Another great title (i.e.Whom Gods Destroy, They First Make Mad), but this is one of those episodes which isn't so great. However, it is one of those guilty pleasures - much as I hesitate to admit it, I enjoy the histrionics here as Kirk & Spock enter the last insane asylum in the Federation (the loopy plot, involving eradication of all mental illness, is contradicted by such later TNG episodes as "Sarek," where-in it's clear some Federation members still suffer incurable mental problems). We meet the former fleet captain (a rank attained during interstellar war?) Garth, portrayed by Ihnat, an actor with a strong screen presence who never attained much fame. Though he doesn't look much older than Kirk, it's established that he's from a previous generation of starship captains, a prototype on which Kirk and his peers based their training. Unfortunately, Garth's seen better days - check out his differently-colored boots. We also finally see the first Orion female (Craig, better known as 'Batgirl!') since "The Menagerie" - but, whoops, she's as crazy as Garth. Adding to the madness, Garth also possesses a talent for mimicry; implausibly, he can take on the appearance of anyone, down to their clothes, leading to one of those 'two Kirks for the price of one' scenes (see also "The Enemy Within" and "What Are Little Girls Made Of?").
I wrote how I enjoy this episode and, yes, it's a cheap thrill. There are no profundities to be found here, no new ideas explored - it's strictly a thriller, seasoned with a flipped out tone. But it's this tone which makes it better than many of the boring 3rd season episodes. For most of the episode, we watch Kirk & Spock deal with a psychotic green dancing girl and listen to the rantings of the brain-damaged Garth regarding his deranged plans to take over the universe. However, Garth, it turns out, is not some harmless blowhard. He's apparently invented some explosive, proved by its use later, and the only thing stopping him from invading the Enterprise is a clever chess password invented by Kirk for this episode (convenient?). It is mentioned early in the episode that Garth was/is a genius. One wonders, as the story progresses, if a Garth who is out of his mind gives Kirk & Spock so much trouble, just how formidable would a sane Garth be? Luckily, he was one of the good guys. Ihnat gives a suitably magnetic, over-the-top performance as the insane leader, though he really shows what he was capable of in the moments when Kirk was able to break through Garth's madness very briefly. And lovely Craig as the Orion girl? Crazy, man, crazy.
I wrote how I enjoy this episode and, yes, it's a cheap thrill. There are no profundities to be found here, no new ideas explored - it's strictly a thriller, seasoned with a flipped out tone. But it's this tone which makes it better than many of the boring 3rd season episodes. For most of the episode, we watch Kirk & Spock deal with a psychotic green dancing girl and listen to the rantings of the brain-damaged Garth regarding his deranged plans to take over the universe. However, Garth, it turns out, is not some harmless blowhard. He's apparently invented some explosive, proved by its use later, and the only thing stopping him from invading the Enterprise is a clever chess password invented by Kirk for this episode (convenient?). It is mentioned early in the episode that Garth was/is a genius. One wonders, as the story progresses, if a Garth who is out of his mind gives Kirk & Spock so much trouble, just how formidable would a sane Garth be? Luckily, he was one of the good guys. Ihnat gives a suitably magnetic, over-the-top performance as the insane leader, though he really shows what he was capable of in the moments when Kirk was able to break through Garth's madness very briefly. And lovely Craig as the Orion girl? Crazy, man, crazy.