Best speeches?

[BlueStuff]

Any great speeches that stand out to you? Off the top of my head, just from TOS I liked T'Pring's in Amok Time. Samuel T. Cogley's speech in Court Martial is another good one:

"Now that I've got something human to talk about. Rights, sir! Human rights! The Bible, The Code of Hammurabi, and of Justinian, Magna Carta, The Constitution of the United States, Fundamental Declarations of the Martian Colonies, The Statutes of Alpha III. Gentlemen, these documents all speak of rights."

From TNG, how about Picard quoting Judge Satie, followed by Admiral Satie's response in The Drumhead?

 

[horatio83]

A good speech does not necessarily consist of the finest prose or the best arguments but has an emotional impact on you.

Kirk's "risk is our business", Picard's "the first duty" and Archer's "threads that bind us" speech are memorable to me.

 

[Methos]

Picard - "Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives, but I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey and reminds us to cherish every moment because they'll never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived. After all, Number One, we're only mortal."

M

 

[horatio83]

"Speak for yourself,sir, I plan to live forever." was a truely Rikeresque reply, a line that perfectly fits his character but got rarer during the later stages of TNG and the movies.

 

[TerragonSix]

Although 'Relics' from TNG left much to be desired, when Scotty commented on his first ship and compared it to the first time someone falls in love, then acknowledged there comes a time in a mans life he can't fall in love again, and its time to stop;

Gets me everytime.

Was going to point to the TOS "Risk Is Our Business" speech, but someone beat me to it.

 

[Skywalker]

Archer's final speech towards the end of "Terra Prime" is excellent.

It almost makes up for the gazelle speech.

 

[Alienesse]

Picard in "The Measure of a Man": "Your Honor, 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 Honor, 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."

 

[trekkiebaggio]

Kirk's funeral speech in TWOK of course. It's a good speech, but Shatner's delivery is perfect, the way he chokes up damn gets me every time.

 

[7thsealord]

Kirk's "I Shall Not Kill ... Today" speech in 'A Taste Of Armageddon'. Another good one.

 

[BillJ]

KIRK: You were a psychiatrist once. You know the ugly, savage things we all keep buried, that none of us dare expose. But he'll dare. Who's to stop him? He doesn't need to care. Be a psychiatrist for one minute longer. What do you see happening to him? What's your prognosis, Doctor?

 

[Forbin]

During Data's trial in Measure of a Man, Picard's speech and its stunning conclusion: "Star Fleet was founded to seek out new life. Well there it sits. Waiting."

Still gives me chills.

 

[bbailey861]

"The risk is our business speech from "Return to Tomorrow" (TOS) is my all time favourite.

 

[boco]

Archer's final speech towards the end of "Terra Prime" is excellent.

It almost makes up for the gazelle speech.

I like the gazelle speech! :blush:

 

[Alienesse]

The "Terra Prime" speech is one of the books, though!

 

[Satyrquaze]

"Your honor, the courtroom is a crucible; in it, we burn away irrelevancies until we are left with a purer product: the truth, for all time. Now sooner or later, this man – or others like him – will succeed in replicating Commander Data. The decision you reach here today will determine how we will regard this creation of our genius. It will reveal the kind of 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 will come after him – to servitude and slavery? Your honor, Starfleet was founded to seek out new life: well, there it sits! Waiting."

-Captain Jean Luc Picard "The Measure Of A Man"

 

[boco]

Chakotay (to Neelix): "Nothing makes us more vulnerable than when we love someone. We can be hurt very easily. But I've always believed that what you get when you love someone is greater than what you risk."

 

[Deks]

Archer's final speech towards the end of "Terra Prime" is excellent.

It almost makes up for the gazelle speech.

I like the gazelle speech! :blush:

I liked the gazelle speech myself actually.

 

[Skywalker]

Archer's final speech towards the end of "Terra Prime" is excellent.

It almost makes up for the gazelle speech.

I like the gazelle speech! :blush:

I liked the gazelle speech myself actually.

I understood what they were trying to say, and Bakula delivered it as well as he could, but trying to convince people that you're ready to become an interstellar power by telling them that you're like children and you're going to make some mistakes along the way isn't exactly the best way to go about it.

 

[Deks]

Well, it was what they thought was the truth.
I think the point was (which T'Pol also helped bringing home alongside Archer) to remind the Vulcans that even they did more than their share of 'mistakes' along the way (particularly with spying on the Andorians bit) and started off similarly like Humans did.
Granted, the Vulcans by their very nature wouldn't really engage in matters of other civilizations too much (they would sooner cut their loses and leave) - humans in Trek were shown to be fairly persistent in that regard.

Plus, Archer wasn't trying to tell the Vulcans that humans were ready to become an interstellar power... merely to not shut down the exploration program.

 

[Skywalker]

Plus, Archer wasn't trying to tell the Vulcans that humans were ready to become an interstellar power... merely to not shut down the exploration program.

Eh, yeah. The specific details were fuzzy in my mind, but it's the same basic point.