"Star Trek" The Empath (1968)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

John Erman

Writers:

Joyce Muskat (written by)
Gene Roddenberry (creator)

TV Series:

"Star Trek" (1966)

Original Air Date:

6 December 1968 (Season 3, Episode 12)

Genre:

Adventure | Sci-Fi

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Torture | Hung By Wrists | Shirtless Male Bondage | Federation | Space

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

Runtime:

60 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Argentina:Atp

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Paramount Television

Goofs:

Continuity: During the scene when Kirk is being tortured, the wide shot from behind shows his arms outstretched almost sideways in the manacles, but when the shot changes to the front, his arms are bent at the elbow, and his wrists extend upward out of the frame.

Quotes:

Mr. Spock: What is puzzling you, captain?
Captain James T. Kirk: I'm not puzzled, Mr. Spock, I'm awed.
Dr. McCoy: I'm with you, Jim. She awed me too.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Free Enterprise (1998)

The Best display of Self-Sacrifice

Though most hale "Amok Time", "The Naked Time", "The Man Trap", and "The City on the Edge of Forever", as the best episodes, and maybe they are, but I would have to say that is the most underrated story of all three seasons. It is an over-looked treasure I couldn't wait to get on DVD. The whole story takes place pretty much in one main facility. There are no back-and-forth to the ship or to other planets and stuff, which means the writing had to be extra clever to keep our attention. The big three of Kirk, Spock, and Bones, are forced to show an alien female what it means to sacrifice your life for someone else. The experiment is conducted by two superior alien beings who lose the meaning of life themselves in the midst of all the testing. With all the bickering Spoke and Bones do, you really see how much compassion they have for each other and their captain.