3x14 Whom Gods Destroy

[7.2/10] It’s funny how things that aired fifty years ago can be entirely framed by things a modern viewer like me saw long after the fact. It’s something akin to The Weird Al effect, where your knowledge of the follow-on or parody predates your knowledge of the original and makes you approach it in a different way.

That’s “Whom Gods Destroy” for me, which feels to me like a Trek-ian version of Batman’s various adventures in Arkham Asylum, particularly the superlative video game with that premise. Oh sure, “Gods” goes for the usual Seussian hues and over the top flair in lieu of The Bat’s grim and gritty color pallette, but at base, both stories are about the stiff-upper-lipped hero diving into a prison run by a madman and having to outsmart him to save the day.

Of course while Batman ‘66 existed at the time (the actress who plays Marta here also played Batgirl there), and Star Trek itself had already gone down this route a bit in “Dagger of the Mind,” the episode really a testament to the fact that the “inmates running the asylum” trope is an old and durable one. “Gods” is a somewhat loopy, but ultimately very fun realization of it.

The episode gets most of its loony energy from Captain Garth, a former decorated captain who has since gone full on nutbar, and takes over the institution on Elba II (see what they did there, French history fans?), in the hopes of restarting his mission to...uh...take over the galaxy or something. His goals are pretty vague beyond stealing the Enterprise and using it to try to conquer the universe -- the funny farm denizen is appropriately fuzzy on the details.

Garth is largely defined by his megalomania. He believes firmly in his own greatness (as evidenced by his self-coronation) and is apt to use all his fallen from grace anger to fuel his unhinged climb back to the top of the mountain. It’s a nice enough motivation for a madman, something that gives a purpose to his insane plans that makes him more than just a whirling dervish.

But that madness is the other thing that defines him, and makes him something beyond just another weekly antagonist. While Joker never really aspired to take over the world, Garth’s sanity-slippage and jovial manner lays a lot of the groundwork for the Arkham Asylum comparison. Garth threatens and tortures both his enemies and confidantes, and then turns around and throws a party. He alternatively treats Kirk as his most dangerous rival but also as his best friend. He even has his own Harley Quinn in the form of Marta (though given her look and attempts at seduction, maybe Poison Ivy would be a better analogue?)

Marta’s another not great depiction of women in The Original Series, but I think I beat that drum loud and long enough with “Elaan of Troyius” that I’ll probably give it a rest here. Suffice it to say, there’s some less than stellar, disposable prop treatment of Marta here. That said, I’ll give her this much -- she had a distinctive personality, and fed into the crazy energy of the episode.

“Gods” also has the good sense to create a specific obstacle for Kirk to defend and Garth to try to overcome. It’s a little convenient, but the fact that Kirk has to give a specific codeword for Scotty to beam him back up, creates for a nice plot point that has Garth keeping Kirk alive and coming up with various schemes to try to get the code out of him. Frankly, after all the clones and robots and people commanding Kirk to tell the Enterprise to do something at gunpoint, I’m surprised they didn’t institute something like this earlier. (Maybe Kirk actually learned something from “Dagger of the Mind!”)

There’s also the wrinkle that Garth can shape shift, which is used for a couple of clever fake outs in “Gods” and presents a new challenge for Kirk and Spock to have to overcome. It may be one detail too many -- a maniacal lunatic with an army of crazies taking over their prison and demanding to be flown away is enough on its own -- but the shapeshifting does take the episode to some interesting places.

Of course, here in the distant future of 2017, the “which one do I shoot?” trope has become such a cliché that it’s hard for the setup to have the same impact it once did when Spock has his phaser trained at two identical Kirks. Surely Spock could have just stunned both of them straight off, or asked Kirk about a more specific memory, or using his Vulcan psychic powers, but it’s an entertaining sequence regardless, with the Q&A and then surprisingly well-done Kirk on Kirk struggle.

That’s really the thrust of “Gods.” Plenty of the elements in the episode don’t make much sense, or are at least pretty circuitous, and in some cases very silly. But the show leans into that silliness, while mixing in just enough of a genuine threat to make Garth seem both amusing in his lunacy but also dangerous in his lack of control and unpredictability. It’s that balance that has sustained The Joker as character for nearly eighty years, and it makes Garth feel like a different kind of foil for Kirk here. (Not to mention that there’s an unexpected sadness when Marta ends up being one of his victims.)

There’s a few moments of deeper feeling. Spock affirming, in his own roundabout Vulcan way, that he considers Kirk his brother, or Garth (having been administered the brain-saving serum) shaking hands with Kirk has a certain force that goes beyond the madcap energy of the episode. But for the most part, “Whom Gods Destroy” is an exaggerated romp that has no compunction about embracing that. The asylum setting and the concept of the loonies taking over puts Kirk and Spock in a world where they’re not only not in control, but can’t possibly reason with or even necessarily outsmart people who don’t think in straight lines they do. That spirit makes the episode as fun and enjoyable as it is ridiculous.

Whom Gods Destroy

See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whom_the_gods_would_destroy

Whom! Objective case! That's my main take-away here. Whom are you looking at? [It's actually "At whom are you looking", isn't it?] Is it me? Did you believe it's supposed to be "who"? In modern, colloquial English, "who" could also be objective case. Perhaps. Stop looking at me! It's not I who comes up with the rules .....

Ah, whenever Americans tackle the problem of the penal system in general and the deficiencies of it's inmates, they surely don't talk about re-socialization, bettering or preparing them for a life in after prison. So much for the Utopian future. This future only exists in - let's say - Denmark. Here, prisoners are mentally ill. They have an innate psychological or physical defect. They need to be treated or cured by the means of medicine. At best. Most likely they are incorrigible criminals for the rest of their lives. That's actually quite amusing to watch though. They are totally nuts and this makes this episode quite entertaining. Despite the horrible stage and costume design. The story is also pretty much TOS standard: they are captured (AGAIN!) and need to find a way out. Neat trick with the code word before beaming - first time I saw this.

Am I a pervert or something? I have to admit, I'm into those Orion girls. I always was. Every time I see them. Don't know whether that's the skin color (which could also be racist on my part) or the fact that they are some sort of enslaved dancers and sex mates (which makes me a Belgian or Austrian then?). Sure, you don't want to read this. Too much information. But I'm very worried .... is it green fever? And what role does Doja Cat play here?