Star Trek: Whom Gods Destroy Rewatch
November 21, 2015 10:32 AM - Season 3, Episode 14 - Subscribe
Kirk and Spock deliver medicine to an insane asylum where a former Starfleet captain is being held, only to discover that he has freed the inmates and is running the place.
"Whom Gods Destroy" is episode #69, production #71, and was broadcast on January 3, 1969. It was written by Lee Erwin, based on a story by Lee Erwin and Jerry Sohl, and directed by Herb Wallerstein. The title is based on a quote often misattributed to Euripides: "Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad." This episode was withdrawn by the BBC in the UK because of 'sadistic plot elements' during the initial run in 1971 and was not shown until a repeat run in January 1994.
Memory Alpha Link
TrekMovie Review
The episode can be viewed on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
"Whom Gods Destroy" is episode #69, production #71, and was broadcast on January 3, 1969. It was written by Lee Erwin, based on a story by Lee Erwin and Jerry Sohl, and directed by Herb Wallerstein. The title is based on a quote often misattributed to Euripides: "Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad." This episode was withdrawn by the BBC in the UK because of 'sadistic plot elements' during the initial run in 1971 and was not shown until a repeat run in January 1994.
Memory Alpha Link
TrekMovie Review
The episode can be viewed on Netflix and Amazon Prime.
With a lot of third season episodes, I feel like all I've really got to say is, "Well, this one was kind of disappointing..." The ingredients were there for a lively episode, but the script was weak and the whole thing feels kind of slapped together. (Although that may just be my take on it these days. With TOS I revisit it once a decade or so and sometimes end up reevaluating episodes I previously wrote off.)
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:50 PM on November 21, 2015
posted by Ursula Hitler at 2:50 PM on November 21, 2015
Obviously the logical solution was for Spock to shoot them both. Heck, even the real Kirk said as much. And really, once the passphrase challenge was lost, there was no hope of ever getting out -- you need the shields up to stop the security crew from beaming down, but you can't beam up with the shields up either.
The ingredients were there for a lively episode
If they were, it's because they came from another episode or two. Delivering medicine to an insane asylum, escapees, reciting Shakespeare, mass murderer villain. Seems like TOS lacks a reliable antagonist faction to pull from, so they lean on recurring tropes that age poorly.
posted by pwnguin at 1:52 PM on January 23
The ingredients were there for a lively episode
If they were, it's because they came from another episode or two. Delivering medicine to an insane asylum, escapees, reciting Shakespeare, mass murderer villain. Seems like TOS lacks a reliable antagonist faction to pull from, so they lean on recurring tropes that age poorly.
posted by pwnguin at 1:52 PM on January 23
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Meanwhile, Garth of Izar figures prominently in the fan-made film "Prelude to Axanar" that came out last year
posted by briank at 1:40 PM on November 21, 2015