Something unusual happens in the TOS episode Return of the Archons. Instead of using his signature nerve pinch, Spock punches a guard in the face.
It’s so out of character that even Kirk comments on it.
Why does he do it?
Here’s a theory.
In the episode, Bones gets mind-controlled (again) by the collective, and completely loses his individuality and personality. Even though Kirk has seen it happen to two other people already (Sulu and O’Neil), it’s easy to tell that he only really gets truly upset once Bones is “absorbed” - he’s trying everything he can think of to get Bones to snap out of it, including shaking him physically.
Spock’s watching the whole time - seeing Kirk lose it a bit clearly affects him as well.
As he’s being taken away, Kirk pleadingly asks Spock to try to “work on” Bones, and after a frustratingly bland conversation with the doctor, Spock tries what looks like a mind meld - he doesn’t like this version of Bones either.
Spock completely fails to break through to Bones. It’s hard to capture in a screenshot, but if you look carefully in the episode, you can actually see the muscle in Spock’s jaw twitch with frustration when he announces that there’s nothing he can do for Bones because the control is too powerful. He honestly thought he was going to be able to save him, and he’s pissed that he can’t.
When both Spock and Kirk are saved from mind control and continue to plot, we see the most uncharacteristic and disturbing reaction from Pod Person Bones yet - not just extreme placidity, but outright anger and murderous violence. Kirk has to put him in a sleeper hold to subdue him, not wanting to harm his friend, but even this pains him: “Doc, I don’t want to hurt you…Aw, Doc,” he says.
(By the way, Kirk only calls Bones “Doc” when Bones is under the influence of mind control, to create psychological distance from himself. It’s a technique he uses in other contexts, too - in Operation: Annihilate!,he only starts calling Peter “my nephew” instead of “my brother’s son” when Peter is no longer in danger of dying.)
Spock, again, is watching all of this and trying to rein in his feelings about the whole upsetting situation.
So when the very next thing they do is confront the guards who took each person away to be mind-controlled, instead of doing a nerve pinch, Spock just cold-cocks the guard with his fist.
“Isn’t that somewhat old-fashioned?” Kirk says.
Spock just looks rather satisfied with himself.
Sometimes it’s logical to allow yourself a little violence on the person who upset your captain and took your doctor away.
