5. Universal translators
I really, really wish I had one of those when I moved to the United States at the age of 12 with little to no knowledge of the English language. The universal translator is one of those classic pieces that kind of demands a suspension of disbelief from the viewer. While the concept is ingenious and pretty needed to keep the flow of the story going smoothly, the execution often leaves viewers with more questions than answers.
How does it work instantaneously? How does it even translate new languages it has never encountered before? To add to it, there are episodes where there are no available translators, or the fact they malfunction serves as a critical plot point, leading us to question its reliability. These inconsistencies only show that the universal translator’s primary function is to facilitate the story’s pace by quickly bypassing language barriers -a significant and recurring obstacle in real life.
The universal translator is a storytelling tool used to keep the pacing and focus on the narrative. If characters had to struggle with language in every episode, the show would slow down dramatically, and it would keep viewers from its central themes and the episode’s plot. Much like warp drive or phasers, the universal translator exists to serve the story, not to offer a scientific method of instant translation.