![]() ![]() The Naked Time (Season 1)Īs the fourth episode aired, "The Naked Time" served as a primer for audiences to what made the still-new characters onboard the Enterprise tick. His reply is simple and yet says so much about this trio: “I shall be honored, sir.” 8. Martel and the other Vulcan guest stars bring a believability to the race that would elude many later actors to play our pointy-eared cousins (see many a TNG episode), but best of all is the strengthening of the Kirk/Spock/McCoy dynamic that takes place in “Amok Time.” When Spock requests that his “closest friends” accompany him to the planet surface for the ritual, even Bones has to let down his guard for a minute. The episode offers an exciting glimpse of Vulcan that also allows for Nimoy to take Spock to some strange new acting worlds (for a character so in control of his emotions, he sure did emote a lot on this show). But T’Pring insists that Spock fight for her affections, and the unlucky combatant she chooses to face her would-be husband is Kirk! Oh, and to quote the ancient Vulcan priestess overseeing the whole affair, “This combat is to the death.” There, we meet Spock’s betrothed, the beautiful and exotic T’Pring (Arlene Martel). (Hey, we can relate.) Kirk has no choice but to disobey orders, divert course, and get his first officer back to his planet before the fever kills him. Not only does “Amok Time” bring us to Vulcan, but it also introduced the concept of pon farr - the Vulcan mating ritual, which overwhelms Spock and drives him to madness. ![]() Leonard Nimoy’s character had been the breakout character of the show the previous year, and there was a real hunger among fans for more info on The Logical One and his mysterious people. Season 2 of Star Trek kicked off with our first look at Spock’s home planet, Vulcan. ![]() Again, it's not Shakespeare, but leave it to Trek to get significant mileage out of men, even those behind the wheel of a starship, being reminded that they don't have the right to play God. He spares the Gorn's life, satisfying the plan of the cosmic entity that pit the two against each other in the first place. Kirk, in combat with the Gorn, proves that he is immune to defeat, but not to compassion. "Arena" puts Kirk in a spot where he has to earn his survival by putting his instincts to the test, using only his wits and what little his environment provides. Previously, we had only seen Kirk save the day sitting comfortable in his chair, or with a photon torpedo or six handy. "Arena," while not exactly reinventing the wheel when it comes to one-hour drama, does create a Trek standard that would find itself adapted into every other Trek series: Human and alien get stranded on insert deadly environment here, enemies become friends, and the universe is better for it. It's 50 years later, and Kirk fighting a guy in a green rubber suit is still awesome. ![]()
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