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

[F. King Daniel]

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

"We're Starfleet, we don't Lie"

A few years later, Wesley joins Starfleet, and lies. Sure learned his lesson

 

[The Old Mixer]

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

And Picard lectures him that the first duty of any Starfleet officer is to the truth...so Wesley wasn't wrong in the first place.

 

[CoveTom]

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

Agreed. Riker wasn't going to hurt Shelby. He just wanted to remind her of her place because she wasn't following his orders. Both of them were out of line. It reminded me of the sniping between Kirk and Decker in TMP, a clear result of Kirk's leadership by arrogance approach that dominated the film.

--Sran

How were both of them wrong? Shelby DID go outside the chain of command, which is a big deal in military situations. It wasn't as though Riker had done something illegal or horribly inappropriate that warranted going over his head. He had just rejected Shelby's suggestion. And in doing so had even promised that he would still make the Captain aware of it. For Shelby to run to Picard and say "Riker said no, so I want you to override him" was out of line, and Riker was well within his rights as her superior officer to put her in her place over it.

 

[Green Shirt]

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

I haven't read all the posts in this thread, so forgive me if this has been mentioned. Lazarus: "KILL, KILL, KILL!!"

 

[1001001]

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

Agreed. Riker wasn't going to hurt Shelby. He just wanted to remind her of her place because she wasn't following his orders. Both of them were out of line. It reminded me of the sniping between Kirk and Decker in TMP, a clear result of Kirk's leadership by arrogance approach that dominated the film.

--Sran

How were both of them wrong? Shelby DID go outside the chain of command, which is a big deal in military situations. It wasn't as though Riker had done something illegal or horribly inappropriate that warranted going over his head. He had just rejected Shelby's suggestion. And in doing so had even promised that he would still make the Captain aware of it. For Shelby to run to Picard and say "Riker said no, so I want you to override him" was out of line, and Riker was well within his rights as her superior officer to put her in her place over it.

Agreed. Riker didn't do anything wrong, IMHO.

 

[Dream]

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

"When I was in my early twenties on a trip to East Africa, I saw a gazelle giving birth. It was truly amazing. Within minutes, the baby was standing up, standing up on its own. A few more minutes, and it was walking; and before I knew it, it was running alongside its mother, moving away with the herd. Humans aren't like that, Ambassador. We may come from the same planet as those gazelles, but we're pretty much helpless when we're born. It takes us months before we're able to crawl; almost a full year before we can walk. Our deep space mission isn't much different. We're going to stumble, make mistakes - I'm sure more than a few, before we find our footing. But we're going to learn from those mistakes. That's what being human is all about. I'm sorry you can't see that. "

 

[Isolinear]

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

Not a bad line, just very corny;

"You're a woman, Natima, believe me, I know"

(Quark in "Profit and Loss")

 

[WillsBabe]

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

I just came into this thread but the other day watching First Contact I had to mute the sound just as Cochrane says, "And you people are all astronauts on some kind of star trek". I think the expression on Frakes' face behind him sums up my own feelings nicely.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

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

And Picard lectures him that the first duty of any Starfleet officer is to the truth...so Wesley wasn't wrong in the first place.

And to Picard's credit, he held Riker to the same standard two years later. He wasn't merely picking on Wesley because he was a cadet. He meant what he said.

--Sran

 

[Nightdiamond]

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

Remember this scene? From Gambit Pt.1;

RIKER: I've got an open wound in here, it hurts like hell, and I don't want it to get better. I don't want to believe that everything's all right.

TROI: You're angry...

RIKER :You're damn right. And I intend to stay angry -- until I findwhoever's responsible for the Captain's death.

TROI:That's pretty selfish, Wil.(a beat as Riker is
taken aback)Do you think you're the only one in pain?

That you have a monopoly on loss? Well, I've got news for you! We're all hurting... we're all angry. And like it or not, you've got a responsibility to the crew! You can't just indulge your personal desire for revenge!

RIKER That's enough, Counselor.

This dialogue looks kind of like normal. It seems normal.

When you actually watch it, it doesn't come off as normal.

It comes off like a scene from a bad soap opera.

 

[Nerys Myk]

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

"When I was in my early twenties on a trip to East Africa, I saw a gazelle giving birth. It was truly amazing. Within minutes, the baby was standing up, standing up on its own. A few more minutes, and it was walking; and before I knew it, it was running alongside its mother, moving away with the herd. Humans aren't like that, Ambassador. We may come from the same planet as those gazelles, but we're pretty much helpless when we're born. It takes us months before we're able to crawl; almost a full year before we can walk. Our deep space mission isn't much different. We're going to stumble, make mistakes - I'm sure more than a few, before we find our footing. But we're going to learn from those mistakes. That's what being human is all about. I'm sorry you can't see that. "

Well, it's an entire speech, not a line. Why is it "bad"?

 

[tomalak301]

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

I wasn't really here that much when Season 1 of Enterprise aired (I was still posting on startrek.com) so I'm sorry if this question has been addressed over and over, but what was so wrong with the Gazelle speech? If it was Picard giving that speech, it might have been one of the best speeches written. Was it the actual speech people didn't like or the actor giving it?

 

[The Old Mixer]

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

If it was Picard giving that speech, it might have been one of the best speeches written.

That sums up one of my main issues with Enterprise in a nutshell. They kept writing material for TNG, but the actors involved just couldn't pull it off.

I came to this realization when I was watching a scene of Archer chewing out Reed in his ready room. I realized that the scene would have been a lot more engaging if it had featured the characters for whom it was written...Picard and Worf. In the hands of Bakula and Keating, it was a whinefest.

 

[Nerys Myk]

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

If it was Picard giving that speech, it might have been one of the best speeches written.

That sums up one of my main issues with Enterprise in a nutshell. They kept writing material for TNG, but the actors involved just couldn't pull it off.

I came to this realization when I was watching a scene of Archer chewing out Reed in his ready room. I realized that the scene would have been a lot more engaging if it had featured the characters for whom it was written...Picard and Worf. In the hands of Bakula and Keating, it was a whinefest.

It's Stewart's delivery that saves a lot of his dialog, not the writing.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

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

Well, it's an entire speech, not a line. Why is it "bad"?

The words themselves aren't bad. I think the delivery of the line could be better. If any of Kirk, Picard, or Sisko said it, I'd probably like it. Though in at least two of the above cases, there might be weird pauses mid-sentence.

Edit: Now that I think about it, that speech would be perfect for Stephen Collins to give. I can see him pulling it off as a middle-aged Will Decker.

--Sran

 

[Nerys Myk]

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

Well, it's an entire speech, not a line. Why is it "bad"?

The words themselves aren't bad. I think the delivery of the line could be better. If any of Kirk, Picard, or Sisko said it, I'd probably like it. Though in at least two of the above cases, there might be weird pauses mid-sentence.

Edit: Now that I think about it, that speech would be perfect for Stephen Collins to give. I can see him pulling it off as a middle-aged Will Decker.

--Sran

I saw nothing wrong with the speech, Archer giving it or Bakula's delivery. My only problem is that it didn't help Archer's case.

 

[The Old Mixer]

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

What the Vulcans heard via Universal Translator:

"Sure, we're a bunch of f***-ups....We have to f*** up, or we'll never learn. So go away and let us f*** up."

 

[Zungen]

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

Worst line of all time is obviously, "Shut up, Wesley." :P

 

[The Old Mixer]

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

How about this gem?

Someday...my people are going to come up with some sort of a doctrine, something that tells us what we can and can't do out here, should and shouldn't do. But until somebody tells me that they've drafted that directive...

I can stop there, right?

 

[F. King Daniel]

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

^LOOK WE'RE A PREQUEL! PRIME DIRECTIVE! SEE??

They did the same think with Arik Soong in season 4:

"Maybe... artificial life (wink, wink). It may take a few (wait for it) ... Generations."