The Empath
- Episode aired Dec 6, 1968
- TV-PG
- 51m
IMDb RATING
6.5/10
3.3K
YOUR RATING
Trapped in an alien laboratory, Kirk, Spock and McCoy meet an empath and are involved in a series of experiments.Trapped in an alien laboratory, Kirk, Spock and McCoy meet an empath and are involved in a series of experiments.Trapped in an alien laboratory, Kirk, Spock and McCoy meet an empath and are involved in a series of experiments.
Bill Blackburn
- Lieutenant Hadley
- (uncredited)
Dick Geary
- Security Guard
- (uncredited)
Roger Holloway
- Lt. Lemli
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis was DeForest Kelley's favourite episode.
- GoofsMcCoy and Kirk's evaluation of Gem makes unwarranted inferences: that being an empath, being able to feel what others feel, somehow means having the ability to physically heal others, and that being mute also means being unable to understand speech.
- Quotes
Dr. McCoy: Men weren't intended to live this far underground. It's just not natural.
Captain James T. Kirk: And space travel is?
Mr. Spock: Some men spend the majority of their lives in mines beneath the surface.
Dr. McCoy: I'm a doctor, not a coal miner.
- Alternate versionsSpecial Enhanced version Digitally Remastered with new exterior shots and remade opening theme song
- ConnectionsFeatured in Mr. Plinkett's Star Trek 2009 Review (2010)
Featured review
Beatnik Trek
There's a lot of criticism of Star Trek's third season, and deservedly so. And, among those stories, this one seems to have gotten its share of bashing for the skeleton like production values.
Where I agree with the thrust of a lot of the reviews I would like to point out some of the more redeeming aspects of this episode. To me it seems more of a dramatic exercise for the actors. We're witnessing performances, not so much a plethora of adventure and special effects.
It's the kind of thing a university acting class would do. It's the kind of thing a local theatre troupe would conjure to keep their creative and performance juices fresh and active. That's the charm of this episode. The ability to pull off a story with a fraction of the budget.
Regrettably there's only so much frugal art that the audience (in this case the Trek fan base) can take. Without offering something more meaty for us to chew on, Trek was doomed with continued efforts like this one.
Still, for me at least, this episode has a certain charm to it. The theme of intellect-verse-emotion is abundant, and how one collides and synergizes with the other is made all too plain. The story shows an imbalance of sorts, but then shows the audience the true meaning of who and what we are, and what it is to be human.
It's an interesting episode. It lacks gloss and punch, but from a dramatic point of view it is an interesting exercise.
Where I agree with the thrust of a lot of the reviews I would like to point out some of the more redeeming aspects of this episode. To me it seems more of a dramatic exercise for the actors. We're witnessing performances, not so much a plethora of adventure and special effects.
It's the kind of thing a university acting class would do. It's the kind of thing a local theatre troupe would conjure to keep their creative and performance juices fresh and active. That's the charm of this episode. The ability to pull off a story with a fraction of the budget.
Regrettably there's only so much frugal art that the audience (in this case the Trek fan base) can take. Without offering something more meaty for us to chew on, Trek was doomed with continued efforts like this one.
Still, for me at least, this episode has a certain charm to it. The theme of intellect-verse-emotion is abundant, and how one collides and synergizes with the other is made all too plain. The story shows an imbalance of sorts, but then shows the audience the true meaning of who and what we are, and what it is to be human.
It's an interesting episode. It lacks gloss and punch, but from a dramatic point of view it is an interesting exercise.
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