Kirk: “You mean, the biology of Vulcans...? Biology as in... reproduction...? Well, Mr.
Spock, there’s no reason to be embarrassed about that, it happens to the birds and the
bees–“Spock: “The birds and the bees are not Vulcans, captain. If they were... if any creatures
as proudly logical as us were to have their logic... ripped from them... How do Vulcans
choose their mates? Haven’t you wondered?”Kirk: “I guess the rest of us assume that it’s done... quite logically.”Spock: “No... it is not. We sheathe it with rituals and customs shrouded in antiquity –
you humans have no conception. It strips our minds from us; it brings a madness
which rips away our veneer of civilization. It is the pon farr – the time of mating...
There are precedents in nature, Captain... the giant eel-birds of Regulus Five. Once
each eleven years, they must return to the caverns where they hatched. On your Earth,
the salmon. They must return to that one stream where they were born, to spawn – or
die in trying.”Kirk: “But you’re not a fish, Mr. Spock–“Spock: “No – nor am I a man... I’m a Vulcan. I had hoped I would be spared this, but
the ancient drives are too strong. Eventually, they catch up with us... and we are driven
by forces we cannot control – to return home, and take a wife... or die.” (Star Trek
1967)However, when they come to the Vulcan planet Spock’s proposed wife has other
plans and she manages to arrange a duel between Spock and Kirk, in which Kirk is
supposedly killed. Of course he survives and even without taking his supposed
wife, Spock is somehow cured. Once back on the ship Spock expresses overt joy on
seeing Kirk alive, which is quite exceptional. A normally emotionless Vulcan does
not betray his feelings as he now does for Kirk.
This episode triggered many speculations about what relation there actually was
between Kirk and Spock, and the screened episode has been thoroughly analyzed
by the fans to understand how it can be interpreted. Especially the closures and
clips are analysed to see what is left out on purpose, such as the scenes that could
reveal what was really happening on the planet. This research, done by committed
fans, unveils hidden openings in the narrative where ambiguity creates a hole for
the fans to fill in, however unintended by the creators. Through this loophole fans
step into the story with their own interpretations and additions. Even so, since this
episode many popular series leave blanks like this deliberately to be filled in by
fans, lately seen for example the relation between Angel and Spike in the TV-series
Angel.
Understandably, the Pon Farr theme has been the epicentre for many slash stories,
and one of the earliest parallels to the Australian one mentioned earlier, was ”The
Ring of Sochern” from 1975-76. Here Kirk and Spock are trapped alone on a plan-
et while Spock gets the Pon Farr, without the possibility of rescue. Kirk realizes he
is in love with Spock and saves his life by mating with him, a relationship they
continue once back aboard the ship. There is even a zine totally committed solely
to Pon Farr stories – Fever.
The Pon Farr has also been a popular object of analysis by academics using psycho-
analytic tools (Bacon-Smith 1992, Penley 1994 & 1997). Many female Star Trek
fans have perceived it as a symbol of the suppression of male sexuality in modern