Original artwork, not a still
Make it so.
— Star Trek: The Next Generation · 1987
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Picard's command style in three words: he listens to his officers, then lets the decision land as his own. The line is polite, certain and a little theatrical, which is how fans picture the character. Fans, managers and Trek-loving parents say it to mean 'agreed, go ahead', and the line has become a stock gag in Trek parodies and in conversations about delegation.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Star Trek: The Next GenerationShow the scene
Captain Jean-Luc Picard's stock reply on Star Trek: The Next Generation. On the Enterprise-D bridge or in the ready room, an officer proposes a plan, Picard hears the case and settles it with these three words, and the crew moves to carry it out. Memory Alpha lists it with "Engage" as his signature command. Original-series producer Robert H. Justman said it was an homage to Captain Horatio Hornblower, who gives the same command in C. S. Forester's novels. The words stuck so firmly to Picard that later Trek writers still use them as his trademark order.
Sources (2)
- Memory Alpha: Jean-Luc PicardCatchphrases sectionReference checked
- Memory Alpha: Warp catchphraseKnown catchphrasesReference checked
Context reviewed
