Original artwork, not a still
I am not a merry man!
— Star Trek: The Next Generation ‧ 1987
Behind the line
What it means
Our interpretation.
Worf is the show's most serious officer, and the humour is in seeing him dragged into a Technicolor Sherwood. The protest is both a joke about Klingon dignity and a joke about Star Trek's habit of forcing its cast into costume. Fans quote it whenever someone is made to join in with a cheerful group activity, usually with the exact Klingon scowl.
Context reviewed
In context
Spoilers for Star Trek: The Next GenerationShow the scene
In "Q-Pid" (Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 4, first aired 22 April 1991), Q, still smarting from Picard's relationship with the archaeologist Vash, drops the senior staff into a story of his own choosing. At Picard's keynote speech they suddenly find themselves in Sherwood Forest as Robin Hood and his Merry Men, and Q declares the danger real. Worf protests that he is not a merry man, and later he smashes Geordi's mandolin on purpose and says sorry, and he refuses to play the fool for Q's amusement.
Sources (1)
- Memory Alpha: Q-PidSummary, Memorable quotes and Production historyReference checked
Context reviewed
