The Savage Curtain (TOS S3 E22)

The Savage Curtain (Star Trek: The Original Series (TOS), S3 E22) was recommended by Kaleb, he/him, who said: So, other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how did you enjoy the deathmatch?

This is always a good episode to sit down with a friend and just take the absolute piss out of; it's an episode that has a strangely high amount of warp cores given how much I like it.

The awful Lincoln makeup, mischaracterizing my favorite historical war criminal, and the comment to Uhura (which I know was trying to Make A Point, but kinda just makes me go “oh god Uhura, darling, if you wanna start punching I'm behind you all the way”).

Relatedly, though, I actually really like how Lincoln is characterized- it might just be because I'm from the same area, but I've always had a soft spot for the guy. In this episode, he has both admirable qualities and also prompts my above warp core, as would most guys from the 1800s.

I think the aliens are really cool looking, kinda like the Horta where their biology is so different from humans, especially given that they're filling the “advanced culture fucking with us for philosophical reasons” role usually given to disembodied beings or some beautiful twink.

It's ridiculous and stupid and I love it so much.

The Savage Curtain first aired on March 7, 1969, written by story by Gene Roddenberry, teleplay by Gene Roddenberry and Arthur Heinemann, and directed by Herschel Daugherty

Aliens force Kirk and Spock to battle illusionary villains in a test of good versus evil.[2]

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