Unscrupulous archaeologist Paul Hudson "retrieves" several Egyptian artifacts, including a scroll supposedly containing a spell that gives its caster power over his enemies. To translate the scroll, he bullies graduate assistant Ahmed Zamani, and Hudson plans to use the spell's powers for his own purposes.
Segments like "Lost In Translation" are what make the cancellation of a show like "Darkroom" readily understandable. The central conceit is one that is not exactly novel -- the twist in "The Twilight Zone" episode "To Serve Man" is essentially built on the same conceit -- and while the specific comeuppance Hudson is dealt is slightly different, the path Kasica's and Scheff's script takes is utterly predictable. Prine's one-dimensional performance doesn't help, giving us nothing more than an arrogant, power-hungry fraud, and Zand's performance is the only (marginal) asset. It's a real shame that the writers and producers didn't take the time to put together a more innovative take on this old chestnut.
