofStar Trek.[8]
In 2015,SyFy ranked this episode as one of the top ten essentialStar Trek original series episodes.[9]
In 2015,New York Public Library cited this episode as having Spock's second best scene in the show.[10]
In 2016,The Hollywood Reporter rated "Amok Time" the 28th best television episode of allStar Trek franchise television prior toStar Trek: Discovery, including live-action and the animated series but not counting the movies.[11] In 2016,Newsweek ranked "Amok Time" as one of the best episodes of the original series, noting it has one of the most memorable fights inStar Trek.[12] In 2016,Business Insider ranked "Amok Time" the 10th best episode of the original series.[13]
In 2016,Radio Times ranked the duel between Kirk and Spock on Vulcan as the 15th best moment in allStar Trek.[14] They note this shows the audience the Vulcan home planet of Vulcan for the first time, and also introduces the Pon Farr aspect of Vulcan culture.[14]
In 2017,Business Insider ranked "Amok Time" the 10th best episode of the original series.[15] They note this is the first episode to use the phrase "Live Long and Prosper" in Star Trek.[15]
In 2018,Collider ranked this episode the second best original series episode.[16]
In 2018,PopMatters ranked this the 10th best episode of the original series.[17] They highlighted Spock's line "After a time, you may find that having is not so pleasing a thing after all as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true." while noting the introduction of planet Vulcan, Pon Farr, various guest stars, and what they call a "thrilling gladiatorial battle".[17]
A 2018Star Trekbinge-watching guide byDen of Geek recommended this episode as one of the best of the original series.[18]
In 2019,Nerdist included this episode on their "Best of Spock"binge-watching guide.[19]
In 2019,CBR ranked this episode as one of the top 8 most memorable episodes of the originalStar Trek.[20]
In 2024Hollywood.com ranked Amok Time at number 7 out of the 79 original series episodes.[21]
Gerald Fried's incidental music for the fight—titledThe Ritual/Ancient Battle/2nd Kroykah—became a standard underscore for combat scenes in season 2.[22][23] It was notably spoofed during theMedieval Times sequence in theJim Carrey filmThe Cable Guy (1996).[24]
Leonard Nimoy first used his signatureVulcan salute in this episode.[25]
The chart-topping British pop bandT'Pau took their name from the Vulcan matriarch who presides over events on the planet.[26]
TheOmegaverse genre ofspeculativeerotic fiction is noted as having been influenced by the episode.[27]
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