Top 100 Quotes From Star Trek: The Next Generation, Season 1, Episode 1

- They say you will be doing this manually, sir. No automation.
- As ordered.

- Please believe me, we meant no harm to the creature.
- It was starving for energy.
- Which your world furnishes you in plenty.
- And we did feed it.
- But only enough to keep it alive so that you could force it to shape itself into whatever form you needed.

[Yar's first line]
Lieutenant: Lieutenant Worf is right, sir. As Security Chief, I can't just stand here and let...
[she is interrupted by Picard]

- Well, as long as he's here...
- Ahem. I, uh...
- I knew...
- I knew your father, Wesley.
- Want to look around?

Q: You must return to your world and put an end to the commies. All it takes are a few good men.

Q: You will now answer to the charge of being a grievously savage race.
Captain: 'Grievously savage' could mean anything. I will answer only specific charges.
Q: Are you certain you want a full disclosure of human ugliness? So be it, fool.

Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: Well, this is a new ship. But she's got the right name. Now, you remember that, you hear?
Lt. Commander Data: I will, sir.
Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: You treat her like a lady. And she'll always bring you home.

Captain: Would you object to your Captain ordering a clearly illegal kidnapping?
Commander William T. Riker: No objection, sir.

- Picard: Hail it.
- We've been trying, sir. No response.
- Raise all shields, phasers at ready.
- Shields up, sir, phasers ready.

- Tasha: Now getting feedback on the beam, sir.
- Picard: Discontinue.
- Groppler zorn, there'll soon be no farpoint station, if I'm right about this.
- A lucky guess.

- Phasers on stun.
- Energize.

- Your father liked him very much.
- Great explorers are often lonely.
- No chance to have a family.
- Just a look at the bridge.
- I'll stay in the turbolift when the doors open. I won't get off.
- You are asking for trouble, Wes.
- We'll see what we can do.

- Yes, even though you're judge and prosecutor.
- And jury.
- Accepted, so long as you keep to your agreement.
- And assaulting a prisoner is hardly a fair trial.
- This is a merciful court.

- had caused all united earth nonsense to be abolished.
- Tasha, no.
- I must.
- Because I grew up in a world that allowed things like this court, and it was people like these that saved me from it.
- This so-called court should get down on its knees to what starfleet is.
- What it represents.

Captain: Shut off that damn noise! Go to yellow alert!
[when the red alert siren sounds for the first time]

- Picard: Space, the final frontier.
- These are the voyages of the starship enterprise.
- Its continuing mission: To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.

- to slink, slither...
- Exactly, yes.
- Glide, creep, skulk, pussyfoot, gum...
- Yes.
- -."Shoe. Troi: Captain.
- I'm sensing a...
- A powerful mind.
- Something strange on this detector circuit.

Commander William T. Riker: Captain, if he's not open to evidence in our favor, where will you go from there?
Captain: I'll attend to my duty.
Commander William T. Riker: To the bitter end?
Captain: I see nothing so bitter about that.

Commander William T. Riker: Do you consider yourself superior to us?
Lt. Commander Data: I am superior, sir, in many ways. But I would gladly give it up to be human.
Commander William T. Riker: Nice to meet you... Pinocchio.

- "Grievously savage" could mean anything.
- I will answer only specific charges.
- Are you certain you want a full disclosure of human ugliness?
- So be it, fool.
- Present the charges.
- Criminal, you will read the charges to the court.

Captain: You will agree, Data, that Starfleet's orders are difficult.
Lt. Commander Data: [Data's first line] Difficult? Simply solve the mystery of Farpoint Station.

- Is the viewer ready?
- All set up, sir.
- We'll first bring you up to date on a little adventure we had on our way here, commander.
- Then we'll talk.
- Welcome aboard.
- This way, sir.

- My feelings about my husband's death will have no affect on the way I serve you, this vessel or this mission.
- Then welcome aboard, doctor.
- Riker: Riker to picard.
- We 're ready to beam over, sir.
- I hope we can be friends.
- Thank you.

[Q's first line]
Q: Thou art notified that thy kind hath infiltrated the galaxy too far already. Thou art directed to return to thine own solar system immediately.

- than you can possibly imagine.
- Yes, this farpoint station will be an excellent test.
- All present, respectfully stand.
- This court is adjourned to allow the criminals to be tested.
- This honorable court is adjourned.
- Bailiff: Stand respectfully.

- Have commander riker and his team beam back up.
- Security, could that be the hood returning here?
Mandarin: The vessel does not match the hood's configuration or ID signal.
- Put it on main viewer.
- Idenfificafion?
- Vessel unknown, configuration unknown, sir.

- Torpedoes have detonated, sir.
- Let's come to a stop. Reverse power.
- Reverse power. Decelerating.
- Dead stop.

- Commander, signal the following in all languages and on all frequencies.
- We surrender.
- State that we are not asking for any terms or conditions.
- Aye, sir.
- All language forms and frequencies.

Lt. Commander Data: I thought it was generally accepted, sir, that Vulcans are an advanced and most honorable race.
Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: They are, they are. And damn annoying at times.

- And choice number two?
- Exploratory surgery.
- Desensitize the brain areas troubling you.
- Same difference.
- No, thank you, doctor.
- I understand.
- See you.

Lt. Commander Data: Sorry, sir. I seem to be commenting on everything.
Commander William T. Riker: Good. Don't stop, my friend.

- Captain.
- Sir, my son is not on the bridge, he merely accompanied me on the turbolift.
- Your son?
- His name's Wesley.
- You last saw him years ago when...

Commander William T. Riker: With the saucer gone, can I assume that something interesting happened on the way here?
Lieutenant: [leading him into a turbolift] Battle bridge. That's for the captain to explain, sir.

- Still no response, sir. We've done everything but threaten them.
- Sensor scans, Mr. Worf.
- Our sensor signals just seem to bounce off.
- Something's happening, sir.
- They're firing on farpoint, sir.
- Bring photon torpedoes to ready.
- Wait, sir. They're hitting the old bandi city, not farpoint station.

- Reverse power, full stop.
- Controls to full stop, sir.

Q: Captain, you may find that you are not nearly clever enough to deal with what lies ahead for you.

- I don't know.
- Data: Unlikely, sir.
- Our records show you supervised all bandi contact with other worlds.
- We've done nothing wrong.
- Then if we can learn nothing from you, we'll leave.
Zorn: No. Oh, no, please, don't leave.
- I'll try to explain.

Captain: Let's see what this Galaxy-class starship can do.

- Data: It registers as solid, captain.
- Or an incredibly powerful forcefield. If we collide with either, it could be very...
- Shut off that damn noise!
- Go to yellow alert.
- Shields and deflectors up, sir.

[Beverly Crusher's first line]
Doctor: Actually, we were about to do some shopping.

- All decks acknowledging, sir.
- Worf, this is the captain.
- At the moment of separation, we will reverse power just enough to get your saucer section out ahead and clear of us.
- Understood, captain.
- Torpedoes away, sir.

Captain: Now hear this: printout message, urgent, all stations on all decks. Prepare for emergency saucer sep. You will command the saucer section, Lieutenant.
Lieutenant: I'm a Klingon, sir. For me to seek escape when my Captain goes into battle...
Captain: You are a Starfleet officer, Lieutenant!
Lieutenant: Aye, sir.

- Picard: Go to maneuvering jets.
- Position us between that vessel and the planet.
- Forcefields full on.
- Aye, sir.
- Impulse power to...
- We have no ship control, sir.
- It's gone.

Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: How old do you think I am, anyway?
Lt. Commander Data: 137 years, Admiral, according to Starfleet records.
Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: Explain how you remember that so exactly!
Lt. Commander Data: I remember every fact I am exposed to, sir.
Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: [looking at both sides of Data's head] I don't see no points on your ears, boy, but you sound like a Vulcan.
Lt. Commander Data: No, sir. I am an android.
Admiral Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy: Hmph. Almost as bad.

- Tasha: I recommend that someone could begin by examining the underside of the station, sir.
- Troi: Our sensors do show some passages, sir.
- Perhaps, you and I.
- Tasha, you and the counselor. And, geordi, I want your eyes down there.
- You and I will start topside.

Captain: Commander, signal the following in all languages and on all frequencies: we surrender. State that we are not asking for any terms or conditions.

- Luxurious by even human standards.
- While evading even our simplest questions about it.
- We'll adjourn for now, while we all reconsider our positions.
- Captain, the ferengi would be very interested in a base like this.
- Fine. Let's hope they find you as tasty as they did their past associates.

Lt. Commander Data: In the year 2036, the new United Nations declared that no Earth citizen could be made to answer for the crimes of his race or forbears.

- You, Tasha, geordi will beam up to the ship now. Come on.
- I wanna see exactly what's happening.
- Don't! If you should be hurt...
- You have your orders, lieutenant.
- Carry them out.
- Yes, sir. I'm sorry, sir.
- Enterprise, three to beam up.

- He calls that a little adventure?
- Come.

[Picard has introduced Riker and Troi to each other]
Captain: Have the two of you met before?
Commander William T. Riker: We have, sir.
Captain: Excellent. I consider it important for my key officers to know each other's abilities.
Counselor: We do, sir. We do.

Commander William T. Riker: What do we do now, Captain? With their monitoring our every move and every word?
Captain: We do exactly what we'd do if this Q never existed. If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are.

- Energy beam ready, sir.
- Lock it in on farpoint station.
- I see now it was too simple a puzzle.
- Generosity has always been my weakness.
- Let it have whatever it can absorb.
- Energize.

- Riker: We have, sir.
- Excellent.
- I consider it important for my key officers to know each other's abilities.
- We do, sir.
- I too, could never say goodbye, imzadi.

- Are you undamaged?
- Yes. You?
- All systems operating.

Q: Captain, you may find that you are not nearly clever enough to deal with what lies ahead for you.
- It may have been better to accept sentence here.

- I don't know.
- No life-form anything like us.
- What in the hell kind of place is this?
- Geordi, what do you see?
- Well, it's of...
- It's of no material I recognize, sir, or have even heard of.

- The prisoners will not be harmed, until they're found guilty.
- Dispose of that.

- All present, stand and make respectful attention to honored judge.
- Careful, sir.
- This is not an illusion or a dream.
- But these courts belong in the past.
- I don't understand either, but this is real.
- Get to your feet, criminals.

Commander William T. Riker: [referring to Picard] He calls that a little adventure?

Lieutenant: And now a personal request, sir. Permission to clean up the bridge.

- Riker: Velocity to one-half meter per second.
- Adjust pitch angle, negative three degrees.
- Watch your roll angle, conn.

- I see no charges against us, your honor.
- You are out of order.
- Soldiers, you will press those triggers if this criminal answers with any word other than "guilty."

- Or thou mayst call me that.
- It's all much the same thing.
- I present myself to thee as a fellow ship captain that thou mayst better understand me.
- Go back whence thou camest.
- Stay where thou art.

- All stations, prepare for reconnection.
- Thrusters to station keeping.
- All velocity zero.
- Her inertia should do the job now.
- Lock up, now.

Captain: [about Wesley] He does seem to have a very good grasp of starship operations.
Doctor: You've just won his mother's heart, Captain.

Captain: Space... the Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the Star Ship, 'Enterprise'. Its continuing mission... to see out new worlds. To seek out new life and new civilizations. To boldly go where no one has gone, before.

Captain: You've got a lot to learn about humans if you think you can torture us or frighten us into silence!

Captain: Leave us! We've passed your little test.
Q: Temper, temper, mon Captaine.
Captain: Get off my ship!
Q: I do so only because it suits me to leave. But I will not promise never to appear again.

- I'd like to hear your advice.
- I spoke before I thought, sir.
- We should look for some way to distract them from going after the saucer.
- Conn: All forward motion stopped, sir.
- Thank you, conn.

Commander: Yes. When the captain suggested you, I looked up your record.
Data: Yes, sir. A wise procedure, sir, always.
Commander: Then your rank of Lieutenant Commander is honorary?
Data: No, sir. Starfleet class of '78. Honours in probability mechanics and exobiology.

Captain: Lieutenant! Do you intend to blast a hole in the viewer?
[when Worf points a phaser at Q who has appeared on the main view screen]

[Wesley Crusher's first line]
Wesley: Mother! It's Commander Riker.

[the crew has solved the Farpoint mystery]
Q: I see now, it was too simple a puzzle. Generosity has always been my... weakness.

Lieutenant: Sir, Lieutenant La Forge reporting the Enterprise arriving, but without the saucer section, sir.
Commander William T. Riker: Stardrive section only? What happened?
Lieutenant: I don't know, sir. Captain Picard has signaled for you to beam up immediately.
Commander William T. Riker: Our new captain doesn't waste time. It's a good idea. Thank you, Lieutenant.

- Man 2: Inertial reference coordinate system, go.
- Some of the solid particles are...
- Engine room ready, sir.
- The board shows green, captain.
- All go.
- Stand by.
- Engage.

- And damn annoying, at times.
- Yes, sir.
- Well, this is a new ship, but she's got the right name.
- Now, you remember that, you hear?
- I will, sir.
- You treat her like a lady, and she'll always bring you home.

- You will command the saucer section, lieutenant.
- I'm a klingon, sir.
- For me to seek escape when my captain goes into battle...
- You are a starfleet officer, lieutenant.
- Aye, sir.
- Make the Mark, data.

Captain: Isn't it a little presumptuous of a first officer to second-guess his captain's judgment?
Commander William T. Riker: Permission to speak candidly, sir?
Captain: Always.
Commander William T. Riker: Having been a first officer yourself, you know that assuming that responsibility must, by definition, include the safety of the captain. I have no problem with following any rules you lay down, short of compromising your safety.
Captain: And you don't intend to back off from that position?
Commander William T. Riker: No, sir.

[Yar has suggested to take on the Q vessel]
Captain: Lieutenant - are you recommending that we fight a life form that can do all those things?

Lt. Commander Data: At least we are acquainted with the judge, Captain.

Captain: [seeing a boy standing in the turbolift] What the hell? Children are not allowed on the bridge!
[Dr. Crusher steps out of the lift]
Doctor: [...] Sir, my son is not on the bridge; he merely accompanied me on the turbolift.
Captain: [stunned] Your son?
Doctor: His name's Wesley. You last saw him years ago, when...
[she leaves the sentence unfinished]
Captain: [understands] Ah... Well - as long as he's here...
Captain: [clears his throat] I, er... I knew... I knew your father, Wesley.

Wesley: Commander riker.
- Commander riker, isn't this great?
- This is one of the simple patterns.
- They've got thousands more.
- Some you just can't believe.
- Careful, the next rock is loose.
- Wesley.

- But we've had no dealings with them.
- It was only a thought.
- Are you certain?
- [Promise you, captain.
- We were making an empty threat.
- I wanted your cooperation. Forgive me.
- Definitely entering orbital trajectory, sir.
- It measures 12 times our volume, captain.

Zorn: Captain! The Ferengi would be very interested in a base like this.
Captain: Fine. Let's hope they find you as tasty as they did their past associates.

- Whatever I felt in the groppler's office became very uncomfortable.
- I'm sorry, counselor, but you must.
- We need more information.
- Pain.
- Such pain.
- Pain.
- Hang on, I'm coming.
- Enterprise, lock us on to her signal.

- Stardrive section only?
- What happened?
- I don't know, sir. Captain picard has signaled for you to beam up.
- Our new captain doesn't waste time.
- It's a good idea.
- Thank you, lieutenant.
- Aye, sir enterprise, this is commander riker at farpoint station.
- Standing by to beam up.

- Sir.
- It's wonderful.
- A feeling of great joy.
- And gratitude.
- Great joy and gratitude.
- From both of them.

Doctor: Naturally, I've heard of your case. The VISOR appliance you wear is...
Lieutenant: Is a remarkable piece of bioelectronic engineering by which I quote "see" much of the EM spectrum, ranging from simple heat and infrared through radio waves, et cetera, et cetera, and forgive me if I've said and listened to this a thousand times before.
Doctor: You've been blind all your life?
Lieutenant: Mm-hmm. I was born this way.
Doctor: And you've felt pain all the years that you've used this?
Lieutenant: Hmm. They say it's because I use my natural sensors in different ways.
Doctor: Well, I see two choices. The first is painkillers.
Lieutenant: [putting his VISOR back on] Which would affect how this works.
Doctor: Mm-hmm.
Lieutenant: No. And choice number two?
Doctor: Exploratory surgery. Desensitize the brain areas troubling you.
Lieutenant: Same difference. No, thank you, Doctor.

[Worf's first line]
Lieutenant: Shields and deflectors up, sir!

- If so, you've not provided the best...
- Leave us. We've passed your little test.
- Temper, temper, mon capitaine.
- Get off my ship.
- I do so only because it suits me to leave.
- But I will not promise never to appear again.

- Lieutenant yar, rig main phaser banks to deliver an energy beam.
- Aye, sir.
- Riker: You're right, captain.
- It has to be conceivable that somewhere in this galaxy, there could exist creatures able to convert energy into matter.
- And into specific patterns of matter, just as our transporters do.
- Tasha: On the viewer, captain.

[first lines]
Captain: Captain's log, stardate 41153.7 - Our destination is planet Deneb IV, beyond which lies the great, unexplored mass of the galaxy. My orders are to examine Farpoint, a starbase built there by the inhabitants of that world. Meanwhile, I am becoming better acquainted with my new command, this Galaxy-class USS Enterprise. I am still somewhat in awe of its size and complexity. As for my crew, we are short in several key positions, most notably a first officer. But I'm informed that a highly experienced man, one Commander William Riker, will be waiting to join the ship at our Deneb IV destination.

Captain: [to Riker who's rang the door chime for the Ready Room on the Battle Bridge, the first of many times he will say throughout the series] Come.

- Attention.
- On your feet! Attention!
- You're out of order.

Zorn: [of the space vessel life form] Captain, that thing was killing my people!
Captain: Was there a reason?
Q: It is an unknown, Captain. Isn't that enough?
Captain: If you'd earned that uniform you're wearing, you'd know that the unknown is what brings us out here.
Q: Wasted effort considering human intelligence.

[last lines]
Captain: Some problem, Riker?
Commander William T. Riker: Just hoping this isn't the usual way our missions will go, sir.
Captain: Oh, no, Number One. I'm sure most will be much more interesting. - Let's see what's out there. Engage!

- Please, no more!
- That's it, sir.
Zorn: No, no more!
- It's just one alien I'm sensing here.
- Please.
- I don't understand what it wants!
- Not true, he does know.
Zorn: No, please! No more!
- Please. No more!
- Oh, no. No! Don't! Don't! Don't!

- And as you can see, sir, it's pointing you that way.
- Thank you.
- You're welcome, sir.
- Computer: The next hatchway on your right.
- Riker: Thank you.
- You're welcome, commander riker.
- And if you care to enter, commander?
- I do.

- Tasha: Yes, sir.
Q: And 400 years before that, you were murdering each other in quarrels over tribal god images.
- Since then there are no indications that humans will ever change.
- There are preparations to make.
- But when we next meet, captain, we 7! Proceed exactly as you suggest.