It’s Thursday, my friends! That means it’s time for yet another installment of Tor.com‘s weekly feature, Star Trek Re-watch, by Dayton Ward and yours truly.

This week’s subject of scrutiny is the third-season episode “The Empath,” in which our heroes wake up in a dark, featureless space with a mute young woman who can sense emotions and heal with a touch.

This intriguing episode held up even better than I had remembered. Stylishly directed and photographed, smartly written, and beautifully played by everyone involved, this is a thought-provoking and moving hour of Star Trek.

Of course, that didn’t stop Dayton and me from making a few jokes at its expense, because … well, because we’re jerks, and that’s what Tor is paying us to do.

If you haven’t seen it in a while, watch “The Empath” now for free on the CBS website. A story of love, empathy, and sacrifice, it’s a good Star Trek story to watch right before Christmas (except for the whole torture and bondage aspect, which probably would have been a better fit with Easter).

If you’ve got time to spare while waiting for your egg to nog, take a gander at my and Dayton’s previous Re-watch entries:

1. Spock’s Brain
2. The Enterprise Incident
3. The Paradise Syndrome
4. And the Children Shall Lead
5. Is There in Truth No Beauty?
6. Spectre of the Gun
7. Day of the Dove
8. For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky
9. The Tholian Web
10. Plato’s Stepchildren
11. Wink of an Eye

As always, please leave comments on the Tor.com article, to let us know we’re not just hurling electrons into the ether without purpose. Until next week, a joyous holiday season to one and all!