How the ‘Star Trek: TNG’ Episode ‘Darmok’ Prioritized Communication Between Different Languages

Filmmaker Andrew Muir of The Art of Storytelling analyzed Darmok", the incredibly insightful 1991 episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation that dealt with using communication to bridge long-held divides between beings who don't share the same language.

I recently asked my audience which episodes of Star Trek the Next Generation" they considered to be the best. And one of the titles that consistently came up was Darmak".I found it interesting that of all the great episodes in this series ...people chose a story about language as their favorite.

Muir spoke further about the separation of language in the episode, noting that Picard made the effort to understand the deeper meaning and context of what the Tamarian captain Dathon was trying to communicate when he threw a dagger at him. Unfortunately, Picard's understanding came a bit too late for Dathon.

Tamrians speak primarily in metaphor using proper nouns to reference specific people and places that the translator has no context for. The Tamrians, frustrated by the failed discussion, decide to transport both captains to the surface of a nearby planet. The Tamrian captain Dayan has two blades so Picard naturally assumes this is a duel But it soon becomes apparent that Dayan has something else in mind and it's not aggressive. ...it's revealed that there's some kind of predator-like beast that's hunting Picard and Dayan. So Picard finally accepts the blade, but it's too late.