The Empath
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 6 December 1968
- ON
- NBC
- STARDATE
- 5121.5
- DIRECTED BY
- John Erman
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 63
WRITTEN BYWritten by Joyce Muskat
Sent to evacuate a research station before its sun explodes, Kirk, Spock and McCoy are captured by powerful aliens and meet a silent woman with an extraordinary gift.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
The Enterprise arrives at Minara II to evacuate a research station before its star goes nova, but the station is deserted. Kirk, Spock and McCoy are drawn into an underground chamber, where they meet a mute woman McCoy names Gem. She is an empath, able to take others' injuries into her own body. Two large-headed aliens, the Vians, are testing her, and the missing scientists already died during their experiments. The Vians torture Kirk and then McCoy, watching to see whether Gem will risk her own life to save another. Her whole race's survival depends on the result: if she shows that compassion, the Vians will save her people from the nova. Gem finally chooses to heal the dying McCoy, but he refuses to let her sacrifice herself. Kirk accuses the Vians of lacking the very compassion they demand. Persuaded, they heal McCoy and Gem, promise to save her people and vanish.
- 01The BBC banned it with three other episodes for their unpleasant themes. It was not shown in the UK until January 1994.
- 02It was the only screen credit for Joyce Muskat, a first-time writer whose spec script was pulled from the pile of unsolicited submissions.
- 03It was cinematographer Jerry Finnerman's final Star Trek episode. He had worked on the series since the pilot.