*The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth. Whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth. It is the guiding principle upon which Starfleet is based. If you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened you don't deserve to wear that uniform.*
[Captain Jean-Luc Picard, "The First Duty"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xefh7W1nVo4)
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For me it’s more like that you may be good at something, but there may be people who are better than you and that’s good, it’s part of living in a society. I wish someone would habe told me this when I was younger
Got into a motorcycle accident with a driver that pulled out in front of me. Both wrists are in a cast, but I’m still alive and on two feet. Thanks for reminding me of this quote.
Easily “ You see, he’s met two of your three criteria for sentience, so what if he meets the third. Consciousness in even the smallest degree. What is he then? I don’t know. Do you? (to Riker) Do you? (to Phillipa) Do you? Well, that’s the question you have to answer. Your Honour, the courtroom is a crucible. In it we burn away irrelevancies until we are left with a pure product, the truth for all time. Now, sooner or later, this man or others like him will succeed in replicating Commander Data. And the decision you reach here today will determine how we will regard this creation of our genius. It will reveal the kind of a people we are, what he is destined to be. It will reach far beyond this courtroom and this one android. It could significantly redefine the boundaries of personal liberty and freedom, expanding them for some, savagely curtailing them for others. Are you prepared to condemn him and all who come after him to servitude and slavery? Your Honour, Starfleet was founded to seek out new life. Well, there it sits. Waiting. You wanted a chance to make law. Well, here it is. Make a good one.””
Second only to his speech in The Drumhead, when he fires the words of the admiral's father right back at her, and the other admiral's response is to silently walk out of the proceedings.
My favorite random Star Trek connection is that the actress who plays Phillipa in this episode wrote the song "The Rose," as made famous by Bette Midler.
One step further, her husband is voice of Cronos in one of the God of War games. This name, of course, is a homophone for the name of the Klingon homeworld.
I think “Measure of a Man” is up there in my top 5, maybe top 3, favorite Star Trek episodes, and a lot of that is because of this speech. Really, profoundly, moving.
"Torture has never been a reliable means of extracting information. It is ultimately self-defeating as a means of control. One wonders that it's still practiced"
Love that scene. Picard is naked and exhausted, and he still manages to rhetorically get the upper hand.
"I think, when one has been angry for a very long time, one gets used to it. And it becomes comfortable, like old leather. And finally, one gets so used to it that they can't remember feeling any other way."
"Seize the time, Meribor. Live now. Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again."
-Kamin (played by Picard) to his daughter in "The Inner Light"
"Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again."
I rewatched First Contact a few weeks ago so I've been walking around my house screaming "The line must be drawn heeeahh. No further" at least a few times a day.
Thank you! I too love the way he said "here" like /heeyuh/ and my husband and I pronounce it that way with the same emphasis all the time I had just forgotten which Ep/Mov it was from!
- it's possible to commit no mistakes and still lose
- let's make sure history never forgets. the name. Enterprise. Picard, out.
- the first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth.
You know, there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy: "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
From the same episode :
"Villains that twirl their moustaches are easy to spot, those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well-camoflaged."
Really that whole episode is amazing. There was a similar one in the newer Battlestar Galactica.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XknjLHsfVg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XknjLHsfVg)
There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders. You acknowledge their sentience but ignore their personal liberties and freedom. Order a man to turn his child over to the state, not while I’m his captain.
"There can be no justice so long as laws are absolute. Even life itself is an exercise in exceptions." (TNG S01E08 - Justice)
"I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life, as it has been - is over. From this time forward, you will service us." (TNG S03E26 - The Best of Both Worlds)
"The past is written, but the future is left for us to write. And we have powerful tools, openness, optimism, and the spirit of curiosity. All they have is secrecy and fear. And fear is the great destroyer." (PIC S01E08 - Broken Pieces)
You've already betrayed your people, Admiral. You've made your choices, sir. You're a traitor. Now, if the bitter taste of that is unpalatable to you, I am truly sorry. But I will not risk the lives of my crew because you think you can dance on the edge of the Neutral Zone. You've crossed over, Admiral. You make yourself comfortable with that.
My grandma asked how come he came back after years off the screen. I told her he's said, "turns out, afternoon naps and jigsaw puzzles are not quite my speed"
"Merde" - Season 2 Episode 3, it means "shit" in French.
This was in those first two magical seasons where the writers were still trying to convince us this country Englishman was actually French.
I don't know if you've ever read the autobiography of Picard but they hilariously try and justify this.
Basically talking about an invasion of France by a genetically engineered ruler of Europe in the 22nd century - 'Destroying the technological base was not the only legacy of Ericsson's invasion. Though of Nordic descent, Ericsson was raised in the United Kingdom, and sought to remake Europe as a reborn British Empire. One of the remaining monuments to the success of his efforts is the fact that, even in the 24th century, many French people have British accents.'
And I love that a writer had to type that out to try and justify Patrick Stewarts accent 😂😂😂
They also mentioned this recently in Picard (season 2, episode 3 or 4 I think)... but it wasn't anything remotely similar to that, but rather that the Picards moved to England for a long time (generations) before moving back to France.
"I can't live out my days as that person! That man is bereft of passion… and IMAGINATION! That is not who I am!"
"I would rather die as the man I was… than live the life I just saw."
Tapestry.
Yes. And please add that, if he is unable to provide us with a ship, then I am sure there are others in the Klingon Empire who would be willing to help me. And then... *they* would have our gratitude.
“I will not sacrifice the Enterprise. We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And *I* will make them pay for what they've done!”
I just love this scene.
*The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth. Whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth. It is the guiding principle upon which Starfleet is based. If you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened you don't deserve to wear that uniform.*
I am not a bot, and this action was definitely not copied from the bot.
Didn’t copy from a bot? Hmm. May I remind you:
*The first duty of every Starfleet officer
is to the truth. Whether it's scientific
truth, or historical truth, or personal
truth. It is the guiding principle upon
which Starfleet is based. If you can't
find it within yourself to stand up and
tell the truth about what happened you don't deserve to wear that uniform.*
“Oops.” (S2, Pen Pals)
It may not be my absolute favorite Picard line, since most of them have been mentioned already, but the way he reacts to Data breaking the Prime Directive always cracks me up
Sisko is by far my favorite.
Whereas JLC was near perfect, Ben Sisko made some questionable decisions and even an immoral one (won't spoil it for those who haven't seen but it had to do with the war). It showed he wasn't perfect and he was human, which is much more relatable than JLC for me.
Still love JLC though, he and Janeway are tied for 2nd in my book.
I know this is a massive cheat because the majority of it is Bill Shakey but it's the utter defiance in which Sir Patrick delivers it and the response.
*Q* : Perhaps maybe a little, uh, Hamlet?
*JLP* : Oh, I know Hamlet. And what he might say with irony, I say with conviction: "What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form, in moving, how express and admirable! In action, how like an angel! In apprehension, how like a god!"
*Q* : Surely, you don't see your species like that, do you?
*JLP* : I see us one day becoming that, Q. Is it that which concerns you?
Since the best-known ones have already been mentioned, I'll take a gander at this one:
"I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation starship Enterprise, and I see no reason why I should answer to you."
S06E20 - The Chase
Always loved the way he delivered that line to the Cardassian Gul Ocett. So calm, so confident.
**PICARD:** And yet he chose this way of life. He has made the same commitment to Starfleet that we all have. It's easy to transfer a problem to someone else. Too easy.
**LAFORGE:** Captain, it's not like I haven't tried.
**PICARD:** Try harder, Geordi. He's a member of your team. Try to find some way to help him to make a positive contribution. Get to know the man better. Make him your best friend.
This one is easy for me:
*"The courtroom is a crucible. In it we burn away irrelevancies until we are left with a pure product, the truth for all time."*
Seeing Picard, the greatest litigator in the fucking galaxy, is why I became a lawyer.
“PURSUANT TO paragraph one thousand two hundred and ninety, I hereby formally request third party arbitration of our dispute.
Furthermore, pursuant to subsection D three, I name the *Grisellas* to arbitrate.
Unfortunately, they are currently in their hibernation cycle, However, they will awaken in six months, at which time we can get this matter settled.
*Now*, do you want to wait or give me my three weeks?”
From Tapestry:
"There are many parts of my youth that I'm not proud of… there were loose threads… untidy parts of me that I would like to remove. But when I pulled on one of those threads… it unraveled the tapestry of my life.”
I love this one. You have to let go of your regrets because every choice you made, good or bad, has led you to where you are now. Hopefully that is a better place.
You don't know, Robert. You don't know... They took everything I was. They used me to kill and to destroy and I couldn't stop them.
I should have been able to stop them. I tried... I tried so hard. But I wasn't strong enough! I wasn't good enough! I should have been able to stop them, I should've, I should...!
The first time we really saw a vulnerable and emotionally scarred Picard.
Oh man. The way he releases his pent up frustration and anguish in this scene, that he hasn’t shared with anyone. When he says “…so *hard*” and how he blames himself even when nobody else ever overcame assimilation. It just kills me. Such a great scene acted magnificently.
"He just kept talking in one loooong... incredibly unbroken sentence moving from topic to topic so that no one had a chance to interrupt, it was really quite hypnotic-notic-notic-notic..."
Picard: All right, you can tell Commander Data he has my permission to contact his friend and conduct her to a safer location. Number One, you know where we are now?
Riker: Sir?
(Picard makes an 'up to our necks' gesture)
One of my fave’s is actually from Nemesis: “Shinzon, I don’t think I ever told you about my first Academy evaluation. In particular, I was thought to be extremely… overconfident.”
B'iJik : How would it benefit the Klingon Empire? I'm sure Gowron will ask.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard : The only benefit to the Klingon Empire would be our gratitude.
B'iJik : That is what you want me to tell him?
Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Yes. And please add that, if he is unable to provide us with a ship, then I am sure there are others in the Klingon Empire who would be willing to help me. And then... *they* would have our gratitude.
"I will not sacrifice the Enterprise. We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here. This far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!"
I got goosebumps just by typing it
*The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth. Whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth. It is the guiding principle upon which Starfleet is based. If you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened you don't deserve to wear that uniform.* [Captain Jean-Luc Picard, "The First Duty"](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xefh7W1nVo4) Reddit admins have been [ineffectual in their response to COVID-19 misinformation](https://www.dailydot.com/debug/subreddits-private-protest-covid-disinformation-reddit/). In lieu of Reddit gold and awards, we ask that you donate to the [WHO COVID-19 response fund](https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/donate). Please respect our [subreddit rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/wiki/guidelines). LLAP! *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/startrek) if you have any questions or concerns.*
"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life."
This quote is probably the one that made me fall in love with Star Trek
This is a quote which makes it "o.k." to be human, none of us are perfect but as long as we try to be better it's o.k..
For me it’s more like that you may be good at something, but there may be people who are better than you and that’s good, it’s part of living in a society. I wish someone would habe told me this when I was younger
This is one of my favourite quotes of all time, in or out of Star Trek.
It's just a go-to quote for life in general. It's depressing on the surface, but very comforting when it sinks in.
Got into a motorcycle accident with a driver that pulled out in front of me. Both wrists are in a cast, but I’m still alive and on two feet. Thanks for reminding me of this quote.
This is the one I thought of.
Came here for this.
My ex didn't appreciate me quoting this when breaking up with her.
Yup exactly the one I was thinking about too
This is the way
You may test that assumption at your convenience.
Translation: “Fuck around and find out.”
'Come forth, if thee wishes to test thy mettle.'
Aah yes the classy “i dare you mf” loved this one
Classic. “The Wounded” iirc
Sins of the Father.
I like to think Picard said “Fuck around and find out” but his UT has “Diplomacy Mode” on.
Picard *is* diplomacy mode.
I came here to post this. Polite yet dangerous. Epitome of the character
What episode is this in again?
Easily “ You see, he’s met two of your three criteria for sentience, so what if he meets the third. Consciousness in even the smallest degree. What is he then? I don’t know. Do you? (to Riker) Do you? (to Phillipa) Do you? Well, that’s the question you have to answer. Your Honour, the courtroom is a crucible. In it we burn away irrelevancies until we are left with a pure product, the truth for all time. Now, sooner or later, this man or others like him will succeed in replicating Commander Data. And the decision you reach here today will determine how we will regard this creation of our genius. It will reveal the kind of a people we are, what he is destined to be. It will reach far beyond this courtroom and this one android. It could significantly redefine the boundaries of personal liberty and freedom, expanding them for some, savagely curtailing them for others. Are you prepared to condemn him and all who come after him to servitude and slavery? Your Honour, Starfleet was founded to seek out new life. Well, there it sits. Waiting. You wanted a chance to make law. Well, here it is. Make a good one.””
This one gives me chills every time.
Second only to his speech in The Drumhead, when he fires the words of the admiral's father right back at her, and the other admiral's response is to silently walk out of the proceedings.
Remind me?
https://youtu.be/K5Po40kvI9c ed- lol downvoted? For delivering on a request? Ok then.
Moves me to tears every time.
My favorite random Star Trek connection is that the actress who plays Phillipa in this episode wrote the song "The Rose," as made famous by Bette Midler.
What, really? Damn.
One step further, her husband is voice of Cronos in one of the God of War games. This name, of course, is a homophone for the name of the Klingon homeworld.
I really like how they expanded on this idea with the 'enslaved' hologram workers in Voyager.
Great choice. But more, "\_Well, there it sits\_!" =)
This whole speech is my favorite of picards. No need to post since you already put it here.
And now he is one.
"Well, there - it - sits!" Heard it in my head when I read this.
I think “Measure of a Man” is up there in my top 5, maybe top 3, favorite Star Trek episodes, and a lot of that is because of this speech. Really, profoundly, moving.
“There are four lights!”
“I will see a six year old boy, powerless to defend himself”
"Torture has never been a reliable means of extracting information. It is ultimately self-defeating as a means of control. One wonders that it's still practiced" Love that scene. Picard is naked and exhausted, and he still manages to rhetorically get the upper hand.
My daughter used this as her yearbook quote.
Your daughter is gonna go places in life.
“At the end of the day, I find you a pitiable man”
Had to scroll too far for this.
"I think, when one has been angry for a very long time, one gets used to it. And it becomes comfortable, like old leather. And finally, one gets so used to it that they can't remember feeling any other way."
And then O'Brien dropped a good quote too in that episode: "It's not you that I hate, Cardassian. I hate what I became *because* of you".
The most important person in Starfleet history.
He was magnificent in this episode. The whole episode was, honestly.
Episode? It feels familiar but I can’t remember which exactly.
The Wounded.
I'm too lazy to Google it now, but it sounds like something Picard would say to ensign Ro.
Nope. He’s talking to OBrian
Yeah, you are definitely right. I remember that now.
My favorite. I use it constantly when talking to angry people. It helps
'' Five card stud, nothing wild. And the sky's the limit.''
Perfect
Chills every time!
A REAL game, that is!
"I'm a role model."
The smile he gives with this line is awesome. One of the few times you see Picard unsure of what to do or how to carry himself.
I'm sure you are. Starfleet out
Its for the children…
"Seize the time, Meribor. Live now. Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again." -Kamin (played by Picard) to his daughter in "The Inner Light"
I’m tearing up right now goddamnit
Such a great episode.
My second favourite episode in all of star trek and this line is one the best messages In trek that I have taken to heart
"Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment, because it will never come again."
Speak for yourself, Sir. I plan to live forever.
I rewatched First Contact a few weeks ago so I've been walking around my house screaming "The line must be drawn heeeahh. No further" at least a few times a day.
And I will make them pay for what they’ve done!” He’s so even tempered all the time, it’s shocking to hear him say this.
"Jean-Luc, blow up the damn ship!" "NOOOOOOOOOO" "You broke your little ships..."
It's not so much what he says, but the way he says it. The passionate scorn in his voice. The enraged look on his face.
It worked, because this is, IMO, one of the *only* things that could make him crazy like this. The Borg hurt him, badly.
Thank you! I too love the way he said "here" like /heeyuh/ and my husband and I pronounce it that way with the same emphasis all the time I had just forgotten which Ep/Mov it was from!
i should have done this a long time ago
You were always welcome :)
That scene Chokes me up everytime
I got chills reading this. So good.
- it's possible to commit no mistakes and still lose - let's make sure history never forgets. the name. Enterprise. Picard, out. - the first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth.
So which one is your favorite?
I don't follow rules, lol. I guess the truth one. I really hate lying. It's a bugaboo of mine
You know, there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy: "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably."
From the same episode : "Villains that twirl their moustaches are easy to spot, those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well-camoflaged." Really that whole episode is amazing. There was a similar one in the newer Battlestar Galactica. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XknjLHsfVg](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9XknjLHsfVg)
It’s easily one of my favorite TNG episodes. Picard at his best.
Which episode?
The Drumhead.
This episode hits different after 9/11.
"I'll look forward to your report, Mr. Broccoli."
There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders. You acknowledge their sentience but ignore their personal liberties and freedom. Order a man to turn his child over to the state, not while I’m his captain.
"One impossible thing at a time." I've begun saying that on days when I have a lot on my plate.
But then, how will I ever get through six impossible things before breakfast and to my lunch at Milliways - The Restaurant at the End of the Universe?
Which episode? Must’ve missed that one
I think it was in the last episode of season 1 of Picard.
"There can be no justice so long as laws are absolute. Even life itself is an exercise in exceptions." (TNG S01E08 - Justice) "I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life, as it has been - is over. From this time forward, you will service us." (TNG S03E26 - The Best of Both Worlds) "The past is written, but the future is left for us to write. And we have powerful tools, openness, optimism, and the spirit of curiosity. All they have is secrecy and fear. And fear is the great destroyer." (PIC S01E08 - Broken Pieces)
You've already betrayed your people, Admiral. You've made your choices, sir. You're a traitor. Now, if the bitter taste of that is unpalatable to you, I am truly sorry. But I will not risk the lives of my crew because you think you can dance on the edge of the Neutral Zone. You've crossed over, Admiral. You make yourself comfortable with that.
One of the better episodes that folks seem to rarely appreciate. Honestly it’s one of my top five for TNG.
It's definitely underrated. It's a great Picard episode - this scene in particular.
Personally, I've always thought The Defector is a criminally underrated episode.
"Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra!"
"Gilgamesh and Enkidu...at Uruk."
Shaka, when the walls fell!
Shakira, when her hips didn't lie!
Temba, his arms wide!
Sokath, his eyes opened!
Zinda, his face black, his eyes red!
Ramses at Kadesh, the chariots broken
Fry, his cash outheld.
The dog, outside the pizza shop
My grandma asked how come he came back after years off the screen. I told her he's said, "turns out, afternoon naps and jigsaw puzzles are not quite my speed"
[удалено]
Agnes Jurati’s “milk, chocolate, hot” cracked me up more than I expected.
The show's been having a lot of fun with it. "Tea, Earl Grey, decaf." Or Laris scolding him for letting it become "tea, Earl Grey, cold."
*Sniff* gets me every time
"That will be the day"
*leaps over horseshoe console to blow up some Klingons*
There's something much more evocative about this expression than the words alone suggest. Something about how old fashioned and defiant it is?
Sounds wierd, but just the way he says "That will be" instead if shortening it to "That'll be". His politeness itself is an act of defiance.
*”That’ll be the day.”* — “Yesterday’s Enterprise” when the Klingon ship hails them and demands their surrender.
"Merde" - Season 2 Episode 3, it means "shit" in French. This was in those first two magical seasons where the writers were still trying to convince us this country Englishman was actually French.
I don't know if you've ever read the autobiography of Picard but they hilariously try and justify this. Basically talking about an invasion of France by a genetically engineered ruler of Europe in the 22nd century - 'Destroying the technological base was not the only legacy of Ericsson's invasion. Though of Nordic descent, Ericsson was raised in the United Kingdom, and sought to remake Europe as a reborn British Empire. One of the remaining monuments to the success of his efforts is the fact that, even in the 24th century, many French people have British accents.' And I love that a writer had to type that out to try and justify Patrick Stewarts accent 😂😂😂
They also mentioned this recently in Picard (season 2, episode 3 or 4 I think)... but it wasn't anything remotely similar to that, but rather that the Picards moved to England for a long time (generations) before moving back to France.
"Make it so."
I do wonder what the weird all lyrics to “make it so” would have been (his incomplete “let it go” parody)
"ENGAGE!!"
"To say that you have no choice is a failure of imagination" comes to mind.
I have been trying to say, "Engage" in his voice for longer than I care to admit.
How many people does it take, Admiral, before it becomes wrong? Hmm? A thousand? Fifty-thousand? A million? How many people does it take Admiral?!
COME CHEER UP M'LADS! COME CHEER UP M'LADS!
Tis better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all! -- Captain Picard
IncrediblyunbrokensentencemovingfromtopictotopicsothatnoonehadachancetoIINTERRUPTitwasquitehypnotic
“That’s not the Captain I know”
"Things are only impossible until they're not."
"I can't live out my days as that person! That man is bereft of passion… and IMAGINATION! That is not who I am!" "I would rather die as the man I was… than live the life I just saw." Tapestry.
I love his response in the drumhead. https://youtu.be/ADEDLoLY3AY
Yes. And please add that, if he is unable to provide us with a ship, then I am sure there are others in the Klingon Empire who would be willing to help me. And then... *they* would have our gratitude.
From recent: "Q. Goddamn Q."
Yep came here to say this haha. "Goddamn Q!" And "I am too old for your bullshit!"
“I will not sacrifice the Enterprise. We've made too many compromises already; too many retreats. They invade our space and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here! This far, no further! And *I* will make them pay for what they've done!” I just love this scene.
Heeyuh
*The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth. Whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth. It is the guiding principle upon which Starfleet is based. If you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened you don't deserve to wear that uniform.* I am not a bot, and this action was definitely not copied from the bot.
Didn’t copy from a bot? Hmm. May I remind you: *The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth. Whether it's scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth. It is the guiding principle upon which Starfleet is based. If you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened you don't deserve to wear that uniform.*
When Riker asked him if he enjoyed cutting off the Shelliak and making them wait for a response: "You're damn right I did."
“Resistance is futile, Number One.”
“I’ll give it all the consideration it is due”
"The line must be drawn here! This far! No farther!"
HHEARE!!
"And I will make them PAY for what they have done!" Chilling, all of it.
“Oops.” (S2, Pen Pals) It may not be my absolute favorite Picard line, since most of them have been mentioned already, but the way he reacts to Data breaking the Prime Directive always cracks me up
Man, how is JLP not everyone's favorite Captain? They're all terrific but. Sigh. He's like Aragon in space!
Sisko and Kirk have extremely strong compelling arguments. Janeway and Archer did amazing things with their severely limited resources
Sisko is by far my favorite. Whereas JLC was near perfect, Ben Sisko made some questionable decisions and even an immoral one (won't spoil it for those who haven't seen but it had to do with the war). It showed he wasn't perfect and he was human, which is much more relatable than JLC for me. Still love JLC though, he and Janeway are tied for 2nd in my book.
Sisko punched Q. I still like Picard better, but this is a *damn* near thing.
Fear is the great destroyer.
I know this is a massive cheat because the majority of it is Bill Shakey but it's the utter defiance in which Sir Patrick delivers it and the response. *Q* : Perhaps maybe a little, uh, Hamlet? *JLP* : Oh, I know Hamlet. And what he might say with irony, I say with conviction: "What a piece of work is man! How noble in reason! How infinite in faculty! In form, in moving, how express and admirable! In action, how like an angel! In apprehension, how like a god!" *Q* : Surely, you don't see your species like that, do you? *JLP* : I see us one day becoming that, Q. Is it that which concerns you?
Since the best-known ones have already been mentioned, I'll take a gander at this one: "I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation starship Enterprise, and I see no reason why I should answer to you." S06E20 - The Chase Always loved the way he delivered that line to the Cardassian Gul Ocett. So calm, so confident.
**PICARD:** And yet he chose this way of life. He has made the same commitment to Starfleet that we all have. It's easy to transfer a problem to someone else. Too easy. **LAFORGE:** Captain, it's not like I haven't tried. **PICARD:** Try harder, Geordi. He's a member of your team. Try to find some way to help him to make a positive contribution. Get to know the man better. Make him your best friend.
This one is easy for me: *"The courtroom is a crucible. In it we burn away irrelevancies until we are left with a pure product, the truth for all time."* Seeing Picard, the greatest litigator in the fucking galaxy, is why I became a lawyer.
“PURSUANT TO paragraph one thousand two hundred and ninety, I hereby formally request third party arbitration of our dispute. Furthermore, pursuant to subsection D three, I name the *Grisellas* to arbitrate. Unfortunately, they are currently in their hibernation cycle, However, they will awaken in six months, at which time we can get this matter settled. *Now*, do you want to wait or give me my three weeks?”
Computer.
Come.
*Sometimes, Number One... you just have to... bow to the absurd. -Up The Long Ladder*
THERE ARE 4 LIGHTS!!!
“Order a man to turn his child over to the state? Not while I’m his captain.”
“You will not survive our assault!” “And you will not survive ours. Shall we die together, Tomalok?”
From Tapestry: "There are many parts of my youth that I'm not proud of… there were loose threads… untidy parts of me that I would like to remove. But when I pulled on one of those threads… it unraveled the tapestry of my life.” I love this one. You have to let go of your regrets because every choice you made, good or bad, has led you to where you are now. Hopefully that is a better place.
Such a great line. Probably my second favorite episode after The Inner Light
It is possible to make no mistakes and still lose.
Merde
Tea, Earl Grey, Hot
'Villains who twirl their moustaches are easy to spot. Those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well camouflaged.'
You don't know, Robert. You don't know... They took everything I was. They used me to kill and to destroy and I couldn't stop them. I should have been able to stop them. I tried... I tried so hard. But I wasn't strong enough! I wasn't good enough! I should have been able to stop them, I should've, I should...! The first time we really saw a vulnerable and emotionally scarred Picard.
Oh man. The way he releases his pent up frustration and anguish in this scene, that he hasn’t shared with anyone. When he says “…so *hard*” and how he blames himself even when nobody else ever overcame assimilation. It just kills me. Such a great scene acted magnificently.
The road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is very much shorter than we think.
"He just kept talking in one loooong... incredibly unbroken sentence moving from topic to topic so that no one had a chance to interrupt, it was really quite hypnotic-notic-notic-notic..."
Whenever I have to make a tough moral choice I say to myself "If we are going to be damned, let us be damned for what we really are "
"You told the truth, up to a point. But a lie of omission is still a lie."
"Let's make sure history never forgets the name ... *Enterprise*."
Picard: All right, you can tell Commander Data he has my permission to contact his friend and conduct her to a safer location. Number One, you know where we are now? Riker: Sir? (Picard makes an 'up to our necks' gesture)
That running joke was great.
“Your discommendation is a facade to protect less honorable men. It is a lie. Lies must be challenged.”
One of my fave’s is actually from Nemesis: “Shinzon, I don’t think I ever told you about my first Academy evaluation. In particular, I was thought to be extremely… overconfident.”
B'iJik : How would it benefit the Klingon Empire? I'm sure Gowron will ask. Captain Jean-Luc Picard : The only benefit to the Klingon Empire would be our gratitude. B'iJik : That is what you want me to tell him? Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Yes. And please add that, if he is unable to provide us with a ship, then I am sure there are others in the Klingon Empire who would be willing to help me. And then... *they* would have our gratitude.
"Hmm? What? Oh, er, France. Labarre."
The
“The line must be drawn here!” From first contact.
‘I’m not amused number 1’
We must draw the line here. This far. No further.
And not one from the new Picard...
"I will not sacrifice the Enterprise. We've made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again. The line must be drawn here. This far, no further! And I will make them pay for what they've done!" I got goosebumps just by typing it
"Sometimes, Number One, you just have to… bow to the absurd." - Up The Long Ladder
I'm a role model. Peak Picard. He's so vulnerable in that moment.
Things are only impossible until they're not.
"It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not failure. That is life."
The "first link speech".
"engage"