What One Line From Any TOS Show....

[Spock's Barber]

Which one line spoken by any TOS character do you think best summarizes Gene Roddenberry's idea for the ST universe?

I really like the Shatner opening, "To Boldly Go...", but instead I chose Kirk's last words to Yarnek in "The Savage Curtain"......

"We came in peace."

 

[Kor]

"We're human beings with the blood of a million savage years on our hands, but we can stop it. We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to kill today."

Or

"Risk is our business."

Kor

 

[2takesfrakes]

"We've each learned to be delighted with what we are."
-- Captain James T. Kirk
The Savage Curtain

 

[Spock's Barber]

"We've each learned to be delighted with what we are."
-- Captain James T. Kirk
The Savage Curtain

Good one.

 

[Iamnotspock]

"Where I come from, size, shape or color makes no difference."

 

[Chief Medical Officer]

James T. Kirk, speaking in 'Return to Tomorrow':

"They used to say if man could fly, he'd have wings. But he did fly. He discovered he had to. Do you wish that the first Apollo mission hadn't reached the moon, or that we hadn't gone on to Mars and then to the nearest star? That's like saying you wish that you still operated with scalpels and sewed your patients up with catgut like your great-great-great-great-grandfather used to. I'm in command. I could order this. But I'm not because, Doctor McCoy is right in pointing out the enormous danger potential in any contact with life and intelligence as fantastically advanced as this. But I must point out that the possibilities, the potential for knowledge and advancement is equally great. Risk. Risk is our business. That's what the starship is all about. That's why we're aboard her."

If that doesn't sum up what Gene Roddenberry meant, I don't know what does!

 

[Drone]

I suppose some folks of a particular cast of mind would point to Kirk's rendition of the Ee'd Plebnista, as an exemplary statement of the TOS zeitgeist, but I'll go with something of a smaller scale, more limited intention and scope, that I find effective and diverting regardless. Forgive me for the combination of two lines, but they are from the same character.

To wage war, Captain? To kill millions of innocent people? To destroy life on a planetary scale? Is that what you're defending? Oh, eventually you will have peace, but only after millions of people have died. It is true that in the future, you and the Klingons will become fast friends. You will work together.

 

[Elder Knight]

"Let me help."

 

[Forbin]

Spock's soliloquy to Miranda Jones about the IDIC concept, or Kirk's to Roger Korby about how why Spock is his brothah from anothah muthah.

 

[HIjol]

"Risk is part of the game, if you want to sit in that chair."

I believe Roddenberry saw and took many risks for the idea of Star Trek.

 

[Kor]

^ It's a good sentiment. But it came from a movie that never happened.

Kor

 

[HIjol]

• (Posted with humor!)
  
  It has happened! I watched it happen! I saw it happen!
  
  Don't tell me it didn't happen!

 

[JimZipCode]

"We're human beings with the blood of a million savage years on our hands, but we can stop it. We can admit that we're killers, but we're not going to kill today."

Nice. That was going to be my choice.

I'll go with this instead:
"What's the mission of this vessel, Doctor? To seek out and contact alien life, and an opportunity to demonstrate what our high-sounding words mean. Any questions?"
— Corbomite

 

[RandyS]

"You wanna know what my vision is? Dollar signs. Money. I didn't build this ship to usher in a new era for humanity. You think I want to go to the stars? I don't even like to fly! I take trains! I built this ship so I could retire to some desert island full of naked women. THAT'S Zephram Cochrane! THAT's his vision!"

 

[Spock's Barber]

From 'The Cage'.....

Spock : "THE WOMEN!!!"

 

[Kor]

"You wanna know what my vision is? Dollar signs. Money. I didn't build this ship to usher in a new era for humanity. You think I want to go to the stars? I don't even like to fly! I take trains! I built this ship so I could retire to some desert island full of naked women. THAT'S Zephram Cochrane! THAT's his vision!"

THAT'S not from TOS.

Kor

 

[RandyS]

^I know. But the point is to quote characters which summarizes Roddenberry's idea for TOS, and Cochrane did in fact, originate on TOS.

 

[Drone]

Spock's soliloquy to Miranda Jones about the IDIC concept, or Kirk's to Roger Korby about how why Spock is his brothah from anothah muthah.

I wonder if you're thinking of Garth in your latter example? I don't remember such a sequence in WALGMO and looking over a summary doesn't reveal it either. Whereas the following comes from Whom Gods Destroy:

KIRK: They were humanitarians and statesmen, and they had a dream. A dream that became a reality and spread throughout the stars, a dream that made Mister Spock and me brothers.
GARTH: Mister Spock, do you consider Captain Kirk and yourself brothers?
SPOCK: Captain Kirk speaks somewhat figuratively and with undue emotion. However, what he says is logical and I do, in fact, agree with it.

I also am very partial to Kirk and Mirror Spock's interplay at the end of Mirror, Mirror. While it doesn't exactly fit the parameters set up by the OP, it has some sense of that theme to it. Besides, it really is a highly engaging and moving bit of dialogue. Mirror Spock certainly thought so, as was very thoughtfully expanded upon in TrekLit by the very engaging "Sorrows of Empire".

 

[T'Girl]

"Your world of starship captains doesn't admit women"




+

 

[johnnybear]

Hers is the mind of a child!
JB