Our crew reviews one of the most iconic (and one of our favorite) Trek episodes: “Amok Time.” Join us as we have soup thrown at us, learn about the mysterious pon farr, and debate whether it’s fair to call T’Pring a villain.
Download now (right-click and save)
Notes and References:
- These Are The Voyages: TOS Season 2 by Marc Cushman
- Majel Barrett on Nurse Chapel, interviewed in the Official Star Trek Fan Club of Canada magazine, 1993.
Hosts: Andi, Sue, Jarrah and Grace
Editor: Jarrah
Transcription: Grace
As always love you ladies and your discussions!!! To expand upon the ickiness with Nurse Chapel and particularly McCoy, that scene always leaves me so sick. Not only is he teasing her, but he is basically sexually harassing her as her boss in the work environment. He gives her grief for her affections and when he encourages her to bring him the soup, he may as well have slapped her on the ass and said “Go git him!” Barf. Go have a “Georgia Mint Julep”, McCoy; if such a thing exists.
One thing I always wondered, which isn’t addressed in Amok Time but maybe is in Spock’s World… Do Vulcan men have any right or recourse to divorce their wives? The marriages are arranged, and neither the boy or girl have any say in who they are bonded to, but we see there is some path of recourse for the women. Or do we just assume that the men would never chose otherwise because their PonFarr brains can’t turn down the woman they are bonded to? I always interpreted it that while men are dominant on Vulcan, and women are property, women seem to have possibly more choice in the matter. Interesting contradictions… Also, most of Vulcan’s problems seem to revolve around a puritanical view of sex. Or could this be a reflection of the writers? The equation of sex and violence also comes in The Enemy Within when Kirk’s violent “primitive” side is also the sexual side.
Lastly, if you have never checked out the Star Trek Abridged channel on youtube, the Amok Time one is particularly hilarious (Warning! Plenty of crude/crass language and non-PC humor!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kdMP21FZpT8