This episode, 'Darmok', is the "other side" of science fiction and Star Trek. If you are able to appreciate space exploration without phasers and photon torpedoes and universal translators, this is Star Trek at its very best. This is learning to communicate verbally on a base level using metaphor and points of reference as language... This isn't Kirk wanting to shoot first and ask questions later. This is Picard and crew having to reason it out from square one. This is what Next Gen does best. It is Star Trek the way Gene Roddenberry saw it. If you want beams of light and things disintegrating in a sparkling blaze, try the 'Doomsday Machine'. If you prefer mental gymnastics, this is more your dish... This episode is often compared to 'Arena' from the original series and yes, there are numerous similarities in structure and plot. However, the differences, development and conclusions are equally dissimilar... Watch it for yourself and just enjoy it as part of "going boldly where no one has gone before"...
One of the very best Next Gen episodes. Certainly one of the top five of all time including all the series.
1 June 2018
Warning: Spoilers