Darmok

Discussion in 'Star Trek: The Next Generation' started by jazzstick, Aug 14, 2013.

  1. jazzstick

    jazzstick Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    May 10, 2009
    Location:
    The Darkside of The Moon
    Hey!

    When ever someone asks me which episode embodies Star Trek or is a good place to start if they want to know what the show is all about I always point them to "Darmok"!

    From the first time I watched it all those years ago I was blown away by the creativity and imagination of this story and felt that if there was ever an episode that embodied Gene's vision for the future this was it!

    Human's using their minds to over come a language barrier and maek first contacat, man I get chills just thinking about it!

    What do you guys think? Is there an episode that could top this one as being the most Trek?

    Temba, his arms wide!
     
    Trekker4747 likes this.
  2. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Location:
    Great Britain
    "Duet".

    But this can vary from show to show.
     
  3. jazzstick

    jazzstick Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    May 10, 2009
    Location:
    The Darkside of The Moon

    That one seems sow speicfic to DS9 but yeah that one is fantastic. I watch it and it stays with me for days after!

    So thats

    TNG:Darmok

    DS9: Duet

    Ok what else?
     
  4. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jun 15, 2012
    Location:
    Shangri-La
    Yeah.. the whole "universal translator" thing really did soft pedal this issue. To me this episode is probably the best representation of the hope for a better future that Trek is about. Sure the whole metaphor language is silly, but that's really not what the episode is about at all.

    Only downside about this is Riker comes across as a bigger jerk than usual in this episode. Duet also is a great episode, but it's more about over coming prejudices and intolerance than the whole better future. They're similar and intertwined, but not quite the same.
     
  5. bbjeg

    bbjeg Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 24, 2013
    Location:
    Right here buddy.
    Darmok is by far my top episode. Not just from Picard's angle but the crews response as well. From a hopeful beginning, to the near destruction of the ship which could have started a war, all due to a misunderstanding. It's the trek of all treks IMO.
     
    Last edited: Aug 14, 2013
  6. Hober Mallow

    Hober Mallow Commodore Commodore

    It's not the metaphor language, per say, that's silly, it's that all languages everywhere are metaphors. There is no such thing as a purely literal language, so by the logic of the episode, the UT shouldn't work.

    I like the episode, particularly Picard's retelling of an episode in the Gilgamesh epic, but you have to get past the really silly premise.
     
  7. Makarov

    Makarov Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Jul 9, 2013
    Great episode but I wouldn't use it as a place to start. Because the communication is frustrating the characters it could also frustrate a new viewer.
     
  8. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2001
    Location:
    I said out, dammit!
    I love the ep, but my wife can never watch it again - she was asked by a friend to make Picard's jacket, and we spent a couple of days freeze-framing, Fast-forwarding, freeze-framing, rewinding, freeze-framing. :lol: She became sick to death of seeing it. The jacket came out great, though.
     
  9. Mojochi

    Mojochi Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 18, 2007
    Could say the same thing about all off Star Trek

    Some other TNG episodes that have some of the flavor of the Roddenberry vision would maybe be Galaxy's Child &/or Tin Man
     
  10. vulcan redshirt

    vulcan redshirt Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Jun 22, 2013
    Location:
    UK
    I would agree that Darmok is one of Trek's better episodes. Thinking back, this may actually have been the very first Trek episode I ever watched.
     
  11. Gojira

    Gojira Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2008
    Location:
    Stompin' on Tokyo
    Darmok is a great episode but it was one that had to grow on me. I guess because I too felt the frustration of the characters while I was watching it. That type of frustration was hard to sit through.
     
  12. bbjeg

    bbjeg Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    May 24, 2013
    Location:
    Right here buddy.
    ^Shaka, when the walls fell. :rolleyes:
     
  13. Gojira

    Gojira Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2008
    Location:
    Stompin' on Tokyo
    ^ darmok and jalad at tanagra
     
  14. Jerikka Dawn

    Jerikka Dawn Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2004
    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Aug 17, 2013
  15. Gojira

    Gojira Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Oct 15, 2008
    Location:
    Stompin' on Tokyo
    It was a great concert!!
     
  16. Kevman7987

    Kevman7987 Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    May 20, 2013
    Location:
    Erie, PA, USA
    When they came back out for the encore and performed The Epic of Gilgamesh, the audience lost their shit!
     
  17. Jerikka Dawn

    Jerikka Dawn Captain Captain

    Joined:
    Jul 1, 2004
    I especially loved the stage show during "The Beast at Tenagra"
     
  18. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    For an episode that embodies Trek's philosophy, I'd recommend TOS's "The Devil in the Dark".
     
  19. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2001
    Location:
    America, Fuck Yeah!!!
    I'd add The Corbomite Maneuver. :techman:
     
  20. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    As far as TNG goes, one could do a lot worse than following up with Season 2's "The Measure of a Man". Perhaps Picard's best speechifying moment.