| "Darmok" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: The Next Generation episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 5 Episode 2 |
| Directed by | Winrich Kolbe |
| Story by | |
| Teleplay by | Joe Menosky |
| Featured music | Jay Chattaway |
| Cinematography by | Marvin Rush |
| Production code | 202 |
| Original air date | September 30, 1991 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Darmok" is the 102nd episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the second episode of the fifth season.
Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet crew of the Federation starship Enterprise-D. In this episode, the crew of the Enterprise is unable to establish meaningful communication with the crew of an alien vessel, which is resolved by the struggle of the ships' captains to defend each other from a vicious beast. It is often cited as one of the best episodes of both The Next Generation series and the entire family of Star Trek television series.[1][2]
The alien species introduced in this episode is noted for speaking in allegories, such as "Temba, his arms wide", which are indecipherable to the universal translator normally used in the television series to allow communication across different languages.[3] Captain Picard is abducted by these aliens and marooned with one of them on the surface of a planet, and must try to communicate.[3]