This story is an amazingly mature/adult look at reproductive rituals, using some loose parallels to real life critters but also taking its own road what with Vulcans not being a bucketload of fish and all. Any uncreative show can show two people semi-nekkid in a room with clever camera angles to suggest they're porking. Big whoop. Trek was always aiming higher, to the stars in a way (or more than one if you'll pardon the pun), so the result was a higher quality script that really knows how to sell it.
But, why not, it's predictable that McCoy would whip out the compound to simulate death, right on cue. The dramatic elements are still handled well.
The dialogue in this story is so taut and explanations reasoned, using this "he didn't die" trope really works extremely well.
Naturally, the diversion would be allowed after all was said and done.
Plus, it's an arranged marriage. That said, T'Pring knew how to get out of it in quite an inventive way.
But you know what? All the nitpicks really don't grate in the slightest. The character nuances and where the story works more than make up for it, and no story is perfect.
But that being said, "The Devil in the Dark" is just a stronger and inventive story that no sex show could begin to compare against. The fact "Amok Time" holds up as well as it does is a testament to the scripting and actors playing it entirely straight and not breaking the fourth wall or being juvenile about it all.
Also, since only "The Devil in the Dark" remains, what happens after it receives the fourth vote?
