The Savage Curtain

The Enterprise is in orbit around a planet of molten lava with a poisonous atmosphere, which makes the life reading from the surface most perplexing. Even more confusing is the appearance of Abraham Lincoln on the ship's scanners.

Beaming the president on board, Kirk is amazed that Lincoln appears to be exactly who he claims to be. Spock and Kirk agree to accompany Lincoln to an area on the planet's surface that has transformed into an Earth-like environment; there they encounter a rock creature that seeks to understand about good and evil, in particular, which is stronger. To that end, it pits Kirk, Spock, Lincoln, and famous Vulcan Surak in a fight to the death against four historical villains.

This episode reflects moments in America's history that have demanded sacrifice, wisdom and bravery from its leaders in order to try and bring about equality and peace. Lincoln is obvious -- he united America -- but at what cost? Surak, on the other hand represents those who have taken a more peaceful stance against prejudice and violence and who have paid the ultimate price for their beliefs, in particular civil rights leader Martin Luther King, a recent tragic figure at the time this show was made.

That said, what I REALLY liked about this episode was the cool rock monster -- a really bizarre creature with a mean pair of claws and multiple eyes that flash in time with its voice -- and the fact that Lincoln goes mano a mano against Genghis Khan (would have loved it even more if Kirk had shouted 'Khaaaaaan!' at some point).

6.5/10, rounded up to 7 for IMDb.

The Enterprise crew once again encounter highly advanced/highly evolved aliens, who, in this case, wish to study the concepts of good and evil (a bit ironic as I thought humanity had evolved beyond the simplistic notion of such concepts by the 23rd century) and use crew members as pawns in their inquiries. This episode, a morality tale, borrows elements from some of the better episodes of the past, such as "Arena" and "Day of the Dove," as well as "Spectre of the Gun" and even "The Devil in the Dark," which had another silicon-based lifeform. The better scenes, however, are not the later action sequences, but when Abraham Lincoln beams aboard the ship and gets acquainted with Kirk and the crew. It's an excellent guest appearance by actor Bergere, who is given some entertaining dialog, mirrored later by actor Atwater, who plays the famous Vulcan, Surak. The crew reactions to such famous personages and their debates about the nature of these obvious aliens-in-disguise is what elevates this above the average 3rd season episode. Doohan, as Scotty, steals a couple of scenes here, as usual.

In the last two-thirds of the episode, Kirk & Spock, along with Lincoln, beam down to the planet, meet Surak, and then are forced to confront four other famous, er, infamous figures from the past: Colonel Green, Kahless the Unforgettable, Zora (who?) and Genghis Khan. Col.Green made his name in some genocidal war in the 21st century (probably related to the 3rd World War brought up in later Trek series). Kahless, of course, is the famous/infamous Klingon, reinterpreted on the TNG series. The plot, at this point, is fairly simple: with no advanced weapons, using whatever resources are on hand in the primitive setting, such as spears, the two quartets must fight it out until one side is the victor. It's very basic, very primal, with our heroes and villains reduced to chess pieces on the cosmic board of some higher powers. There are no astonishing revelations towards the end, with Kirk & Spock merely showing that their Starfleet training can be put to use, if required. Even so, it seemed to me they were lucky in the end - that Green miscalculated and didn't press on to victory when he had the chance, due to, I suppose, cowardice. This episode also showed, again, the ingenuity necessary to come up with unusual-looking aliens when you have almost no budget for special make-up and FX.

Summoned to fight with sticks and with stones, by a blob with claws but without any bones, it's good verses bad, sane verses mad, the losers are the ones overthrown.

Greeted by Abraham Lincoln the crew of the Enterprise come under threat from a pile of rocks.

Not sure why Abraham Lincoln is so dark looking? Look out he has a pointy stick! "Help me Spock". "Help me Jim"

Season 3, episode 22. The Enterprise arrives at the volcanic planet of Excalbia for a geological expedition where their sensors detect carbon-based life forms. Suddenly an image of Abraham Lincoln appears floating on the ship's screen. Spock says its not the real Lincoln but Kirk invites Lincoln aboard the ship with honors. Lincoln claims to be human but knows nothing of technology past the 19th century but knows the Vulcan philosophy of Nom (meaning "all"). Lincoln invites Kirk and Spock to the planet where an area is earth-like. Scotty and McCoy protest the idea but Kirk and Spock go anyway. Once there they find their phasers, tricorder and communicators gone and out steps the Vulcan Surak who is the father of the Vulcan civilization - Spock again does not believe: Not in Lincoln now Surak. Next a boulder becomes a rock-like creature and the alien, Yarnek, announces to inhabitants to conduct an experiment: which opposing human philosophy is stronger good or evil. The alien puts Kirk, Spock, Lincoln, and Surak against Colonel Green, the Klingon Kahless, Zora, and Genghis in a fight to the death. To force Kirk and Spock to fight, the alien has set the Enterprise to explode in 2 hours if Kirk is defeated and all the Enterprise can do is watch on the screen.

Not great but it's Star Trek fun! Very entertaining.

8.5/10