Star Trek: Whom Gods Destroy Rewatch

November 21, 2015 10:32 AM - Season 3, Episode 14

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 This episode was withdrawn by the BBC in the UK because of 'sadistic plot elements' during the initial run in 1971 and was not shown until a repeat run in January 1994.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.

posted by Benway (2 comments total)

This, of course, is the episode with Yvonne Craig as "the OTHER green Orion slave girl", and as such is pretty much a classic for that reason alone. Mrrrrowr!

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

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