Just watched it tonight as I am watching the series from start to finish (but I have seen this episode two other times in the past). This is one of my favorite episodes as the actor behind the character Garth (Steve Ihnat) did an outstanding acting job. Its a shame the actor did not appear in any other episodes as he was marvelous. However the temper tantrum at the start of the episode I am not sure was appropriate, but then again the actor is playing a psycho and they hardly ever act sane. But I have a question. What is the Neural Neutralizer and what episode was this last featured in? I also loved the line "Queen to Queen's Level Three." Why was this line not in any other episodes? It would have made perfect sense to have such a security counter measure against aliens and enemies of the enterprise. Your thoughts are appreciated, "Whom Gods Destroy" lovers... __________________
Oh yeah the classic episode from the first season. So basically thats the machine that made Garth insane?
Steve Ihnat was great. He was unforgettable as the alien mind-guided Lieutenant Minns in The Outer Limits two parter The Inheritors. I'll never forget his speech near the end about the new world for the hopeless children. Tears welled in my eyes listening to that! I remember as a kid seeing Whom Gods Destroy and thinking that the "queen to queens level three" was a cool tactic. It would have been nice to see variations on that now and then. It also, in a mild way, kept the whole Kirk/Spock "chess thing" alive. In hindsight, the chess games of theirs were sort of the original series equivalent of The Next Generation poker games. But it really seemed to be more of a first-season thing with the original...or at least that's how I remember it.
He's also great in Mission: Impossible's "The Mind of Stefan Miklos". It's tragic that he died so young at 37. Other actors always praise his talent.
Ed Asner paid tribute to him at the Emmy's the following year after his death. Sad that he died so young, but that wife looks like she could kill a lot of guys. http://lamorguefiles.blogspot.com/2010/05/celebrity-grave-steve-ihnat-actor.html
This is an episode that could have been so much better. As it was, like many third season episodes, this one is BORING!
Steve Ihnat managed to out overact Shatner and that's an accomplishment. I burst out laughing with how he screamed out. "I should kill you with my BARE HANDS!"
Wasnt overly impressed by Garth tbh, he was just an "out there" baddie. Yvonne Craigs dance made the episode for me, what a sexy girl.
Well...I can't disagree with that! To me, he was more. He had these flashes of total sanity which made him much more interesting than just a "baddie". I do admit he was more interesting than the episode itself!
It was originally designed to treat insanity. From the episode: So Garth modded the chair into an instrument of torture. The term "neural neutralizer" comes from "Dagger of the Mind"; it isn't used in "Whom Gods Destroy." Also, as seen in DOTM, there's a single swirly-light thingy in the ceiling above the chair; in WGD there are two swirly-light thingies attached to the chair at the patient's (or victim's) head level.