Original artwork, not a still
Fate, it protects fools, small children and ships called Enterprise.
— Star Trek: The Next Generation · 1987
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Riker says it as a wry shrug when the luck of a flagship holds against all reason. It is also a line the show itself knew was true, since the Enterprise survived the Borg, Q and its own computers more than once, so fans quote it whenever something improbable keeps working. The wording has drifted: the show says little children, and many people repeat it as small children.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Star Trek: The Next GenerationShow the scene
In "Contagion" (Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 2, 1989), the Enterprise answers a call from Captain Varley of the Yamato, then watches his ship explode from a computer fault while in the Romulan Neutral Zone. The same virus soon strikes the Enterprise, and a Romulan warbird, the Haakona, is also afflicted. As systems fail on both ships, the two crews are left glaring at each other across the Neutral Zone. When the Haakona's weapons systems fail, Riker remarks that fate protects fools, little children and ships named Enterprise.
Sources (1)
- Memory Alpha: ContagionSummary and Memorable quotesReference checked
Context reviewed
