In this episode of Trekking Through Compliance we look at the episode The Savage Curtain which aired on March 7, 1969 with a start date of 5906.4.

While investigating the planet Excalbia, Spock discovers strange readings that indicate the presence of life forms in the carbon cycle. The subsequent appearance of Abraham Lincoln on the screen and his transport to the Enterprise show that the intelligence living on the planet is Show more +

In this episode of Trekking Through Compliance we look at the episode The Savage Curtain which aired on March 7, 1969 with a start date of 5906.4.

While investigating the planet Excalbia, Spock discovers strange readings that indicate the presence of life forms in the carbon cycle. The subsequent appearance of Abraham Lincoln onscreen and his transport to the Enterprise reveal that the intelligence on the planet can read minds and manipulate matter. Just before beaming Lincoln aboard, Spock reports sensors showing an object resembling a living rock with claws in the same location.

On board, Lincoln appears to be a human with mid-19th century technological knowledge, but is also strangely aware of Vulcan philosophy. When Kirk accepts Lincoln’s invitation to beam himself and Spock to a patch of Earth-like environment on the planet, they encounter Surak, the father of Vulcan civilization. A piece of rock suddenly comes to life and informs them that the planet’s inhabitants are experimenting to find out which of opposing human philosophies is stronger: good or evil. To conduct their experiment, the rock creatures pit Lincoln, Surak, Kirk and Spock against Genghis Khan, Colonel Green, Zora and the Klingon Kahless in a battle to the death.

Green appears to negotiate with Surak, but sends his companions to sneak up on him. They then try to get Kirk’s group to rescue him as he (supposedly) screams in pain. Lincoln tries to sneak into Green’s camp, but this action is unexpected. When he discovers that Surak is already dead, Lincoln is impaled from behind. Col. Green’s group then attacks Spock and Kirk. Spock kills Col. Green and the others are forced to flee. The rock creatures discover that evil is defeated when confronted directly with good, and Spock, Kirk, and the Enterprise are freed.

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The plot revolves around the Enterprise crew’s encounter with legendary historical figures such as Abraham Lincoln and Surak, who face off against notorious tyrants such as Genghis Khan and Colonel Green in an ethical battle orchestrated by rock creatures. The episode delves into the complexities of good versus evil and offers valuable lessons for compliance professionals. Key takeaways from the compliance world include understanding the context of business ventures, identifying hidden risks, prioritizing ethical considerations, and ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the due diligence process.

Key Highlights

1. Important plot points and characters

2. Interesting facts and continuity problems

3. Ethical lessons from “The Savage Curtain”

4. Compliance insights

resources

Excruciatingly detailed plot summary by Eric W. Weisstein

MissionLogPodcast.com | https://www.missionlogpodcast.com/the-savage-curtain/

Memory Alpha | https://memory-alpha.fandom.com/wiki/Portal:Main Show less –