The Nexus #92 "The Savage Curtain" / "Reunion"
Added 2024-04-18 10:00:05 +0000 UTCIt's the April edition of our Star Trek recap show and holy crap, we couldn't be farther apart with the quality of these two episodes!
First up on TOS, it's quite possibly the nadir of this show, "The Savage Curtain." Originally airing back on March 7, 1969, this ep has Kirk and Spock encountering Abe Lincoln and a cheap-looking rock monster that looks like the Mr. Doughnut-head Man character Garth makes in Wayne's World!
Then over on TNG, it's the super-solid episode, "Reunion." First hitting the airwaves back on November 3, 1990, this episode, jam-packed with that kick-ass TNG political intrigue, features Picard trying his best to keep the Klingon Empire from devolving into civil war, while Worf learns he has a son from a wild, Klingon one night stand from a few years back!
The Nexus is a WHM podcast where the guys futilely go through two Star Trek series at the same time. Thank you so much for continuing to support our family of shows—we couldn't do it without you! We know you have lots of options for podz and we're super-stoked you chose to spend some time with us—thanks again!
Cover art by Felipe Sobreiro.
Comments
It's a fabulous choice! - Andrew
We Hate Movies
2024-04-23 13:59:11 +0000 UTCEven as a kid I thought that whole "Presidential honors" thing was a little weird when ersatz Lincoln came on board. I think the TOS episode is one of those "interesting in theory; really, really terrible in execution" projects that the third season did far too often.
Chris Vincenti
2024-04-20 18:37:41 +0000 UTCGowron's eyes are 100% an acting choice done by Robert O'Reilly. You can find an interview where he said it was something he did during auditions. Then when he got the part, during filming Frakes said "do the eye thing" and O'Reilly was like "what?"
Jethro Gulner
2024-04-20 17:38:54 +0000 UTCI've been waiting for you guys to get to this episode of TNG. I just really like Worf butchering Duras. He had it coming
Steven Avalos
2024-04-19 18:34:17 +0000 UTCI kinda dig Omega Glory, Kirk citing the US constitution or the pledge of alligance or whatever while the trek leitmotiv flows into the national anthem is stupid in a way I am here for. It is bizarre and inexplicable and fun in its way. Shit like Turnabout Intruder is just unpleasant and hard to watch although Shatner going into GIRL ACTING MODE is funny sorta and the lady in the show really is doing her best to carry that dog shit script
Winson Paine
2024-04-19 10:07:47 +0000 UTCMy favorite joke from The Drew Carey Show was when he was in heaven playing Trivial Pursuit with historical figures, and one of them is Lincoln. He draws a card and goes "you're never going to get this" and Lincoln is all incensed and talks about his college degrees. "Who shot you?" And Lincoln goes "I was shot?!" I've never seen my dad laugh so hard in his life
Lance Flexington
2024-04-19 06:31:09 +0000 UTCConfession: I’m colourblind and until I heard them discuss this I always thought Klingons had GREEN skin!
Craig
2024-04-19 05:16:02 +0000 UTCI agree, though it can be done well or done badly. I always had a soft spot for the Alice In Wonderland shenanigans of “Shore Leave” even though the guys hated it.
Craig
2024-04-19 05:14:48 +0000 UTCOkay, yeah, that one is also TRASH for sure, lol. And it would be amazing if Abraham Lincoln was somehow hip to Haitian colloquialisms! - Andrew
We Hate Movies
2024-04-19 02:39:21 +0000 UTCI did notice that weird sculpture! Something Delia Deetz would've absolutely crafted! - Andrew
We Hate Movies
2024-04-19 02:36:40 +0000 UTCWhen Dorn gets to really shine, it's like nothing else, Johnny. - Andrew
We Hate Movies
2024-04-19 02:34:04 +0000 UTCLegit lol over here, Alex. - Andrew
We Hate Movies
2024-04-19 02:33:39 +0000 UTCOh God am I hoping - Li'l Family Annihilator!
Todd B
2024-04-18 23:02:01 +0000 UTCThen the show Red Dwarf came along and did that beat better than Roddenberry likely would have.
Todd B
2024-04-18 23:01:11 +0000 UTCSteve: MIKEY is a 100% a Stay Tuned
Felipe Sobreiro
2024-04-18 22:43:56 +0000 UTCEric yelling “aww fuck!” when he was informed Gene Roddenberry didn’t die shortly after the end of TOS had me cackling.
Derek Baxter
2024-04-18 19:53:27 +0000 UTCawesome Nexus ep as always btw
Convincing John
2024-04-18 19:41:28 +0000 UTCSo no one noticed the clit on Gowron's forehead? Once it was pointed out to me, I can never unsee it.
Convincing John
2024-04-18 19:41:08 +0000 UTCAnd the ratio was off. Star Trek history should be 2 real historical figures to 1 fake future historical figure.
AlsoNamedB0rt
2024-04-18 18:58:38 +0000 UTCYeah, equivocating the Klingon make-up with blackface is really weird.
Justine Prudhomme
2024-04-18 18:41:55 +0000 UTCI would honestly like to know why Steve thinks Klingons should be played by black actors. Exclude the TOS Klingons since they should have been played by no actors.
AlsoNamedB0rt
2024-04-18 18:28:30 +0000 UTC"Great historical figures battle royale" is a scifi concept so cool that *only* the great Gene Roddenberry could make it unbearably dull.
John Edwards
2024-04-18 18:26:29 +0000 UTCMan, it's always depressing to get through some of the garbage TOS wound down with during its final season. But I'm gonna miss it, it's been right on par with TNG in leading to the fun discussion that's made The Nexus my favorite of all the shows you all have put out.
Dave
2024-04-18 17:32:04 +0000 UTCYeah, it’s the bad version of the concept. It gives Weird Trek a bad name (although it made for—I think—a good Futurama deep cut reference when “Evil Lincoln” showed up once for no reason).
John Halski
2024-04-18 17:16:05 +0000 UTCI agree and I love it when it gets weird, but this just felt too low rent for me! - Eric
We Hate Movies
2024-04-18 15:43:21 +0000 UTCYep, in a race to the bottom neck and neck with “The Omega Glory.”
John Halski
2024-04-18 15:21:53 +0000 UTCHere’s the thing about Space Lincoln … Star Trek needs to get weird sometimes. It just does, or it becomes a joyless drone of one revenge-driven psychopath after another. I’m not going to say this is good writing. It may be “so bad it’s good” writing but there are better examples of that in TOS (“Herbert! Herbert! Herbert!”). But for me, the secret sauce of Star Trek needs the occasional V’ger, swashbuckling Sulu, Space Gangsters, and Space Lincolns for the Khans and the Borg to really land.
John Halski
2024-04-18 15:21:03 +0000 UTCThe TNG episode should have been called WORF WINS A FIGHT.
Mark Ibarra
2024-04-18 13:55:18 +0000 UTCI love how the gang made a joke about Roddenberry getting kicked out of the writers room and a separate joke about having a plot where they have to go back in time and kill Lincoln when Roddenberry was actually finally removed from helping with the movies when he kept on insisting they make one about having to go back in time to kill JFK.
Drew Stewart
2024-04-18 13:44:10 +0000 UTCOh come on, Savage Curtain ep. is better than The Empath 😅 Haitians use “negress” when referring to a beautiful chocolate-brown skinned woman. I saw this as Lincoln hitting on Uhura when I was younger 🤦🏾♀️
Not the Black Jobs
2024-04-18 13:00:41 +0000 UTCHell yeah. I'm not gonna for sure say Reunion is my favorite TNG, but I may have watched it more times than any other ep. Any time you have Klingon Empire intrigue and a lot of Worf/Picard scenes I'm all the way there for it. Michael Dorn is always so freaking great when he's actually given something weighty to do.
johnny stocker
2024-04-18 12:07:35 +0000 UTCwhat is this Night At The Museum ass ToS lol
Alex Murica
2024-04-18 11:36:06 +0000 UTCI love seeing Worf’s freaky apartment. There’s a weird Beetlejuice sculpture you can see in the background and then Alexander is just sitting in it during their heart to heart at the end!
Salacious B. Cumb
2024-04-18 10:58:50 +0000 UTCHold on the worst episode thoughts until Turnabout Intruder, just saying
Winson Paine
2024-04-18 10:51:27 +0000 UTC
