Exhibit A: Jammer's review of Darmok
So he was fond of the episode, but he didn't like it as much as most people do. That's fine.. but then at the end of his review, when he talks about Picard's realization about the meaning of the phrases, he calls it a "narrative trick." I'm not sure why he'd coin it that way. It just kind of stuck me as odd, as if he respects it even though the writers cheat a bit on the story.
But even more puzzling was that he doesn't mention - not once - what I feel is the crux of the story.
At the end of the episode, Riker asks Picard about the book he was reading.
"Greek, sir?"
And then Picard comes back saying that more familiarity with our own tales might help us relate to theirs."
This scene wasn't mentioned.. nor was how it was applied in this very episode: the story of Gilgamesh.
First, Stewart's telling of this tale is just fantastic. Now the claim could be made that after the story is over, Dathon dies, so the story actually had little to do with how the episode ultimately plays out.
No. For me, whne I watch it, it's everything. When he is done telling the tale, Picard kind of thinks for a moment.. the episode pauses before going to commercial. In that moment, something - particularly the richness of the Tamarian culture (even aspects he doesn't understand yet) crystallizes in his head. In that moment, the idea of friendship and camaraderie seem to hit home. He truly understands these people in ways that are quite profound. Everything that happened previous to this is understood by Picard.. Picard changes. Regardless of whether it affects the "plot" or the "story mechanizations" is irrelevant. Picard has changed. His own realization is more important than the relationship between the Federation and the Tamarians.
To me it's similar to the Episode Emissary from DS9. Was Sisko really able to establish a common ground between humanity and non-corporeal entities? Probably not, and least not fully. The writers knew that would be a hard pill to swallow. Instead they made it more personal.. they made it more about Sisko, and what Sisko realizes about himself.. that he has been living in the past, unable to shake the horror of a single moment from his mind.. it made his own existence non-linear. A wonky sci fi idea has been made personal. That's more important than having every little detail patched up.
Anyway.. funny to me that Jammer never mentioned the scenes I refer to. They are the scenes that make me take notice when I watch this story. They are the scenes that give the story its resonance. Anyone can write fan fiction about the Enterprise meeting aliens that speak in metaphors, but its this understanding of ourselves and our culture that seems the first step in understanding anyone else.
So he was fond of the episode, but he didn't like it as much as most people do. That's fine.. but then at the end of his review, when he talks about Picard's realization about the meaning of the phrases, he calls it a "narrative trick." I'm not sure why he'd coin it that way. It just kind of stuck me as odd, as if he respects it even though the writers cheat a bit on the story.
But even more puzzling was that he doesn't mention - not once - what I feel is the crux of the story.
At the end of the episode, Riker asks Picard about the book he was reading.
"Greek, sir?"
And then Picard comes back saying that more familiarity with our own tales might help us relate to theirs."
This scene wasn't mentioned.. nor was how it was applied in this very episode: the story of Gilgamesh.
First, Stewart's telling of this tale is just fantastic. Now the claim could be made that after the story is over, Dathon dies, so the story actually had little to do with how the episode ultimately plays out.
No. For me, whne I watch it, it's everything. When he is done telling the tale, Picard kind of thinks for a moment.. the episode pauses before going to commercial. In that moment, something - particularly the richness of the Tamarian culture (even aspects he doesn't understand yet) crystallizes in his head. In that moment, the idea of friendship and camaraderie seem to hit home. He truly understands these people in ways that are quite profound. Everything that happened previous to this is understood by Picard.. Picard changes. Regardless of whether it affects the "plot" or the "story mechanizations" is irrelevant. Picard has changed. His own realization is more important than the relationship between the Federation and the Tamarians.
To me it's similar to the Episode Emissary from DS9. Was Sisko really able to establish a common ground between humanity and non-corporeal entities? Probably not, and least not fully. The writers knew that would be a hard pill to swallow. Instead they made it more personal.. they made it more about Sisko, and what Sisko realizes about himself.. that he has been living in the past, unable to shake the horror of a single moment from his mind.. it made his own existence non-linear. A wonky sci fi idea has been made personal. That's more important than having every little detail patched up.
Anyway.. funny to me that Jammer never mentioned the scenes I refer to. They are the scenes that make me take notice when I watch this story. They are the scenes that give the story its resonance. Anyone can write fan fiction about the Enterprise meeting aliens that speak in metaphors, but its this understanding of ourselves and our culture that seems the first step in understanding anyone else.
