Posted September 16, 2021
DiffuseReflection: Congratulations for the upcoming birthday! I am happy to enter the party, and any of the draws. Here are my answers:
1. My favorite Star Trek episode is the Next Generation episode "Darmok", where the TNG crew are trying to establish first contact with an alien race whose language is unique: all of their expressions are based on references to their history and legends, making them seemingly impossible to understand to someone who does not have a shared history. Picard and the alien captain end up on a hostile world together, working together to survive while trying to reach across their distrust and language barrier. The two captains eventually bond successfully, although at great cost, and Picard learns the rudiments of their language. Their experiences together become a new part of the aliens' language.
I think the episode is great for being all about communication and overcoming barriers. It's also an exploration of language, and of the importance of stories. One of the ways Picard learns to communicate is by telling the alien part of the tale of Gilgamesh, one of the first known surviving stories in our history (it's from ancient Mesopotamia, written on stone tablets about 2000 BC) - I think it was a beautiful way to bring together a story of our earliest history within a story of our far future.
Darmok is one of the most memorable standalone episodes ever, not just in Star Trek. 1. My favorite Star Trek episode is the Next Generation episode "Darmok", where the TNG crew are trying to establish first contact with an alien race whose language is unique: all of their expressions are based on references to their history and legends, making them seemingly impossible to understand to someone who does not have a shared history. Picard and the alien captain end up on a hostile world together, working together to survive while trying to reach across their distrust and language barrier. The two captains eventually bond successfully, although at great cost, and Picard learns the rudiments of their language. Their experiences together become a new part of the aliens' language.
I think the episode is great for being all about communication and overcoming barriers. It's also an exploration of language, and of the importance of stories. One of the ways Picard learns to communicate is by telling the alien part of the tale of Gilgamesh, one of the first known surviving stories in our history (it's from ancient Mesopotamia, written on stone tablets about 2000 BC) - I think it was a beautiful way to bring together a story of our earliest history within a story of our far future.
Haha. This reminded me I must be thankful to my parents for exposing me to Planet of the Apes at a sufficiently young age so popular culture didn't spoil the ending.
Post edited September 16, 2021 by ConsulCaesar