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Whom Gods Destroy (TOS episode)
Encyclopedia
"Whom Gods Destroy" is a third season episode of Star Trek: The Original Series
. It 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."
Overview: Kirk faces off with a demented shape-shifting starship
captain determined to control the universe.
5718.3, the starship USS Enterprise
arrives at the planet Elba II, an inhospitable world known for its very poisonous atmosphere and underground asylum for the criminally insane. The Enterprise brings with her a shipment of experimental medicine that may be a potential cure for insanity.
Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock beam down to the facility with the shipment of drugs and meet with the facility director, Donald Cory, who oversees the treatment of fifteen of the most dangerous mental patients in Federation
custody. Along the way, one of the inmates, Marta, a mentally unstable Orion female, warns Kirk and Spock that their host, Dr. Cory, is not who they think he is.
They soon discover the real Cory is imprisoned in a cell, put there by the impostor, who is none other than Fleet Captain Garth of Izar
(Steve Ihnat
), a famous starship captain and one of Kirk's personal heroes. Garth's crew had mutinied against him when he had gone insane, the result of injuries in a rescue mission. Aliens from Antos tried to teach Garth just enough shapeshifting abilities to heal said injuries; he taught himself complete shifting. Garth tried to attack Antos before his crew rebelled.
Garth imprisons Kirk and Spock and tries to beam to the Enterprise. He plans to sell it as part of a plot conquering the Federation. Scotty does not receive a certain passcode from "Kirk" and refuses the beam up. Garth then activates a force field that prevents Scotty from attempting a rescue.
Garth later invites Kirk and Spock to a dinner where they hear Marta recite Shakespeare's Sonnet 18
which she claims she wrote herself. She then performs a strange "exotic dance" that Spock compares to a dance performed by Vulcan
schoolchildren. In the meantime, Garth boasts about his incredible career as a starship captain, bragging that he has charted more planets and catalogued more star systems than any other man in history. He fishes for Kirk's pass phrase, but Kirk doesn't fall for it.
Garth tries to get the code by torturing Doctor Cory and Kirk. This fails. Marta's seduction attempt fails when Spock subdues her. The duo manage to communicate with the ship. A concerned Kirk has Spock give the code; he cannot, for he is actually Garth.
Kirk is subdued again. The crew on the Enterprise learn they cannot break through the shield without killing many innocents. Garth puts on a farce, declaring himself "Master of the Universe"; the other inmates are delighted. He kills Marta to demonstrate an explosive he had created. Spock disables his guard, acquires a phaser and finds two Kirks in the control room.
Spock attempts to distinguish between the two by asking: "What maneuver was used against the Romulan
s near Tau Ceti?" One Kirk replies "the Cochrane Deceleration", but the other points out that it is a classic battle maneuver any good captain would know. The two Kirks begin to fight, but eventually one of them tells Spock to stun them both — to ensure the safety of the Enterprise. Knowing that only the real Kirk would make a demand like that (putting the safety of the ship ahead of his own), Spock stuns the other Kirk, who is revealed to be Garth. With the matter resolved and Garth back in custody, control of the station is given back to Dr. Cory. The experimental drugs are administered to Garth and the other inmates who begin a long road to recovery.
Aside from the standard remastered video and audio, along with the all-CGI animation of the USS Enterprise, specific changes to this episode also included:
Star Trek: The Original Series
Star Trek is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry, produced by Desilu Productions . Star Trek was telecast on NBC from September 8, 1966, through June 3, 1969...
. It is episode #69, production #71, and was broadcast on January 3, 1969. It was written by Lee Erwin
Lee Erwin
Lee Erwin was a television writer from the 1950s to the 1970s. Erwin wrote for Mr. & Mrs. North, The Millionaire, Have Gun, Will Travel, The New Adventures of Charlie Chan and many other 1950s and 1960s TV shows...
, based on a story by Lee Erwin and Jerry Sohl
Jerry Sohl
Gerald Allan Sohl Sr. was an American scriptwriter for The Twilight Zone , Alfred Hitchcock Presents, The Outer Limits, Star Trek and other shows...
, and directed by Herb Wallerstein. The title is based on a quote often misattributed to Euripides
Euripides
Euripides was one of the three great tragedians of classical Athens, the other two being Aeschylus and Sophocles. Some ancient scholars attributed ninety-five plays to him but according to the Suda it was ninety-two at most...
: "Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad."
Overview: Kirk faces off with a demented shape-shifting starship
Starship
A starship or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for traveling between the stars, as opposed to a vehicle designed for orbital spaceflight or interplanetary travel....
captain determined to control the universe.
Plot
On stardateStardate
A stardate is a date in the fictional system of time measurement developed for Star Trek, commonly heard at the beginning of a voiceover log entry such as "Captain's log, stardate 41153.7...
5718.3, the starship USS Enterprise
Starship Enterprise
The Enterprise or USS Enterprise is the name of several fictional starships, some of which are the focal point for various television series and films in the Star Trek franchise created by Gene Roddenberry. It is considered a name of legacy in the fleet...
arrives at the planet Elba II, an inhospitable world known for its very poisonous atmosphere and underground asylum for the criminally insane. The Enterprise brings with her a shipment of experimental medicine that may be a potential cure for insanity.
Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock beam down to the facility with the shipment of drugs and meet with the facility director, Donald Cory, who oversees the treatment of fifteen of the most dangerous mental patients in Federation
United Federation of Planets
The United Federation of Planets, also known as "The Federation" is a fictional interplanetary federal republic depicted in the Star Trek television series and motion pictures...
custody. Along the way, one of the inmates, Marta, a mentally unstable Orion female, warns Kirk and Spock that their host, Dr. Cory, is not who they think he is.
They soon discover the real Cory is imprisoned in a cell, put there by the impostor, who is none other than Fleet Captain Garth of Izar
Epsilon Boötis
Epsilon Boötis is a double star in the constellation Boötes. It has the traditional names Izar and Pulcherrima....
(Steve Ihnat
Steve Ihnat
Steve Ihnat was a Czechoslovakian-born actor and director. He immigrated to Canada when he was five years old, and later became a United States citizen.-Early life:...
), a famous starship captain and one of Kirk's personal heroes. Garth's crew had mutinied against him when he had gone insane, the result of injuries in a rescue mission. Aliens from Antos tried to teach Garth just enough shapeshifting abilities to heal said injuries; he taught himself complete shifting. Garth tried to attack Antos before his crew rebelled.
Garth imprisons Kirk and Spock and tries to beam to the Enterprise. He plans to sell it as part of a plot conquering the Federation. Scotty does not receive a certain passcode from "Kirk" and refuses the beam up. Garth then activates a force field that prevents Scotty from attempting a rescue.
Garth later invites Kirk and Spock to a dinner where they hear Marta recite Shakespeare's Sonnet 18
Sonnet 18
Sonnet 18, often alternately titled Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?, is one of the best-known of 154 sonnets written by the English playwright and poet William Shakespeare...
which she claims she wrote herself. She then performs a strange "exotic dance" that Spock compares to a dance performed by Vulcan
Vulcan (Star Trek)
Vulcans, or sometimes Vulcanians, are an extraterrestrial humanoid species in the Star Trek universe who evolved on the planet Vulcan, and are noted for their attempt to live by reason and logic with no interference from emotion. They were the first extraterrestrial species in the Star Trek...
schoolchildren. In the meantime, Garth boasts about his incredible career as a starship captain, bragging that he has charted more planets and catalogued more star systems than any other man in history. He fishes for Kirk's pass phrase, but Kirk doesn't fall for it.
Garth tries to get the code by torturing Doctor Cory and Kirk. This fails. Marta's seduction attempt fails when Spock subdues her. The duo manage to communicate with the ship. A concerned Kirk has Spock give the code; he cannot, for he is actually Garth.
Kirk is subdued again. The crew on the Enterprise learn they cannot break through the shield without killing many innocents. Garth puts on a farce, declaring himself "Master of the Universe"; the other inmates are delighted. He kills Marta to demonstrate an explosive he had created. Spock disables his guard, acquires a phaser and finds two Kirks in the control room.
Spock attempts to distinguish between the two by asking: "What maneuver was used against the Romulan
Romulan
The Romulans are a fictional alien race in the Star Trek universe. First appearing in the original Star Trek series in the 1966 episode "Balance of Terror", they have since made appearances in all the main later Star Trek series: The Animated Series, The Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager...
s near Tau Ceti?" One Kirk replies "the Cochrane Deceleration", but the other points out that it is a classic battle maneuver any good captain would know. The two Kirks begin to fight, but eventually one of them tells Spock to stun them both — to ensure the safety of the Enterprise. Knowing that only the real Kirk would make a demand like that (putting the safety of the ship ahead of his own), Spock stuns the other Kirk, who is revealed to be Garth. With the matter resolved and Garth back in custody, control of the station is given back to Dr. Cory. The experimental drugs are administered to Garth and the other inmates who begin a long road to recovery.
40th Anniversary remastering
This episode was remastered in 2006 and aired in the United States on 24 May 2008 as part of the remastered Original Series. It was preceded a week earlier by the remastered "A Private Little War" and followed a week later by the remastered "The Mark of Gideon".Aside from the standard remastered video and audio, along with the all-CGI animation of the USS Enterprise, specific changes to this episode also included:
- The planet Elba II has been given the appearance of a lifeless surface shrouded by a thick, cloudy atmosphere.
- The phaser barrage on Elba II by the Enterprise has been remastered.