The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchise

[The Old Mixer]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

Folks from the present (relatively speaking) are usually, if not always, going to see themselves as superior to their predecessors and lots of things about them. Folks today would look back at the kind of clothes Aristocrats wore back in the past (including the makeup they wore, including men) and see them as ridiculous costumes as well.

It's not Picard being deliberately insulting, it's just how a guy 300+ years from now would think of our own attire including what our soldiers wore.

Indeed, we look just as silly to them as they look to us. How many times have we referred to Trek uniforms as "pajamas"...?

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

It's not Picard being deliberately insulting, it's just how a guy 300+ years from now would think of our own attire including what our soldiers wore.

No matter how well made the clothes are or what they represent, someone who is wearing garments appropriate for their job or their position will always be in uniform. The person who is pretending to do so, as was Q, will always be in costume. it has nothing to do with how Picard feels about the job represented by the uniform.

 

[Greg Cox]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

It's not Picard being deliberately insulting, it's just how a guy 300+ years from now would think of our own attire including what our soldiers wore.

No matter how well made the clothes are or what they represent, someone who is wearing garments appropriate for their job or their position will always be in uniform. The person who is pretending to do so, as was Q, will always be in costume. it has nothing to do with how Picard feels about the job represented by the uniform.

That's my take on it, too. Picard wasn't insulting the uniform. He was annoyed by an obnoxious alien playing dress-up.

It's the difference between an actual nurse administering to the sick and somebody wearing a "sexy nurse" outfit at a Halloween party. The latter is just a costume.

 

[scotpens]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

. . . It's the difference between an actual nurse administering to the sick and somebody wearing a "sexy nurse" outfit at a Halloween party.

Or these guys.

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

^^^Actually, Leatherman was wearing a uniform.

 

[Kinokima]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

Don't forget To Be or Not to Be with Jack Benny

This is one of my favorite movies and ahem being released by Criterion next month.

However it actually was not a success at the time as people did feel it was in bad taste back then and just didn't get it.

 

[Push The Button]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

But Q wasn't in the military so it WAS just a costume, at least that's the way I took the line.

Folks from the present (relatively speaking) are usually, if not always, going to see themselves as superior to their predecessors and lots of things about them. Folks today would look back at the kind of clothes Aristocrats wore back in the past (including the makeup they wore, including men) and see them as ridiculous costumes as well.

It's not Picard being deliberately insulting, it's just how a guy 300+ years from now would think of our own attire including what our soldiers wore.

Also in the context of the episode, Q was wearing that uniform to remind humanity of a part of its past where armies invaded other countries for territory and personal power with no regard for the lives lost in the wake. Picard's characterization of a 'costume' was meant to disown unjust wars and invasions from his cultural past, not to show any disrespect for those who defend their own country.

I rewatched Encounter at Farpoint today, and the exchange between Q (in his Marine Corps uniform) and Picard goes like this:

Q: But you can't deny that you're still a dangerous, savage child race.

PICARD: Most certainly I deny it. I agree we still were when humans wore costumes like that, four hundred years ago.

Sorry, but this is first-season Picard being a douche. He exhibits the same elitist attitude in "The Neutral Zone".

Fortunately, his attitude improved in later seasons, along with everything else in TNG.

 

[USS Excelsior]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

This entire dialogue is the worst.


[yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqHoGLHt0hQ[/yt]

 

[-Brett-]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

"You're a droid, and I'm a noid." - Forget which ep this is in

"Tuvok, did anyone ever tell you your a real freakasaurus?"

And some people think Trek TOS is "dated"? Nothing dates faster than contemporary slang and colloquialisms -- especially in a show that's supposed to take place centuries in the future.

"Freakasaurus" is hardly an example of contemporary slang or colloquialism. I sincerely doubt that it was ever uttered by anyone outside of Star Trek. Ever.

 

[Anwar]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

Sorry, but this is first-season Picard being a douche. He exhibits the same elitist attitude in "The Neutral Zone".

Fortunately, his attitude improved in later seasons, along with everything else in TNG.

God forbid a character have flaws and act human, because thinking yourself superior to people from 400 years in the past is a totally human thing and it's something a 21st century person would think of stuff from the 17th Century.

 

[Belz...]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

Yeah but it's Picard, man !! PICARD !

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

And it's hard to argue the fact that territory wars are dangerously savage.

 

[T'Girl]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

... because thinking yourself superior to people from 400 years in the past is a totally human thing and it's something a 21st century person would think of stuff from the 17th Century.

We have access to technology and other advancements, but we are in no way "superior" to our ancestors of a few centuries ago, at least I don't feel that way.

The clothes do not make the man.

 

[Anwar]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

... because thinking yourself superior to people from 400 years in the past is a totally human thing and it's something a 21st century person would think of stuff from the 17th Century.

We have access to technology and other advancements, but we are in no way "superior" to our ancestors of a few centuries ago, at least I don't feel that way.

The clothes do not make the man.

Sure, if you really think about it like that. I'm just saying what an average guy on the street would think. Ask some guy on the block and he'll say "Yeah, of course we're better than those guys!".

 

[Edit_XYZ]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

... because thinking yourself superior to people from 400 years in the past is a totally human thing and it's something a 21st century person would think of stuff from the 17th Century.

We have access to technology and other advancements, but we are in no way "superior" to our ancestors of a few centuries ago, at least I don't feel that way.

The clothes do not make the man.

"superior" is far to general a term; using only it, you can't make meaningful pronouncements regarding whether present day humans are or not superior to their ancestors.

You need to define the criteria you use for applying the label "superior".

 

[Colonel Midnight]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

If we're talking delivery/acting of dialogue... I'm surprised no one's nominated Intergalactic Cheerleader Troi's "Absolute joy and happiness" drivel from the end of Encounter at Farpoint. *Yeeesh*

For sheer dumb/ridiculousness of dialogue, then definitely the "Get the cheese to Sickbay" quote. *barf*

Cheers,
-CM-

 

[Greg Cox]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

I found "ugly bags of mostly water" hilarious.

I liked that bit, too.

The "oath of celibacy" line bugs me because it has no context as it appears in the film. Unless you're somehow familiar with the hitherto-unmentioned Deltan species, which is explained nowhere in the film or in any of the previous TV episodes, it's just a bizarre non sequitor that comes out nowhere and is never referred to again.

It's as though some odd bit of trivia from the STAR TREK: PHASE II series bible got awkwardly inserted into the script even though it made no sense at all unless you'd read about Deltans in a magazine article or cast interview or something.

I thought the reactions of the male bridge crew when she entered gave enough context for that line to make sense.

I don't know. TOS was full of stunning yeoman in short skirts reporting to the bridge and none of them ever made a point of mentioning their oaths of celibacy to the captain. If you don't know that she's supposed to be some kind of super-sexual alien (and I don't recall this ever being discussed in the film), wouldn't you find it odd that this particular Star Trek sex symbol had to take some sort of oath, as opposed to all the glamorous guest-stars on the original series?

Plus, of course, the oath business is never referred to again and has nothing to do with the rest of the movie. Unlike, say, Spock's pursuit of pure logic which does figure into the plot and themes of the film. If they wanted to include that line, there should have been some sort of payoff later on . . . .

As is, it just stands out like a sore thumb. IMHO.

 

[dub]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

I don't know. TOS was full of stunning yeoman in short skirts reporting to the bridge and none of them ever made a point of mentioning their oaths of celibacy to the captain. If you don't know that she's supposed to be some kind of super-sexual alien (and I don't recall this ever being discussed in the film), wouldn't you find it odd that this particular Star Trek sex symbol had to take some sort of oath, as opposed to all the glamorous guest-stars on the original series?

You know, I've never thought about this particular scene too much until this thread. I suppose when I've watched this film in the past, I thought she must give off some excess pheromones or something, making her irresistible. That's why all of the crew break their necks to get a glimpse of her when she walks on the bridge. I mean, she was beautiful, but as Greg said, beautiful women were a dime a dozen on the Enterprise. But, also as Greg said, there was never any payoff for that line (which is what I've never thought about before now). You'd expect to see officers drooling as she walked through the corridors. Although, it might explain why V'ger found her to be an irresistible choice. Perhaps V'ger could "detect" her extraordinary attractiveness somehow? LOL

 

[scotpens]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

This entire dialogue is the worst.

(YouTube clip)

AAAAAGGH! More insufferably preachy than the preachiest episodes of Trek TOS.

 

[DalekJim]

Re: The Single Worst Line of Dialogue in the entire Star Trek Franchis

"Buckle up!"