# Trekkers, tell me about Garth of Izar (poss. spoilers) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** tv-shows-scripted\ **Created:** [November 21, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733 "2021-11-21T19:44:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/1 "2021-11-21T19:44:54Z")
BLUF: Waitaminnit, is the Garth of Izar from [_Prelude to Axanar_](https://youtu.be/1W1_8IV8uhA) the same Garth of Izar in TOS’ [_Whom Gods Destroy_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Whom_Gods_Destroy_(Star_Trek:_The_Original_Series))? I had seen _Prelude to Axanar_ and recognize it may not be canon, but the story discusses the Four Years War between the Klingons and Federation. Captain Kelvar Garth (of Izar) developed innovative tactics to “fight the ship” with the new _Ares_ Class cruisers, helping turning the tide of the Four Years War.. Last night, bingewatching TOS’ _Whom Gods Destroy_, there’s a character “Captain Garth of Izar” that Kirk marvels at, directly referencing “Axanar” in Kirk’s dialog. Garth of Izar, in this eposode is a ‘criminally insane’ prisoner on a penal colony who was “a former starship fleet captain, mentally unstable as the result of an injury.” In the episode, dialog indicates something about a mutiny on Garth’s ship, but it’s not really explained. Not having seen _Enterprise_, _Discovery_ or any of the other spinoffs, I gotta ask, **is this the same guy**? How does a genius Starfleet Captain go from war hero to criminally insane incarcerated zero? [Soapbox] FTR: I’m seriously impressed by the fan-film, and royally pissed that Paramount went to such lengths to squash any further work. They shot themselves in the foot, if you ask me. [/Soapbox] Tripler If there’s some continuity, I’m all Vulcan ears! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/2 "2021-11-21T20:12:40Z")
AFAIK it’s entirely fanwank. Paramount isn’t about to let independents play in their galaxy. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/3 "2021-11-21T20:39:21Z")
I’m more upset that this miracle cure turned Garth into a shapeshifter (which don’t exist before DS9, (according to DS9)). That’s a cure that a lot of people would take. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/4 "2021-11-21T20:52:25Z")
What about Martia in ST6? That predates DS9 by quite a bit. ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/5 "2021-11-21T21:11:23Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > What about Martia in ST6? That predates DS9 by quite a bit. That’s my point. The people in the 24th century are suffering from collective amnesia. Or a definition problem. “Well, Garth et al could _shift_ their _shape_, but they weren’t _shapeshifters_.” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/6 "2021-11-21T21:16:06Z")
Obviously MIB still exist in the 23rd Century. Only answer. Otherwise, there would be an **error in canon**. You know what that would mean, don’t you? **NERD FIGHT!!!** ---
**Author:** ![Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba9def/32.png) [@Just\_Asking\_Questions](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Just_Asking_Questions)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/7 "2021-11-21T21:29:51Z")
So, what Starfleet should do is look for volunteers to get the Garth shapeshifting repair, get an injection of kironide, and then go through the galactic barrier. Those that live will be…something! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/8 "2021-11-21T21:57:18Z")
Of course, Garth may just be a shapeshifter who took on the aspect of Garth of Izar (for…reasons. Maybe he ate him.) and because it was acting erratically, was assumed to be an insane Garth and committed. ---
**Author:** ![Tripler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripler/32/21807_2.png) [@Tripler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tripler)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/9 "2021-11-21T22:05:42Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > AFAIK it’s entirely fanwank. I dunno @silenus, I think it’s pretty damned good for an independent. I like how it ties the political drama with the military side of things. It’s giving Paramount a run for its’ money. Tripler I mean, c’mon, “_ST4: The One with the Whales_”? 🙄 ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2021, 10:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/10 "2021-11-21T22:39:16Z")
Actually that makes a lot of sense. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2021, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/trekkers-tell-me-about-garth-of-izar-poss-spoilers/954733/11 "2021-11-22T01:55:11Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Of course, Garth may just be a shapeshifter who took on the aspect of Garth of Izar (for…reasons. Maybe he ate him.) and because it was acting erratically, was assumed to be an insane Garth and committed. Garth: That was my only miscalculation.