What it’s mainly about
Spock, under the influence of pon farr, gets more than testy with a stunned Nurse Chapel.
If you think that Vulcans are all about logic and reason, without any ungovernable natural desires, this drama will set you right. Spock can’t be frank about what’s really going on, which baffles both Kirk and McCoy as they try to probe his defenses to get to the truth. But whatever pain Spock is in, it will only get worse as he brings his nearest friends — Kirk and McCoy! — down to planet Vulcan to confront his demons at last.
Why it’s awesome
Is it just coincidence that two of the best original Star Trek episodes feature serious fighting between Kirk and his second in command? I don’t think so. But important as the Kirk-Spock connection is, McCoy is no third wheel in this crisis, and we witness a kind of heroism in all three of them. Giving us a priceless glimpse of planet Vulcan and its people, as well as its customs and fearsomeness, this episode is essential viewing as a master class in storytelling.