78) The Savage Curtain

Enterprise Incidents with Scott and Steve

While wrapping up a routine mission around an unexplored planet, Captain Kirk encounters one of his greatest heroes, President Abraham Lincoln, who asks to come aboard the Enterprise. Kirk realizes there's no way that this can be the real Lincoln, but he cautiously takes him up on his offer to beam down with him to the planet's surface, where Mr. Spock comes face-to-face with one of his own heroes, Surak of Vulcan. They soon find out that this is all part of a plan by the citizens of Excalbia to stage the ultimate battle between good and evil, and the fate of the Enterprise hangs in the balance. For a variety of reasons, "The Savage Curtain" shouldn't work. Not only is it a rehash of better episodes, like "Arena" and "Spectre of the Gun" (not to mention "The Gamesters of Triskelion" and "Return to Tomorrow"), but the image of Lincoln floating through space towards the Enterprise starts the episode on a downright silly note. The fact that "The Savage Curtain" overcomes these flaws to emerge as a strong and entertaining episode is a testament to its strengths, the biggest of which is guest star Lee Bergere, who really sells it with his committed performance as Lincoln.

Guest: John Rocha (Host: The Cine-Files, Outlaw Nation, Geek Buddies)

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