Darmok

[Tyyr]

Ok, this is an undeniably great episode. I love it and got to watch it again last night. Something that's always bothered me though, how in the hell do you manage to have a technologically advanced race who communicates only in metaphor? This might work with a stone age family group who have all been around to see the same thing, share in the same previous experiences but how do you manage that with a space faring race? For instance, at the end with "Picard and Dathon at El Adrel"...how does that make it into the language? The only people who saw it was the ship's crew. When they have to explain it to the rest of their civilization what will they say, "Darmok and Talad at Tamagra." The new phrase will just be another way of saying the old one. Any meaning or depth in the Picard and Dathon metaphor will be lost on society as a whole.

How does a new idea get into the civilization? Their entire form of communication relies of a group of metaphors from their ancient past. Can anyone think of a legend that would let you communicate the theory of relativity? Quantum mechanics? How about technical direction like "Tune the radio to 54.33 Mhz" or "Go to warp 5,"?

I can see a civilization that relies heavily on metaphor but not one that has that as its only method of communication.

[Nickswitz]

I don't think that it was that they we're speaking specifically in metaphor, I thought it was a UT thing, where that's what it got from what he said.

[Tyyr]

I dunno, all the dialogue in the episode pointed towards a purely metaphorical means of communication. No one seemed to think they were getting anything other than exactly what the Tamarians were actually saying.

[Sionnach Glic]

Yeah, it seems like it was all metaphorical.

As for how they discuss technical stuff, no idea. Presumably still in metaphors.

Go to warp 5

"We fly like that crazy Captain Archer"?

[RK_Striker_JK_5]

Yeah, it seems like it was all metaphorical.

As for how they discuss technical stuff, no idea. Presumably still in metaphors.

Go to warp 5

"We fly like that crazy Captain Archer"?

"Archer, his maximum speed."

"Mayweather, his only action."

[Bryan Moore]

Ok, this is an undeniably great episode. I love it and got to watch it again last night. Something that's always bothered me though, how in the hell do you manage to have a technologically advanced race who communicates only in metaphor? This might work with a stone age family group who have all been around to see the same thing, share in the same previous experiences but how do you manage that with a space faring race? For instance, at the end with "Picard and Dathon at El Adrel"...how does that make it into the language? The only people who saw it was the ship's crew. When they have to explain it to the rest of their civilization what will they say, "Darmok and Talad at Tamagra." The new phrase will just be another way of saying the old one. Any meaning or depth in the Picard and Dathon metaphor will be lost on society as a whole.

How does a new idea get into the civilization? Their entire form of communication relies of a group of metaphors from their ancient past. Can anyone think of a legend that would let you communicate the theory of relativity? Quantum mechanics? How about technical direction like "Tune the radio to 54.33 Mhz" or "Go to warp 5,"?

I can see a civilization that relies heavily on metaphor but not one that has that as its only method of communication.

This has bothered me too. I know it's not likely, but its possible that they also have some sort of telepathy or something that allows them to convey technology? Silly, but it's possible.

[Sionnach Glic]

I really don't think so.

[Tyyr]

They didn't seem to have any idea what to do with non-metaphorical speech. I don't think they have any other method of communication.

[Mark]

I have a confession to make. I detested Darmok. I thought it was a long, drawn out episode, with a weak alien species. The whole "communicating in metephor" made NO sense to me since the very first time the show aired, and still eludes me. If your talking to someone that doesn't KNOW the story you refer to, how do you explain?

[Mikey]

The specific device used to create the whole inability to communicate was weak, admittedly, but that IMHO is like checking the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for a single burned-out bulb.

[steamrunner]

The specific device used to create the whole inability to communicate was weak, admittedly, but that IMHO is like checking the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for a single burned-out bulb.

Now THAT'S a metaphor!

[Nickswitz]

The specific device used to create the whole inability to communicate was weak, admittedly, but that IMHO is like checking the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for a single burned-out bulb.

Now THAT'S a metaphor!

Pssst... It's a simile...

[Tyyr]

I have a confession to make. I detested Darmok. I thought it was a long, drawn out episode, with a weak alien species. The whole "communicating in metephor" made NO sense to me since the very first time the show aired, and still eludes me. If your talking to someone that doesn't KNOW the story you refer to, how do you explain?

Hey, I think Jetrel is absolute irredeemable shit.

I agree, the vehicle used to create the problem, a method of communication that stops being effective past the stone age and groups of people larger than a famil, is very weak. However I think the result of that is a great episode. Yes its drawn out for Star Trek but Trek is like instant gratification sci-fi. It's one of the few times a problem took all episode to work around and they didn't actually resolve the issue and make them start speaking perfect English by modulating something.

[steamrunner]

The specific device used to create the whole inability to communicate was weak, admittedly, but that IMHO is like checking the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for a single burned-out bulb.

Now THAT'S a metaphor!

Pssst... It's a simile...

Ooops...my bad...

[thelordharry]

The specific device used to create the whole inability to communicate was weak, admittedly, but that IMHO is like checking the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree for a single burned-out bulb.

Now THAT'S a metaphor!

Pssst... It's a simile...

or a smiley?