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The recent passing of Sir Patrick Stewart has left multiple fandoms heartbroken. A classically trained actor, Stewart’s career in TV and film ranged from highbrow projects like Dickens and Shakespeare to pop culture canons like Star Trek and X-Men. Everyone who met Stewart knew him to be kind, generous, and genteel. Though each role he played has left indelible marks in the lives of admirers, one of the most enduring is his performance as Starfleet Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
Nearly two decades after the original Star Trek TV series wrapped, Stewart’s Picard served as a fantastic antithesis to his reckless, promiscuous predecessor, Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). Picard was more patient and cautious than Kirk and vastly less impulsive. This did not mean he lacked gusto or conviction and many episodes put Picard’s bravery and resolve to the test, and he always passed with flying colors. As fans everywhere look back on Stewart’s legacy, these are the best Picard quotes that rise to the surface time and again.
7
“Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.”
Captain Picard is as well known for his preferred beverage choice as he is for his quotes. It may seem surface level, but diving deeper this decision speaks volumes. While other officers may reach for a stronger drink, like espresso or Romulan Ale, to jolt or dull their senses, Picard chooses Earl Grey tea. This choice is in keeping with the introspective Captain, as he loves all things intellectual and contemplating complex topics with all of his senses intact is key.
This simple quote has become so intertwined with Picard that it is a defining mantra of his persona. If you simply say the words “Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.” Anyone who knows about Star Trek: The Next Generation will know who you are talking about. It also speaks to how influential Stewart’s role as Picard is. Many non-tea drinkers would be hard-pressed to identify a single variety, but thanks to Picard, they know at least one flavor by name and which one to partake in should the mood ever strike them.
6
“Make it so.”
Another quote synonymous with Picard’s demeanor is the simple “Make it so.” Even though it is only three words long, it communicates many ideals. “Make it so” is important because this saying is how Picard communicates with his crew. Instead of ordering his subordinates around or shouting at them to comply, “make it so” implies a partnership. In one simple phrase, he is admitting to his crew that he is relying on them, he cannot succeed without them, and they are in control of getting things done.
“Make it so” demonstrates Picard’s ability to listen and to delegate. He often takes his crew’s thoughts and opinions into account and defers to them more frequently than not. Picard has great faith in the people he works with, and he demonstrates this time and again when he puts his life and well-being quite literally into their hands.
5
“There are four lights!”
Two highly intense TNG episodes are in Season 6, Episodes 10 and 11, “Chain of Command, Part I” and “Part II.” After being held hostage and tortured by Cardassians, Picard is continually gaslit into saying there are five lights in front of him when, in actuality, there are four. This sordid manipulation by the Cardassians was an attempt to break Picard’s will and exert control over him. However, Picard is unwavering and continues to pronounce defiantly, “There are four lights!” Even though he knows he will be physically punished for it.
Picard is a man after truth. He searches for it throughout the entirety of the series. This encounter with the Cardassians reaffirms how strongly he holds to his beliefs about honesty and integrity. Picard was tested several times in TNG, and the “Chain of Command” saga is a profound example. He proved to be a brave and uncompromising hero. He would not allow himself to be influenced by corrupt sources, even at great personal cost. Picard’s mettle was tested, and the kind of man he was testifies to why his crew would follow him to the very depths of unknown space.
4
“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.”
In addition to the highly successful seven-season run in the TV series, Stewart reprised his role as Picard in four feature-length movies. One of his best quotes comes from the 1994 film, Star Trek: Generations. As Picard and Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) reminisce about the passing of time, Picard puts a fresh perspective on the idea. He tells Riker, “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.”
This quote reinforces Picard’s proclivity for boiling down truths to their very essence and examining them from multiple perspectives. Picard is a very open-minded individual and tries hard not to rely on assumptions. His viewpoint of time as a companion rather than a predator makes him patient and reflective. This brings a wealth of wisdom, as he views his experience as a Starfleet Captain as something to learn from and not to beat the clock or strive against. His monologue goes on to impart an even bigger chestnut of wisdom, but more on that later.
3
“With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.”
Picard is a well-read man, and he values the lessons he learns from those who have gone before. In Season 4, Episode 21, “The Drumhead,” Picard faces a formidable foe in the person of Admiral Nora Satie (Jean Simmons). Adm. Satie arrives to conduct a witch hunt on board the Enterprise, and things reach a boiling point when Picard is publicly examined by her in a hearing.
In a bold move, Picard quotes Satie’s father, Judge Aaron Satie, and hits her with his words, “With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably.” Adm. Satie’s impassioned overreaction to Picard’s response sends shock waves through the room, and her true intentions and motives come to light. “The Drumhead” is a fascinating episode about politics, and it has many points to make about civil prejudice and corrupt officials.
2
“There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders.”
“The Offspring” is a TNG episode positively packed with nuance and meaningful themes. In the plot, the android Lieutenant Commander Data (Brent Spiner) creates his own sentient android child, Lal (Hallie Todd). However, this action was not sanctioned by Starfleet, and as Data had already had to prove his own independent rights and civil liberties in the episode “The Measure of a Man,” it seems that the fight begins all over again concerning Lal.
Though Captain Picard is not pleased with what Data has done, he is prepared to support him when Admiral Anthony Haftel (Nicolas Coster) arrives and tries to force Data to surrender Lal. Data makes a profound plea that Lal is his daughter, and he is her father, and he cannot in good conscience give her up. When Adm. Haftel orders him to do so, Picard tells Data to disregard that order and says to Haftel, “There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders.”
This moment is an important one for Picard and for real-life officials everywhere. There may come a time when what they are ordered to do violates what they believe to be right. This conflict of conviction proves again why Picard is a champion for his crew and an android ally. He puts his reputation and career on the line for Data’s sake in “The Measure of a Man,” and does so again for his daughter, Lal.
1
“What we leave behind is not as important as how we lived. After all, Number One, we’re only mortal.”
The final thought in Picard’s statement about time in Star Trek: Generations ends with the line, “What we leave behind is not as important as how we lived. After all, Number One, we’re only mortal.” This realization is a profound one for a Starfleet officer. As Captain, they are asked to take risks again and again, many of which include putting their lives on the line. While others may take this opportunity as a carte blanche to be reckless, Picard does not. His knowledge of his own mortality guides him to value every decision he makes.
As the world mourns the loss of Sir Patrick Stewart, this quote becomes significantly more impactful. While the performances he gifted to his audiences will live on forever, his life is worthy of emulating. Anyone who knew Stewart would say he lived well and treated those around him with care and respect. Make it so.
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Lisa Nordin
Almontather Rassoul
