Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Original Series, Vol. 32 - Episodes 63 & 64: The Empath/ The Tholian Web

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Volume 32 of Paramount's complete reissue of Classic Trek contains two outstanding third season episodes.

The Empath is a sensitive story written by Joyce Muskat. The Vians, like the Talosians from The Cage, are an advanced race possessing superior intellect, but seemingly lacking a moral center. Since most of this episode's budget was spent creating the Vians' makeup, the producers used a minimalist setting--so nearly the entire episode is shrouded in black. Guest Star Kathryn Hays does an excellent job in what is essentially a mime role.

The Tholian Web is another great story. The script is scientifically plausible, and features fine dialogue and character conflict. It's interesting to see how the crew interracts in the absence of Captain Kirk. It's equally interesting to observe how, no longer having to compete with William Shatner's broad performance style, the cast alters their performances. James Doohan, in particular, has some subtle moments here. The Tholian Commander's appearance, along with the "web" effects, are some of the best of the series.

The picture restoration is excellent here, with deep blacks during much of The Empath, and clear reproduction of the visual effects from The Tholian Web. The sound has been tastefully enhanced for multichannel systems.

This is the first time two of my very favorite Star Trek episodes have landed on the same DVD. The lack of a set in The Empath is a big part of why I like the episode so much. The completely black background gives the story a spooky, nightmarish quality. Also, the alien makeup in this episode is as good as you'll see during the original series. The Tholian Web is a classic worth the price of this DVD all by itself.

Two completely different episodes. The Empath is a strong lesson in morality played out on the worst production set of any TOS episode - basically an "empty set" with blackness all around. They probably saved money but the good story line was weakened by expecting the audience to stretch to accept no set, no props, no lighting, etc. The Tholian Web alone is worth the price. It won a Sci-Fi award (sorry - the name escapes me) and is a textbook action Trek episode. One of their all-time best, especially how Spock & McCoy acquiesce to work together in the most dire, nail-biting situation. A must have for TOS fans!

Both The Empath & The Tholian Web could have been much better scripts.

In The Empath the flaws center around the cheesiness of the sets (no backgrounds? what set?) and the repeating S&M theme. Even in late '60's TV sadism & masocism had a place.

The Tholian Web had a great new adversary, just enough hard science to hold the story together (the Tholian Web stands out as well as the subspace jump the Enterprise uses to escape it) and a great emotional ride with the disappearance of Kirk. This would have been my favorite over-all episode (yes, despite its' being part of a terrible 3rd Season) if Spock only used his 'logic' and left Kirk 'floating in sub-space hell'.

Yes, you read that right.

Shatner's thirst for power took Star Trek away from the 'ensemble cast' that it was trying to develop, as seen in some of its' best episodes. I wonder what would have happened in an "Alternative Universe" without Kirk? Maybe Kirk should have been strung up and whipped in 'The Empath', he would have gotten the girl-of-the week again, and again...

"The Empath" shows us the best performance of Kathryn Hays ever as a mute empath, captured by the Vians to see if she has enough good qualities to have her race rescued.

"The Tholian Web" A SFX dream come true...the Tholians! The Web! The spacesuits! too cool!

The Tholian Web
The USS Enterprise finds her sister ship, the USS Defiant in unsurveyed territory at her last reported position. The vessel which vanished without a trace three weeks ago is investigated by Captain Kirk and a boarding party consisting of Spock, McCoy and Chekov. They discover upon beaming over to the vessel that the Defiant's crew had killed each other apparently during a mutiny on the ship. The landing party found out after further investigation of the vessel that it was mysteriously dissolving prompting Kirk to order the landing party be beamed off the ship immediately.

The space that the Defiant had been drifting in was playing havoc with the Enterprise's transporter system, allowing for only three members of the landing party to be beamed off the fading vessel, Kirk elected to stay behind enabling them to return safely aboard the Enterprise. Scotty attempted to beam Kirk back to the Enterprise when the Defiant suddenly disappeared. Spock used the computer to calculate that Kirk would be able to be retrieved during the next period of spatial interphase, which would occur in two hours and twelve minutes.

Chekov, who experienced momentary stabs of pain while onboard the Defiant went mad and was removed from the bridge making it extremely urgent for Dr. McCoy to isolate and treat the madness which was apparently affecting the Enterprise crew just like it had affected the Defiant's crew. The rescue mission was disrupted by a Tholian ship claiming that the Enterprise had violated territory belonging to the Tholian Assembly. Spock relayed to the Tholian Commander that the Enterprise was on a rescue mission, the Tholians had no problem in allowing Spock and the Enterprise to complete it.

The rescue mission failed due to the Tholian vessels entry into the area. The Tholians who don't tolerate deceit or lack of punctuality fire on the Enterprise, forcing Spock to return fire thereby damaging the Tholian ship. The Enterprise who was damaged herself in the Tholian's attack starts to drift. A second Tholian ship appears and both ships begin to weave a web of energy around the crippled Enterprise. Spock who is forced to take command of the Enterprise deals with the loss of the Captain and the affect that it has on the crew.

The race against time was on for Scotty to repair the damage sustained in the Tholian attack and for McCoy to find a cure for the madness that was tearing the crew apart before the Tholians completed their web of energy trapping the Enterprise for good. Despite rising tensions and further episodes of madness amongst the crew, Scotty is able to repair the ship and McCoy finds an antidote to the madness. The Enterprise is able to escape the Tholian's web and retrieve Kirk alive and well.

Volume 32 of the Star Trek DVD series includes two of the finest episodes from the third season. Both these episodes are extremely well written and are different in there own ways.

THE EMPATH is one of Star Trek's most sensitive episodes ever. The Vians are a superior race with a lack of morals who use inferior beings in their tests of the mute empath who can heal. They torture the beings (sometimes to death) and they put the empath's healing abilities to the test. Kirk, Spock and McCoy however end up being the next subjects for the test! This episode is probably the most intimate Star Trek story ever. A well written plot overshadowed the obvious tight budget. There is no doubt that most of this episode's budget went to the Vian's costumes and make-up which ends of leaving the set almost always a completely black background. However the acting in this episode is excellent especially the guest star Kathryn Hays who plays Gem the mute Empath (somewhat of a mime role).

THE THOLIAN WEB is another excellent episode. The Enterprise ventures into unknown space territory in search of a fellow starship The Defiant. They find the ship but Cpt.Kirk is lost in space when the crew attempts to return to their own ship. This episode is different cause we get to see the crew function without Cpt.Kirk. William Shatner only appears in the beginning and the end, so he takes a back seat and allows Leonard Nimoy and Deforest Kelley to have most the screen time. We also see character development in the rest of the crew members, particularily Scotty. A great episode, good story, nice effects, great acting and scientifically plausible. Definetly one of the third seasons best.

Overall Volume 32 is definetly one of the DVD's from this series to get. Containing two different but both excellent episodes fro Star Trek third season (which is hard to come by, since most of the third season epiosdes were fairly weak). Nonetheless this one is definetly worth a look. Highly recommended!

I love both episodes. I particularly LOVE the music for "The Empath." The Empath's (the character who plays the empath) theme is absolutely beautiful, as well as her turquoise and pink bejeweled outfit. Her beautiful musical theme includes orchestral string section doubled with orchestral bells with delayed vibrato, which is a nice and unusual characterization in musical terms of the empath character. I love watching both of these episodes.

Though by far not among the better overall episodes of Classic Trek, this volume is a keeper if you are picking which volumes from the final season to keep. We have two above average episodes here with odd storylines but pretty good acting and above average scriptwriting too. In the first episode,"The Empath", we get an almost "Lord of the Rings" type parable which tries to illustrate a Christian message in the Star Trek setting even to the point of getting Scottie to talk about the "pearl of great price" at the end. The theme of redemptive suffering is dominant here and how self-sacrifice and short term pain can lead to long term gain and even the survival of mankind but it requires great courage and enough bravery to go through with it knowing that such sacrifice could lead to great pain and even death for yourself while aiding a stranger/neighbour. An episode most Christians would have a field day dissecting and discussing bible themes.

The second episode is stranger and indeed weaker except for the special effects which although is extremely lame by today's standards was actually pretty impressive way back when. The crew have to deal with the grief of what appears to be Kirk's death as well as to keep their minds on getting out of clear and present danger as is represented by the threat posed by the Tholians. The script appears to be strange and contrived to say the least which is a pity.

Overall, two episodes that fall under the "nice to have but not essential viewing" category if you are picking which volumes to collect.