MONDO EXTRAS

Spock of the Dance's face relaxes and he tips backwards, momentarily released by Parmen. Until he starts laughing. He chuckles. He giggles. He titters. He guffaws. Bones looks away in distress as Spock clutches his belly and crawls, laughing, to Alexander, who seems infected by the Vulcan's mirth. "He's a Vulcan! You can't force emotion out of him!" Bones shouts. A little perspective, please -- he's only half Vulcan, so it's not as bad as if they were forcing a full-blood like Sarek to laugh. "You must be joking, Doctor," Philana tells him with false surprise. "It'll destroy him," Bones agonizes. Parmen says they can't let Spock "die laughing," so they make him cry. Spock sobs. He wails. He blubbers. He's a veritable font of snivelation. Vainly, Kirk calls out to Spock from the floor and urges him not to let them break him. Spock rests his face against Alexander's leg, who cries in sympathy. "Hold on," Kirk says, crawling toward him. "Don't --" But Parmen (or Philana) mentally grabs hold of the Captain once more and makes him rear up on all fours. He paws at the air with his front legs -- urm, with his arms -- and rotates his shoulders. This should be interesting. Kirk slinks across the floor on his hands and knees, as Alexander pleads with Parmen that they saved his life. "I'm ashamed to be a Platonian! Ashamed!" Alexander announces, getting to his feet, one comforting hand still on Spock's shoulder. Parmen glares at him and throws him toward Kirk. Alexander climbs onto Kirk's back and slaps his butt. Did this episode come with a parental advisory? Suddenly, Kirk rears up and whinnies, pawing at the air. He does this many more hysterical times as Bones watches in anguish. "How can you let this go on?" Parmen asks him. Because it's good TV!