The Savage Curtain - Like it, love it or hate it?

[Samuel]

This episode could've been a lot better if Yarnek had explained that each of the "historical figures" represented different aspects of good or evil. For example.

Kahless- the founder of Klingon ideal of winning honor through combat- even brutal combat
Genghis Khan- super expansionism and use of massive brutality to achieve his ends (including massive executions of innocent people
Zora- scientists who used innocent intelligent beings like guinea pigs (NAZIs also did that).
Colonel Green- leader who used deception and duplicity to defeat his enemies.

Lincoln- example of a sensitive noble leader who sacrificed for his people.
Surak- thoughtful man of peace who completely transformed an entire world from savage and warlike to logical and peaceful.

 

[Discofan]

Yes, it's very Manichean.

 

[Marsden]

This episode could've been a lot better if Yarnek had explained that each of the "historical figures" represented different aspects of good or evil. For example.

Kahless- the founder of Klingon ideal of winning honor through combat- even brutal combat
Genghis Khan- super expansionism and use of massive brutality to achieve his ends (including massive executions of innocent people
Zora- scientists who used innocent intelligent beings like guinea pigs (NAZIs also did that).
Colonel Green- leader who used deception and duplicity to defeat his enemies.

Lincoln- example of a sensitive noble leader who sacrificed for his people.
Surak- thoughtful man of peace who completely transformed an entire world from savage and warlike to logical and peaceful.

I don't think they understood those concepts, hence the spectacle to see what the difference was between good and evil.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I found this episode to be fun, if clearly flawed, and not bad for season 3. However I've seen it on a lot of "Worst Trek Episodes Ever" lists. What's your stance on this episode?

The episode was okay. Did Sussman and the Reeves-Stevens knew Kahless, the Unforgettable was dead long before the ridiculous Augment Virus "the fear" flu they conjured up?

In the episode Kahless was pretty sinister and had the ability to mimic voices, a much more interesting character than the thing re-introduced in TNG.

 

[Valenti]

But Kirk's memory info intel is faulty and prejudice you see. Yea, right.

 

[Phaser Two]

The episode was okay. Did Sussman and the Reeves-Stevens knew Kahless, the Unforgettable was dead long before the ridiculous Augment Virus "the fear" flu they conjured up?

In the episode Kahless was pretty sinister and had the ability to mimic voices, a much more interesting character than the thing re-introduced in TNG.

TOS Kahless: sinister, a hit at parties

TNG Kahless: couldn't understand what he was snarling

 

[Marsden]

TOS Kahless: sinister, a hit at parties

TNG Kahless: couldn't understand what he was snarling

I think that sums up the difference between all Klingons on TOS and TNG.

That silly augment virus that made the Klingons smooth instead of chunky, the cure must have caused massive species wide brain damage.

 

[Phaser Two]

I think that sums up the difference between all Klingons on TOS and TNG.

That silly augment virus that made the Klingons smooth instead of chunky, the cure must have caused massive species wide brain damage.

Side effect: formation of associations reminiscent of Earth biker gangs

 

[johnnybear]

The Augment virus I thought was a clever idea to explain the differences between TOS and TNG Klingons to be honest and I'm no fan of ENT! The first Klingon to change seemed to have that Mongol heavy scary look in his cell straight away! I think for once it was a good idea in the series!
JB

 

[Discofan]

The Augment virus I thought was a clever idea to explain the differences between TOS and TNG Klingons to be honest and I'm no fan of ENT! The first Klingon to change seemed to have that Mongol heavy scary look in his cell straight away! I think for once it was a good idea in the series!
JB

The virus also made the Klingon feel fear for the first time if we are to believe what one of the Klingon girls said in the show, that is.

 

[johnnybear]

Might explain Kras in Friday's child?
JB

 

[Phaser Two]

Yeah, Kras was definitely a coward. Great portrayal, though.

 

[johnnybear]

Another interesting fact is that Kras didn't appear in James Blish's novelization of Friday's child! The Klingons are mentioned in the episode as the enemies of the Federation and that they would love to have a base in this area of space but on the whole the main baddie is Maab and Blish always wrote his stories from the original scripts back in the early seventies!
JB

 

[Phaser Two]

Another interesting fact is that Kras didn't appear in James Blish's novelization of Friday's child! The Klingons are mentioned in the episode as the enemies of the Federation and that they would love to have a base in this area of space but on the whole the main baddie is Maab and Blish always wrote his stories from the original scripts back in the early seventies!
JB

I knew about that Blish take, JB. I always assumed that Gene Coon asked DCF to add the Klingons in. I don't think he did it all by himself as that would have required revising about 2/3 of the pages of the script. But in any case the outstanding insertion of the Klingons is what seals this as a Top 10 episode for me.

 

[johnnybear]

Well like I said, the Klingon influence upon this sector of space was mentioned in his story but I can't remember if the Enterprise was diverted by the false distress calls or the Klingon warship (an electric L in space)
JB

 

[Phaser Two]

Well like I said, the Klingon influence upon this sector of space was mentioned in his story but I can't remember if the Enterprise was diverted by the false distress calls or the Klingon warship (an electric L in space)
JB

Yeah, not sure. I seem to remember claims that early drafts did not have the fantastic Scotty-in-command sequences.

 

[Marsden]

Yeah, Kras was definitely a coward. Great portrayal, though.

I disagree.

One lone agent trying to subvert a planet (or at least one nation on that planet) with a hostile population with no back up doesn't sound like a coward to me. Kras just wanted to get out of it with a whole skin.

 

[Phaser Two]

I disagree.

One lone agent trying to subvert a planet (or at least one nation on that planet) with a hostile population with no back up doesn't sound like a coward to me. Kras just wanted to get out of it with a whole skin.

So did the Enterprise trio. They didn't act like Kras did. And Scotty, the hero of the episode, showed up at the end in an unknown environment with five guys.

 

[johnnybear]

Maybe there were more Klingons sent down originally but Kras wished to take all the credit for the success of the mission and sent them back up to the small scout ship/Klingon warship?
JB

 

[Discofan]

Maybe there were more Klingons sent down originally but Kras wished to take all the credit for the success of the mission and sent them back up to the small scout ship/Klingon warship?
JB

It does sound like something Kras would do. Kras' behavior is always deplorable.