Lirpa Combat Will Continue With the Ahn Woon
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Thu, Jun. 25th, 2009, 09:07 pm
spookyfbi : Meta - Amok Time (part III)
McCoy doesn't seem to find this plan strange either. The only difficulty he foresees is the heat and thin air on Vulcan affecting Kirk's ability to put up a good fight. Then Kirk says "If I get into any trouble, I'll quit. Then Spock wins and honour is satisfied." Ok, now let's just think about this one. Letting Spock win is still Kirk's plan B here. He also seems to think that quitting won't result in his death, even though he knows that Vulcans kill to win their mates. This is the Kali-fee, but that word means both marriage and challenge. Kirk's not thinking challenge here, nor is he thinking that Spock will be ending up with T'Pring. His first course of action is to knock Spock out, in effect having Spock lose. So by process of elimination, what is Kirk thinking here, if not the challenge? Let's just let that one ferment in our minds while we look at something else. Kirk expects to be able to quit after he's accepted the challenge. What about the axe guy, who's there if cowardice is seen? Wouldn't he have something to say about Kirk up and quitting the challenge? And if not, if he's allowed to quit for the same reason that he was allowed to decline the challenge in the first place, then wouldn't another champion be selected, just like T'Pau said would happen if Kirk declined? When Kirk says he'll quit, he doesn't mean 'ok, stop the fight, I give up, you win'. But what does he mean? Well, let's see if we can work it out. First of all, Kirk doesn't see a problem with Spock not ending up with T'Pring (his first choice was for Spock to lose). Second of all, he doesn't seem to see this Kali-fee as a challenge of all, he sees it as a marriage. Why does Spock need to be married? So he can get laid. That's the whole reason they're all there. Spock's in his mating cycle. So, what is Kirk planning to forfeit when he says he'll quit? What indeed? Seems like he doesn't really forfeit anything whether Spock wins or loses, since the outcome would be the same (ie red-hot K/S manlove). So then why bother with the Kali-fee at all? Ah, but Kirk tells us that too. "Honour is satisfied." But who's honour? Spock's, of course! Kirk knows that Spock prides himself on his Vulcan heritage, and this is a Vulcan ritual. No sex before marriage - a conservative idea for 23rd Century Earth man Kirk, but he respects Spock's boundaries. Isn't that sweet?
When McCoy begins to object again, Kirk interrupts "Bones, he's my first officer, and my friend. I disregarded Starfleet orders to bring him here. Another thing, that's T'Pau, a Vulcan. All of Vulcan in one package. How can I back out in front of her?" Now it looks like Kirk is going to agree to the challenge to impress T'Pau, but that's not very in character for him. He doesn't do things that he thinks are unwise just because there are important people watching (doing unwise things for Spock, like disobeying Starfleet orders and ruining his career… well, that's a different matter.) Earlier, Kirk was impressed by T'Pau's status as the only person to turn down a seat on the Federation Council. This is what makes her an important person. He doesn't say that about her here. He's not mentioning her because of her supposed importance. He says that he doesn't want to back out because she's a Vulcan. Again, Kirk wants to honour Vulcan tradition. There is also another thing we need to remember. T'Pau offered Kirk & McCoy the chance to leave once before, and when Kirk said that they would stay, she expressed approval, as though allowing them to leave was some kind of test of their worthiness to be Spock's 'friends'. Kirk would not want a representative of Spock's home planet to find him unworthy of Spock. This is far more than merely 'I wanna impress T'Pau by doing something foolish' on Kirk's part.
T'Pau asks for Kirk's decision, and he steps forward. He looks at Spock and says "I accept" and then he looks back at T'Pau as he finishes "…the challenge." (T'Pau calls it a challenge, but it's clear that her English isn't so great. The Vulcan word translates to both challenge and marriage, but to prevent any confusion for her sake, Kirk just calls it the same thing that she did. But as we discovered earlier, Kirk ain't thinking challenge here. He actually just accepted Spock's marriage proposal. Aww!) Then T'Pau says "Here begins the act of combat for possession of the woman T'Pring." There is a cut to Kirk, but it's too quick to see his reaction. He does seem to be frowning a bit though. But when T'Pau calls for the lirpa, we get a nice long shot of Kirk's wtf reaction. This is not what Kirk was expecting at all. ('This isn't like any sex toy I've ever seen, but ok, let's see where this goes…') T'Pau goes on to announce "If both survive the lirpa, combat will continue with the ahn-woon." (not "combat for the woman T'Pring", just "combat." Could mean anything.) Now, for those of you reading this who haven't seen the episode, and therefore don't know what a lirpa or an ahn-woon is, then this line won't seem as hysterically funny to you as it does to me, so let me explain. A lirpa is like this big stick with a round ball on one end, and a sharp blade on the other. It actually looks deadly. An ahn-woon, on the other hand, is this flat rope with tassels on the ends. So, if both survive the deadly weapon, combat will continue with the flimsy rope. No one picks up on that though, because the ahn-woons aren't brought out until later. At this point Kirk can only imagine what an ahn-woon is, if this deadly looking weapon that he and Spock have just been given is the lirpa. He asks T'Pau what she means by 'if both survive', and T'Pau responds that this combat is to the death. Not what Kirk had in mind. Cut to commercial.
Kirk steps forward to T'Pau, asking who said anything about a fight to the death. (Well Jim, Spock did, for one, when he told you that Vulcans killed to win their mates, during that conversation you guys had that we didn't get to see. And then you did, to McCoy, after you beamed down onto the planet.) McCoy chimes in too, but T'Pau cuts him off, and the axe guy holds his axe to McCoy's neck (now this one I can't explain. What cowardice was McCoy showing?) T'Pau says "Challenge was given and lawfully accepted. It has begun. Let no one interfere." Now you all bear witness. T'Pau said it herself. No one is to interfere. Now, with no outside interference, how could both parties survive combat with these lirpa? Kirk knows that both of them surviving is somehow possible, because T'Pau said that in that event, they would be given the ahn-woon. He looks at Spock, and seems to realize that they might just be able to get through this after all, because he nods at McCoy who stands aside. Still, he doesn't know quite how they're gonna get through this, so he scratches his head as he steps up to engage Spock in combat. There's nothing really interesting to say about this half of the combat, except it's amazing how little damage Spock actually does to Kirk, considering how sharp the lirpa is. Kirk gets a nice cut across his chest, but other than that, Spock seems to be intentionally missing. He breaks the gong, after Kirk ducks. I mean ok, I'll concede that a lot of Star Trek's fight scenes look pretty fake, but if you think about the actual design of the weapons they're using, the only way to not kill someone with it is to not try. There's even a bit where Spock seems to be crawling away from his lirpa. Anyway, after a while of fighting, T'Pau calls out "Kroykah!" (The Vulcan safety word! But what happened to not interfering? You heard her! She said no one was to interfere, and now here she is interfering! What gives? Maybe she saw that Spock had no intention to kill Kirk. Maybe that's what she means by "if both survive." With no outside interference, Spock chose not to kill Kirk, and Kirk chose not to kill Spock, so both survived the combat, and now we move onto the ahn-woon)
McCoy asks T'Pau if he can give Kirk a hypo that will compensate for the heat and thin air (and I find it funny that he brought his hypos along to a wedding. He's here as Spock's friend, not as the medical expert. He has no reason to have his hypos here. Is there anywhere he doesn't bring those things? Seriously, Bones/hypos otp?) T'Pau tells McCoy to proceed, and McCoy kneels down by Kirk. He suggests to Kirk that he's gonna have to kill Spock. Kirk replies "Kill Spock? That's not what we came to Vulcan for, is it?" (What did they come to Vulcan for? No really, we still don't know exactly what Kirk thought they were gonna be doing here. He knew that there was a ceremony, but he didn't think it was going to be a wedding. What is going on in Kirk's mind in this episode?) McCoy shoots Kirk with the hypo and explains that it's a tri-ox compound that will help him breathe.
T'Pau now calls for the ahn-woon, the fun weapon. The guards then hand these sex toys weapons to Kirk & Spock. Kirk's reaction to the ahn-woon is pretty much the same as ours. He looks down at it in his hand and just sorta shrugs, like 'wtf, kind of fruity weapon is this now?' Spock clearly knows what he's doing, because while Kirk is still trying to figure this ahn-woon thing out, Spock uses it to lasso Kirk to the ground. Then he whips him with it, and then he helps Kirk up. Kirk meanwhile, unsure if he's still supposed to be fighting to the death or what, spins Spock around and chucks him into a wall. Then he gets down on his hands and knees (to pick up his ahn-woon, of course), positioning himself so that his ass is facing Spock (Hey, I didn't choreograph this fight!) Spock runs up and pounces on Kirk, but Kirk turns around, so Spock just rubs up against him a little bit. Then Kirk rolls them over and throws a couple punches (either the poor dear hasn't figured out that ahn-woons aren't all that deadly, or Spock likes it rough and he knows it. Or maybe he's putting up a good fight for the sake of Vulcan honour. Y'know, so Spock can say he really had to fight hard to win his mate…) Then Spock wraps the ahn-woon around Kirk's neck and lifts him up, dragging him over to this fiery centrepiece thing. Kirk seems to think that the situation would be improved by lifting his leg right up around Spock in a very inviting way. Kirk manages to push Spock forward so that he's on top now, straddling Spock, and wraps his own hands around Spock's neck (thus demonstrating that the ahn-woon is completely superfluous if death is the intended outcome.) Then Kirk starts to suffocate and collapses to Spock's side (we later discover that this was caused by McCoy's hypo, not necessarily the ahn-woon. Who knows what would have happened had McCoy not been there?) Spock rolls them both over and lifts Kirk's lifeless body by the ahn-woon (as though he's now going to drag his subdued mate off to a cave somewhere for some much needed sex in a very primitive way???) T'Pau then yells Kroykah again (No Spock, don't have sex with him, he's dead. Seriously, what did T'Pau think she was stopping?)
McCoy goes over to Kirk and pronounces him dead. Spock walks off, utterly speechless. T'Pau expresses her condolences to McCoy. McCoy tells Spock that he's in command, and asks for his orders. Spock tells McCoy to beam up ahead of him, and that he'll follow in a few minutes, where he will surrender himself to the authorities. (Starfleet can't do anything to Spock, because he acted in accordance with Vulcan law… didn't he? Wasn't this a fight to the death? Or was it the lirpa part of the combat that was a fight to the death. Was the combat with the ahn-woon something else entirely?) McCoy and Kirk beam up, and Spock asks T'Pring to explain. T'Pring asks Spock to specify (apparently she saw nothing unusual in what she did. Is having the groom combat someone who accompanies him a common option for these rituals?) Spock specifies that he wants to know why the challenge, and why she chose Kirk as her champion. Her answer is "Stonn wanted me, I wanted him." Again, she doesn't see any reason to explain Kirk as her choice of champion. She's just explaining why she called for a Kali-fee. Spock says that he sees no logic in T'Pring preferring Stonn over him (again this calls back to the conversation where Spock told Kirk that the way Vulcans choose their mates is not logical. T'Pring chose Stonn as a mate, which was not logical. A Vulcan's mate is not necessarily the spouse selected for them by their parents, and this is not out of the ordinary.) T'Pring explains "You have become much known among our people, Spock (for what, we don't know). Almost a legend. And as the years went by, I came to know that I did not want to be the consort of a legend. But by the laws of our people, I could only divorce you by the Kali-fee. There was also Stonn, who wanted very much to be my consort, and I wanted him. If your Captain were victor, he would not want me, and so I would have Stonn. (Now she finally starts explaining why she chose Kirk. By the way, how can she be so certain that Kirk wouldn't want her? She doesn't know anything about him. For all she knows, he could be some savage, sex-hungry maniac. There again, she knows at least that Spock thinks highly enough of Kirk to pledge his behaviour with his own life.) If you were victor, you would free me because I had dared to challenge, and again I would have Stonn. (Ok, now here's the interesting bit. Spock needs sex, or he'll die. Why would he free T'Pring if he would have died as a result of such an action, just to what, punish her for daring to challenge? I don't think so. Unless Spock wasn't risking death by such an action. He brought two 'friends' along, remember. In T'Pring's eyes, he still has McCoy.) But if you did not free me, it would be the same, for you would be gone, and I would have your name and your property, and Stonn would still be there." (Now she is flat out saying that if Spock had chosen to marry her, she would have an affair with Stonn. To Spock's face. As if it's not something that should anger him or anything. Apparently Vulcans don't see anything overly wrong with infidelity. And why would they, monogamy isn't exactly all that logical. We only value it because of the emotions involved. Also, how does she know that Spock would be gone? Is it normal for Vulcans to not hang around with their spouses? Sarek and Amanda hung around each other. Ah, but Amanda wouldn't have been the spouse that was chosen for Sarek when he was 7 years old. And T'Pring has already indicated that she'd be spending her time with Stonn. So Vulcans do hang around with their spouses, just not necessarily the spouses chosen by their parents. T'Pring didn't expect to be Spock's true spouse either way, because he brought Kirk & McCoy along to the wedding, indicating to her that he was already spoken for.)
Spock comments that what T'Pring has said is "Logical, flawlessly logical." So everything that she just said also makes sense to him. It is logical for her to assume that Spock wouldn't want her. T'Pring then says that she's honoured, so that was even some kind of Vulcan compliment. He's not mad at her, he doesn't dislike her. She was being logical, and that's something that Spock always admires in people. But no matter how much Spock admires someone, they can kiss their ass goodbye if they ever threaten Jim (the salt sucking creature, the horta…) Spock doesn't blame T'Pring for Kirk's death. He also told McCoy just now that he was going to surrender himself to the authorities. Spock clearly blames himself for Kirk's death, and no one else. Then he addresses Stonn, and says "She is yours. 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." (Is this supposed to be our consolation for the fact that K/S will never happen on screen?)
Spock calls the
On the
McCoy asks Nurse Chapel to leave them for a moment, because they're gonna have some boy-talk. When she leaves, McCoy excitedly asks about the girl and the wedding. McCoy doesn't think that it would've been unusual for Spock to have continued on with the ceremony after having killed Kirk. Well, Spock was going to die, so of course McCoy thinks that he went on with the wedding, and the sex, which let's face it, is really what McCoy is interested in hearing about. Spock responds thusly "Ah yes, the girl. Hmm, most interesting. It must have been the combat. When I thought I had killed the Captain, I found I had lost all interest in T'Pring. The madness was gone." So, after that most homoerotic display with Kirk, Spock found that he'd lost all interest in T'Pring. Note that he did not say that he'd lost all interest in sex. Just in T'Pring. Because of that combat with Kirk. I mean come on! Are you kidding me with this? That's exactly what he says. He practically dry humped Kirk and then suddenly 'Oh, look at that, I'm not horny for T'Pring anymore. Most interesting.' He's not even trying to deny it. Because it would be illogical to deny his nature.
Uhura calls Kirk with a message form Starfleet Command. Apparently, T'Pau put in a request for the
Pop Quiz!
1) Who did Spock confide in about deeply personal matters that no outworlder may know?
2) Who did Spock walk towards after T'Pring rejected him
3) Who did Spock say that he could not live without?
4) Who did Spock embrace gleefully, with a great big smile, when he returned to the
5) Who did Spock say made him lose all interest in T'Pring
6) Who is Spock going to be mating with the next time he experiences pon-farr?
I'll give you a hint – it's not Christine Chapel!
Thu, Jun. 25th, 2009 03:15 pm (UTC)
spookyfbi
Thing is, I'm not entirely sure that they *are* plotholes...
Thu, Jun. 25th, 2009 03:29 pm (UTC)
le_culdesac
I loved this, thank you! It was funny and very well thought out. I've read a rediculous number of Amok Time meta and this was definitely one of the better ones.
In the original script, there were a few more Vulcan words. Spock described Kirk and McCoy as his lak noy, the equivalent of best man. When T'Pring makes her challenge, the wedding party begins to discuss what's going on, all in Vulcan, until T'Pau shuts them up. - Memory Alpha
And I think it's kind of... amazing... That the guy who wrote Amok Time (Theodore Sturgeon) is also the same one who wrote Shore Leave, aka The Back Rub Episode.
* Story outline by Theodore Sturgeon, 12 December 1966
* Final draft script, 2 May 1967
* Second revised final draft, 5 June 1967
* Filmed in early, mid-June 1967
... The things I'd do to take a look at that uncensored script.
Thu, Jun. 25th, 2009 03:37 pm (UTC)
le_culdesac : Blush!
Oh, what a disorganised comment! FYI, I haven't slept in 4 days so excuse me.
Yarryarryarr, I was just mentioning the lak noy thing as a bit if a tangent. If lak noy means is the exact equivalent of 'best man', doesn't that mean that one of them has an entirely different reason for being there? (AKA I agree with you.) The wedding party going zomgwtfbbq? seems to be more of a reaction to Spock pretty much outing himself. Or something. *falling asleep on keyboard*
Fandom owes Mr Sturgeon so, so much. Apparently, he wrote a bunch of episodes that never made it to prodction. I reckon we all know the reason why.
Fri, Jun. 26th, 2009 04:26 am (UTC)
spookyfbi : Re: Blush!
I like the idea of McCoy being the best man and K&S being the two grooms :)
What I wouldn't give to see those other episodes! I was thinking not long ago how I wish that TS had written more episodes.
Thu, Jun. 25th, 2009 09:40 pm (UTC)
rhaegal
Thank you! This is one of the best Amok Time metas I've ever read. This episode is like a huge gift to slashdom wrapped up in a big shiny bow :D
Fri, Jun. 26th, 2009 04:33 am (UTC)
spookyfbi
Wow, thank you! :D
God, I know! I can't believe that this episode made it past the 1960s censors!
Fri, Jun. 26th, 2009 12:46 am (UTC)
gentlest_sin : you=rock
Oh my gosh. Bones/Hypo OTP. This fandom needs ICONS
Oh yes, and brilliant meta. I love your style. I feel a fic coming on :D
Fri, Jun. 26th, 2009 04:41 am (UTC)
spookyfbi : Re: you=rock
I agree! Someone do icons plz?
A fic? Yes! The perpetual motion machine of fannish inspiration turns again...
Fri, Jun. 26th, 2009 07:59 pm (UTC)
daisylily
This is totally wonderful, very funny (No Spock, don't have sex with him, he's dead.) and you make several exceedingly good (and logical, lol) points.
Sat, Jun. 27th, 2009 08:20 am (UTC)
spookyfbi
Thanks :)
I love that slash is the only logical explanation for this episode!
Sat, Jun. 27th, 2009 03:11 am (UTC)
bradygirl_12
Great meta! :)
As for this episode slipping past the 1960s censors, well, back then, homoerotic love was truly the love that dared not speak its name, and most gay situations and dialogue went completely over people's heads.
That explains why this episode was filmed as written by Mr. Sturgeon. :)
Sat, Jun. 27th, 2009 08:35 am (UTC)
spookyfbi
Yeah, you're probably right. People back then would've probably sooner believed that it really was just the combat that got rid of Spock's mating drive and just not dwell too much on the implications of what that really says about the 'combat'... That sorta leaves me in awe that there were fans that picked up on it as early as the 70s.
Sat, Jun. 27th, 2009 07:14 pm (UTC)
bradygirl_12
Fans are always ready for the subtext, no matter what decade! ;)
Fri, Feb. 4th, 2011 10:07 am (UTC)
ksol1460
Actually it wasn't entirely filmed as written. You know the part where Spock breaks out of plak tow enough to ask T'Pau to forbid Kirk to be the one he has to fight? In the original script Spock didn't even recognize Kirk by that point. McCoy objects to a fight to the death between friends, T'Pau says Spock can release Kirk from it and asks Spock what he thinks of that and Spock shouts Klee-fah! which we are told means "I refuse". I don't know how you would interpret that through a slash perspective, you tell me. Anyway that was rewritten and I'm not sure if it was by Sturgeon or one of the continuity writers such as Fontana.
Whoever it was sure gave Celia Lovsky one hell of a line. Are thee Vulcan -- or are thee human?
Fri, Jan. 13th, 2012 06:51 am (UTC)
hallzie
This meta is absolutely gorgeous! I smiled like an idiot at several parts, and this part; "Seriously, what did T'Pau think she was stopping?" had me laughing waaaaay too long. Will read your SFS meta tomorrow, and I bet it'll be just as awesome. Thank you for writing these!
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