Watching “The Empath” is a bit like watching paint dry, grass grow, and … well, you get the point. The story itself isn’t bad, from either a premise or execution standpoint. But everything is so incredibly unremarkable, so pedestrian, so aimless that regardless of whatever strengths there are to the characters and plot, the episode as a whole just doesn’t function particularly well. It’s a shame because the interactions between Spock, Kirk and McCoy are certainly worthwhile.

The premise of this episode is to follow the travails of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy who are captured by aliens and tortured as part of a perverse science experiment. To throw a more complex element to the narrative the character of “the Empath” (Kathryn Hays) is introduced. What unfolds is a series of unfortunate events in which Kirk, Spock, and McCoy are captured, come face-to-face with their abductors, become tortured, vie to make the greater sacrifice for one another, and ultimately confront the possible death of McCoy. It all sounds good on paper – and, indeed, upon reflection as well. What’s missing is a compelling execution of the plot, from start to finish.

It certainly isn’t a fault of the episode’s minimalistic (and very abstract) set designs which, in fact, add a great deal to the episode (in much the same manner as “Specter of the Gun”). I even like the music. But when put all together, it’s as though the episode is merely sleepwalking through its paces, unable to generate any real sense of suspense, drama or even urgency. And because it takes so very, very, very long to get to the point, to heart of the matter as it were, the episode is unable to fully convey its message with any real authenticity.

Also at fault is the rather intractable and implausible premise the aliens setup as part of their experiment – that they will only save a planet full of inhabitants if the Empath will sacrifice her own life for McCoy. Sure, the episode explains this away by demonstrating that the aliens have absolutely no emotions whatsoever. But it’s such an irrational explanation that it provides no help whatsoever to the episode.

The final moments of “The Empath,” while preachy and self-indulgent do provide a worthy and valid point: purely analytic and scientific thought is dangerous without the emotion to provide a moral compass. Sadly, though, this is simply a lecture to the audience, rather than a true demonstration by way of a fully compelling narrative.

Filed under: Original Series