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The Origins of 11 Famous Star Trek Lines

Few franchises have had the cultural impact of the various Star Trek television series and movies, and nowhere is that more evident than in the snippets of dialogue that have become a part of the American vernacular—and in some cases, found their way abroad, too. Here are 11 of the most notable Star Trek catchphrases, as well as a little more information about their origins.

1. "Live Long and Prosper"

The Vulcan greeting and the finger-separating hand gesture that accompanies it first appeared in the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series , during an episode titled “Amok Time.” Spock himself (actor Leonard Nimoy) has made no secret of the fact that the gesture and phrase were his idea, and that he based them on Orthodox Jewish blessings he remembered from his childhood. In the Jewish blessing, the position of the fingers forms the Hebrew letter “Shin,” which represents the name “Shaddai” (Almighty God). Nimoy put his own spin on the traditional gesture by holding up just one hand (instead of both) and changing up the verbal blessing slightly.

2. "Highly Illogical..."

While Spock never shied away from questioning the logic of those around him—usually Kirk—it wasn't until the second season that he took things up a notch and deemed the actions of the native inhabitants of planet Omega IV “highly illogical” in the episode titled “The Omega Glory.” Previously, it had always just been “illogical” or, in rare cases, “most illogical,” but it took a pair of natives attacking Kirk in a jail cell for Spock to pair his trademark raised-eyebrow reaction with the term “highly illogical.” The phrase would then be repeated in several more episodes, as well as the subsequent films and J.J. Abrams' reboot of the franchise.

Bonus: “Highly Illogical” was also the name of Leonard Nimoy's 1993 music album featuring several songs he recorded in the 1960s (including “The Ballad of Bilbo Baggins”) as well as a few new tunes.

3. "Beam Me Up, Scotty"

One of the most interesting aspects of this phrase—a request directed at Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott for transport back to the USS Enterprise—is that it was never actually uttered in any of the Star Trek television series or movies. More often than not, the command was akin to “Three to beam up” or more directly, “Beam them up,” with the closest approximation being “Beam us up, Scotty” in a few episodes of the Star Trek animated series. However, William Shatner did say this line while reading the audio version of his novel Star Trek: The Ashes of Eden .

4. "I'm A Doctor, Not A..."

Everyone knows that Dr. Leonard McCoy is not an engineer, a coal miner, or an escalator, but that never stopped him from reminding his fellow crew members. The first time DeForest Kelley uttered his famous catchphrase as we know it was in a first-season episode titled “The Devil in the Dark.” In that episode, McCoy saw fit to let Kirk know that he was a doctor, not a brick-layer. It's worth noting that an earlier episode, “The Corbomite Maneuver," had him asking Capt. Kirk, “What am I, a doctor or a moon-shuttle conductor?” but it wasn't until much later in the season that we got the full line that would later be heard in just about every subsequent series, as well as the Star Trek films. The line even made it into J.J. Abrams' 2009 reboot, with Karl Urban (as McCoy) exclaiming, “I'm a doctor, not a physicist!”

5. "Make It So"

Captain Jean-Luc Picard's signature line was a part of Star Trek: The Next Generation from the very start, with actor Patrick Stewart uttering what would become his character's most memorable catchphrase in the pilot episode, “Encounter at Farpoint.” The episode was written by Gene Roddenberry himself, so it's likely that he wrote the line for Picard, though the phrase has been in use for quite a while in military circles as a way to tell someone to proceed with a command.

6. "To Boldly Go Where No Man Has Gone Before..."

The infinitive-splitting opening narration for each episode of Star Trek: The Original Series (with the exception of the pilot episodes) was famously recited by William Shatner, but the actual origins of the line are uncertain at best. Some reports suggest that it was inspired by a 1958 White House press booklet promoting the space program, though some have speculated that it came from a statement made by explorer James Cook following an expedition to Newfoundland. Writer Samuel Peeples, who authored the pilot episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” is often credited with the decision to make the phrase such a significant part of the series. The line was eventually repeated—with a few minor tweaks—in each iteration of the series and films.

7. "Khaaannnn!"

Possibly the most meme-friendly line of dialogue ever to come out of the Star Trek universe, this scream of rage originated in (no surprise here) Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan . Left marooned on a dead planet by the evil villain Khan then taunted about his predicament, Kirk let loose with a primal roar—and the rest was viral-video history.

8. "I'm Givin' Her All She's Got, Captain!"

Much like “Beam me up, Scotty,” this famous catchphrase often associated with USS Enterprise Chief Engineer Montgomery “Scotty” Scott in Star Trek: The Original Series was never said in this exact form by actor James Doohan in the series or subsequent films. The closest approximation is a line in the second-season episode “The Changeling,” when Kirk asks Scotty to divert more power to the ship's shields. Scotty responds with, “Giving them all we got.” However, Doohan did utter every word of the famous line as part of a cameo in 1993's Loaded Weapon , in which he turns up as a panicky police officer trying to fix a coffee machine. Similarly, Simon Pegg used the same line “I'm givin' her all she's got, Captain!” in 2009's Star Trek reboot, in which he plays a young Montgomery Scott.

9. "Nuclear Wessels"

Russian crew member Pavel Andreievich Chekov's inability to pronounce the letter “V” became a recurring joke after the character was introduced in the second season of Star Trek: The Original Series as the ship's navigator. While it made for some funny moments throughout the series and subsequent movies, one of the most memorable pronunciation gaffes occurred during Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home , when Chekov begins asking passers-by in 1980s San Francisco where he can find “nuclear wessels.” Even though Walter Koenig had been playing the character for almost 20 years before The Voyage Home hit theaters, the two-word line soon became indelibly connected with his portrayal of the character.

10. "Resistance Is Futile"

This famous line was first uttered by robotic aliens The Borg in the epic third-season finale of Star Trek: The Next Generation , titled “Best of Both Worlds, Part 1.” Not only did the 1990 episode offer up one of the greatest cliffhangers in television history, but it also coined a phrase that would live forever in the nightmares of fans—mainly because it was recycled for use in countless other series and films down the road.

11. "Set Phasers To Stun"

It was established early on in Star Trek: The Original Series that the phasers used by the crew of USS Enterprise had a “stun” setting (as mentioned in “The Man Trap” episode), and both Kirk and Spock often found themselves instructing their crewmates to use the non-lethal capabilities of their standard-issue weapons. However, it wasn't until the second season of Star Trek: The Animated Series that we first heard Kirk issue the command “Set phasers to stun.” The line eventually became an oft-repeated order in subsequent series, turning up in both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: The Next Generation , as well as many of the movies (including 2009's reboot).

This article originally appeared in 2013.

Best star trek scotty quotes

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Star Trek is a beloved science fiction franchise that has captured the hearts of millions of fans around the world. One of the most iconic characters in the series is Montgomery Scott, also known as Scotty, the chief engineer of the starship Enterprise. Scotty is known for his wit, charm, and problem-solving skills, often saving the day with his technical expertise. Throughout the series, he has delivered some memorable quotes that have become fan favorites. In this article, we will explore some of the best Star Trek Scotty quotes that showcase his unique personality and cleverness.

Scotty’s character is famous for his ability to fix anything and get the ship out of dangerous situations. His quotes demonstrate his determination and resourcefulness in the face of adversity. Whether it’s repairing the warp core or finding a way to save the crew, Scotty always has a solution up his sleeve.

From his catchphrase “I’m giving her all she’s got, Captain!” to his witty comebacks, Scotty’s quotes provide moments of humor and inspiration. These quotes have become timeless and continue to resonate with fans of the Star Trek franchise. Let’s dive into some of the most memorable Scotty quotes that will surely bring a smile to your face.

Read these Star Trek Scotty Quotes

“I’m givin’ her all she’s got, Captain!”

“We’re going to have to go right through the middle of them.”

“I cannae change the laws of physics!”

“The more they overthink the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.”

“I’m just givin’ her a little more time, Captain.”

“Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me.”

“I like this ship! You know, it’s exciting!”

“It’s like trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet, whilst wearing a blindfold, riding a horse.”

“Do ye mind? I’m tryin’ to work here!”

“It’ll take a miracle to save us now!”

“I’ve always found that when I got angry enough, I could do anything.”

“The best diplomat I know is a fully activated phaser bank.”

“I’m givin’ her all she’s got, but I don’t know how long she can last.”

“Sometimes, a man’ll tell his bartender things he’ll never tell his doctor.”

“I’m not a magician, I’m an engineer.”

“The Enterprise feels like a house with all the children gone.”

“I’ve never been able to break the laws of physics.”

“You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting.”

“The more complicated the plumbing, the easier it is to stop up the drain.”

“I’m givin’ her all she’s got, Captain! If I push it any harder, the whole thing will blow!”

“I’m an engineer, not a miracle worker!”

These Star Trek Scotty quotes represent the ingenuity, wit, and determination of the beloved character. Scotty continues to inspire fans with his problem-solving skills and unwavering dedication to his role as the chief engineer. These quotes remind us that even in the face of seemingly impossible challenges, there is always a way to overcome them. So, the next time you find yourself in a tricky situation, remember Scotty’s wise words and channel your inner engineer.

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Star Trek V: The Final Frontier 1989

Kirk: Engine room!

Scotty: Scotty here.

Kirk: We'll need all the power you can muster, mister.

Scotty: Don't you worry, Captain. We'll beat those Klingon devils, even if I have to get out and push.

Kirk: I hope it won't come to that, Mr. Scott.

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Star Trek Scotty Quotes

I canna’ change the laws of physics, but I can work miracles within them.

Ye canna’ break the laws of physics, but ye can certainly bend ’em.

If somethin’s broke, I can fix it. If it ain’t broke, I’ll make it better.

The laws of physics may be absolute, but I’m the genius who can find loopholes.

Scotty is always ready to give it all she’s got, even when she’s on her last leg.

I don’t believe in no-win scenarios, I believe in miracles.

Some engineers push the limits, I break ’em and then fix ’em.

If something can go wrong, I’m the man who can make it go right.

Engineering isn’t just about logic, it’s about daring to dream.

Engineers don’t just solve problems, we create solutions that nobody else thought possible.

Aye, I can make this ship run faster than the speed of light, if ye give me enough miracle matter.

If ye don’t have faith in me, ye don’t have faith in miracles.

Beam me up, Scotty? More like, beam me up and amaze ’em, Scotty!

A true engineer sees complications as opportunities for innovation.

The impossible is only impossible until a stubborn engineer comes along.

I’m not just an engineer, I’m a wizard with a wrench.

If there’s a problem, I’ll give you not one solution, but a multitude of possibilities.

A true engineer can turn a pile of scraps into a masterpiece.

Star Trek Scotty Quotes part 2

I don’t just fix things, I improve them beyond imagination.

My tools may be old-fashioned, but my ideas are lightyears ahead.

I don’t believe in limitations, I believe in pushing the boundaries of what’s possible.

I don’t just work with machines, I dance with them.

The secret to great engineering is a dash of inspiration and a whole lot of perspiration.

I don’t just think outside the box, I build a whole new box.

I’m not just a miracle worker, I’m a dream maker.

I can make this ship do things even the manual didn’t know it could do.

I’m not just an engineer, I’m a magician of technology.

The laws of physics tremble in fear of what I can accomplish.

I don’t just build machines, I breathe life into them.

I’m not just an engineer, I’m a hero in a jumpsuit.

I’m not afraid of the unknown, I revel in it.

When you need a miracle, I’m the man who can make it happen.

I don’t have limits, I have possibilities.

There’s no problem that can’t be solved with a little ingenuity and a lot of Scotch.

I don’t just see problems, I see elegant solutions.

I may be an engineer, but I’m also a magician of the impossible.

The laws of physics may be strict, but I’m the master of bending the rules.

The difference between a good engineer and a great engineer is the willingness to take risks.

I’m not just a genius, I’m a miracle worker with a Scottish accent.

I don’t just succeed, I excel.

I’m not just an engineer, I’m a visionary with a toolkit.

Success is not always about logic, sometimes it’s about creativity.

The boundaries of engineering are set by those who dare to surpass them.

Failure is not an option, it’s just a temporary setback on the road to success.

I don’t just fix problems, I obliterate them.

Engineering is not just a profession, it’s a way of life.

I’m not just a technician, I’m an artist of machines.

The impossible exists to be conquered by those who dare to dream.

I don’t just see the pieces, I see the grand design.

I’m not just an engineer, I’m a miracle worker in a red shirt.

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A Complete Guide to Scotty From Star Trek

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10 Best Rick Berman Era Star Trek Episodes, Ranked

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Few Star Trek characters are more beloved than Montgomery Scott. With his immense engineering skills and propensity for jury-rigged solutions, he spent much of The Original Series at the heart of the action, and even took command of the Enterprise when Kirk and Spock were busy on some planet's surface. And while it was never used in precisely those terms, the phrase "beam me up Scotty" became one of Star Trek's first tag lines: referring to his uncanny operation of the ship's transporters.

Along the line, he experienced multiple reboots and updates, and like his fellow OG characters, he's always a welcome presence regardless of the project. He served as inspiration for subsequent Star Trek engineers -- notably Miles O'Brien from Star Trek: The Next Generation and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine -- and yet his in-universe origins remain surprisingly murky. His arrival on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds may change that, in addition to generating renewed interest in the character and his rich Star Trek history.

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Scotty's Origins

The character's origins lie with actor James Doohan, who played him for over 30 years and who remains more closely associated with Scotty than any other. According to David Gerrod's 1973 reference guide The World of Star Trek , Doohan played a huge role in the character's creation. He delivered a variety of accents while auditioning for the show's second pilot, "Where No Man Has Gone Before." When asked which accent he himself would use, the actor suggested Scottish because Scots were "renowned for having great engineering skills." That established the core of the character more or less on the spot.

Doohan always played Scotty as utterly devoted to the ship, to the point of considering it his property. That was often played for laughs: notably in Season 2, Episode 14, "The Trouble with Tribbles," when he started a bar fight with a group of Klingons after they disparaged the Enterprise's honor. He could solve any problem with the warp drive -- or any other part of the ship's systems -- which gave the show a natural ticking clock whenever it needed one. Scotty would invariably fix the malfunction with seconds to spare, allowing the Enterprise to escape by the skin of its teeth.

Scotty in The Original Star Trek

Scotty appeared in 65 of The Original Series' 79 episodes, as well as the first seven Star Trek movies and all but one entry in Star Trek: The Animated Series . That established his modus operandi: diligent, plain-spoken, and given to simple but accurate assessment of the problem du jour. It also cemented his unwavering loyalty to Captain Kirk, and his steadfast ability to hold the line in the face of trouble. That arose most often during his stints in the captain's chair, which helped define the character alongside his last-minute repairs and timely use of the transporter.

The Star Trek movies largely relegated him to support duties, though they found quiet ways to develop his character. A cut subplot from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan introduced his nephew among the Enterprise's new cadets, who's killed in Khan's first sneak attack. The brief sequences further connected Scotty to the ship's redshirts, as well as shedding light on his family and background. He played a more lightweight role in Star Trek III: The Search for Spock when he sabotaged the Excelsior in anticipation of the crew's theft of the Enterprise. Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home similarly let him flash his comedic chops, notably while dealing with a 1980s-era personal computer.

RELATED: Star Trek: Lower Decks Season Premiere Hints at Another Crossover

Scotty in Later Star Trek

Doohan made a memorable cameo as Scotty in The Next Generation Season 6, Episode 4, "Relics," which also revealed details about his final years. After becoming a captain in The Search for Spock he remained the Enterprise's Chief Engineer until the end of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered County . One year later, he embarked on the U.S.S. Jenolan en route to retirement in the Federation colony of Norpin. The ship crashed on a colossal alien structure called a Dyson Sphere, and he survived in the transporter's pattern buffer until the Enterprise-D revived him a century later. Picard gave him one of the ship's shuttlecraft, and he departed for points unknown. That presumably marks the end of the character's life, at least as far as canon is concerned.

A holographic version of the character also appeared in Star Trek: Prodigy Season 1, Episode 6, "Kobayashi." He was one of multiple classic figures recreated by Dal aboard to holodeck to assist him with his Kobayashi Maru test . The production used dialogue previously recorded by Doohan to bring him back for the episode. (Doohan himself passed away in 2005 at the age of 85.)

Scotty in The Kelvinverse

2009's Star Trek movie entailed a massive reboot, resulting in a new alternate timeline dubbed "The Kelvinverse" by fans. Scotty was memorably played by comic actor Simon Pegg, who revised the role in the next two Kelvinverse films. The changes in continuity resulted in a slightly different version of the character: relegated to a remote outpost before joining the Enterprise crew mid-emergency. In practical terms, it allowed Pegg to pursue his own take on Scotty without altering Doohan's. (Pegg has always expressed the highest respect for his predecessor.)

Besides playing up the character's funnier side, Pegg infused him with slightly wilder qualities: making him more willing to take risks than Doohan's version. The actor also developed a non-canon backstory for his Scotty, which shifted his birthplace to Glasgow among other things. (Dialogue in The Original Series Season 2, Episode 7, "A Wolf in the Fold" implied that he was from Aberdeen.) The Kelvinverse also gave Scotty a sidekick: the diminutive alien Keenser, played by Deep Roy. It gave him someone to play off of, further enhancing his status as the series' comic relief.

RELATED: Star Trek Is Primed for a Return of These Previously-Hated Aliens

Scotty in Strange New Worlds

Pegg's background for the character is unofficial, and relegated to the Kelvinverse timeline regardless. The history of Doohan's "prime" version is very much a mystery prior to his position onboard the Enterprise. Strange New Worlds looks to change that by introducing a younger version of Scotty played by Martin Quinn in Season 2, Episode 10, "Hegemony." (Quinn has the distinction of being the first Scottish actor to play the part.) Christopher Pike's Enterprise crew finds him among the survivors of a Gorn attack. Before that, he served aboard a solar research vessel called the Stardiver. The Gorn wiped the vessel out, leaving Scotty the only survivor. The episode ends on a cliffhanger, to be resolved in the Season 3 premiere (unreleased as of this writing).

Quinn's version of the character is very likely to join the Strange New Worlds crew full-time. The series' first engineer, Hemmer, was killed at the end of Season 1. His replacement, Commander Pelia, isn't expected to remain onboard, and with Scotty destined for the position regardless, the move makes a lot of narrative sense. Strange New Worlds has an opportunity to fill in his early years much the same way it has for Uhura, Jim Kirk, and Mr. Spock . Regardless of its plans for him, it ensures that he will remain firmly a part of Star Trek 's future as well as its past.

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The Wit and Wisdom of Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott

I can't change the laws of physics!

We all deserve a break in our day to revel in the wit and wisdom of Enterprise 's beloved chief engineer, Montgomery 'Scotty' Scott.

This montage features footage from the following Star Trek : The Original Series' episodes: "Where No Man Has Gone Before," "The Naked Time," "Who Mourns for Adonais?," "The Doomsday Machine," "Wolf in the Fold," "The Changeling," "Mirror, Mirror," "I, Mudd," "The Trouble with Tribbles," "Obsession," and "A Piece of the Action."

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

Scotty was a nickname both for Montgomery Scott and his counterpart in the alternate reality .

In the alternate reality, James T. Kirk regularly used the nickname and even used it to introduce Scott to Khan Noonien Singh in 2259 . ( Star Trek Into Darkness ) In 2263 of the alternate reality, after Scott had met Jaylah on Altamid , she called him "Montgomery Scotty." ( Star Trek Beyond )

Chief engineer Pelia called Scott "Scotty". ( SNW : " Hegemony ")

The nickname Scotty was used by various shipmates of Scott during his service aboard the USS Enterprise and the USS Enterprise -A from the 2260s to the 2290s , including James T. Kirk , Leonard McCoy , Nyota Uhura , Hikaru Sulu , Carolyn Palamas , Christine Chapel , Mira Romaine , Will Decker , and Pavel Chekov . It was even used in the official captain's log . ( TOS : " By Any Other Name "; Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home )

Unlike all other bridge officers, Spock never used the name Scotty onscreen.

Scott also occasionally used the nickname himself. ( TOS : " A Taste of Armageddon ", " The Devil in the Dark ", " Metamorphosis ", " Mirror, Mirror ", " Is There in Truth No Beauty? ", " Day of the Dove ", " That Which Survives "; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier ; TNG : " Relics ")

It was similarly used by his junior engineers in Scott's absence. ( DS9 : " Trials and Tribble-ations ")

He was later called " Mister Scotty" by the Pandronian Honorary Commander Ari bn Bem in 2269 . ( TAS : " Bem ")

In 2369 , when Captain Jean-Luc Picard called Montgomery Scott "Captain Scott," Scott told Picard instead to call him Scotty. Scott later made the same remark to Geordi La Forge , reminding him that they were in Engineering at the time and formality was not needed. Only La Forge and William T. Riker ultimately called Scott by this nickname. ( TNG : " Relics ")

In 2380 on the USS Cerritos , Commander Jack Ransom was telling Captain Carol Freeman about people that lived during the TOS era , and one of them he mentioned was Scotty. ( LD : " No Small Parts ")

External link [ ]

• Scotty at Wikipedia
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• 3 Daniels (Crewman)

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Strange new worlds season 3 can set up a star trek movie romance that deserved better.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3 - Cast, Story, & Everything We Know

Anson mount's breakout show is perfect to watch while waiting for star trek: strange new worlds season 3, i want strange new worlds to break star trek canon & save captain pike.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds can set up a romance that deserved better in Star Trek: The Original Series ' movies. Strange New Worlds season 3 will pick up from season 2's finale cliffhanger, resolving the crisis Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) and the USS Enterprise face with the Gorn. But as seen in a first-look clip of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 that premiered at San Diego Comic-Con , life goes back to 'normal' aboard the Starship Enterprise, which has Lt. Montgomery Scott (Martin Quinn), AKA Scotty, joining the crew.

Scotty made a surprise debut in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2's finale . An engineer aboard the USS Stardiver, Scotty was the lone survivor after his starship was attacked by the Gorn. Scotty crash-landed on Parnassus Beta, the next target of a Gorn occupation, where he met Captain Pike and the USS Enterprise's Away team. Scotty joined Pike and Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) aboard the Enterprise, and the Scottish engineer might have a way to get the edge over the Gorn. But another interesting aspect of Scotty joining the Enterprise is that he can now meet Ensign Nyota Uhura (Celia Rose Gooding) in Star Trek' s Prime Universe canon.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 ended with an epic cliffhanger and here's everything known about when it will be resolved in season 3.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Could Set Up Scotty & Uhura’s Movie Romance

Scotty and uhura started to have a thing in star trek v.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds could set up the relationship between Scotty and Uhura that led to a sweet flirtation between them in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier. Over 35 years after the events of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3, Lt. Uhura (Nichelle Nichols) and Scotty (James Doohan) remain part of the USS Enterprise's bridge crew under Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). In Star Trek V , Scotty and Uhura's decades of friendship began to blossom into feelings between them. Scotty and Uhura even planned to take shore leave together. There's a palpable chemistry between the Communications Officer and the Chief Engineer of the Enterprise .

Ensign Uhura and Lt. Scott could begin to spark their future relationship in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds . After all, both Scotty and Uhura are young and attractive, and they could begin working together closely on the Enterprise. Uhura has begun to move past her trauma and become more assertive, and Nyota could help Scotty start to fit in among the Enterprise's crew. Uhura has yet to have a canonical romance in Star Trek 's Prime timeline , and Scotty's love life also has big question marks. Uhura and Scotty could start to be a 'thing' in Strange New Worlds.

Lt. Uhura (Zoe Saldana) had a romance with Commander Spock (Zachary Quinto) in the alternate Kelvin Timeline of J.J. Abrams' Star Trek movies.

Why Scotty & Uhura’s Star Trek Romance Never Really Happened

The perils of being star trek: tos supporting characters.

Scotty and Uhura's flirtation in Star Trek V: The Final Frontier didn't manifest into anything more in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country , the final time Nichelle Nichols and James Doohan played their iconic Star Trek characters opposite each other. Sadly, the bits of repartee between Scotty and Uhura were all of what could have been a fun Star Trek romance on Captain Kirk's bridge. Star Trek: The Original Series' movies were primarily focused on Kirk, Spock (Leonard Nimoy), and Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley), leaving characters like Scotty, Uhura, Sulu (George Takei), and Chekov (Walter Koenig) firmly in the background.

Scotty and Uhura could start to establish the chemistry that will last them decades.

However, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds gives credence to every major character aboard Captain Pike's Starship Enterprise, and their stories and relationships. Multiple love stories are occurring simultaneously in Strange New Worlds , and Pike's starship has room for one more between Scotty and Uhura. And if not a full-blown romance on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, at the very least, Scotty and Uhura could start to establish the chemistry that will last them decades into Star Trek: The Original Series.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

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Which Star Trek Series Has the Best Legal Dramas?

In theory, Star Trek is about exploring the universe, boldly going where no one (from the Federation) has gone before. In reality, it’s about the pulse-pounding drama of filing lawsuits . At least, that’s the impression you get from looking at just how many legal dramas the franchise has hosted over the years. Every series has them, and some are clearly better than others. But which series is the very best? Obviously, I’m going to tell you. 

The Original Series

The show that started Star Trek’s obsession with legal dramas, as well as its obsession with Shakespeare, cheesy aliens, and telling racists to kick rocks. Basically, if there’s something you especially love or hate about Star Trek, you can probably blame The Original Series (TOS). Despite a few updates over the years, the franchise hasn’t really changed that much since 1966. 

The Episodes 

TOS only has three legal drama episodes by my count, but each of them is memorable in its own way. 

• The Menagerie: In this episode, the legal drama is a framing device more than anything else. Spock is put on trial for stealing the Enterprise so he can take Pike back to the planet Talos IV, and the writers use that as an excuse to show us most of the show’s previously unaired pilot episode. These days, you can just watch the pilot like a normal episode, but back then, no one had seen it. The trial’s main highlight is finding out that Starfleet will execute anyone who goes to Talos IV because otherwise people might learn psychic powers from the aliens who live there. Sure. 
• Court Martial : A more conventional legal drama, Kirk is accused of murder when one of his officers is killed by space weather. Not to worry: Kirk’s got a plain-talking, old-timey lawyer to clear his name. This lawyer hates electronic books because they can only give you summaries, not the actual text, which admittedly does sound terrible for anyone who practices law. * Meanwhile, Spock plays detective to figure out what really happened.
• Wolf in the Fold : Scotty is the prime suspect in a murder investigation, which is ridiculous. Scotty would never hurt anyone. It’s only logical to go with the more likely explanation: Jack the Ripper was an alien, and now he’s back possessing people so that they have no choice but to kill. Also, he’s played by the guy who voiced Piglet, for some reason.

I admire TOS for planting the seeds of a later harvest, but taken on their own, these episodes are less than impressive. The Menagerie’s courtroom scenes are ancillary at best, and it’s pretty obvious that the clips we see don’t match with what the episode claims is happening. This is supposed to be the story of how Talos IV came to be forbidden on pain of death, but that’s not really what happened in the original pilot, nor is there any reason for Spock to explain his actions via clip show. 

Wolf in the Fold is really sexist, * but it’s also unintentionally funny. Scotty is accused of murder, but they keep leaving potential victims alone with him, and then those victims keep dying. You figure they’d stop doing that after the second or third time. Jack the Ripper’s involvement is also very random. 

Court Martial is the least bad, but it’s definitely not good. We spend all this time building up Kirk’s old-fashioned lawyer, and he never does anything. Kirk is saved entirely thanks to Spock’s investigation. Throughout several court scenes, the lawyer mostly just stands around as if he can’t be bothered to work on his client’s defense. I wonder if that’s why so many future episodes find excuses for the main characters to act as lawyers. That way, they don’t have to split lines with a guest star.

Final Grade : D

The Next Generation

Nearly 20 years after TOS ended, The Next Generation (TNG) brought Star Trek back to life. This new show has a softer, more cerebral aesthetic than its military-style predecessor. Kirk had read the classics, of course, but Picard spends entire scenes critiquing Data’s production of Henry V. Basically, TNG is the perfect environment for legal nerds . 

The Episodes

There are seven of these bad boys, so we’ll have to rapid fire through them. To keep things manageable, I even left a couple out that had some tiny modicum of legalese but didn’t focus on legal drama. 

• Encounter at Farpoint : In Q’s first appearance, he puts humanity on trial for the crime of being a “savage race.” There’s no real law here, but our heroes do trap Q by using his own words against him, which is something. 
• The Measure of a Man : Probably the most famous legal drama in all of Star Trek, we go to court over whether Data has the same autonomy as an organic being. The rise of LLM chatbots has taken some of the shine from this kind of story, but that doesn’t make the dialogue less powerful or the message less important. 
• A Matter of Perspective:  Riker is accused of killing a scientist, and the two sides put together holoprograms of how they think it went down. It’s a bit like a murder trial being decided by dueling community-theater skits. The different versions of events also give us our first Rashomon reference of the evening, though it won’t be the last. 
• Sins of the Father : In a fun twist, Worf’s father is posthumously accused of treason in the Klingon Empire, so Worf must defend his family’s name. This episode is part of TNG’s long-running arc about Klingon politics, which is notable in a show that’s famously episodic most of the time. 
• Devil’s Due : Picard takes Satan to arbitration. Well, she’s not actually Satan, just a con artist pretending to be Satan so she can scam planets out of their cash. All of her flashy powers are mere trickery and illusion, including the time she effortlessly knocked out the Enterprise for hours. Quite the illusion, that. 
• The Drumhead :   McCarthyism beams aboard the Enterprise! Specifically, an admiral becomes so convinced of a conspiracy that she sees one everywhere, eventually requiring Picard to take the stand and give his own version of the “ have you no sense of decency ” speech. 
• The First Duty : In another twist, a main character is investigated for something he actually did. In this case, it’s Wesley, and he’s part of a conspiracy to cover up the cause of a deadly accident. Or at least, he will be unless Picard can convince him that a Starfleet officer’s first duty is to the truth, whether it’s scientific truth, or historical truth, or personal truth!

Of these seven episodes, only Farpoint is unambiguously bad, mostly because of how tacked on its legal drama is. Q’s trial has no effect on the rest of the episode, nor do our heroes meaningfully show that humanity isn’t “savage.” They do talk to a hostile alien later rather than opening fire, but that’s expediency as much as it is compassion. The alien is obviously very powerful; shooting at it would probably just get the Enterprise blown up. 

The other episodes are all at least entertaining, and most are more than that. Devil’s Due is campy and fun, with the flamboyant antagonist chewing the scenery around an increasingly exasperated Picard. A Matter of Perspective uses the holodeck for something other than malfunctioning, and First Duty gives Wesley his most compelling arc of the series. Meanwhile, Sins of the Father begins a storyline that runs through both TNG and Deep Space Nine, giving us great episodes for years to come. 

Measure of a Man and Drumhead are the star attractions, though. There are a few realism issues to point out, like the idea of Picard and Riker being pressed into service as lawyers despite having no training and an obvious conflict of interest, but those are small potatoes. Both episodes use the law as a vehicle to tell the stories, not just as a backdrop. In one, Star Trek tests the criteria by which rights are bestowed, while in the other we are reminded how easily the law can be twisted to evil purposes . A complete tour de force, both of them. 

Final Grade : A+ 

Deep Space Nine

With Deep Space Nine (DS9), Star Trek’s aesthetics shifted once again, this time in a distinctly gritty direction . The Enterprise’s bright colors are replaced by the grays and browns of a Cardassian station. With this change comes more opportunity than ever to explore Starfleet’s legal conundrums!

And the show definitely explores legal conundrums, just not as frequently as you might expect. With only four legal dramas to its name, DS9 just isn’t as into courtrooms as its older sibling. 

• Dax : Our favorite Trill faces a thorny legal conundrum: Can she be held responsible for crimes committed by her symbiont’s previous host? Naturally, timely intervention by Odo means the episode doesn’t have to answer that question one way or the other, since we’ve got to leave open the possibility of revisiting this topic in the future. 
• Tribunal : One of our heroes is put through a show trial by the authoritarian government of Cardassia, and I’ll give you three guesses as to who it is. You won’t need that many, though, because it’s obviously O’Brien. The station actually falls out of orbit if he doesn’t suffer terribly every half-dozen episodes, so this is really just part of his job as the chief engineer. *
• Rules of Engagement : Worf’s in trouble again, but this time, it’s for his own actions rather than his father’s. Specifically, he’s accused of negligently firing on a civilian transport during a dustup with some Klingon raiders. Uh-oh! Fortunately, in the proud tradition of Star Trek legal dramas, we avoid needing to render a verdict by revealing that the whole crime was fabricated from the start. 
• Inquisition : Finally, it’s Bashir’s turn. There’s not technically a courtroom in this episode, as it’s just Starfleet Intelligence interrogating Bashir to see if he’s a spy. But Sisko is there acting like an attorney, so it’s close enough for our purposes. Oh, and the whole thing is a lie: it’s really Section 31 using the holodeck to play mind games. What rascally scamps!

While the quantity is lower than TNG’s, the quality remains pretty good. Inquisition’s legal trappings are on the perfunctory side, but it’s a strong psychological thriller as Bashir begins to doubt the world around him. This episode also introduces Section 31, which, in the right hands, can make some compelling points about Federation law. Namely, that laws don’t mean anything if we refuse to apply them consistently. Section 31 isn’t officially sanctioned, but the Federation’s leaders avoid going after it for the sake of expediency, which DS9 portrays as a problem in need of fixing. 

Rules of Engagement is much more devoted to its courtroom side, channeling various tragedies from real life where military forces have misidentified and shot down civilian airliners. The parallel is a little shaky because, in Star Trek, the civilian ship has to charge right up to the Defiant for any accident to occur, but we can probably forgive that. I especially like the lesson that, while the ship Worf destroyed was a fake, he still made a mistake by not properly confirming his target in the heat of battle. The episode also correctly understands what an expert witness is: someone who can speculate on their topic of expertise rather than only relating their experience. 

The most philosophically interesting of the bunch is Dax, as it presents us with a Ship of Theseus scenario but for people. How much does a person have to change before they’re no longer responsible for previous actions? Trill have the memories of their previous hosts, along with their personality and beliefs to a certain extent. Is that enough? I don’t know, and neither does the episode, but it’s interesting to think about. 

But in terms of poignant human drama, Tribunal takes the cake. The dehumanization * in Cardassia’s legal system is on full display; it’s a world where someone is guilty of a crime simply because the state decides they are. Odo uses increasingly desperate procedural tricks to buy time, but it’s clear he can’t win because this isn’t a court for finding the truth. The only way for our heroes to win is by politically strong-arming the Cardassian Empire into letting O’Brien go. A spectacular episode all around. 

Final Grade : A

The fourth Star Trek series has a pretty extreme premise: a Federation ship is stranded on the other side of the galaxy with no way back to Federation space. It’s even got a split crew , with Starfleet personnel working beside former Maquis insurgents. Despite all that, its tone and aesthetics strongly echo TNG, including its legal drama episodes. 

Content Notice : Brief discussion of suicide in fiction. 

Naturally, there’s only one fewer than Picard and co had to deal with. One of them even involves Q! 

• Ex Post Facto : It’s time for another Rashomon episode, now with Tom Paris being forced to relive the last few moments of a murdered man’s life. I’m starting to think Starfleet should really review a new species’ criminal code before visiting. Don’t worry, though, Tuvok is here to help, proving Paris’s innocence with the help of a very good dog . 
• Death Wish : In an unusual twist, Janeway takes on the role of judge rather than prosecutor or defense counsel. That might sound unorthodox, but never fear: It’s arbitration, so anything goes. The case before her is whether a rogue Q should be allowed to end his own life. That sounds pretty serious, and it is, but there’s also time for a few scarecrow jokes. As a treat. 
• Distant Origin : Most of this episode is spent discovering that a species of lizard aliens are actually the long-lost descendants of dinosaurs. But it becomes a legal drama when Chakotay tries to convince the alien-dinosaur leaders to trust science. Instead, they declare evolution to be illegal. Now I understand how there can be Republican Star Trek fans.
• Random Thoughts : Torres is put on trial for literal thought crime. You see, this week’s aliens are so telepathically sensitive that they turn violent if anyone gets angry around them. Obviously, the only solution is to inflict severe brain damage on those who think naughty thoughts. Thankfully, Tuvok is here once again to save his crewmates from an even worse alien justice system than last time. 
• Repentance : Time for another serious episode, this time about the death penalty and also the exciting field of medically influenced moral responsibility ! Specifically, it’s whether a serial killer is still guilty of murder if he committed those murders because of a medical condition that’s now been corrected. Plus, something that’s truly unprecedented: people are happy to eat Neelix’s food. 
• Author, Author : In our last Voyager episode, we go to court to decide whether the Doctor can exercise copyright over his creative work. Specifically, he would like to stop a holonovel of his from being published, as he needs to revise its depiction of his colleagues to be less scathing. But his publisher would still like to release the book for all that money the Federation famously doesn’t use, so it’s time for a court scene! 

A number of these episodes simply aren’t very good. Ex Post Facto and Repentance both rely on contrived aliens of the week, the latter to an extreme degree. These aliens are so sensitive to violent-thought contamination that the only safe choice is putting cones around their planet and never looking back. 

Repentance and Distant Origins are both middle-quality episodes, but they’re also huge bummers! In one, we see an authoritarian state crush scientific progress to protect their religious doctrine. In the other, a man is executed for crimes he only committed due to an untreated medical condition. The episodes handle both with a reasonable degree of maturity, but still, oof. 

Author, Author has the potential to be really interesting. How does copyright work in a society with no money? What rights do holographic beings have, especially after a court recognized Data’s personhood back in TNG? Unfortunately, there’s no time for any of that, as the episode spends its first half with the Doctor learning it’s wrong to portray your friends as racist sex criminals in your novel. The trial itself is somewhat perfunctory, rehashing Measure of a Man rather than building on it. 

Finally, there’s Death Wish, which is a great episode. It has parallels with right-to-die cases in the real world, but the scifi twist is important. The rogue Q doesn’t view death the same way humans do, which helps keep the episode from being too bleak, and the story adds much-needed depth to the Q Continuum. Janeway really shines in this episode as she considers the weighty choices before her. The other episodes are still rocky, but this one is excellent. 

Final Grade : B 

Everyone Else 

Star Trek’s legal drama continues after Voyager, but with significantly less frequency. So far, each series except Prodigy has had a single courtroom episode to its name, so I’m compiling them together as a group. Otherwise, it would be five sections with one episode each, and that’s just sad. 

As you can see, we have a number of very different shows, as well as a movie, all lumped together. Think of it as a legal drama hamburger. 

• Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country . This film is a political thriller about the Federation and Klingon superpowers making peace in the wake of an industrial disaster. Very topical in 1991 . But in the middle of that, Kirk and McCoy are put on trial for assassinating the Klingon leader Chancellor Gorkon. * After a show trial, they are sentenced to hard labor in the dilithium mines of Rura Penthe, oh no! 
• Enterprise: Judgment . Captain Archer is captured by Klingons after disabling one of their ships in defense of some refugees. He’s charged with crimes against the empire, and, after a show trial, is sentenced to hard labor in the dilithium mines of Rura Penthe… Does that sound familiar to anyone else? Just me? Oh well, it’s probably just déjà vu. 
• Discovery: Unification III . At first, this doesn’t seem like a legal episode at all. Burnham defends her thesis to a panel from the Ni’Var * Science Academy, hoping to be granted access to some sensitive data. But the defense itself strongly resembles a courtroom, with a tribunal of judges examining each of Burnham’s claims for inaccuracies or weaknesses. She even gets a lawyer to help her through the process! 
• Lower Decks: Veritas . Like many Lower Decks episodes, this one is a lighthearted parody of several different Star Trek tropes. One of those tropes just happens to be the courtroom episode, so we get an alien putting our heroes through a convoluted set of legal challenges, each more obtuse than the last. There’s also a joke about how Star Trek endings often don’t make sense, which I suppose is one way to hang a lampshade .
• Strange New Worlds: Ad Astra per Aspera . The most recent of our legal dramas, Una is in trouble because someone has leaked that she was genetically modified as a child, which is not allowed in Starfleet. Instead of taking a quiet retirement, Una decides to fight it out in court. Captain Pike recruits a famous civil rights attorney to defend her, and we have an episode that speaks to many people about legalized discrimination in the real world. 

First, it’s pretty clear how similar the plots from Undiscovered Country and Judgment are. They use nearly identical sets and props, plus they both have a beloved actor from a different series playing their normal character’s ancestor. * Heck, both of those ancestors are defense lawyers! 

For the most part, I have no problem with that. Enterprise is paying homage to the film that preceded it, and all is well. But this dynamic highlights how much weaker Judgment’s ending is. Kirk and McCoy escape through a thrilling adventure, while Archer is rescued after his crew bribe a few offscreen bureaucrats. That’s all the episode has time for because it’s so much shorter than a full movie.

Unification III is a really interesting episode that mixes scientific debate and political maneuvering into a powerful cocktail. It’s not enough for Burnham to be right; she has to consider the fallout among competing factions on Ni’Var. The big problem is that we have to pause the thesis defense so Burnham can be pressured into discussing a number of unrelated personal issues she’s having. It’s as random as it sounds, part of a confusing arc she gets in season three, and it disrupts what’s otherwise a compelling and novel twist on the legal drama episode. 

Meanwhile, Veritas is amusing but nothing to write home about. It has all the deep-cut Trek references Lower Decks is known for, but there isn’t much there beyond the humor. It’s entertaining but easy to forget. In fact, I had to watch it a second time for this article because I couldn’t remember anything that happened. 

The last episode, Ad Astra per Aspera, is a bit of a conundrum. I understand why it’s so popular, as the many speeches are a powerful indictment of unjust laws and the harm they cause. But zooming in a little, the episode has a serious flaw: no one knows what this case is actually about. 

In every other episode, * we know what the various parties are trying to prove. Whether Data is a person, if Paris killed a guy or not, etc. Not in Ad Astra, though. Una takes her case to court, but for what? She’s not contesting that the law applies to her, and while you might assume it’s a fight over whether the law is constitutional, that’s never on the table either. 

Meanwhile, the celebrity defense lawyer is not looking out for her client’s best interests. Instead of mounting a legal defense, she spends the episode giving speeches about how unjust the law is. It is unjust, don’t get me wrong, but this is like being hired to fix a bridge and instead recording a podcast about the ills of poor infrastructure funding. If a lawyer did this in real life, I suspect there’d be a case for malpractice. *

The turning point features dropping the charges through a random technicality that has nothing to do with any of the previous arguments. It’s clear the writers had their hearts in the right place; I’m just sad they couldn’t better integrate the message into the main plot.

Final Grade : B-

The legal drama episode is one of Star Trek’s finest traditions, and I hope to see it continue as the franchise boldly goes into its next iteration. As a show perennially concerned with political and social issues, Star Trek is well positioned to test the law in fascinating ways, whether that means a scorching critique of injustice or a tense whodunnit. Currently, Next Generation has a clear lead over the competition, but I don’t think that position is unassailable. If we’re lucky, one of the many upcoming projects will give Picard and his crew a run for their legal money. 

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Comments on Which Star Trek Series Has the Best Legal Dramas?

Jack the Ripper was an alien, and now he’s back possessing people so that they have no choice but to kill.

Huh, I didn’t realize TOS did a gratuitous Jack the Ripper episode. One of these days somebody should make a list of sci-fi that’s made pointlessly gratuitous references to Jack the Ripper. Somebody besides TVTropes, I guess,

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