- In the throes of his Pon Farr mating period, Spock must return to Vulcan to meet his intended future wife, betrothed from childhood.
- Lately, Spock's behavior has been increasingly and unprecedentedly erratic. When McCoy finds it to be a growing medical risk, Kirk drags the truth out of him: it is the 'blood fever', the one time in a Vulcan's life he regresses to a primitive, hormonal state of mind, setting out to mate for life. He is granted the first request for shore-leave in his entire career to go to Vulcan, asking Kirk and McCoy to join him in his equivalent of a marriage ceremony with his since-age-seven arranged fiancée, T'Pring. But, once on Vulcan, T'Pring halts the matrimony by calling the ancient challenge, whereby a champion of her choice will fight Spock for her. Surprising all, she selects Jim Kirk. He accepts after due consideration only to find, when the first of two dueling weapons are handed out, that the fight is to the death - too late to decline in front of T'Pau, the presiding top official for Spock's family and the most powerful of all Vulcan dignitaries.—KGF Vissers
- Mr. Spock's re-directs the Enterprise to his home planet of Vulcan, against Starfleet orders, when it comes time for him to marry. He was betrothed as a child and he now finds himself in the grip of the pon far, or fever, that drives Vulcans to return home and take a mate. When he beams down to the planet, with Kirk and McCoy in tow, he finds that his bride-to-be refuses him and issues a challenge for her champion to fight him. When she chooses Kirk to fight for her, he finds himself in a battle to the death with his good friend Spock.—garykmcd
- Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner): The commanding officer of the USS Enterprise. Commander Spock (Leonard Nimoy) The ship's half-human/half-Vulcan science officer and first/executive officer Lieutenant Commander Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy (DeForest Kelley) The ship's chief medical officer Lieutenant Commander Montgomery "Scotty" Scott (James Doohan) The Enterprise's chief engineer and second officer Lieutenant Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) The ship's communications officer. Lieutenant Sulu (George Takei) The ship's helmsman Ensign Pavel Chekov (Walter Koenig) A Russian born navigator introduced in the second-season premiere Nurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett) The ship's head nurse
First, McCoy tells Kirk that Spock is acting crazy. They run into Nurse Chapel who is carrying a bowl. She says she has made some Vulcan Soup for Mr. Spock. They watch her go into Spock's cabin, and all of a sudden, Spock has thrown her out of the cabin, and throws the soup after her. Spock emerges from the cabin, his face is all tense and upset, and he asks Kirk to divert to his home planet, Vulcan, he must go home. On the bridge, Kirk receives a command from Starfleet on the view screen that says they must report for their next assignment to Altair, a ceremonial one, immediately. Kirk obeys and tells Mr. Spock "Sorry. But we'll get you to Vulcan right after"
Kirk is relaxing in his cabin, and he decides to check in with Mr. Chekov, his Russian navigator. He asks him on the viewer "How long will it take to divert to Vulcan at maximum speed?" He is trying to be nice to Spock. Chekov replies "I don't understand. We are on course for Vulcan, as Mr. Spock ordered." Kirk goes to the bridge and takes Spock off in the turbo lift quietly. Spock doesn't deny that he changed course, he doesn't remember doing it though. Kirk insists that Spock go to Sickbay for a physical. Now they are back on course to Altair, but McCoy urgently calls Kirk. "You must get Spock to Vulcan, or he will die!!" Kirk quietly goes to Spock's cabin and demands an explanation, but promises that it will be confidential. Spock explains that he is experiencing Ponn Far, which is a condition Vulcans experience every 7 years of their adult life, which is a biological imperative to mate, or die. Spock compares it to salmon swimming upstream on Earth, or the eel-birds of Regula II. Kirk finally decides that he must get Spock to Vulcan, despite his orders to the contrary!!
As they are approaching Vulcan, a message comes in for Spock. The face on the view screen is that of a beautiful Vulcan girl. They exchange greetings, and she says "I await you." Uhura asks Spock "She's beautiful. Who is she?" Spock says "She is T'Pring (Arlene Martel). My wife." Spock is entitled to bring friends to the wedding ceremony, so he asks Kirk and McCoy to join him. They arrive on the planet, which is very arid and hot, and Spock rings some chimes which are hanging on a rock.
Suddenly the wedding party appears, and led by an old woman being carried in ceremony, and wearing fancy garments. Kirk tells McCoy "That is T'Pau (Celia Lovsky), a very important Vulcan. I did not know Spock's family was so important." Also in the party are T'Pring, Spock's betrothed, and Stonn (Lawrence Montaigne), a young strong Vulcan. There are also big strong bare chested bodyguards carrying axes. called Lirpa. Spock is about to ring the chimes and start the ceremony, when T'Pring suddenly stops him and says "No!!" Now Spock is deeply in the Plok Tow, the blood fever. T'Pau explains to Kirk that T'Pring has chosen the challenge which means Spock will have to fight for her. T'Pring will agree to become the property of the victor after the battle. McCoy looks at the young strong Vulcan, whose name is Stonn and asks Kirk "Do you think he can take him?"
T'Pring chooses the challenger, and it is not Stonn, but instead Kirk!! Kirk agrees to the challenge, because he is Spock's friend & thinks he will just knock out Spock and save him from Stonn. T'Pau says "Spock chose his friends well." Then both Spock and Kirk are handed Lirpa which are curved axes on one end and solid punchers on the other. This is a fight to the Death Spock and Kirk battle. Spock is so deep in the blood fever, he fights to kill Kirk. Kirk loses his Lirpa and Spock tears Kirk's shirt with his weapon and draws blood, but Kirk manages to disarm him. It is too hot. Kirk is running out of breath. McCoy asks T'Pau to Allow him to give him a tri-ox compound in Kirk's blood to even the odds. It will help him breathe. T'Pau agrees, and McCoy injects Kirk with his hypo.
Now they fight with the Ahn-Woon which is a sort of net and swinging device. Spock swings the Ahn-Woon around Kirk's ankles and trips him, then he chokes him until Kirk is dead. McCoy examines the body, and says to Spock "Well, as strange as it may seem, Spock, you're in command. I have to bring the body back to the ship. Any orders?". Spock, who came out of the blood fever after killing Kirk, says "We will proceed to the Starbase, where I will give myself up." McCoy beams up with Kirk's body. Now Spock approaches T'Pring, his betrothed and says "Explain". She says "Specify". "Why the challenge?" asks Spock. She says "I wanted Stonn. Stonn wanted me. If your Captain had won, he would not want me, and I would have Stonn. If you had won, you would be disgraced and not want me, but even if you did want me, you would be away on the Enterprise, and Stonn would still be there." Spock replies "Logical. Flawlessly logical." T'Pring says "I am honored."
Then Spock addresses Stonn. "She is yours. You may have her. But you may find after a time, that having is not nearly as good as wanting." Now Spock beams up to the Enterprise, and immediately goes to Sickbay to turn himself over to Dr. McCoy. Suddenly, Kirk appears from the other room. Spock smiles, embraces Kirk and yells "Jim!!" McCoy explains that the injection he gave Kirk actually was designed to knock Kirk out and simulate death. Spock explains that once he thought he killed his best friend, the fever stopped. He was OK now. Finally McCoy says "You acted like a human emotionally when you saw Kirk alive. Admit it!!" Spock says "Merely my relief that my superior officer was alive". McCoy says "In a pig's eye". They all laugh, including Nurse Chapel, because now her favorite love is cured and single.
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