S5:E2 Darmok

Synopsis: Ok, so really great and weird episode. Definitely ONE OF MY FAVORITES.

"I thought all your favorite episodes were Dixon Hill related!"

So, the Enterprise receives communications from an alien species, The Tamarians, who have a reputation for being just completely incomprehensible. The Universal Translator just goes, "Uhh...I dunno..." and everyone just sorta says, "Eh, one alien species we can't communicate with ain't so bad. Let's never try to rectify this." Here I am trying to picture this wacky alien species that has left all of the Federation and human race completely dumbfounded and scratching their heads. Some sort of hideous monster race, or a floating cloud of space dust for sure...

"I think I've been to enough conventions to know how to spell Melllvar..."

Well, they look like this:

"I'm sorry, you'll have to speak up, I'm ridiculously similar to your species."

Whaaaa?? Besides some long-ass nostrils and definite Klingon forehead action, this dude looks just like us! Why can't we at least communicate through body language? Ohhh, I see. Their language must be so jarring that the mere tone of their voice is too horrific for humans to even stand! Maybe??? 

OH WAIT. THEY SPEAK ENGLISH.

"No, I said, 'VERY NICE TO MEET YOU, CAPTAIN PICARD. I LIKE YOUR INFORMAL CAPTAIN'S SWEATER.' Jeez!"

All right, back to the plot. So, This particular Tamarian is Captain Dathon. He is trying to relay a message to Picard on the enterprise by repeating, "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra! DARMOK AND JALAD AT TANAGRA!" Okay, okay, I'm starting to see why this species is hard to deal with - THEY DON'T MAKE A LICK OF SENSE.

Derrr....huh?

The crew is obviously not getting anywhere with these weirdos, and the Tamarians know it, so they steal/beam away Picard and dump him on the planet they're orbiting, El-Adrel, with their Captain Dathon. Dathon throws a knife at Picard and repeats, "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra." Picard mistakes this gesture as aggressive, and immediately refuses to duel Dathon.

"I shan't have a scuffle in my new Captain's Jacket."

Dathon seems frustrated, but settles down for the night next to a fire. When he sees that Picard is cold, he shares his fire with him and says, "Temba, his arms wide."

PICARD - HIS ARMS WIDE!

Slowly but surely, Picard starts figuring out what the hell Dathon is babbling on about. With no help from the crew on the Enterprise (Riker is angry and making rash decisions), Picard makes the discovery that Dathon is speaking in metaphors that relate to his own species' folklore. Darmok and Jalad were enemies who did not understand each other. They came together on Tanagra, and island, where they fought off a mutual foe - a crazy beast! Then they became friends and left the island together - forever sealing their BFF status, "Darmok at Tanagra. Jalad at Tanagra. Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. The Beast at Tanagra. Darmok and Jalad on the ocean." This sequence seals the deal for Picard and he finally gets it. What a delight - this dude just wants to befriend the Federation, and is literally willing to die for it. Wait, so that means...

Darmok and Jalad sucker punch invisible beast.

THEY HAVE TO FIGHT A BEAST. This one is invisible (see above picture).

Remember when I said Riker was making rash decisions? Well, since he has no idea what is going on, he still is. He breaks through the planet's no-beaming shield, and gets a hold of Picard - leaving him in this half-beamed, half-present, quasi-solid state. JUST WHEN THE BEAST STRIKES!

Picture this, minus the Borg lady, plus the planet El-Adrel, minus the Enterprise, plus his new Captain's Jacket. Plus invisible beast.

Poor Dathon is left alone to fight off this beast - and of course receives a fatal wound. Picard is released just in time to see Dathon die. He says, "Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel." Ugh, I just got chills. Meanwhile, Troi and Data have just uncovered the Tamarian Language mystery and explain it to everyone [about time, guys...].

"O soft, but what light through yonder window breaks. 'Tis the East and Darmok is the sun!"

Bla bla, Picard is back on the Enterprise and is communicating fluently with Dathon's crew. They relays that Dathon is dead, ("Shaka, when the walls fell...") and that they completed the whole Darmok-Jalad-BFF thing. End-o-story. GREAT EPISODE. Here's the Tamarian "alphabet" for you guys to pour yourselves over. I know I did!

Something else:

This is the first episode where Ashley Judd is introduced as Ensign Robin Lefler.

SPOILER ALERT: Ashley ends up DATING WESLEY CRUSHER.

Merry Christmas, Trek-o-rama fans!