Worst lines of dialogue in Trek?

[Josh Kelton]

Yeah, I've commented on this BBS multiple times about that. ... she's a halfblood Betazoid, making her only an empath rather than a full telepath as the rest of the Betazoids are. Her other qualifications must be truly exceptional for Picard to pick her over a full telepath.

Picard probably should have used that argument to Satie in "The Drumhead" - my Betazoid is just an empath, yours is a telepath. Or the episode is confusing empaths and telepaths, since Sabin should have been able to read Tarses' mind, rather than just getting a feeling that he was hiding something.

http://www.chakoteya.net/NextGen/195.htm

PICARD: Admiral. I have to tell you, you must not expect me to permit any action against Mister Tarses solely on the basis of Betazoid intuition.
SATIE: Sabin has uncanny instincts. I've learned to trust them.
PICARD: I'm not happy about this use of a Betazoid.
SATIE: But you have a Betazoid counsellor. Surely you're aware of the advantages.
PICARD: There is a difference between a counsellor and an investigator.
SATIE: Are you saying you never use your counsellor during interrogations?
PICARD: Yes, I do, but I would not act solely on the basis of her instinct.

 

[Oddish]

Suppose they lose Janeway. A sad loss, but Chakotay or Tuvok takes her place as captain (they should be prepared for that eventuality anyway) and Voyager will go on fine.

Proven in "Resolutions", when Tuvok absolutely rocked the big chair. He managed a difficult ensign and some treacherous Vidiians with equal Vulcan deftness.

And let's not forget "Before and After", when Captain Chakotay got Voyager safely through the Year of Hell (that actually happened). Not only that, he actually promoted people.

 

[XCV330]

Not only that, he actually promoted people.

holy crap i forgot about that

 

[Oddish]

holy crap i forgot about that

Probably got to officiate a few weddings as well.

 

[Agony_Boothb]

Proven in "Resolutions", when Tuvok absolutely rocked the big chair. He managed a difficult ensign and some treacherous Vidiians with equal Vulcan deftness.

I disagree that Tuvok 'rocked' the big chair. Sure he was a great tactician, but he had to be told by Kes of all people that he wasn't commanding a ship full of Vulcans and that empathising with his crew was an important part of leadership. Tuvok was largely inflexible and unwilling to take calculated risks, both of which are bad attributes to have as a Starfleet Captain. I'm glad Tuvok eventually came around, but I think if he'd remained in command behaving the way he was, the Maquis crewmembers probably would have mutinied and had some of the starfleet crew helping them.

 

[Oddish]

Maybe, but remember: one, Janeway was the one whose orders he was carrying out. And two, he was proven right: the Vidiians did exactly what he feared they would do, and turned on them. Arguably Tuvok's one mistake was that he didn't nominate a first officer who was attuned to the emotional state of the crew, who could have basically told him what Kes did. That and not wearing a red uniform. By staying in yellow, he presented the appearance of a person who was in denial, who was just keeping the chair warm instead of taking over for good.

 

[dupersuper]

Lose the warp core, especially in deep space, and it means they're stranded, at least as long as they can't obtain or manufacture a new warp core, which isn't going to be easy.

Well, shouldn't be easy. This is still Voyager...

Picard probably should have used that argument to Satie in "The Drumhead" - my Betazoid is just an empath, yours is a telepath. Or the episode is confusing empaths and telepaths, since Sabin should have been able to read Tarses' mind, rather than just getting a feeling that he was hiding something.

http://www.chakoteya.net/NextGen/195.htm

PICARD: Admiral. I have to tell you, you must not expect me to permit any action against Mister Tarses solely on the basis of Betazoid intuition.
SATIE: Sabin has uncanny instincts. I've learned to trust them.
PICARD: I'm not happy about this use of a Betazoid.
SATIE: But you have a Betazoid counsellor. Surely you're aware of the advantages.
PICARD: There is a difference between a counsellor and an investigator.
SATIE: Are you saying you never use your counsellor during interrogations?
PICARD: Yes, I do, but I would not act solely on the basis of her instinct.

Do we know for sure he was full Betazoid?

 

[at Quark's]

That and not wearing a red uniform. By staying in yellow, he presented the appearance of a person who was in denial, who was just keeping the chair warm instead of taking over for good.

And even in that, he was proven right. After all, they got Janeway and Chakotay back in the end, didn't they ?

 

[Captain_Nick]

I despise this Spock line from “The Conscience of the King”:

“Even in this corner of the galaxy, two plus two still equals four.”

Umm… no shit. In what circumstances will it equal anything else?! It’s a dumb line. Especially dumb coming outta Spock’s mouth.

I would submit that the vast majority of people could easily be brainwashed into seeing five lights

 

[Oddish]

And even in that, he was proven right. After all, they got Janeway and Chakotay back in the end, didn't they ?

But they might not have.

And in any case, Tuvok genuinely believed that he was beholden to the captain's orders, and therefore required to continue the voyage home with himself as captain.

 

[at Quark's]

But they might not have.

And in any case, Tuvok genuinely believed that he was beholden to the captain's orders, and therefore required to continue the voyage home with himself as captain.

That's actually a more serious problem I have with the episode. Shouldn't Janeway have foreseen how rigidly Tuvok would try to carry out her orders and how the crew might respond to that? I think part of the responsibility would be on her shoulders too. I don't mean she should have made someone else captain, skipping over Tuvok, but perhaps she should have emphasised to him to be 'flexible' and perhaps not have given him strict orders to not contact the Vidiians and such, trusting on his own insights to make such decisions.

Also I don't quite like how Tuvok is portrayed here as genuinely being unable to understand why the crew responds the way it does. After all, Tuvok does have emotions, perhaps suppressed most of the time, but he has certainly experienced them at some points during his long life, so he should have a better understanding of it. Of course, in the end he does see the light thanks to Kes, but a Vulcan with his number of years of experience in Starfleet shouldn't have needed that, I'd say.

 

[Oddish]

You have a point. I'm not wild about Harry's portrayal, either. He was a trained Starfleet officer with two years experience, and some really harrowing experiences behind him (including dying a couple of times). He should not have been having meltdowns on the bridge.

 

[at Quark's]

You have a point. I'm not wild about Harry's portrayal, either. He was a trained Starfleet officer with two years experience, and some really harrowing experiences behind him (including dying a couple of times). He should not have been having meltdowns on the bridge.

Of course, Tuvok had to be rigid and Harry unruly to create the drama the plot required, but I think it's safe to say the writers didn't follow the Dictates of Poetics by T'hain of Vulcan (a character's actions must flow inexorably from his or her established traits).

 

[Oddish]

Of course, Tuvok had to be rigid and Harry unruly to create the drama the plot required, but I think it's safe to say the writers didn't follow the Dictates of Poetics by T'hain of Vulcan (a character's actions must flow inexorably from his or her established traits).

I would agree with you. And not just where those two characters were concerned. Janeway seemed to have multiple personalities at times.

 

[There Be Whales Here]

I always thought the "Fruitier than a nutcake" line in TSFS sounded dumb but at least would have made more sense by changing "fruitier" and "nutcake" around and I really believe that's how it was in the script and the actor playing the prison guard messed up and they just left it in. Added to his other line about sending McCoy off to the "Federation Funny Farm" makes it even more cringe-worthy in that it gives the impression that a supposedly enlightened society like the Federation still has a cavalier attitude towards mental illness.

 

[Farscape One]

"When a father and son do not speak... it means there is trouble between them."
General Martok, "SONS AND DAUGHTERS, DS9

(Despite it being a bad line, he still sold it. Qa'pla!)

 

[DonIago]

I always thought the "Fruitier than a nutcake" line in TSFS sounded dumb but at least would have made more sense by changing "fruitier" and "nutcake" around and I really believe that's how it was in the script and the actor playing the prison guard messed up and they just left it in.

I'm pretty sure it was a deliberate play on "Nutty as a fruitcake", which is the standard phrasing. I doubt the actor messed it up.

 

[Mytran]

I always thought the "Fruitier than a nutcake" line in TSFS sounded dumb but at least would have made more sense by changing "fruitier" and "nutcake" around and I really believe that's how it was in the script and the actor playing the prison guard messed up and they just left it in. Added to his other line about sending McCoy off to the "Federation Funny Farm" makes it even more cringe-worthy in that it gives the impression that a supposedly enlightened society like the Federation still has a cavalier attitude towards mental illness.

It was actually one of Kirk's lines, not the guard's.
But regardless, it was well delivered by Shatner.

I'm pretty sure it was a deliberate play on "Nutty as a fruitcake", which is the standard phrasing. I doubt the actor messed it up.

Indeed.
I always took it as Kirk saying it backwards on purpose to see if the guard would bite

 

[There Be Whales Here]

It was actually one of Kirk's lines, not the guard's.
But regardless, it was well delivered by Shatner.
Indeed.
I always took it as Kirk saying it backwards on purpose to see if the guard would bite

You are correct and I'm not sure why I remembered that line as being the guard's especially when I've only seen the movie about a thousand times.

But going back and watching that clip now I do see some merit about Kirk testing him, since the guard gets a funny look on his face and hesitates before he says "Two minutes". Then again, I also got the impression the prison guards just act like a bunch of obnoxious smart-asses to any visitors given one was so quick to threaten Sulu and ridicule his height (which also doesn't seem very enlightened for a society supposedly accepting of physical differences).

 

[FormerLurker]

But going back and watching that clip now I do see some merit about Kirk testing him, since the guard gets a funny look on his face and hesitates before he says "Two minutes". Then again, I also got the impression the prison guards just act like a bunch of obnoxious smart-asses to any visitors given one was so quick to threaten Sulu and ridicule his height (which also doesn't seem very enlightened for a society supposedly accepting of physical differences).

Mr. Adventure was wrong. The hind end of space is Starfleet Security.