The Empath (6 Dec. 1968)

Trapped in an alien laboratory Kirk, Spock and McCoy meet an empath and are involved in a series of experiments.

Director:

John Erman

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (creator), Joyce Muskat

Stars:

William Shatner, Leonard Nimoy, DeForest Kelley

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
William Shatner	...	Captain James T. Kirk
Leonard Nimoy	...	Mr. Spock
DeForest Kelley	...	Dr. McCoy
Kathryn Hays	...	Gem
Alan Bergmann	...	Lal
James Doohan	...	Scott
George Takei	...	Sulu
Davis Roberts	...	Dr. Ozaba
Jason Wingreen	...	Dr. Linke
Willard Sage	...	Thann

Storyline

Kirk, Spock and McCoy suddenly find themselves in an underground laboratory where they meet an attractive young woman who is not only mute but also an empath who can absorb someone else's pain. When their captors make themselves known, they refuse to explain why the three men have been taken prisoner or why they and the young woman, whom McCoy has named Gem, are there. Inexplicably, they set about torturing them for no apparent reason. Fortunately, Gem's empathic powers allow her to take away their pain, but only at great sacrifice to herself. When their captors tell Kirk that he must choose which of his men to die, their selflessness comes to the fore, leaving Dr. McCoy volunteering himself. They all soon learn that the object of the experiment is Gem herself.

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Plot Keywords:

alien | mute | laboratory | torture | humanoid | 

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 December 1968 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television, Norway Corporation

Technical Specs

Runtime:

51 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode, which was directed by John Erman, depicts Kirk, Spock, and McCoy (and the Empath, played by Kathryn Hays) on a mostly bare set consisting of a few props and dark curtains, being tormented by aliens. It bears many striking similarities to one of Erman's first directing jobs, in "The Outer Limits" (1963) {Nightmare (#1.10)}, in which several Earth soldiers have been captured and are being tormented by aliens - once again, on a spare set consisting of a few props.

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Goofs

As Kirk recovers from the Vian weapon on the planet's surface, he touches a nearby rock formation to steady himself. The boulder-sized rock visibly shifts under the weight of his hand.

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Quotes

Captain James T. Kirk: The best defense is a strong offense, and I intend to start offending right now.

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Connections

Referenced in Free Enterprise (1998)

User Reviews

The Best of the Silent Era!

Kathryn Hays' mime portrayal of Gem ranks with the finest of the silent actresses, such as Lillian Gish in her work for D.W. Griffth ("Broken Blossoms" is what comes to mind}. This is some of the finest true ACTING I've seen in a sound film! Don't know why she wasn't at least nominated for the Sci-Fi version of the Academy Award for this performance, she's quite good in all her other work as well, even though her voice doesn't quite live up to her acting ability. This episode remains among my "top 10"list of TOS favorites. The interplay of emotion between McCoy & Spock truly brings forth the camaraderie they shared, and the feelings, respect, and admiration they felt toward each other. But again, if you've never seen a silent classic, or a character portrayal By the like of Lillian Gish, take time to watch an old silent, and see just how beautiful they were!