Star Trek: The Next Generation Broke A Big Rule By Making Captain Picard Quote Captain Kirk

Star Trek: The Next Generation broke one of its own rules when Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) quoted Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) in Star Trek: The Original Series. TNG purposely distanced itself from its Star Trek predecessor to establish its own distinct identity. While not shying away from Captain Picard's USS Enterprise-D continuing the legacy of Captain Kirk's Starship Enterprise, there was a dictum in place not to directly reference Star Trek: The Original Series or its characters.

As Star Trek: The Next Generation forged its reputation as one of the greatest and most popular sci-fi series ever made, the 'no Star Trek: The Original Series rule' was gradually relaxed. Years after DeForest Kelley cameoed as Admiral Leonard McCoy in Star Trek: The Next Generation's series premiere, Mark Lenard appeared as Ambassador Sarek, followed by Leonard Nimoy as Ambassador Spock, and James Doohan as Captain Montgomery "Scotty" Scott. However, during Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4, Captain Kirk's words literally came out of Captain Picard's mouth.

Captain Picard Quoting Captain Kirk In Star Trek: The Next Generation Broke A Big Rule

Ronald D. Moore Put Kirk's Words In Picard's Mouth

In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 4, episode 11, "Data's Day," Captain Picard officiates the wedding of Chief Miles O'Brien (Colm Meaney) and Keiko Ishikawa (Rosalind Chao). Picard begins the ceremony with the words, "Since the days of the first wooden sailing ships, all Captains have enjoyed the happy privilege of joining together two people in the bonds of matrimony." It was almost an exact quote of Captain Kirk officiating a wedding in Star Trek: The Original Series season 1, episode 14, "Balance of Terror":

Since the days of the first wooden vessels, all ship masters have had one happy privilege, that of uniting two people in the bonds of matrimony.

Ronald D. Moore, who co-wrote Star Trek: The Next Generation's "Data's Day" with Harold Apter, dipped into his lifelong Star Trek: The Original Series fandom to give Captain Picard the same words as Captain Kirk. In a WonderCon 2025 panel about Ronald D. Moore's storied career, Ron explained that Star Trek executive producer Rick Berman was angered by the blatant TOS reference and told him to change Picard's dialogue. Instead, Ron left the quote as is, and it aired as Moore wrote it without any more complaints on the matter.

Captain Pike Also Quoted Captain Kirk (Sort Of) In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Pike Ended Up Officiating A Wedding Instead Of Kirk

Captain Kirk's marriage speech about "the days of the first wooden vessels" came back around once again in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 1 finale, "A Quality of Mercy." Strange New Worlds posited an alternate future where Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) was never disfigured by delta rays and remained Captain of the Enterprise. The alt-reality deposited Pike in Star Trek: The Original Series' "Balance of Terror" in Captain Kirk's place as officiator of a wedding aboard the Starship Enterprise.

However, Pike didn't directly quote Kirk as he was confused by his sudden time displacement. The bride, Lt. Angela Martine (Megha Sandhu), repeated the words Pike had apparently forgotten, "that since the age of wooden ships, all shipmasters have had a happy privilege of..." back to her Captain. Of course, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has no rule against referencing Star Trek: The Original Series that Star Trek: The Next Generation once enforced.