The Savage Curtain: Star Trek's 77th Episode (review)
Although most Star Trek fans would probably say that the show’s third season was its weakest due to Gene Roddenberry’s absence as line producer and the poor quality of many of its scripts, there were some good episodes which aired on NBC in 1968 and 1969.
One of the best shows which were produced under the aegis of Fred Freiberger was Star Trek’s 77th episode, The Savage Curtain, which was co-written by Gene Roddenberry and Arthur Heinenmann, based on a story by Roddenberry and directed by Herschel Daugherty (Bonanza, Emergency!).
The Savage Curtain
Stardate 5906.4 (Earth Calendar Year 2269)
Original Air Date: March 7, 1969
Written by Gene Roddenberry & Arthur Heinenmann
Based on a Story by Gene Roddenberry
Directed by Herschel Daugherty
On Stardate 5906.4, during the fifth year of her deep space exploration mission, the USS Enterprise, Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) commanding, is in standard orbit over the planet Excalbia, an uncharted world with a surface of hot, molten lava and a noxious atmosphere that is deadly to humanoid life forms. Enterprise’sassignment: to carry out scientific studies and send data back to the Federation.
To the surprise of the Enterprise’s captain and his crew, the ship’s scanners inform Science Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) that they have detected something which Spock considers to be impossible: there are carbon-based life forms on a region of Excalbia.
Moreover, the ship is itself scanned by unknown entities on Excalbia, but even more surprising than this is the appearance on the bridge’s main viewscreen of the figure and voice of an entity claiming to be President Abraham Lincoln (Lee Bergere).
Abraham Lincoln: Do I take it that you recognize me, James Kirk?
Captain James T. Kirk: [cautiously] I recognize what you appear to be.
Abraham Lincoln: And appearances can be most deceiving. But not in this case, James Kirk.
[pause]
Abraham Lincoln: I am Abraham Lincoln.
The Lincoln-like being is not offended by Kirk’s reluctance to accept that the 16thPresident of the United States has somehow been revived and is alive in the 23rdCentury, but nevertheless he agrees to beam him aboard Enterprise – with all the honors due to a visiting head of state.
Kirk, of course, doesn’t really think Abraham Lincoln – who was assassinated in April of 1865 by John Wilkes Booth – is alive, but nevertheless his curiosity is piqued by the existence of an almost exact replica of one of his boyhood heroes. This, plus his deep-held belief in Starfleet’s mission statement to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and new civilizations, leads Kirk to accept an invitation to beam down – along with Spock – to a small pocket of Excalbia which can sustain humanoid life.
On the planet surface – which resembles part of the American Southwest, complete with rocky canyons and scrub-like vegetation – Lincoln, Kirk and Spock are met by a rock-like native of Excalbia: Yarnek (Janos Prohaska, voice of Bert LaRue).
Yarnek explains to the two Enterprise officers that his race – though fairly advanced in many ways – is trying to understand certain abstract concepts that most of the galaxy seems to understand instinctively, particularly the duality of “good” and “evil.”
In order to grasp this abstraction, the Excalbians have set up a simple but dangerous contest pitting Kirk, Spock, Lincoln and the father of Vulcan philosophy, Surak (Barry Atwater) against four “evil” personages from history: Genghis Khan (Nathan Jung) and World War III leader Col. Green (Phillip Pine) of Earth, Zora of Tiburon (Carol Daniels Dement) and Kahless the Unforgettable of the Klingon Empire (Robert Herron).
The rules are simple: each group of four must use available materials to make weapons and employ them in a life-or-death struggle to determine – at least to the satisfaction of the curious Excalbians – which is stronger: good or evil?
My Take: In a season which saw the broadcast of such Star Trek misfires as Spock’s Brain and The Cloud Minders, the 77th episode clearly stands out as one of the series’ better efforts.
Part of the credit, of course, goes to Gene Roddenberry and co-writer Arthur Heinenmann and their nicely-written script.
The Savage Curtain’s teleplay takes all the elements that make for good Star Trek moments – interesting characters, interesting setup, dramatic conflict, witty humor and good performances – and a classic question that explores the depths of human nature: What is the essential difference between good and evil?
Abraham Lincoln: Tell me, James, do you drink whiskey?
Captain James T. Kirk: [puzzled] Upon occasion. Why?
Abraham Lincoln: Because you remind me of another man who drank whiskey. A man I admired very much.
[pause]
Abraham Lincoln: General Grant.
This exploration of humanity is what Gene Roddenberry’s show about a 23rdCentury starship on a trek to the stars was really all about. Sure, it was presented as an action-adventure science fiction program with gadgets, technobabble and 1960s-era special effects, and many viewers saw it as merely entertaining, but for most of its fans – bright television viewers of both genders, all ages, races and creeds – Star Trek wasn’t a series about the future or high technology, it was about contemporary America and all sorts of sexual, social, moral, ethical and political dilemmas.
The Savage Curtain is, viewed in this context, a morality play couched in science fiction terms. Certain negative human traits – aggression, deceitfulness, ruthlessness and power lust are personified primarily by Col. Green and – to a lesser extent – Kahless. The two main “evil” characters exhibit those traits often, making the “good” quartet pay dearly at times during the sometimes violent contest.
In contrast, the episode depicts Lincoln and Surak as two sides of the same coin; both are wise and compassionate, revered by their respective peoples as great examples of “good.” However, Surak is markedly different from Lincoln; the Vulcan’s philosophy is more idealistic and pacifist than that of the American President who cherished peace but had to wage war in order to preserve the Union.
Captain James T. Kirk: Your Surak is a brave man.
Mr. Spock: Men of peace usually are, captain.
While The Savage Curtain is not my favorite Star Trek episode of all time, it is one of the show’s best “study of human nature” stories and definitely one of the more watchable third season offerings. It’s well-written, nicely directed and it showcases nice acting turns not only by the regular cast but by guest stars Phillip Fine, Lee Bergere, Barry Atwater and Bob Herron.
Interestingly, Herron’s character Kahless – the legendary founder of the Klingon Empire – was later seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In Rightful Heir, character actor Kevin Conway plays a genetic copy (clone) of the nearly mythical Klingon warrior who had united his people 1,500 years before. In the TNG episode, Kahless is depicted as having the more elaborate skull ridges and bumpy foreheads seen on Klingons since 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, while the Kahless seen in The Savage Curtain has the more simple “swarthy makeup and facial hair” Klingon look used in the modestly-budgeted Star Trek: The Original Series.
One of the best shows which were produced under the aegis of Fred Freiberger was Star Trek’s 77th episode, The Savage Curtain, which was co-written by Gene Roddenberry and Arthur Heinenmann, based on a story by Roddenberry and directed by Herschel Daugherty (Bonanza, Emergency!).
The Savage Curtain
Stardate 5906.4 (Earth Calendar Year 2269)
Original Air Date: March 7, 1969
Written by Gene Roddenberry & Arthur Heinenmann
Based on a Story by Gene Roddenberry
Directed by Herschel Daugherty
On Stardate 5906.4, during the fifth year of her deep space exploration mission, the USS Enterprise, Capt. James T. Kirk (William Shatner) commanding, is in standard orbit over the planet Excalbia, an uncharted world with a surface of hot, molten lava and a noxious atmosphere that is deadly to humanoid life forms. Enterprise’sassignment: to carry out scientific studies and send data back to the Federation.
To the surprise of the Enterprise’s captain and his crew, the ship’s scanners inform Science Officer Spock (Leonard Nimoy) that they have detected something which Spock considers to be impossible: there are carbon-based life forms on a region of Excalbia.
Moreover, the ship is itself scanned by unknown entities on Excalbia, but even more surprising than this is the appearance on the bridge’s main viewscreen of the figure and voice of an entity claiming to be President Abraham Lincoln (Lee Bergere).
Abraham Lincoln: Do I take it that you recognize me, James Kirk?
Captain James T. Kirk: [cautiously] I recognize what you appear to be.
Abraham Lincoln: And appearances can be most deceiving. But not in this case, James Kirk.
[pause]
Abraham Lincoln: I am Abraham Lincoln.
The Lincoln-like being is not offended by Kirk’s reluctance to accept that the 16thPresident of the United States has somehow been revived and is alive in the 23rdCentury, but nevertheless he agrees to beam him aboard Enterprise – with all the honors due to a visiting head of state.
Kirk, of course, doesn’t really think Abraham Lincoln – who was assassinated in April of 1865 by John Wilkes Booth – is alive, but nevertheless his curiosity is piqued by the existence of an almost exact replica of one of his boyhood heroes. This, plus his deep-held belief in Starfleet’s mission statement to explore strange new worlds and seek out new life and new civilizations, leads Kirk to accept an invitation to beam down – along with Spock – to a small pocket of Excalbia which can sustain humanoid life.
On the planet surface – which resembles part of the American Southwest, complete with rocky canyons and scrub-like vegetation – Lincoln, Kirk and Spock are met by a rock-like native of Excalbia: Yarnek (Janos Prohaska, voice of Bert LaRue).
Yarnek explains to the two Enterprise officers that his race – though fairly advanced in many ways – is trying to understand certain abstract concepts that most of the galaxy seems to understand instinctively, particularly the duality of “good” and “evil.”
In order to grasp this abstraction, the Excalbians have set up a simple but dangerous contest pitting Kirk, Spock, Lincoln and the father of Vulcan philosophy, Surak (Barry Atwater) against four “evil” personages from history: Genghis Khan (Nathan Jung) and World War III leader Col. Green (Phillip Pine) of Earth, Zora of Tiburon (Carol Daniels Dement) and Kahless the Unforgettable of the Klingon Empire (Robert Herron).
The rules are simple: each group of four must use available materials to make weapons and employ them in a life-or-death struggle to determine – at least to the satisfaction of the curious Excalbians – which is stronger: good or evil?
My Take: In a season which saw the broadcast of such Star Trek misfires as Spock’s Brain and The Cloud Minders, the 77th episode clearly stands out as one of the series’ better efforts.
Part of the credit, of course, goes to Gene Roddenberry and co-writer Arthur Heinenmann and their nicely-written script.
The Savage Curtain’s teleplay takes all the elements that make for good Star Trek moments – interesting characters, interesting setup, dramatic conflict, witty humor and good performances – and a classic question that explores the depths of human nature: What is the essential difference between good and evil?
Abraham Lincoln: Tell me, James, do you drink whiskey?
Captain James T. Kirk: [puzzled] Upon occasion. Why?
Abraham Lincoln: Because you remind me of another man who drank whiskey. A man I admired very much.
[pause]
Abraham Lincoln: General Grant.
This exploration of humanity is what Gene Roddenberry’s show about a 23rdCentury starship on a trek to the stars was really all about. Sure, it was presented as an action-adventure science fiction program with gadgets, technobabble and 1960s-era special effects, and many viewers saw it as merely entertaining, but for most of its fans – bright television viewers of both genders, all ages, races and creeds – Star Trek wasn’t a series about the future or high technology, it was about contemporary America and all sorts of sexual, social, moral, ethical and political dilemmas.
The Savage Curtain is, viewed in this context, a morality play couched in science fiction terms. Certain negative human traits – aggression, deceitfulness, ruthlessness and power lust are personified primarily by Col. Green and – to a lesser extent – Kahless. The two main “evil” characters exhibit those traits often, making the “good” quartet pay dearly at times during the sometimes violent contest.
In contrast, the episode depicts Lincoln and Surak as two sides of the same coin; both are wise and compassionate, revered by their respective peoples as great examples of “good.” However, Surak is markedly different from Lincoln; the Vulcan’s philosophy is more idealistic and pacifist than that of the American President who cherished peace but had to wage war in order to preserve the Union.
Captain James T. Kirk: Your Surak is a brave man.
Mr. Spock: Men of peace usually are, captain.
While The Savage Curtain is not my favorite Star Trek episode of all time, it is one of the show’s best “study of human nature” stories and definitely one of the more watchable third season offerings. It’s well-written, nicely directed and it showcases nice acting turns not only by the regular cast but by guest stars Phillip Fine, Lee Bergere, Barry Atwater and Bob Herron.
Interestingly, Herron’s character Kahless – the legendary founder of the Klingon Empire – was later seen in Star Trek: The Next Generation. In Rightful Heir, character actor Kevin Conway plays a genetic copy (clone) of the nearly mythical Klingon warrior who had united his people 1,500 years before. In the TNG episode, Kahless is depicted as having the more elaborate skull ridges and bumpy foreheads seen on Klingons since 1979’s Star Trek: The Motion Picture, while the Kahless seen in The Savage Curtain has the more simple “swarthy makeup and facial hair” Klingon look used in the modestly-budgeted Star Trek: The Original Series.
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