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Whistle Stopper - Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 102: Darmok
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List Price: $14.95
Our Price: $30.65
Your Save: $ ( % )
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Manufacturer: Paramount
Starring: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden
Directed By: LeVar Burton, Gates McFadden, Gabrielle Beaumont, Robert Becker, Cliff Bole
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: VHS Tape
EAN: 9786304111086
Format: Closed-captioned
ISBN: 6304111088
Label: Paramount
Manufacturer: Paramount
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Paramount
Release Date: 1996-08-27
Running Time: 46
Studio: Paramount
Theatrical Release Date: 1987-09-26
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Very original in many ways...
Comment: Plot: The Enterprise encounters a Tamarian battlecruiser in an effort (from both sides) to communicate. Suddenly, without warning, the Tamarian captain and Picard are transported to the planet for what appears to be a contest between captains to the death. As the Enterprise crew desperately tries to find a way to beam Capt. Picard back (the Tamarian ship has placed a scattering field that blocks transporter beams), Picard and Dathon (the Tamarian captain) continue to try and communicate to each other. When it becomes apparent that there's a deadly creature on the planet which Picard and Dathon must defeat or be killed, the Enterprise is forced to attack the Tamarian battlecruiser. What's going to happen next?
Great episode for several reasons: This episode was far more different compared to dealing with other species (Fighting the Borg, getting caught in the middle of a diplomatic crisis with some species, having to decide whether to obey the Prime Directive or save a under-technologicalized species, etc.) and it refreshing that both the sides were curious and non-aggresive in intent. Also, the way they try and communicate is very well done.
6 out of 5 stars...except they won't allow for 6 stars.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Children of Tama
Comment: Overall setting: The U.S.S. Enterprise is the flagship of the Federation's Star Fleet, and is captained by the somewhat aloof, intellectual, but also passionate Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). Almost one hundred years after Captain Kirk led an earlier Enterprise on its trek through the stars, this Enterprise continues to explore the galaxy and seek out intelligent life.
This episode: The Children of Tama, or Tamarians, are a humanoid race, but humans and Tamarians have never been able to communicate, despite the best translators (biological and technological) devised by either side. The Children of Tama just seem to throw out proper names interspersed with a few adjectives, pronouns, prepositions, and conjunctions, as in, "Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra." This inability to communicate has prevented exchange of ideas, trade, and mutual assistance and/or interchange of any kind. The two species have settled into a peaceful but unsatisfying non-relationship.
Until the Children of Tama decide to force the point. They signal the Enterprise, mentioning Captain Picard by name. The Enterprise and the Tamarian ship rendezvous, and Captain Picard vanishes. He and Dathon (Paul Winfield) have been transported down to a deserted (or is it?) planet. The Enterprise tries to rescue Picard, but the Children of Tama peacefully but adamantly prevent that. Picard and Dathon settle down into an intense attempt to communicate, and Picard gradually begins to understand the Tamarians' poetic, metaphorical, and analogy-based way of speaking.
The attempt to communicate becomes extremely important, as a daunting predator becomes to stalk the two captains, and it is clear that they can defeat it only by working together, which, of course, requires communication. Did the Tamarians put the monster there, to motivate everyone to learn to communicate? I don't think so, but I do believe that they knew the beast was there and would, sooner or later, begin hunting the two captains.
"Star Trek - The Next Generation" had a debut episode that made it clear that the goals were a series with lots of action, but also lots of dialog and thinking about ethical, moral, and social issues. They consistently strove to not become formulaic, and some of their episodes, like "Below Decks" and "The Crystalline Entity" were very, very creative.
"Darmok" is another episode that, for me, really stands out. Patrick Stewart and Paul Winfield are two very fine actors, and this premise, this script, and this setting gave them a chance to really show us their stuff. They not only met that challenge, they created something very special, very memorable, and very worthy of viewing. The entire episode was a piece of television art, and I applaud all who were involved in its making.
Customer Rating: 
Summary: Why did it take so long to recognize their speech patterns?
Comment: This is an episode based on an interesting premise, but the execution is poor. In the past, the Federation has had contact with a species called the Tamarians, but those contacts have been unproductive. The reports state that the Tamarians appeared friendly, tried very hard to communicate, but their speech was incomprehensible. The Enterprise responds to a signal from the Tamarians, and once again both sides attempt to open a dialog. However, that proves fruitless, as neither side can understand the other.
Suddenly, the Tamarians beam Picard and the captain of the Tamarian ship (Dathon) to the surface of a planet and the Tamarians set up an ionization field that prevents the captain from being beamed back up. When they arrive on the surface, the Tamarian captain tries to hand Picard a knife, although he interprets it as a challenge to fight and refuses to accept it. His attitude is quickly changed when a dangerous creature attacks them. Picard continues to try to communicate with Dathon, and finally makes a breakthrough as he finally realizes that the Tamarians communicate via metaphor.
The crew of the Enterprise has also reached this same conclusion, although that cannot help them communicate, since they do not know the mythology of the Tamarians, and most of their metaphors appear to be based on their historical legends. The reality is that Dathon has recreated a Tamarian legend of two strangers stranded on an island and forced to cooperate to survive. Unfortunately, the crew of the Enterprise manages to penetrate the ionization field long enough to attempt to beam Picard up. The creature chooses that time to attack and since Picard is incapacitated in the transporter beam, Dathon is alone and critically injured. The beam-up fails and Picard is with Dathon when he dies. Before that happens, they finally manage to communicate.
The situation between the Enterprise and the Tamarian ship deteriorates to the point that they begin firing on each other. Picard is beamed up and manages to communicate with the first officer of the Tamarian ship, explaining what happened. The battle is ended and the two species part in an amicable way.
When I watched this episode for the first time, I blurted out, "You idiots, they are communicating in metaphors." What makes this episode fail is that it takes so long for the Enterprise crew to realize that the Tamarians communicate using metaphors. If there is one thing that humans do well, it is understand metaphors. This would be especially true for people who are trained to encounter other species, where a wrong word could be fatal, or even start an interstellar war. Furthermore, the metaphors are not that difficult to understand. Therefore, this episode is weaker that it should have been, even though the premise of the attempted alliance could have been a strong one.
Customer Rating:
Summary: "Darmok and Jalad at Tenargra"
Comment: In the fifth season, in a huge matter of coinecdence and luck. The two best shows of the fifth season came before and after two part conclusions and cliffhangers. That would be The Inner Light, which aired before Time's Arrow part one. And Darmok, which aired after Redemption part 2. It also should be noted that Patrick Stewart's best season five performances are in these two episodes. Darmok is a piece of brilliant television writing. Its a story of what if you can't rely on the universal translator? What if you had to rely on someones trust to lead you to your goal. Both of the captains don't understand each other. But when an enemy attacks them, Picard finally understand that the aliens language is based off metophors of famous events in the alien's culture. In another beautiful scene when Picard tells the alien the myth of Glighmesh. All around the show is brilliant. Both Patrick Stewart and the late Paul Winfield are amazing. This episode and the second to last episode The Inner Light are the seasons two best. And the series overall.
Customer Rating:
Summary: You've got to be kidding
Comment: How anyone can enjoy this episode is beyond me. The Tamarians speak in riddles and even after seeing this countless times, I still cannot explain what the point is. Trying to understand what's going on is like listening to politicians talk about nothing. Don't waste your money.
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Editorial Reviews:
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The Children of Tama are a mysterious, rarely encountered race whose language is indecipherable even by the Universal Translator. This is because Tamarians speak in metaphor, which is strange and poetic, but, without a frame of reference, also gibberish. After yet another failed attempt at communication, the Tamarians take drastic measures: they kidnap Picard and beam him to the surface of a hostile planet along with their own captain. What follows is an interesting, well-acted story of the struggle to understand. Don't be put off by the premise. "Darmok" is one of the best episodes of TNG. It's action-packed and holds its own next to "The Best of Both Worlds, Part I," "Time's Arrow," and "Descent." Thanks to Joe Menosky's brilliant teleplay and Paul Winfield's solid acting, this uphill battle in futility shows what probably would happen when two truly alien races attempt to communicate. There is genuine desperation in Dathon's (Winfield) eyes when he attempts to explain "Darmok and Jalad at Tenagra" for what seems like the millionth time. Watching Picard struggle to understand is downright painful, as is the inevitable confrontation that follows. The viewer comes to care what happens to the Tamarians. We want to know this alien race; but at the same time, we also know we'll probably never comprehend them. In series television, it's almost unheard of for a show to depart from canon. TNG takes a huge chance with "Darmok" and the end result is worth watching again and again. --Kayla Riggney
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