Original artwork, not a still
Vulcans are well-known as the intellectual puppets of the Federation.
— Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home ‧ 1986
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
The speaker sneers that Vulcans are famous as the brainy puppets of the Federation, implying their intellect serves someone else's strings. It is a pointed political jab, offered as the speaker's contemptuous opinion rather than a fair description, mocking cleverness that merely obeys.
Context reviewed
