Amok Time

Amok Time is an episode from the TV show Star Trek: The Original Series that played a significant role in both Star Trek and slash fandom.
thumb|left|the original press release, dated April 1967
Leonard Nimoy described it as: "Excellent script. Very poetic, very dramatic, intense and important I felt immediately – for Spock and Vulcans. [...] And there was that wonderful payoff where I believed I had killed Kirk. Great moment."Excerpt taken from comments from "To Boldly Go…": Season 2, TOS Season 2 DVD special features.
Leonard Nimoy said that after "Amok Time" had been aired for the first time, his fan mail jumped from 400 to 10,000 letters a week.Quoted by a fan in The K/S Press #35.
==Episode Summary==
Gene Roddenberry and Gene Coon originated the concept for this story, which they then assigned to Theodore Sturgeon. Sturgeon then wrote a treatment which was praised by NBC's Stan Robertson, the program director for Star Trek, as "a superior outline and one which should add more to the in-depth audience appeal for Mr. Spock."Mark Cushman, These Are The Voyages: TOS Season Two. Jacobs Brown, 2014. The entire production team as well as the actors and stage crew worked very hard on this episode to make sure it was, as Roddenberry put it, "one of the best and most carefully thought out scripts of the year."
The episode was screened by Roddenberry at Worldcon two weeks before it aired as the season two premiere in 1967. A detailed summary of the plot can be read here.reference link.
==Background==
The episode is notable in that it introduced fandom to many Vulcan customs and phases, including the concept of the Vulcan mating drive, the pon farr, a biological imperative to return home and take a mate.
Theodore Sturgeon wrote and revised a teleplay using Roddenberry and Coon's original idea. He included numerous details of Vulcan customs and words, even specifying what some of the characters should be wearing. D.C. Fontana said that the ceremony, the formality, and T'Pau herself were all Sturgeon's creation, while the other writers "made it more Star Trek." The writing staff added the wedding party. As always, the actors contributed their own ideas. When Arlene Martel noticed that her metallic wire dress looked like a maternity dress, she reasoned "Maybe they see the character as trying to conceal that she is pregnant," and decided on her own to play T'Pring that way.This is something that some fans explored in fiction. 
Fan, Ruth Berman, reviewed a script draft from May 2, 1967 in Babel 3 (October 1972). Her copy had marginal notes from production manager Gregg Peters. The tone of this earlier script was lighter, almost flippant. Instead of "A minute?", Kirk responded to McCoy with "For the Department of Health and Hangnails -- any time, Bones." McCoy reacted to Chapel's dish of soup (as yet unnamed) with "Real Vulcan green soup, hey, Nurse Chapel? Made with your own hands." Later the script has him chortling about Spock having "shore-leave jitters... Once he gets to Vulcan, and into the hands of those wild wonderful Vulcan females..." Whereupon Chapel tells him to cut it out.What did Sturgeon think this was, Risa? Peters pointed out that "McCoy should not be cute -- he should be more concerned." Berman also noted that "Sturgeon gave a relatively large amount of background information in this script -- more, in fact, than a television show could present in dramatic terms." For one thing, McCoy gives Kirk a lot more technical information on Spock's condition than is feasible for a one-hour TV show. 
This was also the version of the script that established the alleged seven-year cycle. Although cut from the final script, that figure still circulates in fandom. In 1979, D.C. Fontana wrote: 
Sturgeon created many Vulcan words and phrases which were never used. In fact, most of Sturgeon's Vulcan language was deemed unrealistic and reworked by conlanger Sloman."I think Peter created the Vulcan language after the writers first played around with it. I remember him going crazy one day because the syntax wasn’t correct. I said, 'Peter, you’re creating a language; only you will know if that is the correct verb or not.'" Ande Richardson, Gene Coon's secretary, quoted in Cushman, 2014. 
Other differences were summarized by a fan who had access to some of the early draft versions of the scripts:
And, perhaps most significantly, the original draft did not have Spock grabbing Kirk by the arms and shrieking “JIM!" while broadly grinning, something that is a pivotal moment for fans. Supposedly, Nimoy reportedly hated that and thought Spock would express these feelings alone, in private. Sturgeon's original script concluded with Spock quietly weeping in Sickbay until Nurse Chapel gently turns him to see Kirk nearby. Spock is astonished but doesn't squee. Dr. McCoy prescribes "that awful plomik soup," to which Spock replies quietly "It is not awful plomik soup. It is very good plomik soup," and leaves. This ending was used in James Blish's adaptation for Star Trek 3. In the final draft, Spock wipes his tears on Nurse Chapel's shoulder while Kirk gently chides him: "Come now—we mustn't let our emotions run away with us. Be a man, Mister Spock—be a man." Morgan Dawn's personal notes after reading a copy of the final draft of Amok Time, accessed July 31, 2013.
According to Torie Atkinson in the Star Trek rewatch:
From Dorothy Fontana:
==Fannish Reactions: General==
===1967===
The very first Star Trek fanzine, Spockanalia, was published while the show was in its first run on the air. In issue one, there was an essay called "Thoughts on Vulcan Culture," written about six months before the episode "Amok Time" aired. Because of this timing, when that essay was reprinted in Vulcan Reflections, some of its speculations were jossed; the zine's editor wrote an addendum which addressed the subject of pon farr: 
===1985===
===2009===
===2010===
===2013===
===2024===
==Fannish Reactions: T'Pring==
Arlene Martel spoke of T'Pring as a woman who was intellectually centered, respected herself and considered her decisions logically: "think first and then act upon what you know."
Fan appreciation of T'Pring's actions in the episode is a more recent development. At the time of the episode airing, many fans saw T'Pring in a negative light:
In "What makes a great villain? Part 1: Star Trek’s T’Pring", video blogger Thomas Stockel expresses admiration for T'Pring's extreme intelligence. He notes T'Pring's character and actions as related to the just-beginning Women's Liberation movement (second-wave feminism).
==Fannish Reactions: T'Pau==
Never mind age picture. Celia Lovsky's T'Pau remains one of the few elderly women with that much power ever seen in any media. In a television era and a culture and society where the focus was on youth, she had an incredibly resonating presence.
==Fannish Reactions: Slash Possibilities==
For many slash fans, "Amok Time" was the episode that convinced them that the producers intended viewers to see K/S homosexual encounters as canon. Brittany Diamond's "Analyzation of Amok Time" interprets the nuances of the direction, and the actors' speech, gestures and postures, even camera angles, as an obvious and deliberate portrayal of sexual tension between the two men rather than as Kirk's gradual understanding of Spock's biological imperative to return home. Kirk's wish to help Spock is seen as a "romantic" gestureThe author bases this idea on the fact that in "The City on the Edge of Forever", Kirk quoted an Orionese novelist recommending the phrase "let me help" as even better than saying "I love you." and the way Shatner speaks the lines "screams inner conflict".The author seems to have overlooked the fact that Shatner's excellent portrayal of inner conflict refers to some very hard-assed orders from Adm. Komack to go to Altair. By disobeying those orders he could get court-martialed again, and this time busted down to Spaceman 3rd Class, if not cashiered right out of the fleet, and have to spend the rest of his career scrubbing the soup off the wall.Brittany Diamond, Analyzation of Amok Time. In a tumblr post dated Sept. 9, 2009, fan critic fandomslut greeted this screed with "Seriously, after this episode, how is K/S not acknowledged canon, again?".
In an interview with Sondra Marshak and Myrna Culbreath for the book Shatner: Where No Man, Leonard Nimoy said:
Apart from this, some elements from the plot seem to echo William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. Namely, the injection that McCoy uses on Kirk to simulate death is similar to the potion that puts Juliet in a death-like slumber. Spock says he won't neither live long nor prosper, since he killed his Captain.T'PAU: Live long and prosper, Spock. SPOCK: I shall do neither. I have killed my captain and my friend. Energize. But Kirk wakes up in time, while Romeo kills himself in the play, not knowing soon enough about the subterfuge.
The line "live long and prosper" may have also been taken from this passage (Act 5, scene 3) in the same play: "Live, and be prosperous. and farewell, good fellow."
===D.C. Fontana on Canon Slash===
In May 2016, D.C. Fontana was asked whether the script for "Amok Time" contained "homosexual double-entendres" and replied as follows:
In an statement for Inverse, Fontana added: "Some people feel that there’s a romantic connection underlying the relationship between Kirk and Spock. Not true... The producers, writers, directors, and actors played it, or wrote it, or directed it, as a true friendship that was reached through the years and the adventures shared by these characters."Ryan Britt, "When a Man Loves a Vulcan." Inverse, Feb. 24, 2017. He adds, "Because Fontana practically invented these characters, it’s hard to debate with her assessment of what they might not do in 'reality'". He attributes slash to "subtext" found by fans, quoting fan critic Wendy Mays that slash was created partly because females were less-developed, throwaway characters on the show.
Commenting somewhat tongue in cheek on the plethora of post-Amok Time stories dealing with Kirk struggling with pon farr, Sandy Hereld remarked: "Spock: The whole Amok Time thing - if Spock had only talked to Kirk, he'd've known out there was more to a Vulcan marriage than "I do."Posted in the "Trust in fandom characters" thread on the Virgule-L mailing list on July 14, 1995, quoted with permission.
Jennifer Guttridge's The Ring of Soshern, which may be the very first slash story, had to have been inspired by this episode. Privately circulated as early as late 1967, it refers specifically to Pon Farr.The original copies of The Ring of Soshern use "Pon Farr." The unauthorized printing of that story in Alien Brothers used "pon farr," no capitalization.
==Fannish Reactions: Meta==
* W.L. Swarts, Love And Armed Conflict For Spock In "Amok Time," A Perfect Star Trek Episode! Cites excellent writing, first-rate acting by principals and guest cast. "That Nimoy did not win any acting awards for "Amok Time" is a crime against theatrics!"
* In Karla Taylor's "All Vulcan In One Tightly Wrapped Package" she observes that "Amok Time" is a "sly, mordant comment on our own repressed, hedonistic culture". Like M.L. Barnes in her article "The Vulcan Love Myth" (Eridani Triad #3), Taylor argues that the culmination of pon farr is rape, with women as "dutiful, willing participants... pleasure would not be a consideration". She asks what would have happened had Kirk really died. She also explores the idea that pon farr is an allegory of rabies. (1991) Karla Taylor, "All Vulcan In One Tightly Wrapped Package." In Best of Trek 16, ed. by Walter Irwin and G.B. Love. Roc, 1991. Digitized edition available for borrowing (free) at the Internet Archive.
* A Logical Look At Amok Time (2003)
* Kirk and Spock: The Straight Story an essay by Gamin Davis that analyzes, among many other episodes "Amok Time", to argue that Kirk and Spock are not in a sexual or romantic relationship.reference link.
* Where No One Had Slashed Before -- an essay by killabeez and posted on Livejournal as a ship manifesto that examines "Amok Time" along with other Star Trek episodes for evidence of a canon slash relationship (2004)killabeez, Where No One Had Slashed Before - The Shipper's Manifesto (archive edition dated 2022-05-24)
* Amok Time aka The One Where Spock Goes Into Heat, the world’s first Slashiest Episode In History Picspam (2007)reference link.
* Amok Time Star Trek Rewatch at Tor.com (2009)
* The Commentary of TOS for KS - Amok Time (2009)reference link. In which Ms. Diamond lists a number of episodes D.C. Fontana worked on which are regarded as containing "slash subtext", and concluding that Fontana herself is a "K/S fangirl". See Fontana's comments above.
* Thoughts on Amok Time - an examination of the writings of Theodore Sturgeon (May 19, 2009)
* Amok Time Recap dated December 29, 2009reference link.
* ST:TOS Rewatch #29: Amok Time dated November 11, 2011: "pon farr as an example of the annihilating power of compulsory heterosexualityreference link.
* Amok Time Rewatch on the Viewscreen: Torie Atkinson and Eugene Myers both give this episode a Warp 6, their highest rating. Eugene says "There are so many excellent things going on in this episode, I hardly know where to begin."
==Fanworks==
The episode inspired countless fanworks, many taking place after the episode and dealing with the consequences of Kirk's near death and Spock's rejection of his arranged marriage.
Some examples:
Parodies:
* "A-VOCK TIME or PON-FARR FOR FUN AND PROFIT" by Lyn Veryzer, a early parody in script form using the trope of changing character's names to irreverent ones; it stars Captain Quirk, Dr. McCloy, Nurse Scrappel, High Priestess T'Wow, Ting-a-Ling, Stoned, and Science Officer Schmock published in the science fiction zine, "Leftovers," the successor to "Knowable and Pointing Vector," published by John and Perdita Boardman in July 1968 
Fan Fic:
* Bonds of Love and Hate by Lady Ra in Beyond Dreams #7 (An unusual look at Amok Time. It seems that Spock has bonded with T'Pring and there's been no challenge or fight between Jim and Spock.)
* The Other Man by Dee Beetem in Masiform D #13 (Amok Time from T'Pring's point of view) 
* "Amok Time Revisited," by Mary Smith in Galactic Discourse #3, (a look at Spock's Pon Farr as it might have happened if T'Pring had not called for the challenge.)
* "Time before and Time After" by Marianne Hornlien in Mahko Root #1 (according to one reviewer, "a sensitive pre and post-Amok Time story -- sex may be good, but love is better.")
* A Handful of Dust by Dovya Blacque in Daring Attempt #3: ("The author presents a Kirk who is, not very comfortable with the side of Spock he saw on Vulcan, in fact, he's scared to death of his first officer. The results of this fear and how Kirk and Spock come to terms with their new views of one another, and of themselves...")
* The Road Not Taken by Cheree Cargill in Vulcan Sands...Terran Skies # 2 ("An alternate look at the events following "Amok Time." Spock decides to claim what is rightfully his — T'Pring — and brings her back to the Enterprise as his chattel.")
* Rabble Rouser, Sympathy for the Devil. Nov. 13, 2021. The events of "Amok Time" from T'Pring's perspective, showing the reasons behind her choice, and why the secrecy surrounding pon farr must end.archive link
* What a Day for a Daydream by Ariadne in First Time #56 ("Set right after “Amok Time”, this story shifts POV’s between Kirk and Spock as they daydream about each other.")
Vids:
* Closer (Star Trek vid) (based on the episode that asks "What if they hadn't made it to Vulcan in time?")
* Wild Thing (a Kirk/Spock vid from the VR era which left one viewer commenting: "Who would have thought that if you slow down the fight scene from Amok Time and run it backward, you’d actually see the guys thrusting up against each other?")
* An alternate 'Amok Time' Trailer by BrTutty (An AU: "Instead of Spock beaming down to Vulcan, battling Kirk, overcoming his Pon Farr, etc, the Enterprise is unable to temporarily change course to Vulcan. After days of riveting impulses rattling his mind and body, Spock succumbs to his urges and asks of Kirk to act as a temporary manner of relief.") (2012)
Filk:
* Song of the Unwilling Bride by Leslie Fish published in Thrust (One reviewer commented: "...this one should not be missed. It's not the poetry that makes this so compelling, but the story. It is a first person narrative of T'Pring during the ceremony in "Amok Time." It is a wonderful portrait of this character and the reasons for her actions.") from The K/S Press #1
Misc:
* The Amok Time Drinking Game (2013)archive link.
Art:
File:Incidents1.jpg|cover of Enterprise Incidents #1 by Steve Fabian - Spock, gripped by pon farr madness prepares to do battle with Captain Kirk.
File:Asidothee5inside.jpg| from As I Do Thee #5 by Maureen B. - A pon farr altercation on Vulcan 
File:onlytrek2-3.jpg|inside page from Only Trek #2, by Barbara P. Gordon, showing Spock and Kirk battling, illustration for the story "After Amok Time"
File:T-Negative-2.jpg|cover of T-Negative #2, by Tim Courtney (1969), T'Pring as she issues the challenge
File:Plaktow6back.jpg |back cover of Plak Tow #6 which shows Spock giving a Vulcan salute. The salute appeared for the first time in the episode
File:Spectrum4.jpg| T'Pau on the front cover of Spectrum #4, by Merrie K. 
File:Ahnwoon.PNG| The AhnWoon, by Gwenaïlle shows Captain Kirk and Mr Spock kissing during the battle, something that many slash fans imagine as headcanon
File:Quixoticquestor.tumblr.jpg|fans will also use carefully selected screengrabs of the Amok Time fight scenes to demonstrate their belief in K/S. Many fans have commented how their wrestling on the ground can look like vigorous foreplay. Screencap Artist: unknown
File:Amok time by natnattos- cropped.jpg|a comic style panel that offers three character's reactions to slash fandom's headcanon of Captain Kirk and Mr Spock kissing while fighting. McCoy: "Oh COME On, guys! At least wait until we're back on the ship." T'Pring: "Am I divorced yet?" T'Pau: "Shhh...just let it happen." Art by natnattos. This is a cropped version, the entire comic panel can be seen here.
File:Dust in the wind by donapeppa-small.jpg|fans often have a deep emotional connection to the scene where Spock ends his pon farr, believing he has killed Captain Kirk. This one reads: "Time stops...and a beautiful human teaches me, all we are is not just dust in the wind." Artist: donapeppa
File:Amok Time Chibis by TreeofKnowledge.jpg|The same death scene done in chibi style. One reviewer (MidnightTopaz) commented: "The small details make this even better, like the way Kirk's shirt is riding up as he's lowered to the ground. And I *like* the way you drew Spock! He looks good and angsty and tear-filled, like he's about to start sobbing any minute- which, we all know he's feeling inside." Artist: TreeofKnowledge
File:Tumblr m99qs0qZBA1qbsdri.jpg|Another popular slash fan moment: a screencap of Spock's reaction when he realizes that he has not killed his Captain. The screencap appeared on bigmamag's tumblr in 2012 with the following quote: ""Just reminding the world that James T. Kirk is the only person who has made Spock smile without being drugged or controlled by some omnipotent being"
==Additional Reading==
* Marc Cushman, Excerpt from "The Writing of 'Amok Time'" from These Are The Voyages, Vol. 2.
* Darren, Star Trek - Amok Time (Review) at The Movie Blog, 2014-12-05. Detailed analysis of the episode from an outsider. Among other things, briefly analyzes why fans began fantasizing about Kirk and Spock as homosexual lovers.
* Amok Time wiki entry at Memory Alpha
* Legality Issues in Amok Time, TrekBBS forum thread dated Jan 5, 2009
* The Amok Time Opera by Steven Clark. Performers stand in front of a projection of the TV show and sing, synchronized to the dialogue. Original music mixed with the soundtrack. The six part opera can be seen here (YouTube link).
==Notes==
==References==
Category:Star Trek TOS Professional Works‏‎