Star Trek: The Next Generation, "Who's Watching the Watchers?"

'''"Who's Watching the Watchers?" Star Trek: The Next Generation.''' 14 Oct. 1989. Robert Wiemer, dir. Richard Manning and Hans Beimler, script.

From the Latin "sentence," "Who will watch the Watchers [i.e. guard (against) the Guardians] themselves?" Uses A. C. Clarke's "Third Law" and the theme of the mechanical god. A small group of primitive Vulcanoid people almost start a religion with Capt. Picard as god. A major violation of the Prime Directive is avoided when Picard demonstrates (in argument and action) that he's just a mortal backed up with wonderously high technology. See the STNG episode "Justice." For Clarke's Third Law, see in this Category STARMAN.