Kirk and Spock are forced to fight alongside such historical figures as Abraham Lincoln of Earth and Surak of Vulcan by rock-like aliens who want to understand the concepts of "good" and "evil."

Summary[]

Teaser[]

TheUSSEnterprise is conducting some last observation scans of a planet incapable of supporting life – the surface is moltenlava and theatmosphere is poisonous. However, from hisscience station,Spock detects an enormous power generation coming from the supposedly uninhabitableplanet. During the ensuing investigation, the ship undergoes a deep, swift scan from the surface of the planet, causing the lights on thebridge to flicker. Thenan image ofAbraham Lincoln sitting in an armchair appears on theviewscreen, stunning the bridge crew.

Act One[]

The stunned crew of theEnterprise takes in the image of "Lincoln". He asks to bebeamed aboard when theEnterprise is directly above his location onthe planet below, to allow the crew to confirm his Humanity.Captain Kirk orders full dress uniforms and for the crew to take the guest at face value, withPresidential honors, while his real nature is determined, much to the chagrin ofScott andDr.McCoy. While waiting, Spock notes a small change happening on the planet. A landmass has appeared out of nowhere on the lifeless planet, inexplicably capable of supporting life.

In thetransporter room, Scott locks the transporter on Lincoln. Spock notes that their target a moment earlier appeared "almost mineral, like living rock with heavy fore claws."Dickerson has hissecurity officers stand ready with theirphasers on heavy stun. Thelifeform is beamed aboard, with taped band music playing and Dickerson blowing abosun's whistle. "The USSEnterprise is honored to have you aboard, Mr. President," Kirk tells the 16thPresident of the United States.

Lincoln steps off the transporter platform and charms them by asking about the recorded fanfare – as sound recording had not been invented in the 1860s – and noting his age. Dr. McCoy scans Lincoln with histricorder and confirms to Kirk that he is indeedHuman. After introducing Lincoln to Spock, Scott, and Dickerson, Lincoln immediately wants to answer Kirk's questions about him, as well as questions Lincoln himself would like answered. Kirk dismisses security and leads Lincoln away. After everyone but McCoy and Scott leave, McCoy and Scott wonder about the "living rock" reading.

Act Two[]

Lincoln makes a brief tour of the ship, impressing Kirk with his charm. A conversation withLieutenant Uhura illustrates that "Lincoln" knows terminology from the era ofslavery and Lincoln escapes from a gaffe with the same grace. He then acknowledges to Spock a concept inVulcan philosophy, and that there is a great Vulcan philosopher on the planet, but has no explanation for how he knows.

Kirk had a meeting in thebriefing room to consider the situation, and leaves "Lincoln" with Uhura to go there. McCoy warns Kirk of the risks on discipline of Kirk being seen admiring an impostor. McCoy and Scott insist that the whole affair is atrap, however, Spock says it would be illogical given their power – they could just as easily destroy the ship, if that were their goal. Kirk declares that they have been offered contact with a new race – the reason for their mission out here – and that he will accept it. Kirk, Lincoln, and Spock are beamed down, but strangely the phasers and Spock's tricorder are not – being left behind on the transporter pads.

The surface resembles a canyon on Earth. Kirk now confronts Lincoln, but he insists there's nothing wrong. Then, another being in the form ofSurak greets them, also believing to be himself. When Kirk tells them they won't go along with the charade, a nearby rock comes alive.Yarnek, one of the planet's rock-like inhabitants, calledExcalbians, says they stage "plays" to learn more aboutalien philosophies. The current contest, their first experiment withHumans, is to compare good and evil – "good" being represented by the twoEnterprise officers, Lincoln, andSurak, and "evil" represented by four archetypes:Kahless the Unforgettable (based onKahless the Unforgettable, founder of theKlingon Empire),Zora (based onZora ofTiburon),Genghis Khan (based on ancient Human conquerorGenghis Khan), andPhillip Green (based on the charismatic but duplicitous21st century genocidal Human military officerColonel Green). Kirk protests the manner of the invitation, to which Yarnek responds by enabling theEnterprise crew to watch the contest.

Act Three[]

McCoy, Scott and Chekov confirm the uselessness of their situation, but are allowed to watch the area.

Kirk refuses to participate, and, when Yarnek becomes solid and lifeless again, Green comes forward and appeals to Kirk that all eight were tricked, and that they should join forces against the Excalbians. Kirk reminds Green that he would attack enemies while their guard was down during negotiations. But the truce is insincere and Green's associates ambush during the parley, but are repulsed.

Kirk refuses to participate further, and the Excalbians re-enable communication with theEnterprise for just long enough to reveal that itsmatter/antimatter seal is failing, which will cause the ship to "blow itself to bits" in fourhours. Yarnek says this can only be avoided by victory in the combat.

Kirk selects high ground for a defensible base, though noting there is no time for a defensive war. Surak proposes to become anemissary, the option that resolved the final war onVulcan. Kirk protests that Vulcan logic will not sway their treacherous enemies on Excalbia, but Surak says that theirbelief in peace may be what the Excalbians are testing. Ultimately, Kirk says he cannot command Surak, who leaves for the enemy camp. He is captured and his cries and screams for help to Spock are heard.

Act Four[]

"I can't let you risk it, Mr. President.""I am no longer President — "*I can't let you risk it, Mr. President.*"
"*I am no longer President.*"

Kirk says they should rescue Surak: "He's in agony." Spock says that Surak knew his risks and that a Vulcan "would not cry out so." Lincoln proposes that they should do what the other side wants – "Not the way they want it, however." He proposes a distraction by attacking in a noticeable manner. This will allow a stealth rescue from behind.

Kirk and Spock each carried many wooden spears. They reveal their approach, distracting Green's henchmen. Spock threw a spear but Khan dodged. Meanwhile, Lincoln silently crept around Green's henchmen to find and free Surak.

Khan lobbed a rock. Kirk dodged and threw a rock back. Spock threw wood spears, and Kirk joined that effort as a distraction. Lincoln crawls and finds Surak dead. He realizes that Kahless was imitating Surak's voice. Kahless starts to imitate Lincoln's voice. Green watched Lincoln, while Kirk and Spock stand ready to throw more spears, but see no target. Lincoln returns to the battlefield. He reveals that Surak died and warns them to stay away. Suddenly, Lincoln falls forward with a spear in his back – struck down from behind, like the real Lincoln was in 1865.

Despite Surak and Lincoln dying, Kirk and Spock continue the attack, for the purpose of saving the Enterprise's crew. Now Green's henchmen outnumber them four-to-two. Green and Kahless charge at Kirk and Spock. Khan again throws a rock. Spock throws a spear but misses Khan, so Khan duels Spock. Zora attacks Kirk until he topples Zora. Kahless starts dueling Kirk. Zora crawls away from combat. Green watches (ready to help whichever needed aid, but Kahless keeps Kirk busy). Kirk kicks Kahless while they are dueling. Spock continues wrestling Khan. Finally, Kirk jabs his wood spear into the Klingon, who falls dead. Kirk then runs to save Spock. From behind Khan, Kirk lowers his spear over Khan's head and starts choking him. Khan turns and pulls free. Khan and Green flee. Kirk chases and tackles Green. Green wrestles Kirk and tries to stab Kirk using a pointed stick as a knife. Kirk jumped back, and grabbed Green's arm which he bent behind him so the wood knife is behind Green's back and tackles Green onto the point – causing Green's own weapon to kill him. Zora and Khan have escaped, so "good" wins the battle.

Yarnek, who had been observing, says, "It would seem that evil runs off when forcibly confronted." and that he sees no difference between good and evil. Kirk explains a difference: that he [Kirk] repeatedly resisted combat, and only battled when compelled by the threat to the Enterprise crew. In contrast, "evil" usually fights for a leader's personal gain. He asks Yarnek, "By what right" you trapped us and coerced us to fight. Yarnek replies, "The same right that brought you here: the need to know new things." Ultimately, Kirk calls theEnterprise to beam himself and Spock up.

The Enterprise leaving orbit of Excalbia — TheEnterprise leaving orbit of Excalbia

Back aboard theEnterprise, Scott and Chekov report that the damage to the ship is reversing, for which they have no explanation. Kirk and Spock reflect on how real "Lincoln" and "Surak" seemed. Spock says it could not be otherwise, since the replicas were created "out of our own thoughts." Kirk feels he understands the effort on Earth to achieve final peace – and all of their work still left to be done inthe galaxy. Kirk hasSulu breakorbit ofExcalbia and theEnterprise heads off into space once more.

Log entries[]

Captain's log, USSEnterprise (NCC-1701), 2269

Memorable quotes[]

"Fascinating."
"I have been described in many ways, Mr. Spock, but never with that word."

- "Lincoln" andSpock

"President Lincoln, indeed! No doubt to be followed by Louis of France and Robert the Bruce!"

-Scott, as Kirk and Spock enter the transporter room

"What a charming Negress. Oh, forgive me, my dear. I know that in my time some used that term as a description of property."
"But why should I object to that term, sir? You see, in our century we've learned not to fear words."

- "Lincoln" andUhura

"Jim, I would be the last to advise you on your command image…"
"I doubt that, Bones, but continue."

-McCoy andKirk, in the briefing room

"Lincoln died three centuries ago on a planet hundreds of light years away!" (Scott points)
"More… that direction, engineer." (Spock corrects)

-Scott andSpock

"You're the science officer. Why aren't you – well, doin' whatever a science officer does at a time like this?"

-McCoy, to Spock

"If they're wrong and they do beam into a pool of lava."
"Then they're dead men. I could'na pull them back in time."

-McCoy andScotty about to beam Kirk, "Lincoln", and Spock

"Despite the seeming contradictions, all is as it appears to be. Iam Abraham Lincoln!"
"Just as I am whom I appear to be."
"Surak!"

- "Lincoln" is confronted by Kirk on his true identity only to be joined by "Surak", surprisingSpock

"May we together become greater than the sum of both of us."

- "Surak", to Kirk

"You're somewhat different than the way history paints you, Colonel Green."
"History tends to exaggerate."

-Kirk and "Green"

"The face of war has never changed."

- "Surak", to Kirk

"Your Surak is a brave man."
"Men of peace usually are, Captain."

-Kirk andSpock, before "Surak" is killed

"There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war except its ending."

- "Lincoln", to Kirk and Spock

"What gives you the right to hand out life and death?"
"The same right that brought you here: the need to know new things."
"We came in peace."
"And you may go in peace."

-Kirk andYarnek, before Kirk and Spock depart

Background information[]

Story and script[]

This episode evolved from a story idea inGene Roddenberry'sMarch 1964 series proposal,Star Trek is..., titled "Mr. Socrates". Roddenberry's inspiration for the staged fight scenario between Kirk, Spock and "vicious historical figures" came when he was writing a memo toNBC regardingGene Coon's script "The Last Gunfight" (later retitled "Spectre of the Gun"). (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Three, p. 592)
Roddenberry's original story outline dated8 May 1968 featuredSocrates visiting theEnterprise along with Abraham Lincoln, and then participating in the fight on the planet surface. In this version, Surak was called "Lvov" and the "good" team also featured the recreation of a "1970s flower power guru" named "Pon". The "evil" team consisted of "Mr. Green", a late-20th century Earth dictator,Adolf Hitler and Attila the Hun among others. (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Three, pp. 592-594)
Similarly to "Bread and Circuses", Roddenberry originally intended this episode to be in part a sour commentary on present-day network television. The Excalbians use their staged "dramas" of recreated figures confronting each other as a means of entertainment and education for their population, who all became dependent upon these "stage plays" as their sole means of gaining knowledge and entertain themselves. InArthur Heinemann's later script version andFred Freiberger andArthur Singer's staff rewrites this angle was mostly abandoned, except for a few lines such asYarnek claiming that "countless who live on that planet are watching". (These Are the Voyages: TOS Season Three, p. 594)
Yarnek is never named in dialogue, but is so named in the script and in the closing credits. Even in the closed captioning, he's merely identified when speaking off-screen as "Excalbian."

Sets and props[]

Original Colonel Green uniform

Mork wearing an altered version of the uniform

Colonel Green's outfit was later reused in an altered form byRobin Williams as Mork's uniform in the late 1970s television seriesMork and Mindy.[1]

Casting[]

The first choice for the role of Lincoln was none other thanMark Lenard, but prior commitments prevented him from taking the part. As Lenard explained it, "I was doing a series at the time calledHere Come the Brides in which I played Aaron Stemple, the resident bad guy/rich man. The Lincoln segment came up about Christmas time when we had a slight hiatus, and I thought I could work it in. I had already playedtwo roles onStar Trek and they were well received. But it turned out we just couldn't work it in. I think we went back to work on the other series too soon, and instead of having the six or seven days I would have needed to do the role, I only had three or four days."[2]
Though credited on-screen for their appearances, bothNathan Jung (Genghis Khan) andCarol Daniels Dement (Zora) have no lines in this episode.

Continuity[]

This episode includes two further contributions to the ambiguous time period that the series is set in, establishing that "Lincoln diedthree centuries ago," indicating a mid-22nd century time period, while at the same time establishing, more ambiguously, that the21st century was "centuries ago."
In all previous episodes time aboard the ship is measured in standard units (seconds, minutes, hours). When Lincoln asks Kirk if people "still measure time in minutes," Kirk replies that they can convert to them, implying that they, like themile (also frequently used), were in factold-style measurements.
This episode introduces several notable figures in theStar Trek universe that would be further explored in later incarnations of the franchise. They include the Human despotColonel Green (ENT: "Demons"),Kahless the Unforgettable (TNG: "Rightful Heir", et al.), andSurak (ENT: "Awakening", et al.).
The image of Lincoln sitting in his chair next to theEnterprise in space is glimpsed inST: "Ephraim and Dot".
Kahless is seen here in the Klingon style typical of TOS. It would seem to contradict the explanation given in "Divergence" for the change in physical appearance of the Klingons, since Kahless lived long before those events. However, since the image of Kahless was drawn from Kirk's and Spock's minds, not from "fact", this is not necessarily a contradiction.
The appearances of Kahless and Surak mark the final respective guest appearances of a Klingon and Vulcan inThe Original Series.
This episode marks the final appearance ofdress uniforms in the original series.
Uniquely, the security guards wear weapons belts constructed of white Velcro.
This episode marks the final appearance ofNichelle Nichols (Uhura) in the series. As a result, this is the final episode of the series to feature the entire ensemble group of the characters Kirk, Spock, McCoy, Scotty, Uhura, Sulu, and Chekov.
This is the second and final mention in a TOS episode that it may be possible to separate thenacelles from the ship, in this case by specifically jettisoning them.
The illusory version of Colonel Green is the final character to die on-screen in TOS's run, as the following episode, "All Our Yesterdays" has no deaths at all, and the only character deaths that occur in the final episode, "Turnabout Intruder", happen off-screen before the episode begins.

Reception[]

As with thefan mail phenomenon that occurred after the broadcast of "Journey to Babel", the airing of "The Savage Curtain" resulted in another flood of mail in response to the introduction of Surak. The fans were intrigued by Surak, and demanded to see more of him. (The World of Star Trek) However, Surak did not appear on-screen again until "Awakening", over thirty-five years later, though he was referenced in numerous episodes and films in the intervening years.
In 2005, the episode was mentioned in aTime magazine article, "The True Lincoln" (the centerpiece of a "special issue" largely devoted to him),[3] contrasting the lionized, iconic Lincoln seen in the episode, common in the 1960s, with the more flawed, "Human" portrayals often found today.
In 2014, the episode again made its way into the news, after supermodel Bar Refaeli, on her Twitter account, repeated the "no honorable way to kill" line as an authentic Lincoln quote.[4]
Leonard Nimoy did not think highly of the episode when interviewed in 2012, saying "That didn't work very well, as I recall. It was an interesting attempt that did not really come to life like 'Four Score and seven years'."[5]

Remastered information[]

The episode was remastered in2008 featuring new shots of Excalbia.

TheEnterprise enters orbit of Excalbia

Remastered version

Excalbia on the viewscreen

Remastered version

Aft view of theEnterprise in orbit

Remastered version

TheEnterprise makes another orbit

Remastered version

TheEnterprise breaks orbit

Remastered version

Production timeline[]

Series proposal, "Star Trek is...":11 March 1964 – mentions similar story idea "Mr. Socrates"
Similar story premise, "Valley of the Giants" byGene Roddenberry, early1966
Story outline byGene Roddenberry,8 May 1968
Revised story outline,9 May 1968
First draft teleplay byGene Roddenberry,11 September 1968
First draft teleplay byArthur Heinemann, mid-November 1968
Second draft teleplay by Heinemann,27 November 1968
Final draft teleplay byArthur Singer,6 December 1968
Additional page revisions byFred Freiberger,9 December 1968,10 December 1968,12 December 1968,13 December 1968
Filmed,11 December1968 –19 December1968
- Day 1 –11 December 1968, Wednesday –Desilu Stage 9: Int.Bridge
- Day 2 –12 December 1968, Thursday –Desilu Stage 9: Int.Transporter room,Briefing room
- Day 3 –13 December 1968, Friday –Desilu Stage 9: Int.Briefing room,Bridge
- Day 4 –16 December 1968, Monday –Desilu Stage 10: Ext.Planet surface
- Day 5 –17 December 1968, Tuesday –Desilu Stage 10: Ext.Planet surface (Kirk's base,Green's base)
- Day 6 –18 December 1968, Wednesday –Desilu Stage 10: Ext.Planet surface (Green's base)
- Day 7 –19 December 1968, Thursday –Desilu Stage 10: Ext.Planet surface (Green's base, Boulders)
Original airdate:7 March 1969
Rerun airdate:1 July 1969
First UK airdate onBBC1:24 November 1971

Soundtrack[]

The anthem that plays as President Lincoln is beamed aboard theEnterprise was composed by Desilu's music director,Wilbur Hatch. It is also the last original piece of music ever composed for the original series and is only heard in this one episode. (Starlog Magazine^{(page number? •edit)})

Syndication cuts[]

Although there were no officialsyndication cuts to this episode, many local television stations were known to trim segments of Yarnek's speech on the planet, where he is explaining the reason and rules for the conflict between good and evil. One particular line of dialogue, frequently omitted, is a segment where Yarnek pauses and then asks "Why do you hesitate?" when speaking to Kirk and Spock. (The Star Trek Compendium)