Whom Gods Destroy (Star Trek: The Original Series)

Last updated

"Whom Gods Destroy"
Star Trek: The Original Series episode
Episode no.Season 3
Episode 14
Directed by Herb Wallerstein
Story by Lee Erwin
Jerry Sohl
Teleplay by Lee Erwin
Featured music Fred Steiner
Cinematography byAl Francis
Production code071
Original air dateJanuary 3, 1969 (1969-01-03)
Guest appearances
Episode chronology
← Previous
"Elaan of Troyius"		Next →
"Let That Be Your Last Battlefield"
Star Trek: The Original Series season 3
List of episodes

"Whom Gods Destroy" is the fourteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek . Written by Lee Erwin (based on a story by Lee Erwin and Jerry Sohl) and directed by Herb Wallerstein, it was first broadcast on January 3, 1969.

Contents

In the episode, Captain Kirk faces off with a deranged shape-shifting starship fleet captain determined to control the universe.

The title is based on a phrase spoken by Prometheus in Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's poem, The Masque of Pandora (1875): "Whom the gods would destroy they first make mad." [1]

This episode was not aired by the BBC in the United Kingdom because of 'sadistic plot elements' and the risqué dance performed by the character, Marta, thought unsuitable for children. The episode remained unaired until 1994.

Plot

The Federation starship Enterprise arrives at the planet Elba II, home to a Federation facility for the criminally insane, carrying a shipment of new medication which is believed will cure all violent insanity. Captain Kirk and First Officer Spock beam down with the shipment to meet the facility director Donald Cory. Instead, they find that the inmates have taken over the facility and locked Cory in a cell. The inmates are led by Garth of Izar, a former starship fleet captain, mentally unstable as the result of an injury. He acquired the ability to shapeshift using a method taught to him to heal his own injuries, and was released from his cell when he assumed Cory's form.

Kirk and Spock are imprisoned, and Garth, in Kirk's form, orders Chief Engineer Scott to beam him aboard, intending to use the Enterprise to conquer the galaxy. However, Scott refuses when Garth fails to give the correct response to a passphrase challenge. Scott and the Enterprise crew recognize something is wrong, but a force field around the facility prevents them from taking any action.

After a banquet with Kirk and Spock, Garth inquires about the passphrase. Kirk refuses to reveal it, and Garth resorts to torturing both Doctor Cory and Kirk. One of the inmates, an Orion female named Marta, attempts to seduce and then kill Kirk, but Spock arrives and subdues her. The two make contact with the ship. Kirk, sensing something amiss, instructs Spock to provide the passphrase, which he cannot do, forcing Garth to reveal he had taken Spock's form.

Once again a captive, Kirk witnesses Garth's "coronation" as "Master of the Universe". Garth demonstrates his power by killing Marta with an explosive planted on her body. Still unable to get Kirk's cooperation, Garth sends for Spock, who overpowers his escorts. On entering a control room, Spock faces two Kirks, each of whom accuses the other of being Garth. A struggle begins, during which one Kirk orders Spock to stun them both; Spock stuns the other, who is revealed to be Garth of Izar. Once again in control of the facility, Doctor Cory administers the new drugs to Garth and the other inmates. Once cured of his mental illness, Garth no longer remembers anything that has happened since his injury.

Reception

In 2017, Den of Geek ranked this episode as the 11th worst Star Trek episode of the original series, citing its standard Star Trek plot and Steve Ihnat's overacting. [2] Zack Handlen of The A.V. Club gave it a C+, saying the episode has a compelling opening but fails to completely deliver on its premise. He remarked that while Garth and Marta were good, unpredictable villains, the tension between Kirk and Garth was weak, and there was little at stake once Garth was foiled by the countersign. [3]

Censorship

In the United Kingdom, this episode was excluded from the original airing of the third season, as censors objected both to the torture of Kirk and to a dance performed by Marta in the banquet scene. The dance in particular was felt to be inappropriate for children. [4] On German television, presumably for similar reasons, the episode was not shown in the series' original run in 1972/73, but was first aired on 9 May 1988. [5]

Releases

This episode was released in Japan on December 21, 1993, as part of the complete season 3 LaserDisc set, Star Trek: Original Series log.3. [6] A trailer for this and the other episodes was also included, and the episode had English and Japanese audio tracks. [6]

This episode was included in TOS Season 3 remastered DVD box set, with the remastered version of this episode. [7]

See also

Related Research Articles

"Errand of Mercy" is the twenty-sixth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Gene L. Coon and directed by John Newland, it was first broadcast on March 23, 1967. It was the first episode in which the Klingons appeared.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Spock's Brain</span> 1st episode of the 3rd season of Star Trek: The Original Series

"Spock's Brain" is the third season premiere episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Gene L. Coon and directed by Marc Daniels, it was first broadcast on September 20, 1968.

This Side of Paradise (<i>Star Trek: The Original Series</i>) 24th episode of the 1st season of Star Trek: The Original Series

"This Side of Paradise" is the twenty-fourth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by D. C. Fontana and Jerry Sohl and directed by Ralph Senensky, it was first broadcast on March 2, 1967.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Devil in the Dark</span> 25th episode of the 1st season of Star Trek: The Original Series

"The Devil in the Dark" is the twenty-fifth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Gene L. Coon and directed by Joseph Pevney, the episode first aired on March 9, 1967.

The Menagerie (<i>Star Trek: The Original Series</i>) 11th and 12th episodes of the 1st season of Star Trek: The Original Series

The Menagerie is a two-part episode from the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. It comprises the eleventh and twelfth broadcast episodes of the series. Written by series creator Gene Roddenberry, with portions directed by Marc Daniels and portions directed by Robert Butler, it is the only two-part story in the original series. Part I was broadcast by NBC on November 17, 1966, and Part II was broadcast on November 24, 1966. In the episode, Spock abducts his former commander Christopher Pike, locks the starship Enterprise on a course to the forbidden planet Talos IV and turns himself in for court-martial where he presents an elaborate story explaining his actions.

"Dagger of the Mind" is the ninth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Shimon Wincelberg and directed by Vincent McEveety, it first aired on November 3, 1966.

"A Taste of Armageddon" is the twenty-third episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Robert Hamner and Gene L. Coon and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on February 23, 1967.

"Operation -- Annihilate!" is the twenty-ninth and final episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Steven W. Carabatsos and directed by Herschel Daugherty, it was first broadcast April 13, 1967.

"Who Mourns for Adonais?" is the second episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Gilbert Ralston and Gene L. Coon, and directed by Marc Daniels, it was first broadcast September 22, 1967.

"Elaan of Troyius" is the thirteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written and directed by John Meredyth Lucas, it was first broadcast on December 20, 1968.

"Plato's Stepchildren" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Meyer Dolinsky and directed by David Alexander, it was first broadcast on November 22, 1968.

"Wink of an Eye" is the eleventh episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Arthur Heinemann, based on a story by Gene L. Coon, and directed by Jud Taylor, it was first broadcast on November 29, 1968.

"Requiem for Methuselah" is the nineteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Jerome Bixby and directed by Murray Golden, it was first broadcast on February 14, 1969.

"The Way to Eden" is the twentieth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. The episode was written by Arthur Heinemann, based on a story by Heinemann and D. C. Fontana. It was directed by David Alexander, and first broadcast on February 21, 1969.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cloud Minders</span> 21st episode of the 3rd season of Star Trek: The Original Series

"The Cloud Minders" is the twenty-first episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Margaret Armen and directed by Jud Taylor, it was first broadcast on February 28, 1969.

"The Mark of Gideon" is the sixteenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by George F. Slavin and Stanley Adams and directed by Jud Taylor, it was first broadcast on January 17, 1969.

“Let That Be Your Last Battlefield” is the fifteenth episode of the third season of the original American science fiction television show Star Trek. Written by Oliver Crawford and directed by Jud Taylor, it was first broadcast January 10, 1969.

"That Which Survives" is the seventeenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by John Meredyth Lucas and directed by Herb Wallerstein, it was first broadcast January 24, 1969.

"The Alternative Factor" is the twenty-seventh episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek. Written by Don Ingalls and directed by Gerd Oswald, it first aired on March 30, 1967.

"The Survivor" is the sixth episode of the first season of the American animated science fiction television series Star Trek: The Animated Series. It first aired on NBC on October 13, 1973, and was written by James Schmerer and directed by Hal Sutherland. Schmerer pitched an idea for an episode to producer D.C. Fontana called "The Chameleon", and together with the series creator Gene Roddenberry, it was developed into the final script.

References

  1. ↑ "Longfellow: The Masque of Pandora, Masque of Pandora and Other Poems".
  2. ↑ "The 15 Best Worst Episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series". Den of Geek. September 16, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2020.
  3. ↑ Handlen, Zack (January 29, 2010). "Star Trek: Elaan of Troyius / Whom Gods Destroy". The A.V. Club . Retrieved June 30, 2020.
  4. ↑ "5 original Star Trek episodes that were banned overseas". Me-TV Network. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Raumschiff Enterprise Staffel 3 Episodenguide". September 20, 2023.
  6. 1 2 "LaserDisc Database - Star Trek: Original Series log.3 [PILF-1711]". www.lddb.com. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
  7. ↑ "Star Trek: The Remastered Series Seasons 1, 2 & 3 review". Den of Geek. May 20, 2009. Retrieved February 23, 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.