Episode no. Season 3
Episode 12 Written by Joyce Muskat Cinematography by Jerry Finnerman | Directed by John Erman Featured music George Duning Production code 063 | |
"The Empath" is a third season episode of the original science fiction television series, Star Trek, and was broadcast December 6, 1968. It is episode #67, production #63, written by Joyce Muskat and directed by John Erman. It was not without controversy and, for many years, was one of a handful of episodes of the series not screened in the United Kingdom by the BBC owing to its perceived disturbing content. It was not broadcast by the BBC until a repeat run in January 1994.
In this episode, while visiting a doomed planet, the landing party is subject to torturous experiments by powerful aliens.
Plot
The Enterprise arrives at Minara II to recover research personnel as its star is about to go supernova. Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, and Science Officer Spock beam to the surface but find the research station empty and begin a search, while Chief Engineer Scott moves the Enterprise to a safe distance to protect it from being bombarded by a solar flare.
The landing party is suddenly transported into an underground chamber and encounter a beautiful, mute woman McCoy names "Gem" who is trapped with them. The landing party is attacked by aliens known as the Vians, who injure Kirk. Gem proves she is an empath by absorbing Kirk's injuries, briefly taking them on herself before they are healed. They search the nearby chambers and find machinery and computer systems, along with glass cylinders, some containing the missing research personnel in grotesque poses, and three empty ones labeled with the landing party's names. A Vian arrives, but Spock stuns him with a Vulcan nerve pinch and allows the group to escape to the surface. They are surprised to see an Enterprise landing party waiting for them, but soon discover they are only a mirage. Two Vians arrive and transport Gem and Kirk back into the underground complex, where they start to torture Kirk with Gem only able to watch. During this, the Vians explain that they had tested the research personnel (Linke and Ozaba) similarly, but both men died from their fears.
Gem and an unconscious Kirk are transported back to where McCoy and Spock are held, and Gem rushes to heal Kirk's wounds. The Vians demand another test subject, and McCoy sedates both Kirk and Spock to make the Vians pick him. When Kirk and Spock wake, they understand from Gem of what McCoy has done; they make their escape and find McCoy near death at the medical chamber after being subjected to the Vians' tests. Kirk and Spock attempt to help McCoy but are stopped by the Vians by a force field. They can only watch as Gem attempts to take on McCoy's wounds but seems afraid to take all of them on herself. The Vians explain that this has all been a test for Gem as a representative of her people in this system. They have been trying to judge Gem if she was willing to sacrifice her life for that of another; if she passed, the Vians would use their advanced technology to save the rest of Gem's people from the pending supernova. Gem attempts again to take on McCoy's wounds but he pushes her away, not wanting her to die.
Spock observes the force field reacts to negative emotions, and he and Kirk are able to break free and confiscate the Vians' equipment. Kirk demands that Gem has shown her choice to sacrifice herself, and further accuses the aliens of lacking compassion. The Vians realize their error, and agree that Gem has passed. They return Gem and McCoy to full health, and promise to save Gem's people. The Vians and Gem disappear. Kirk, Spock and McCoy return to the Enterprise safely, commenting that Gem was a "pearl of great price".