I just rewatched The Paradise Syndrome, IMHO a very good ep, with some glaring faults. The physics really sucked. I can't imagine why Spock thought that a little tiny ship pushing against a moon-size asteroid would have any worthwhile effect. Cutting it with phasers seemed like a worthwhile idea, too bad that didn't work.
I thought it was comical that they show the Enterprise retreating backwards away from the asteroid for two whole months. LOL Imagine that, flying backwards at impulse speed for two months.
This story was touching and tragic. I thought it was really crummy that Mirimanee got killed at the end, especially since Kirk got stoned more than she did, but he just gets up and walks away from it without a mark on him. There wasn't a mark on her, either. They should have both been bloodied and really banged up, technically.
People always point to this episode as proof of Kirk's unalloyed heterosexuality. I have a reason why I don't agree, as I shall explain:
Kirk got married and got Mirimanee pregnant. Obviously there was some red-hot heterosexual style lovin' going on. But you have to remember that Kirk never had to woo and win Mirimanee.
Priestess Mirimanee was betrothed to the Medicine Chief, a schlub named Salish, before "Kir-ock the God" shows up. It is tribal tradition and a requirement for the Priestess and Medicine Chief to marry. Once Kirk proved he was a God, he was named Medicine Chief. This got Mirimanee off the hook with Salish (which she didn't seem to mind, but he did). Salish is very put out about this. He tells Mirimanee that he prefers no other, then asks if she would have chosen him if she'd had a choice...she *doesn't* say yes.
It's pretty clear that when it's Kirk that she's forced to marry, she doesn't mind. It's pretty clear that Mirimanee has the hots for Kirk (natch!) and can't wait to get married to him. She does mention to him that he has the right (as a God) to choose a different maiden, but apparently the idea of him remaining single is out of the question.
[NOTE: Nobody mentions that as a God he could probably choose a boy, if he'd rather, either.]
With this limited array of choices laid out before him, Kirk, who has lost his memory and has no freaking idea who he is or what else he normally would prefer to be doing, and who has been pampered by this dollface since he first came to town, can't think of a reason not to agree to marry her (big surprise), which suits her just fine. Kirk agrees to be her husband, and she sets the wedding date for the very next day.
So they get married. They get very married. Kir-ock hits the ground running and seems to be a 100% happily married man. They share a very affectionate and playful marriage. Soon, it's revealed that Mirimanee is pregnant. Hog dog! Kirk's boys can swim! They celebrate the news with jubilant hugs and kisses.
But there is a shadow across their bright blue sky...Kir-ock has disturbing dreams about some weird lodge in the sky...and he sees faces in these dreams that he's sure he should recognize. He knows these dreams are important, but he doesn't know how to interpret them. This is disturbing.
[NOTE: Kirk's NOT 100% happy.]
Now I'm skipping a whole bunch of stuff...
At the peak of the crisis, Kir-ock and Mirimanee are stoned by the tribe for failing to produce the hoped for miracle in a timely manner. Spock and McCoy beam into the middle of the war zone and the startled tribe runs away. Spock and McCoy rush to Jim's side, as Jim starts raving, calling for his _wife_.
I love this part:
"Wife!?" blurts McCoy, unbelieving.
Spock calmly offers the logical explanation:
"Hallucinations."
[NOTE: ROFLMAO! Once again, Spock just can't imagine that Kirk might actually have a serious interest in the babe du jour. He flat out denies it categorically, instantly, unthinkingly, like he did in Enemy Within, and Conscience Of The King. What does he know about Kirk that makes him SO SURE!? We are left to wonder!
What's particularly interesting is McCoy seems equally amazed at the very idea. Kirk...with a WIFE!? Preposterous!]
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