The Empath

This is definitely one of my favorite episodes of all the Star Trek series.

It introduced to me as a young lad, the notion of empathy, and took it to a level which has at times been debated as possible or not, physical empathy. To be able to take the pain and suffering from someone and transfer it onto oneself while removing that pain and suffering from another is an incredible concept. It made me wonder - Were any of the great healers in ancient times physical empaths?

The actress playing Gem I thought was excellent,watching her throughout the episode was as Spock would say, fascinating.

Sometimes we don't need million dollar special effects and wild chase scenes to have a beautiful episode. And where would we be as human beings without empathy ?

It saddens me to see how many people are utterly lacking in any perspective on this episode. This episode is very different from any other, and perhaps this explains some of the pointless critique I have seen.

Deforrest Kelly called this his favorite episode. Those of you who fail to see its beauty are simply lacking in any artistic sense or human empathy.

Of course there are mistakes with effects, plot, etc. Show me an episode of ANY show from the 60's that is pristine. Show me any Star Trek episode with a perfect plot. This episode isn't about these things. It is about Empathy. It is about love. It is about the ability to perceive the feelings of others, and to incorporate these so completely into your own emotional and mental state that you must act in such a way as to serve the interests of others just as you serve your own.

This episode shows the pure love that exists between the big 3, and how each man will do his damnedest to protect the other, even unto death. This goes to the extent of even violating normal codes of conduct. This love is even expressed by Spock. Love is not only a gushy, touchy-feely thing. It is also respect, admiration, and duty. It is the moral imperative to serve one's comrades, and to sacrifice oneself if needed. No episode shows this so poignantly as this one, and this message is at the heart of all that is humane and civilized.

Torture? Gratuitous? Not at all. Anybody who has ever lived a significant life knows that life involves all kinds of torture on a continual basis. It is all around us, in our schools, our jobs, and sometimes even our relationships. It is part of the natural world too, and we can even say that life itself is often torturous.

The episode is a test for Gem, and the quickest way to evoke her empathic response is to injure somebody for no reason. This is exactly how any scientist would go about the experiment, were the test subjects considered to be below us like mice.

This episode loudly proclaims the most powerful of all of the messages in the series: It is our capacity to feel what others feel and to act in the interests of others that makes civilized and humane. It is this which ensures our survival.

But, as we all can see from the comments here, few people understand this. They do this for we live in an age where empathy is bad taste, and love is a cause for ridicule.

I realize that they had budgetary issues that might be evident in it,but I must agree that the theme of self-sacrifice was indeed a valid one,regardless of any script opinions.The way the empath showed compassion,projected the pain of others on herself,and even healed.Hmmm..theologically mirrors a similar character that we all know who Im referring to!(and it's a Good thing!)True,with all the dark corners of this "underground lab..cost-cutting could easily be inferred,but..how many other 60's shows did the same thing?Irwin Allen's sci-fi series were notorious for this.Anyhow..it's interesting what can be redeemed in spite of working with limited raw materials.

Thought this was an above average episode. Sometimes less is more, IMO the lack of the usual cheesy and laughable special effects, props and costumes was a huge plus. I found Gem's performance absolutely mesmerizing.

Kathryn Hays' mime portrayal of Gem ranks with the finest of the silent actresses, such as Lillian Gish in her work for D.W. Griffth ("Broken Blossoms" is what comes to mind}. This is some of the finest true ACTING I've seen in a sound film! Don't know why she wasn't at least nominated for the Sci-Fi version of the Academy Award for this performance, she's quite good in all her other work as well, even though her voice doesn't quite live up to her acting ability. This episode remains among my "top 10"list of TOS favorites. The interplay of emotion between McCoy & Spock truly brings forth the camaraderie they shared, and the feelings, respect, and admiration they felt toward each other. But again, if you've never seen a silent classic, or a character portrayal By the like of Lillian Gish, take time to watch an old silent, and see just how beautiful they were!