#tamarians

[danshive]

An example of me being those aliens from Star Trek who only speak in references is when I quote Ina from Hololive saying "they don't know I'm/you're Ina" in reference to an unknown true identity.

The situation will have nothing to do with Ina, but the reference quote has that meaning for me.

[purplespacekitty]

Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel

I usually just do a few pictures from multiple episodes for these posts but the unhinged commentary between my friend @petracourtjester and I throughout this one was too good to not share. Plus, it’s “Darmok”.

For some context, this is her 1st time watching Star Trek and my 3rd time (I think?) watching "Darmok" specifically. First time I watched it I was too young to really understand what was happening.

Previous Many Days In the Life of a Trekkie posts: part 1, part 2

[cappadocius]

Y'all keep talking about Kayshon picking up his Naruto run from his human colleagues, but you're sleeping on the funniest answer - that is just how Tamarians run.

[doctorslippery]

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The Beattles went to #1 on the music charts of the Children of Tama...and stayed there...forever.

[datasbride]

I wonder, do Tamarians have generational shifts in their language.

Like, there are classics like Darmok and Jalad.

But once in a while the captain stares at the screen and suddenly goes "Badger, Badger. Badger, Badger..." and the science officer, who sits at the far end suddenly screams "Mushroom!". And the crew is like huh. And the two are like "You all are but a small flies born of the mist of this morning."

Then another time the young pilot, fresh from the academy goes "Skibidi Toilet!" and the captain is like "Explain this like Fronta to Renora" and the new ensines are like "You are but a remains of Zarepalum era embedded in rock".

Or whatever.

[noctumsolis]

Imagine if Data, after encountering the Tamarians in Darmok, had undertaken a diplomatic mission embedding himself in their culture. He could have spent a lifetime learning to understand them and their conceptual framework.

[sshbpodcast]

Top 3 Star Trek The Next Generation alien races

By Ames

Now that we’ve reminisced over our favorite minor characters and favorite villains from The Next Generation, A Star to Steer her By is rounding off our cruise on the Enterprise-D by thinking about our favorite alien races from the series. We did it before for The Original Series and found some deeply fascinating and outrageously campy aliens to highlight then, so what kind of aliens does one pick for The Next Generation? There are way more episodes to choose from and the aliens are more than just humans in a flashy jumpsuit, so let’s see them strut their stuff.

Sure, we see some of the staples that were introduced in the days of Kirk. The Klingons and Romulans both get significantly more development in culture in this slightly more modern show, and the occasional Vulcan still looks down their nose at you. But some of the best Trek races get their starts here in TNG and you’ll see those ones are going to fill our favorites lists. Check them all out below and listen to our discussion on this week’s podcast episode (discussion at 1:14:06) for all the extraterrestrial chatter. We sought out new lifeforms, and boy did we find ‘em!

[images © CBS/Paramount] 

Ames – More machine now than man

Borg

Exocomps

Bynars

I’ll admit that I’m a sucker for a good robot any day, whether they want to kill all humans, just develop their own agency, or just open a can. TNG introduces the Borg and it’s one of the best things they ever did, with impacts across other series galore. Plus they just look rad. We also meet the cute little Exocomps who have gained their own kind of sapience and who we’ll see more of in Lower Decks, wink wink. And finally the cybernetically enhanced Bynars are just too cool a concept to pass up, especially when they turn out to be benevolent in the end! Beep boop!

—

Jake – Allow me to introduce myself

Exocomps

Tamarians

Bajorans

Jake’s three top races just want to be respected as much as anyone else; you just need to put in a little extra effort to understand them. The Exocomps are making an appearance because of just how interesting it was discussing when a creature has rights like the rest of us. Sokath! His eyes uncovered! It was also worthwhile watching Picard learn how to communicate with Tamarians like Captain Dathon. And the whole Bajoran plight starts out so interesting when we meet Ensign Ro and ascertain what it means to wear that earring.

—

Chris – Power moves

Betazoids

Q Continuum

Satarrans

You’ve got to respect a race that rolls in and just takes charge whether they’re supposed to or not. We see it in the honest-to-a-fault Betazoids who always know what’s up because they can literally read your mind. We see it, of course, in the Q Continuum, our pick for most powerful species, for whom the whole galaxy is their table to put their feet up on. And we may only get a glimpse of it from the mysterious Satarrans in “Conundrum,” but their plan to infiltrate the Enterprise crew with an undercover MacDuff nearly gets another race destroyed!

—

Caitlin – Gimme a B!

Bajorans

Betazoids

Benzites

Any ABC book about Star Trek (and I’ve bought one before) is highly unfair to all of our favorite alien species who begin with B because there are just too many good ones! At least Caitlin has three opportunities to namedrop some great B species, from the Bajorans who get started off so well developed already in The Next Gen, to the Betazoids whose empathic powers help us all to remember to look inward once in a while, to the Benzites who had some of the best makeup and breathing apparatuses we get to see in Trek!

—

That’s it for our visit to The Next Generation for now! Back to full time assignment on the Voyager, where we’re still boldly going through the Delta Quadrant over on SoundCloud or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also read our minds over on Facebook and Twitter, and if you meet a species beginning with a B, consider befriending them immediately! Odds are good that they’ll be cool.

[highladyluck]

Taim, his vibes rancid

[take-a-dip-in-the-deadpool]

I swear to God! I've watched this episode maybe 10 times and I never noticed this stupid joke before. A+.

[cordership]

People keep comparing Tamarian from the episode "Darmok" to brainrotten memespeak, and to that I say:

[starleska]

just watched the Darmok episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation and i can feel my heart ripping in two. the joy of gradual shared understanding. the language based on an evolving mythos of events which can reflect any and every future event. Picard and Dathon becoming part of that mythos because of Dathon's sacrifice and Picard forging a new path for their species' relations. ohhhh God it's so good 💔💔💔

[originalleftist]

"Shaka, when the walls fell."

[purplespacekitty]

Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra

Gilgamesh and Enkidu at Uruk

Picard and Dathon at El-Adrel

[geekysteven]

[frostymj]

Tamarian language was based on memes.

When you're looking for a specific meme format without knowing what it's called, it's like speaking Tamarian with Google:

"Picard, his arm extended"

"Mother swimming with child, other child drowning". Etc.

Which brings me to the next thought - there must be Tamarian picture memes, that actually display phrases in their language. They may not be a standard for written language, as they're not efficient in print or long text, but they're there. And they send them to each other like emojis.

[doolallymagpie]

rip hoshi you would’ve loved the children of tama