“The Empath”

Stardate: 5121.5
Episode: 63
Original US Airdate: 6 December 1968

In this stylish (albeit somewhat low-budget) Trek installment, Kirk, Spock and McCoy are tortured by a highly-advanced species (Vians—the poor man's Talosians) to teach self-sacrifice and compassion to a gentle, sad-eyed empath/mute.

Summary

The Enterprise is sent to the planet Minara II to pick up Federation researchers Linke and Ozaba before the Minaran sun goes nova. Kirk, Spock and McCoy discover the scientists are missing and the research station has been abandoned for three months. Since Scott has to take the Enterprise out of orbit until a solar flare passes, Kirk and company are stranded on the planet temporarily. While reviewing record tapes to learn what happened to the researchers, the landing party vanishes suddenly and find themselves in an underground chamber.

They encounter a mute, humanoid female, whom McCoy names "Gem." As Kirk questions Gem, two other beings appear and announce that they are Vians. The Vians temporarily immobilize the landing party with a force field. After the Vians leave, Gem touches a wound on Kirk's forehead and heals it; she turns out to be an empath, able to absorb the pain and injuries of others into her own body.

The Enterprise men eventually find the bodies of Linke and Ozaba, preserved in large cylinders; they also find three empty cylinders labelled "Kirk", "Spock", and "McCoy." The Vians select Kirk as their next "specimen," bind him in chains, and experiment on him. Afterward Gem is able to cure his injuries and his case of the bends.

The Vians then order Kirk to select either Spock or McCoy as their next subject. McCoy surreptitiously tranquilizes Kirk to allow him to rest and then similarly knocks out Spock to keep Spock from selecting himself in Kirk's absence. After Spock and Kirk awaken, they find McCoy near death from his torture at the hands of the Vians. They try to encourage Gem to heal McCoy, but she fears the strain of healing him will kill her. The Vians use another force field to keep Kirk and Spock from interfering. They explain that Gem is being tested to see if her planet is worthy of being saved when the Minaran system is destroyed. They argue that her capacity for compassion and self-sacrifice must be developed (with the help of the example set by Kirk, Spock and McCoy). Gem tries again to heal McCoy, but he pushes her away. Kirk and Spock argue that Gem has already earned her planet's survival and the Vians' cruel actions are hypocritical because they show they lack the very emotions they are trying to bring out in Gem. The Vians heal McCoy and depart with Gem; the landing party then return safely to the Enterprise.

Notable Bits

Scotty, of all people, brings up the story of the pearl of great price to describe Gem (actually one of Jesus' parables [Matthew 13:45-46]).

Quotable Quotes

McCoy: "…I'm going to call her 'Gem.'"
Spock: "'Gem', Doctor?"
McCoy: "Well, that's better than 'Hey, you.'"

McCoy: "Men weren't intended to live this far underground; it's just not natural."
Kirk: "And space travel is?"
Spock: "Some men spend the majority of their lives in mines beneath the surface."
McCoy: "I'm a doctor, not a coal miner."
[Pity he didn't get the chance to harrumph "I'm a doctor, not a masochist."]

Spock [after McCoy's surprise hypo]: "Your action is highly unethical."

Kirk [after he and Spock have awakened from McCoy's tranquilizer]: "Why did you let him do it?"
Spock: "I was convinced in the same way you were—by the good doctor's hypo."

McCoy [pushing Gem away as she risks her life to heal his severe injuries]: "I can't destroy life, even if it is to save my own."

Vians on Humans

Lal [to Kirk]: "We've already observed the intensity of your passions and gauged your capacity to love others." [Nice compliment, even if the subject of the praise is hanging from chains at the moment.]

Kirk: "What could [Gem] learn from us?"
Lal: "Your will to survive; your love of life; your passion to know…Each of you was willing to give his live for the others…Everything that is truest and best in all species of beings has been revealed by you."

Trivia

This episode's events are referred to in two other Trek episodes: "Turnabout Intruder" and the animated "The Counter-Clock Incident."

Observations

How do the people of Gem's planet communicate—pass notes?

Kirk's question "Without speech, how is she going to be able to understand us?" isn't quite logical: lack of speech capability wouldn't make Gem deaf also.

It seems out of character for the galaxy's great womanizer (Kirk) to lack interest in an attractive, gentle, kind, delicate humanoid of the female persuasion. Perhaps the quiet type doesn't appeal to him. :-\

The Vians' laboratory gadgets look as though they escaped from a bad 1950s sci-fi movie.

In spite of the gratuitous, often graphic cruelty, "The Empath"'s story and execution makes for compelling viewing. We see the dynamics of Kirk, Spock and McCoy's strong friendship and concern for each other, as well as their compassion for a being victimized by a couple of sadistic aliens; the Vians' compliments were well-deserved. This, along with the episode's very alien look, makes "The Empath" a rather unique entry in Trek.

Video Captures

(From the "The Empath" DVD; click thumbnail to see full-sized picture)

Kirk, Spock, and McCoy look at station's record tapes	Drs. Linke and Ozaba	Title screen	"Where are we?"	A humanoid life-form
"Is this your home?"	Kirk tries to interrogate Gem	The Vians	Gem sees she has a job to do	Gem heals Kirk's wound
The Vians' lab	Linke and Ozaba's final resting place	Funny the Vians happen to use the Roman alphabet	Kirk confronts Vian	"Kirk to Enterprise"
Enterprise search party—but just an illusion	Kirk and Gem on the planet's surface	"You said one specimen!"	Vians and specimen Kirk	The torture begins
Another job for Gem	Kirk is quite surprised at getting a hypo in the back	Spock gets a surprise from McCoy	The Vians come for their specimen	Kirk and Spock see what the Vians have done to McCoy
Kirk and Spock check on McCoy	"He's dying, Jim."	Gem's hardest job of all	McCoy pushes Gem away	The Vians finally heal McCoy
Farewell	Back on the bridge

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