Darmok
| Star Trek: TNG episode | |
| "Darmok" | |
Picard and his alien companion battle an invisible enemy in "Darmok" |
|
| Episode no. | 502 |
|---|---|
| Prod. code | 202 |
| Airdate | September 30, 1991 |
| Writer(s) | Joe Menosky, Phillip LaZebnik |
| Director | Winrich Kolbe |
| Guest star(s) | Paul Winfield |
| Year | 2368 |
| Stardate | 45047.2 |
| Episode chronology | |
| Previous | "Redemption" |
| Next | "Ensign Ro" |
"Darmok" is an episode of the television science fiction series Star Trek: The Next Generation, first broadcast in the United States on September 30, 1991. It was written by Joe Menosky. The episode contains a brief but notable recounting of the Gilgamesh epic, which is communicated by Picard to the Tamarian captain. The episode has an average rating of 4.4/5 on the official Star Trek website (as of September 8, 2007).[1]
Synopsis
The episode examines the interactions between the USS Enterprise's crew and a race called "The Children of Tamar." A Tamarian captain abducts Captain Picard in an eager attempt to bridge their language gap through archetypal, intense shared experience. The Enterprise captain and crew must decipher the Tamarian's metaphorical language, or risk failing in the opening of diplomatic relations and, worse, losing Captain Picard to a meaningless death at the hands of an entity with the capability to disappear.
The story centers on Captain Picard, played by Patrick Stewart, and Dathon of the Tamarian race, played by Paul Winfield. The Tamarian language, although "translated" by the universal translator device, is still unintelligible, because it is too deeply rooted in local metaphor to preserve information during translation. When the Tamarians realize this attempt has failed, the Tamarian captain gives the order to have Picard and himself transported to the planet Elandril, which is occupied by a hostile entity.
While Picard and Dathon are on the planet, the crew of the Enterprise attempts to piece together some kind of meaning in the actions and words of the Tamarians. Through the use of research, Troi and Data are able to figure out the basic structure of the language, but this does not lead to further ability for communication. On the other hand, through the use of situational knowledge and rudimentary sign language, Picard begins to understand the semantics of the Tamarian language. Unfortunately, during the climax, the Enterprise and the Tamarians enter battle which each other. At the same time, Picard and Dathon begin a battle with the dangerous entity inhabiting the plant, which results in Dathon's death. However, after Picard is transported back to the USS Enterprise, he is able to communicate with the Tamarians using their own metaphors and end the conflict.
The title of the episode comes from one of the metaphors Dathon uses: "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra." In origin, this refers to the situation in which heroes must learn to trust each other so that they may work together to defeat a common foe. However, the phrase also speaks to the Tamarian's beliefs about captivity, combat, and relationships, as the phrase seems to imply by itself the inevitable forging of meaningful, positive ties between emissaries, should they also be comrades in a violent struggle.
Gilgamesh retelling
As the alien captain (Dathon) lies dying from wounds received as he and Picard fought together against their attacker, he appears to ask Picard to tell him a story from his own culture. Reluctantly, Picard agrees, telling a highly condensed version of part of the Epic of Gilgamesh that underscored the universal theme of their encounter:
Gilgamesh, a king. Gilgamesh, a king. At Uruk. He tormented his subjects. He made them angry. They cried out aloud, "Send our king a companion! Spare us from his madness!" Enkidu, a wild man from the forest, entered the city. They fought in the temple. They fought in the street. Gilgamesh defeated Enkidu. They became great friends. Gilgamesh and Enkidu, at Uruk. The new friends went out into the desert together, where the Great Bull of Heaven was killing men by the hundreds. Enkidu caught the Bull by the tail; Gilgamesh struck him with his sword. Killed him. They were victorious. But Enkidu fell to the ground, struck down by the gods. And Gilgamesh wept bitter tears, saying, "He who was my companion through adventure and hardship, is gone forever ..."
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