Is There in Truth No Beauty ? ( episode ) A beautiful woman escorts an alien ambassador so hideously ugly that the sight of him can drive a Human insane . Summary . Teaser . The is assigned to transport the Medusan ambassador Kollos back to his homeworld . Brilliant navigator s with unique mental abilities , the Medusans are so different physically that any Human s go insane at just the mere sight of them . Vulcan s , however , can safely view them by wearing a protective visor . The ambassador ( in a protective box ) beams aboard along with Dr . Miranda Jones and Larry Marvick , one of the designers of the " Enterprise " s engines . Act One . Kirk clears the way on the " Enterprise " for Spock and Jones to escort the ambassador to his quarters . Jones says she is a telepath tasked with performing a Vulcan mind meld with the ambassador , which has never been done before . Spock was initially asked for the assignment , but he turned it down . Jones becomes suspicious of this . At dinner in full dress , Dr . Jones tells Captain Kirk , Scott ( in a kilt ) , McCoy and Marvick that she studied on Vulcan for four years to learn ( among other things ) how to temper her telepathic abilities , shutting out the thoughts of others , and not go mad . Her goal for the mind link is a preliminary step toward Medusans becoming navigators on starship s . Marvick ' s part will be to adapt the instrumentation to meet the needs of those navigators . At the dinner , Dr . Jones points out that Spock is wearing an IDIC , but he reassures her that he wears it to honor her and not to suggest that he could more easily use the Vulcan mind meld to communicate with the Medusans . McCoy wonders aloud why someone would risk going mad by attempting this research . Spock chides McCoy for subscribing to the " outmoded notion promulgated by your ancient Greek s that what is good must also be beautiful . " Kirk concedes that one of the last prejudices faced by Humans is to be attracted to what is beautiful , and makes a toast to Jones , " the most beautiful woman to grace a starship . " Jones retorts by wondering why McCoy would look on disease and suffering for the rest of his life , and he then gives a toast " to whatever she wants the most . " Before they take another drink , Jones receives the disturbing sensation that someone nearby is thinking of murder . The feeling passes but she quickly excuses herself . It turns out that Marvick loves Jones . He comes to her quarters and pleads with her not to go with Kollos , but she rejects him . She then realizes that it ' s Marvick who wants to commit murder , and she urges him to seek help , but he leaves . Marvick tries to kill Kollos with a hand phaser , but looks upon him during the attempt . He goes mad and runs out of Kollos ' room down a corridor in a frenzy . Act Two . An insane Marvick heads to engineering , knocking out Hadley on the way . Kirk , Spock , and McCoy , accompanied by Lemli and Leslie , go to the ambassador ' s quarters where they find Dr . Jones . She informs them that no harm has come to Kollos , although Larry Marvick tried to kill him . Jones confirms that Marvick did see Kollos , at which Spock notes that dangerous insanity will soon result in him . In engineering , Scotty , thinking Marvick has taken him up on his previous bet that he wouldn ' t be able to handle the controls he helped design , hands over the console to Marvick . As he does , Kirk makes a shipwide announcement that Marvick has just attempted to murder Kollos , that he is insane and extremely dangerous . Scotty tries to wrestle Marvick away from the controls , but Marvick attacks him and his staff and speeds the " Enterprise " past warp factor 9 . 5 which propels them through the Galactic barrier and into an uncharted void far outside the Milky Way Galaxy . Spock and Chekov try to disengage the engines from the bridge ' s engineering station , but have no luck . Upon hearing Marvick ' s ranting in engineering , Kirk , McCoy , and a security team , along with Dr . Jones , rush to the engine room to stop Marvick . Still ranting and raving , Marvick tries to grab Jones by the throat and screams at everyone to not love her , as she will kill them if anyone loves her . He then utters that he loves her , and suddenly dies of sheer terror . Act Three . The " Enterprise " is now stranded in an uncharted void with no known points of reference by which to return to normal space . Spock says that in going beyond warp 9 . 5 , the " Enterprise " entered a space - time continuum and left the galaxy . Kirk wonders whether Kollos with his superior navigational abilities inherent to Medusans can get the ship home ; however , in order for the attempt to take place Spock must mind meld with Kollos so that he can provide the navigational skill while Spock physically pilots the ship . Spock notes Jones will certainly not allow it , and cannot be confined to quarters due to her abilities . Kirk decides to occupy her in an arboretum by asking her about her future . She eventually understands what is happening , and rushes to Kollos ' quarters . Spock , already there , says he must be the one since he can pilot a starship . Furthermore , Dr . McCoy has surmised her secret and reveals that she is blind . Jones admits that she hides her blindness because she hates the pity of others , and has been using a sensor web worn over her clothes to feign sight . Jones argues that her sensor web gives her more detailed information than Human vision . Nonetheless , Kirk insists that she communicate with Kollos to understand that it is necessary for Spock to meld with Kollos . Kollos is brought to the bridge , and Spock initiates the mind meld near his station with a protective shield covering Kollos . Kollos speaks through Spock , recognizing Kirk as an " old friend , " McCoy , and Uhura . Kollos / Spock succeeds in returning the " Enterprise " to normal space by taking the helm from Sulu . Before returning , Kollos notes " how compact these bodies are " and how " remarkable " language is , but that Humans are " so alone , you live out your lives in this shell of flesh . . . terribly lonely . " However , when the time comes to break the link , Kollos / Spock forgets the visor and looks upon Kollos in its native form . Act Four . Spock arises from behind the shield stunned , and begins attacking crewmembers , until Kirk has to stun him with a phaser in which he may die as a result . Spock is taken to sickbay , where Jones , with her Vulcan training , may be able to repair Spock ' s damaged mind . Against McCoy ' s advice , Kirk enters sickbay to convince her to help . She argues that she cannot help Spock , because his " mind has gone down too much " . Kirk confronts her with her jealousy of Spock ' s ability and accuses her of not wanting Spock to recover , telling her that the true " ugliness is within you . " Jones refuses to acknowledge the truth of her jealousy , telling Kirk to go away . Kirk leaves and tells McCoy that he may have made a mistake in going in to confront her and if Jones lets Spock die , that it was because she could not stand to hear the truth . Jones ultimately decides to help Spock , and successfully melds with and heals him . As a result , Jones gains her desired ability to link with Kollos to the same level that Spock can . In the transporter room , Jones meets Kirk and tells him that his words enabled her to see ; Kirk gives her a rose . Jones tells Spock that she understands the great joy Spock felt upon linking with Kollos , and Spock is pleased that she understands . They wish each other peace and long life before Jones beams over to the Medusan ship . Memorable quotes . " " Ambassador Kollos often finds the process of transport somewhat unsettling . " " " " I understand . Our ship ' s surgeon often makes the same complaint . " " " " Vulcan is not my idea of fun . " " " " I think most of us are attracted by beauty and repelled by ugliness . One of the last of our prejudices . At the risk of sounding prejudiced , gentlemen , here ' s to beauty . " " " " How can one so beautiful condemn herself to look upon ugliness the rest of her life ? Will we allow it , gentlemen ? " " " " How can one so full of joy and the love of life as you , Doctor , condemn yourself to look upon disease and suffering for the rest of your life ? Can we allow that , gentlemen ? " " " " The controls are all yours , and the bottle of scotch will be in your room this evening - if you can handle them . " " " " Don ' t love her ! Don ' t love her ! She ' ll kill you if you love her ! I love you , Miranda . " " " " A madman got us into this and it ' s beginning to look as if only a madman can get us out . " " " " In some ways , she is still most Human captain , particularly in the depth of her jealously . " " " " You said that Pity is the worst [ emotion ] of all . " " < br > " " Pity , . . . Which I Hate . . " " " " My compliments to you . And to your dressmaker . " " " " And Uhura , whose name means freedom . She walks in beauty , like the night . " " " " That ' s not Spock . " " " " Are you surprised to find that I ' ve read Byron , Doctor ? " " " " That ' s Spock ! " " " " How compact your bodies are . And what a variety of senses you have . This thing you call . . . language though - most remarkable . You depend on it , for so very much . But is any one of you really its master ? But most of all , the aloneness . You are so alone . You live out your lives in this . . . shell of flesh . Self - contained . Separate . How lonely you are . How terribly lonely . " " " " With my words , I ' ll make you hear such ugliness as Spock saw when he looked at Kollos with his naked eyes ! The ugliness is within you ! " " " " Now , Spock , this is to the death . Or to life for both of us . " " " " I suppose it has thorns . " " " " I never met a rose that didn ' t . " " " " The glory of creation is in its infinite diversity . " " " " And the ways our differences combine to create meaning and beauty . " " Links and references . References . Antarean brandy ; antigrav ; blindness ; " Bones " ; centimeter ; dressmaker ; Earth ; Federation ; galactic barrier ; IDIC ; insanity ; Kollos ; Lord Byron ; Medusan s ; Medusan homeworld ; Medusan vessel ; meter ; Milky Way Galaxy ; mind - link ; patient ; prejudice ; red alert ; sadism ; sensor web ; ship ' s surgeon ; strangulation ; suffocation ; telepathy ; toast ; visor ; ; Vulcan s ; Vulcan salute ; warp drive