Jean-Luc Picard

Jean-Luc Picard (13 July 2305–) is a character in the Star Trek fictional universe, the captain of the USS Enterprise-D and the Enterprise-E. He was played by British actor Patrick Stewart in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, the subsequent films and the streaming television series Star Trek: Picard.

Quotes



 * Make it so.
 * Catchphrase first used in "Encounter At Farpoint" (28 September 1987) by Gene Roddenberry


 * Engage.
 * Catchphrase first used in "Encounter At Farpoint" (28 September 1987) by Gene Roddenberry


 * Tea. Earl Grey. Hot.
 * Catchphrase first used in "Encounter At Farpoint" (28 September 1987) by Gene Roddenberry


 * Part of having feelings is learning to integrate them into your life, Data, ...learning to live with them. No matter what the circumstances ... Sometimes it takes courage to try, Data. Courage can be an emotion too.
 * Star Trek Generations (1994) story by Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore and Rick Berman


 * It's our mortality that defines us, Soran. It's part of the truth of our existence.
 * Star Trek Generations (1994) story by Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore and Rick Berman. See also: The beginning of Youtube Video "Picard Words of Wisdom: Cherish Every Moment. Now Will Never Come Again" (09.12.2019) by user "Major Grin".


 * 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. What we leave behind is not as important as how we've lived. After all, Number One, we're only mortal.
 * Star Trek Generations (1994) story by Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore and Rick Berman


 * Reports of my assimilation are greatly exaggerated.
 * Star Trek: First Contact (1996) story by Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore and Rick Berman
 * Derivative of the statement "Reports of my death are greatly exaggerated" attributed to Mark Twain, paraphrasing his remark: "The report of my death was an exaggeration."


 * The acquisition of wealth is no longer the driving force of our lives. We work to better ourselves and the rest of humanity.
 * Star Trek: First Contact (1996) story by Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore and Rick Berman


 * The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!
 * Star Trek: First Contact (1996) story by Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore and Rick Berman


 * Patience. Diplomacy is a very exacting occupation. We will wait.
 * Jean-Luc Picard, Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) story by John Logan, Rick Berman and Brent Spiner; On Equality and Peace


 * If there is one ideal that the Federation holds most dear, it is that all men, all races can be united.
 * Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) story by John Logan, Rick Berman and Brent Spiner; On Equality and Peace


 * [voiceover] Captain's Personal Log. The crew has responded with the dedication I've come to expect of them. And like a thousand other commanders on a thousand other battlefields, I wait for the dawn.
 * Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) story by John Logan, Rick Berman and Brent Spiner


 * Buried deep within you, beneath all the years of pain and anger, there is something that has never been nurtured: the potential to make yourself a better man. And that is what it is to be human. To make yourself more than you are. Oh, yes — I know you. There was a time you looked at the stars and dreamed of what might be.
 * Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) story by John Logan, Rick Berman and Brent Spiner


 * Never, never! You still have a choice. Make the right one now.
 * Star Trek: Nemesis (2002) story by John Logan, Rick Berman and Brent Spiner


 * I came here to finde safety. But one is never safe from the past.
 * Star Trek Picard: New York Comic-Con Trailer. Source: Patrick Stewart (5 October 2019): Star Trek Picard: New York Comic-Con Trailer | #StarTrekPicard. January 23, 2020. Star Trek on CBS All Access Amazon Prime Video UK CTV Sci-Fi Channel. Facebook page of Patrick Stewart.


 * The past is written, but we are left to write the future.
 * Star Trek Picard: New York Comic-Con Trailer. Source: Patrick Stewart (5. October 2019): Star Trek Picard: New York Comic-Con Trailer | #StarTrekPicard. January 23, 2020. Star Trek on CBS All Access Amazon Prime Video UK CTV Sci-Fi Channel. Facebook page of Patrick Stewart.

Star Trek: The Next Generation

 * Let's see what this galaxy class starship can do.
 * "Encounter At Farpoint" (28 September 1987) by Gene Roddenberry


 * If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are.
 * "Encounter At Farpoint" (28 September 1987) by Gene Roddenberry


 * Let's see what's out there. Engage.
 * "Encounter At Farpoint" (28 September 1987) by Gene Roddenberry


 * Sometimes, Riker, the best way to win a fight is not to be there.
 * "The Last Outpost" (19 October 1987) Story by Richard Krzmeien and Teleplay by Herbert Wright


 * There can be no justice so long as laws are absolute. Even life itself is an exercise in exceptions.
 * "Justice" (9 November 1987) by Worley Thorne and Ralph Wills


 * [Picard has just been released from Bok's mind control device]
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Bok! Where is Bok?!
 * William Riker: Removed from command, sir. And placed under guard for his act of personal vengeance. Seems there was no profit in it.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: In revenge, there never is. Let the dead rest... and the past, remain the past. Enterprise, lock on. Beam me home, Riker.
 * "The Battle" (16 November 1987) by Larry Forrester


 * What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason! how infinite in faculty! in form, in moving, how express and admirable! in action how like an angel! in apprehension how like a god!
 * "Hide and Q" (23 November 1987) by C.J. Holland. Picard is quoting Hamelet from Hamlet, Act II, Scene ii. See also: The end of Youtube Video "Star Trek TNG -- What a Piece of Work Is Man" (11.11.2021) by user "Frustrated Idealist ".


 * Things are only impossible until they're not!
 * "When the Bough Breaks" (15 February 1988) by Hannah Louise Shearer; On persistence


 * Jean-Luc Picard: Good. The only person you're truly competing against, Wesley, is yourself.
 * Wesley Crusher: Then you're not disappointed?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Wesley, you have to measure your successes and your failures within, not by anything I or anyone else might think.
 * "Coming of Age" (14 March 1988) by Sandy Fries


 * The Prime Directive is not just a set of rules; it is a philosophy ... and a very correct one. History has proven again and again that whenever mankind interferes with a less developed civilization, no matter how well intentioned that interference may be, the results are invariably disastrous.
 * "Symbiosis" (18 April 1988) by Robert Lewin. See also: The middle of Youtube Video "Star Trek The Next Generation - The Prime Directive by Captain Jean-Luc Picard, Symbiosis S01E22" (27.04.2023) by user "Adventures in Rhythm".


 * You say you are true evil? Shall I tell you what true evil is? It is to submit to you. It is when we surrender our freedom, our dignity instead of defying you.
 * "Skin of Evil" (25 April 1988) by Joseph Stefano


 * [An alien is impersonating Data.]
 * Alien (as Data): What is death?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Oh, is that all. Data, you're asking probably the most difficult of all questions. Some see it as a changing into an indestructible form, forever unchanging. They believe that the purpose of the entire universe is to then maintain that form in an Earth-like garden which will give delight and pleasure through all eternity. On the other hand there are those who hold to the idea of our blinking into nothingness with all of our experiences and hopes and dreams merely a delusion.
 * Alien (as Data): Which do you believe sir?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Considering the marvelous complexity of the universe, its clockwork perfection, its balances of this against that... matter, energy, gravitation, time, dimension, I believe that our existence must be more than either of these philosophies. That what we are goes beyond euclidean or other 'practical' measuring systems... and that our existence is part of a reality beyond what we understand now as reality.
 * "Where Silence Has Lease" (28 November 1988) by Jack B. Sowards


 * No being is so important that he can usurp the rights of another.
 * "The Schizoid Man" (23 January 1989) by Richard Manning and Hans Beimler


 * Your Honour, the courtroom is a crucible. In it we burn away irrelevancies until we are left with a pure product, the truth for all time.
 * "The Measure of a Man" (13 February 1989) by Melinda M. Snodgrass


 * Your Honour, Starfleet was founded to seek out new life. Well, there it sits!
 * "The Measure of a Man" (13 February 1989) by Melinda M. Snodgrass


 * Wesley: It's the Yamato, Captain. I can't stop thinking about her. All those people dead. I don't know how you and Commander Riker and Geordi, how you handle it so easily.
 * Picard: Easily? Oh no, not easily. We handle it because we're trained to, as you will be. Tea, Earl Grey, hot. But if the time ever comes when the death of a single individual fails to move us-
 * "Contagion", (March 18, 1989) written by Steve Gerber and Beth Woods


 * Mr. La Forge, time is one thing we do not have in abundance.
 * "Contagion" (20 March 1989) by Steve Gerber and Beth Woods
 * This line echoes a line from "Star Trek: TOS", episode "The Paradise Syndrome", in which Spock says "Time, Dr. McCoy, is the one thing we do not have in abundance." It has become a catch-phrase for Trekkies.


 * These officers are here to assist you. Not judge, help you. You should make use of them. They are a valuable resource. And by the way, I respect an officer who is prepared to admit ignorance and ask a question, rather than one who out of pride will blunder blindly forward.
 * "Pen Pals" (1 May 1989) by Hannah Louise Shearer


 * There is a loneliness inherent in that whisper from the darkness.
 * "Pen Pals" (1 May 1989) by Hannah Louise Shearer


 * Remembrance and regrets, they too are a part of friendship.
 * "Pen Pals" (1 May 1989) by Hannah Louise Shearer


 * Q: What justifies that smugness?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Not smugness, not arrogance. But we are resolute, we are determined, and your help is not required.
 * "Q Who" (8 May 1989) by Maurice Hurley


 * Well, perhaps what we most needed was a kick in our complacency, to prepare us ready for what lies ahead.
 * "Q Who" (8 May 1989) by Maurice Hurley


 * Wesley Crusher: Didn't you ever wish you had kids of your own?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Wishing for a thing does not make it so.
 * "Samaritan Snare" (15 May 1989) by Robert L. McCullough


 * Jean-Luc Picard: Did you read that book I gave you?
 * Wesley Crusher: Some of it.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: That's reassuring.
 * Wesley Crusher: I just don't have much time.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: There is no greater challenge than the study of philosophy.
 * Wesley Crusher: But William James won't be in my Starfleet exams.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: The important things never will be. Anyone can be trained in the mechanics of piloting a starship.
 * Wesley Crusher: But Starfleet Academy
 * Jean-Luc Picard: It takes more. Open your mind to the past. Art, history, philosophy. And all this may mean something.
 * "Samaritan Snare" (15 May 1989) by Robert L. McCullough. See also: The beginning of Youtube Video "Captain Picard: No greater challenge than the study of philosophy" (17.09.2020) by user "Jason Winning".


 * I'm pleased to report that Ensign Crusher's Starfleet exam results permit him to continue his studies on board the Enterprise. Furthermore, any rumours of my brush with death are greatly exaggerated.
 * "Samaritan Snare" (15 May 1989) by Robert L. McCullough


 * It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose. That is not a weakness; that is life.
 * "Peak Performance" (10 July 1989) by David Kemper. See also: The beginning of Youtube Video "Picard Star Trek the Next Generation: It is possible to commit no mistakes and still lose" (17.09.2020) by user "Darc Vigilante". See also: The beginning of Youtube Video "Data sulking like Achilles in his tent." (09.10.2013) by user "SkaIathrax".


 * Beverly Crusher: Data, telling us why you're going to fail before you make the attempt is never wise.*
 * Data: But is not honesty always the preferred choice?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Excessive honesty can be disastrous, particularly in a commander.
 * Data: Indeed?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Knowing your limitations is one thing. Advertising them to a crew can damage your credibility as a leader.
 * "The Ensigns of Command" (2 October 1989) by Melinda M. Snodgrass.


 * William Riker: You enjoyed that.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: You're damned right.
 * "The Ensigns of Command" (2 October 1989) by Melinda M. Snodgrass. See also: The middle of Youtube Video "TNG Picard owns the Sheliak (Ensigns of Command)" (08.02.2012) by user "trekclip123". Context: Picard exploits a loophole in the treaty with the Sheliak and offers the Sheliak a choice: either wait six months for third-party arbitrators, or give Picard three weeks to evacuate the colony. Outmaneuvered, the Sheliak agree to the three weeks.


 * We're not qualified to be your judges. We have no law to fit your crime.
 * "The Survivors" (9 October 1989) by Michael Wagner. See also: The end of Youtube Video "How I Wish I Could Have Died With Her" (18.06.2021) by user "tjwparso".


 * We leave behind a being of extraordinary power and conscience. I am not certain if he should be praised or condemned. Only that he should be left alone.
 * "The Survivors" (9 October 1989) by Michael Wagner. See also: The end of Youtube Video "How I Wish I Could Have Died With Her" (18.06.2021) by user "tjwparso".


 * Tomalak: I urge you, Captain Picard, surrender. Consider the men and women you would lead into a lost cause.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: If the cause is just and honourable, they are prepared to give their lives. Are you prepared to die today, Tomalak?
 * "The Defector" (1 January 1990) by Ronald D. Moore. See also: Middle of Youtube Video "The Enterprise -D Crossed The Neutral Zone" (28.03.2018) by user "April 5, 2063".


 * History has shown us that strength may be useless when faced with terrorism. 
 * "The High Ground" (29 January 1990) by Melinda M. Snodgrass


 * Lt Cmdr. Data: But if that is so, Captain, why are their methods so often successful? I've been reviewing the history of armed rebellion, and it appears that terrorism is an effective way to promote political change.
 * Capt. Jean-Luc Picard: Yes, it can be. But I have never subscribed to the theory that political power flows from the barrel of a gun.
 * "The High Ground" (29 January 1990) by Melinda M. Snodgrass


 * 'A matter of internal security.' The age-old cry of the oppressor.
 * "The Hunted" (8 January 1990) by Robin Bernheim


 * Being first at any cost is not always the point.
 * "Tin Man" (23 March 1990) by Dennis Putman Bailey and David Bischoff


 * Let's make sure history never forgets the name Enterprise.
 * Statement to the entire crew in the alternate timeline towards the end of "Yesterday's Enterprise" (19 February 1990) story by Trent Christopher Ganino, Eric A. Stillwell Ira Steven Behr, Richard Manning, Hans Beimler, Ronald D. Moore. See also: Beginning of Youtube Video "History Never Forgets the Name Enterprise | Star Trek: The Next Generation - Yesterday's Enterprise" (11.06.2017) by user "Star Trek Clips".


 * There are times, sir, when men of good conscience cannot blindly follow orders. You acknowledge their sentience, but ignore their personal liberties and freedom. Order a man to turn his child over to the state? Not while I'm his captain.
 * "The Offspring", (12 March 1990) by René Echevarria


 * You may test that assumption at your convenience.
 * "Sins of the Father" (19 March 1990) by Drew Deighan


 * Imprisonment is an injury, regardless of how you justify it.
 * "Allegiance" (26 March 1990) by Richard Manning and Hans Beimler


 * Picard: It's something of a tradition, Guinan - Captain touring the ship before a battle.
 * Guinan: Hmm. Before a hopeless battle, if I remember the tradition correctly.
 * Picard: Not necessarily. Nelson toured the HMS Victory before Trafalgar.
 * Guinan: Yes, but Nelson never returned from Trafalgar, did he?
 * Picard: No, but the battle was won.
 * "The Best of Both Worlds" (18 June 1990) by Michael Piller


 * Picard: I wonder if the Emperor Honorius watching the Visigoths coming over the seventh hill could truly realize that the Roman Empire was about to fall. This is really just another page of history, isn't it? Will this be the end of our civilization? Turn the page.
 * Guinan: This isn't the end.
 * Picard: You say that with remarkable assuredness.
 * "The Best of Both Worlds" (18 June 1990) by Michael Piller


 * The Borg: Captain Jean-Luc Picard. You lead the strongest ship of the Federation Starfleet. You speak for your people.
 * Picard: I have nothing to say to you. And I will resist you with my last ounce of strength!
 * The Borg: Strength is irrelevant. Resistance is futile. We wish to improve ourselves. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service ours.
 * Picard: Impossible! My culture is based on freedom and self-determination!
 * The Borg: Freedom is irrelevant. Self-determination is irrelevant. You must comply.
 * Picard: We would rather die.
 * The Borg: Death is irrelevant. Your archaic cultures are authority driven. To facilitate our introduction into your societies, it has been decided that a human voice will speak for us in all communications. You have been chosen to be that voice.
 * "The Best of Both Worlds" (18 June 1990) by Michael Piller


 * I am Locutus of Borg. Resistance is futile. Your life as it has been… is over. From this time forward, you will service… us.
 * "The Best of Both Worlds" (18 June 1990) by Michael Piller


 * The knowledge and experience of the human Picard is part of us now. It has prepared us for all possible courses of action. Your resistance is hopeless... Number One.
 * “The Best of Both Worlds”, (September 24, 1990), by Michael Piller


 * Jean-Luc Picard: They took everything I was. They used me to kill and to destroy and I couldn't stop them. I should have been able to stop them. I tried. I tried so hard. But I wasn't strong enough. I wasn't good enough! I should have been able to stop them. I should... I should...
 * Robert Picard: So... my brother is a human being after all. This is going to be with you a long time, Jean-Luc. A long time.
 * “Family", (October 1, 1990), by Ronald D. Moore


 * Trust requires time and experience.
 * "First Contact" (29 April 1991) with story by Marc Soctt Zicree and teleplay by Dennis Bailey & David Bischoff and Joe Menosky & Ronald D. Moore and Michael Piller. See also: End of Youtube Video "Captain Picard demonstrates diplomacy." (06.10.2013) by user "SkaIathrax".


 * You know, there are some words I've known since I was a schoolboy. "With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably." Those words were uttered by Judge Aaron Satie as wisdom and warning. The first time any man's freedom is trodden on, we're all damaged.
 * "The Drumhead" (29 April 1991) by Jeri Taylor


 * The road from legitimate suspicion to rampant paranoia is very much shorter than we think.
 * "The Drumhead" (29 April 1991) by Jeri Taylor


 * Jean-Luc Picard: We think we've come so far. Torture of heretics, burning of witches, is all ancient history. Then, before you can blink an eye, suddenly, it threatens to start all over again.
 * Worf': I believed her. I... helped her. I did not see her for what she was.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Mr. Worf, villains who twirl their moustache are easy to spot. Those who clothe themselves in good deeds are well-camouflaged.
 * Worf: I think... after yesterday people will not be so ready to trust her.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Maybe. But she, or someone like her, will always be with us. Waiting for the right climate in which to flourish, spreading fear in the name of righteousness. [...] Vigilance, Mr. Worf. That is the price we must continually pay.
 * "The Drumhead" (29 April 1991) by Jeri Taylor


 * I'd be delighted to offer any advice I have on understanding women. When I have some, I'll let you know.
 * "In Theory" (3 June 1991) by Joe Menosky and Ronald D. Moore


 * In my experience, communication is a matter of patience, imagination. I would like to believe these are qualities we have in sufficient measure.
 * "Darmok" (30 September 1991) by Joe Menosky and Phillip LaZebnik. See also: Beginning of Youtube Video "Beginning Scene From the Episode Darmok" (04.10.2021) by user "April 5, 2063".


 * You hoped this would happen, didn't you? You knew there was a dangerous creature on this planet and you knew from the tale of Darmok that a danger shared might sometimes bring two people together. Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra. You and me, here, at El-Adrel.
 * "Darmok" (30 September 1991) by Joe Menosky and Phillip LaZebnik


 * Jean-Luc Picard: Oh, the Homeric Hymns. One of the root metaphors of our own culture.
 * William Riker: For the next time we encounter the Tamarians?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: More familiarity with our own mythology might help us to relate to theirs. The Tamarian was willing to risk all of us just for the hope of communication, connection. Now the door is open between our peoples. That commitment meant more to him than his own life.
 * "Darmok" (30 September 1991) by Joe Menosky and Phillip LaZebnik


 * Every choice we make allows us to manipulate the future. Do I ask Adrienne or Suzanne to the spring dance? Do I take my holiday on Corsica or on Risa? A person's life, their future, hinges on each of a thousand choices. Living is making choices. Now you ask me to believe that if I make a choice other than the one found in your history books, then your past will be irrevocably altered. Well, you know, Professor, perhaps I don't give a damn about your past, because your past is my future and as far as I'm concerned, it hasn't been written yet.
 * "A Matter of Time" (30 September 1991) by Rick Berman.


 * The first duty of every Starfleet officer is to the truth, whether it's scientific truth or historical truth or personal truth! It is the guiding principle on which Starfleet is based! If you can't find it within yourself to stand up and tell the truth about what happened, you don't deserve to wear that uniform!
 * "The First Duty" (March 30, 1992) by Ronald D. Moore and Naren Shankar


 * Seize the time... Live now! Make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.
 * "The Inner Light" (1 June 1992) by Morgan Gendel and Peter Allan Fields. See also: The beginning of Youtube Video "Picard Words of Wisdom: Cherish Every Moment. Now Will Never Come Again" (09.12.2019) by user "Major Grin".


 * You cannot explain away a wantonly immoral act because you think it is connected to some higher purpose.
 * "Chain of Command" (October 5, 1992) by Frank Abatemarco


 * There are four lights!
 * "Man of the People" (21 December 1992) by Frank Abatemarco


 * No, I am not dead. Because I refuse to believe the afterlife is run by you. The universe is not so badly designed!
 * "Tapestry" (15 February 1993) by Ronald D. Moore


 * I would rather die as the man I was than live the life I just saw.
 * "Tapestry" (15 February 1993) by Ronald D. Moore


 * There is a way out of every box, a solution to every puzzle; it's just a matter of finding it.
 * "Attached" (8 November 1993) by Nick Sagan


 * I prefer to look on the future as something which is not written in stone. A lot of things can happen in 25 years.
 * "All Good Things..." (23 May 1994) by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore


 * We are what we are, and we're doing the best we can. It is not for you to set the standards by which we should be judged!
 * "All Good Things..." (23 May 1994) by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore


 * Now, this will put the ship at risk. Quite frankly, we may not survive. But I want you to believe that I am doing this for a greater purpose, and that what is at stake here is more than any of you can possibly imagine. I know you have your doubts about me, about each other, about this ship. All I can say is that although we have only been together for a short time, I know that you are the finest crew in the fleet. And I would trust each of you with my life. So, I am asking you for a leap of faith — and to trust me.
 * "All Good Things..." (23 May 1994) by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore


 * So, five-card stud, nothing wild. And the sky's the limit.
 * "All Good Things..." (23 May 1994) by Brannon Braga and Ronald D. Moore

Star Trek: Picard

 * Laris: Bad dreams?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: The dreams are lovely. It's the waking up that I'm beginning to resent.


 * Remembrance (January 23, 2020), written By Akiva Goldsman and James Duff; story by Akiva Goldsman & Michael Chabon & Kirsten Beyer & Alex Kurtzman and James Duff


 * Sitting here, all these years, nursing my offended dignity, writing books of history people prefer to forget. I never asked anything of myself at all. [...] I haven’t been living. I’ve been waiting to die.
 * Remembrance (January 23, 2020), written By Akiva Goldsman and James Duff; story by Akiva Goldsman & Michael Chabon & Kirsten Beyer & Alex Kurtzman and James Duff


 * I'm not in the habit of consulting lawyers before I do what needs to be done.
 * The End Is the Beginning (February 6, 2020) by Michael Chabon and Akiva Goldsman


 * Raffi Musiker: But you remember what we used to say back then?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: One impossible thing at a time.


 * Absolute Candor (February 13, 2020) by Michael Chabon


 * But murder is not justice. There is no solace in revenge. You have had your humanity restored to you. Don't squander it now.
 * Stardust City Rag (February 20, 2020) by Kirsten Beyer


 * Changed? The Borg? They coolly assimilate entire civilizations, entire systems, in a matter of hours. They don't change! They metastasize.
 * The Impossible Box (February 27, 2020) by Nick Zayas


 * William Riker: That time you were flying off to Romulus, to plan the Great Supernova Rescue. Do you remember what I said?
 * Jean-Luc Picard: 'So you want to be ass-deep in Romulans for the rest of your life?'
 * William Riker: I believe I also reminded you of Newton's Fourth Law of Thermodynamics.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: No good deed goes unpunished.
 * Nepenthe (March 5, 2020) by Samantha Humphrey and Michael Chabon


 * William Riker: Classic Picard arrogance. You get to make the decisions about who gets to take the chances and who doesn't, and who's in the loop and who's out of the loop, and, naturally, it always ends up with you. And that's fine on the bridge of your starship, captain, but now you're dealing with a teenager, more or less. That can be an extremely humbling experience. Frankly, not sure you're up to it.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Perhaps I'm not.
 * William Riker: There you go. Baby steps.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Baby steps.
 * Nepenthe (March 5, 2020) by Samantha Humphrey and Michael Chabon


 * Kirsten Clancy: That's a hell of a report.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: And you thought I was a desperate old man. Quixotic, paranoid, possibly senile…
 * Kirsten Clancy: Let's just leave it at quixotic.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: And now the windmills have turned out to be giants.
 * Broken Pieces (March 12, 2020) by Samantha Humphrey and Michael Chabon


 * You have a past. You have a story, just waiting to be claimed.
 * Broken Pieces (March 12, 2020) by Samantha Humphrey and Michael Chabon


 * The past is written, but the future is left for us to write, and we have powerful tools, Rios: openness, optimism, and the spirit of curiosity. All they have is secrecy, and fear, and fear is the great destroyer, Rios.
 * Broken Pieces (March 12, 2020) by Samantha Humphrey and Michael Chabon


 * Data's capacity for expressing and processing emotion was limited. I suppose we had that in common.
 * Broken Pieces (March 12, 2020) by Samantha Humphrey and Michael Chabon


 * There's a difference between killing an attacking enemy and watching a wounded one die.
 * Et En Arcadia Argo, Part 1 (March 19, 2020) by Michael Chabon & Ayelet Waldman & Akiva Goldsman


 * One more thing. Uh, I have a brain abnormality. I've known for years. Uh, I never had any symptoms, so I never thought much about it. However, just before we left the Earth, I learned that my condition was more acute. The prognosis was terminal, and there is no effective treatment. There will be no further discussion. Anyone who treats me like a dying man will run the risk of pissing me off.
 * Et En Arcadia Argo, Part 1 (March 19, 2020) by Michael Chabon & Ayelet Waldman & Akiva Goldsman


 * Well, hope and the odds make poor bedfellows.
 * Et En Arcadia Argo, Part 1 (March 19, 2020) by Michael Chabon & Ayelet Waldman & Akiva Goldsman


 * To say you have no choice is a failure of imagination.
 * Et En Arcadia Argo, Part 2 (March 26, 2020) by Michael Chabon & Akiva Goldsman


 * But fear is an incompetent teacher.
 * Et En Arcadia Argo, Part 2 (March 26, 2020) by Michael Chabon & Akiva Goldsman


 * To be alive is a responsibility. As well as a right.
 * Et En Arcadia Argo, Part 2 (March 26, 2020) by Michael Chabon & Akiva Goldsman


 * It says a great deal about the mind of Commander Data that, looking at the human race with all its violence and corruption, willful ignorance, he could still see kindness, the immense curiosity, and greatness of spirit. And he wanted, more than anything else, to be part of that, to be part of the human family.
 * Et En Arcadia Argo, Part 2 (March 26, 2020) by Michael Chabon & Akiva Goldsman


 * Seize today for we know nothing of tomorrow.
 * The Star Gazer (March 3, 2022) by Akiva Goldsman & Terry Matalas


 * We often refer to space as the final frontier. But the older I get, the more I come to believe that the true final frontier is time. In command, as in life, what we do in crisis often weighs upon us less heavily than what we wish we had done, what could have been. Time offers many opportunities, but it rarely offers second chances. And as steps forward go I would like to acknowledge your classmate the first fully Romulan cadet at Starfleet Academy: Elnor. May you all go boldly into a future freed from the shackles of the past. I stand before you the last Picard. My ancestor captained the second ship, behind Jacques Cartier. A great-great cousin Renee Picard was instrumental in early exploration of this solar system. Yet I choose to leave you with the words of my mother, who was no explorer at all. When I was a boy she would point to the night sky and say, "Look up, Jean-Luc, and let's see what's out there".
 * The Star Gazer (March 3, 2022) by Akiva Goldsman & Terry Matalas


 * We cannot live in this reality. If we want to save the future, then we have to repair the past.
 * Penance (March 3, 2022) by Akiva Goldsman & Terry Matalas and Christopher Monfette (Teleplay) as well as by Michael Chabon and Akiva Goldsman & Terry Matalas and Christopher Monfette (Story)


 * Agnes Jurati: It’s only a partial assimilation.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Halfway to hell is still not a recommended destination.


 * Assimilation (March 17, 2022) by Kiley Rossetter & Christopher Monfette. See also: The middle of Youtube Video "Jurati Connecting To The Borg Queen | Star Trek Picard S02E03" (19.03.2022) by user "Star Trek Friendly".


 * Distance offers no protection from time.
 * Watcher (March 24, 2022) by Juliana James & Jane Maggs (Teleplay) as well as by Travis Fickett & Juliana James (Story)


 * History’s darkest moments can be a tipping point for change.
 * Watcher (March 24, 2022) by Juliana James & Jane Maggs (Teleplay) as well as by Travis Fickett & Juliana James (Story)


 * Guinan! Don't leave the Earth just yet. I know you're done with listening, but you're not done with humanity. Change always comes later than we think it should.
 * Watcher (March 24, 2022) by Juliana James & Jane Maggs (Teleplay) as well as by Travis Fickett & Juliana James (Story)


 * Renée Picard:: Sometimes, fear is a friendly reminder you're not ready for something.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: No! Fear is fear. It doesn't speak in riddles. Fear means you're smart. You understand the risks.
 * Two of One (April 7, 2022) by Cindy Appel & Jane Maggs


 * I've found that even in the darkest circumstances, there is a light. Sometimes only a glimmer. Trust that light. Find a way back. No matter what it takes.
 * Two of One (April 7, 2022) by Cindy Appel & Jane Maggs


 * Or the promise of legacy revealed the rot that is hidden underneath it.
 * Hide and Seek (April 28, 2022) by Matt Okumura & Chris Derrick


 * There are moments in time we wish we could travel back to. Memories. Pieces of life better lived in reverse. In those moments, tragic endings might rewind into joyful beginnings. Moments of loss into those of gains. I remember now, in a cloudy moment of extreme melancholy, my mother hung herself here in this place. And for all I've lived, all I've seen and done, I suppose this is the moment I've kept myself from remembering, this moment I am so powerless to reverse. My mother was ill, I'm told, but I only ever thought she was inspired. That night, my father had locked her into her room for her own safety. Perhaps for mine, as well. But she begged me to help her, told me how much she needed me, how much she needed my help. And this is the part I've spent my whole life trying not to remember. I thought I was saving her. So, after he fell asleep, I let her out, you see. If only I had left that door closed, she might have become an old woman. I used to imagine seeing her older, offering me a cup of tea and asking for a chat. This skeleton key migrated all over the house. I wish, that day, it hadn't ended up in my hand. I loved her. Desperately.
 * Hide and Seek (April 28, 2022) by Matt Okumura & Chris Derrick


 * I refuse to accept an outcome that has not yet occurred. Come. We have work to do.
 * Hide and Seek (April 28, 2022) by Matt Okumura & Chris Derrick


 * Make a good future.
 * Farewell (May 5, 2022) by Christopher Monfette and Akiva Goldsman


 * There are moments in our lives we fear to relive and others we long to repeat. While time cannot give us second chances, maybe people can.
 * Farewell (May 5, 2022) by Christopher Monfette and Akiva Goldsman


 * Y’know, there will be a time when you will need to remember that no matter how bleak or unwinnable a situation, as long as you and your crew remain steadfast in your dedication, one to another, you are never ever without hope.
 * No Win Scenario (March 9, 2023) by Terry Matalas & Sean Tretta


 * You’re only ever really as good as those around you. Your crew become a part of you. Complete you. They lift you up to accomplish the things you never could do alone.
 * No Win Scenario (March 9, 2023) by Terry Matalas & Sean Tretta


 * Fate has a way of surprising us.
 * The Bounty (March 23, 2023) by Christopher Monfette


 * You don't leave the doors open if you want to keep the wolves out.
 * The Last Generation (April 20, 2023) by Terry Matalas


 * There is a tide in the affairs of men Which, taken at the flood, leads on to fortune; Omitted, all the voyage of their life Is bound in shallows and in miseries. On such a full sea are we now afloat; And we must take the current when it serves, Or lose our ventures.
 * The Last Generation (April 20, 2023) by Terry Matalas. Picard is quoting Brutus from Julius Caesar, Act IV, Scene iii. See also: The middle of Youtube Video "Star Trek Picard 3x10 Last Scene Season 3" (20.04.2023) by user "Dope Acting Scenes".


 * William Riker: Hope you're feeling lucky, Jean-Luc.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: You know, Will, I've come to believe that the stars have always been in my favor.
 * The Last Generation (April 20, 2023) by Terry Matalas

Quotes about Picard



 * Alphabetized by author


 * Jean-Luc Picard taught me how to speak. I’m pretty sure that I already knew how to say words by the time that I was watching ‘’Star Trek: The Next Generation’’ with my parents, but Patrick Stewart’s captain is how I remember learning that words and communication are noble and important. That you can be strong without imposing yourself physically on others. That making an effort to unite yourself with other people is powerful as well as merely desirable.
 * George Ankers, “50 years on, we need Star Trek’s optimism more than ever”, Medium, (Jul 27, 2016)


 * Captain Picard, is the exact opposite of a Hollywood action-hero.
 * Dirk Baecker, in Inclusion/ Exclusiom (2002), p. 76


 * Jean-Luc Picard! Chief contact with the Q Continuum. Arbiter of succession for the Klingon Empire. Savior of Earth from Borg invasion. Captain of the Enterprises D and E. The man even worked alongside the great Spock.
 * Emergency Hologram (EMH) playbed by Santiago Cabrera in the Star Trek: Picard episode The End is the Beginning (February 6, 2020) written by Michael Chabon & Akiva Goldsman


 * Captain Picard is the hero we need right now. He exemplifies in some ways even more then James Kirk—and I’m not gonna get into the Kirk vs Picard argument because I love Captain Kirk, he was my first captain—but Picard is even more of an exemplar of everything that is best about Star Trek’s vision for the future.
 * Michael Chabon, "Captain Picard is the hero we need, says Star Trek writer Michael Chabon", by Richard Trenholm, CNET, (11/7/2018); as quoted in "Michael Chabon on Honoring Star Trek Canon and How Picard Is 'The Hero We Need Right Now'", by Beth Elderkin, IO9, (11/9/2018).


 * K'mpec: After I die, you will act in my name to arbitrate the struggle for power.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: I will?
 * K'mpec: No one on the Council can be trusted, and I have my reasons for wanting an outsider.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: K'mpec, you cannot possibly be serious. A Federation officer has no business in ...
 * K'mpec: Nonsense. You are an accomplished mediator. This is no different than any other dispute requiring your services.
 * Klingon Chancellor K'mpec (Charles Cooper) in Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Reunion (November 5, 1990), Story by Drew Deighan, Thomas Perry and Jo Perry as well as teleplay by Thomas Perry, Jo Perry, Ronald D. Moore and Brannon Braga. See also: The middle of Youtube Video "A Klingon Who Kills Without Showing His Face Has No Honour" (13.08.2021) by user "tjwparso".


 * Picard stands as the bearer of Starfleet's conscience and an exemplar of moral autonomy.
 * Kevin Decker and Jason Eberl Star Trek and Philosophy: The Wrath of Kant (2008), p. 141


 * Captain Picard is perceived to be a gentler soul than Captain Kirk.
 * Marc Dipaol, in War, Politics and Superheroes : Ethics and Propaganda in Comics and Film (2011), p. 30


 * When I was in middle school and watching “Star Trek” I imagined we were moving closer toward the show’s version of the future: egalitarian, democratic, creative. Now when I watch the show, I vacillate between hope and escapism. I want to believe that “Star Trek” is predictive of how things will turn out for humanity. I want us to wander the universe in brightly colored uniforms, listening to operas sung by sentient robots. I hope we will find our way to peace. But if that’s not what the future holds, if it’s more war and injustice and greed that we’re headed for, then all I want is to watch Captain Picard hold court on the bridge one more time.
 * Miriam Francisco, “The optimism of ‘Star Trek’”, Michigan Daily, (September 16, 2019)


 * The new captain of the Enterprise, Jean-Luc Picard, is the wise man. He rules the Enterprise with a sagely wisdom.
 * Pallab Ghosh, in "Klingons on the Starship Bow" in New Scientist Vo. 117, issue 1605 (24 March 1988), p. 63


 * As shown in his speech and actions, Picard is a man of intelligence, courage, integrity, compassion, courtesy.
 * Mark Jancovich and James Lyons, in Quality Popular Television : Cult TV, The Industry and Fans (2003), p. 111


 * Patrick Stewart's identification with Jean-Luc Picard is a prime exemplar of the extreme entanglement between actor and character produced by cult television programs, yet in Stewart's case this entanglement has not precluded a very active and successful post-Star Trek career.
 * Sara Gwenllian-Jones and Roberta E. Pearson, in Cult Television (2004), p. 65


 * Jean-Luc Picard: [waking up after the operation] What the hell are *you* doing here?
 * Kate Pulaski: Saving your life.
 * Jean-Luc Picard: Oh, come on. This is a routine procedure - quite commonplace.
 * Kate Pulaski: True. But you are not a commonplace man.
 * "Samaritan Snare" (15 May 1989) by Robert L. McCullough


 * Those ... who are familiar with the character Captain Picard, already know him to be the leader that we all wish we worked for, whose leadership gives us confidence and comfort in meeting the challenges we face each and every day, and the type of leader that we should strive to become.
 * Wess Roberts and Bill Ross in Make It So : Leadership Lessons from Star Trek, The Next Generation (1995), p. xi


 * Picard and his crew were all human carbon copies of Spock—even-keeled, rational, and almost impossibly ethical. (Spock himself says so of Picard in “Unification,” the one “Next Generation” episode in which he appears.) That left little room for identification. You could aspire to be more like Picard, the very model of compassion and culture, but you could never truly understand his moral universe. He was nothing like us twenty-first-century humans. He was too alien.
 * Manu Saadia, “The Enduring Lessons of “Star Trek””, The New Yorker, (September 8, 2016).


 * William T. Riker: Wes, responsibility and authority go hand in hand. I know you're responsible, now we've got to teach you a little bit of authority. One of the reasons you've been given command is so you can make a few right decisions, that will establish a pattern of success and help build self-confidence. If you don't trust your own judgment, you don't belong in the command chair.
 * Wesley Crusher: But what if I'm wrong?
 * William T. Riker: Then you're wrong. It's arrogant to think you'll never make a mistake.
 * Wesley Crusher: But what if it's something really important. I mean, not just a mineral survey. What if someone dies because I made a mistake?
 * William T. Riker: In your position, it's important to ask yourself one question. What would Picard do?
 * Wesley Crusher: He'd listen to everyone's opinion, then make his own decision. But he's Captain Picard.
 * "Pen Pals" (1 May 1989) by Hannah Louise Shearer


 * He intrigues me, this Picard. Remarkably analytical and dispassionate, for a human. I understand why my father chose to mind-meld with him. There's almost a Vulcan quality to the man.
 * Spock playbed by Leonard Nimoy in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode Unification Part 2 (November 11, 1994), story by by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, teleplay by	Michael Piller. See also: Beginning of Youtube Video "Ambassador Spock and Lt. Commander Data Talk" (10.04.2019) by user "April 5, 2063".


 * The bridge of the Enterprise, under the moderate and controlled command of Captain Picard, is a locus of "enlightened understanding." 
 * Rosemarie Garland Thomson, Freakery: cultural spectacles of the extraordinary body (1996), p. 334


 * The new captain, Jean-Luc Picard, was French and enjoyed reading, classical music, William Shakespeare, archaeology, and theatre.
 * Gary Westfahl, in The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Science Fiction and Fantasy : Themes, Works, and Wonders (2005) Vol. 3, p. 1264


 * Captain Picard is not the swashbuckler that Captain Kirk was.
 * Grace Lee Whitney, Jim Denney, and Leonard Nimoy in The Longest Trek: My Tour of the Galaxy (1998), p. 81

Ever thought was hard Was do I like Kirk, Or do I like Picard?
 * Only question I
 * Weird Al Yankovic, "White & Nerdy", Straight Outta Lynwood (2006)