Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

Cost of Living (1992)

Majel Barrett: Lwaxana Troi, Enterprise Computer Voice

Photos 

Quotes 

• Lwaxana Troi : People get married because, um, because they want to spend their lives with someone.

  Alexander Rozhenko : Their whole life? They must have to like that person a lot.

  Lwaxana Troi : Well, if you're young and lucky, it'll be someone you like a lot, yes. And, uh, and if you're older...

  Alexander Rozhenko : Are you very old?

  Lwaxana Troi : [melancholic]  Um... I'm alone, Alex. And, uh, when you do get older... and can no longer pick and choose from whatever may come your way... then you, uh... then you do what we call 'compromise'. Keeps you from being afraid.

• Lwaxana Troi : Isn't it wonderful how things worked out, Alexander? I wanted to teach you how to grab the joys of living, and you turned around and, uh... and taught me to not let go of them. How very mutual.

• Lwaxana Troi : Now, if we're to be real friends, we've got to share only the truth.

  Alexander Rozhenko : Why?

  Lwaxana Troi : Well, for one thing, it's easier. When you tell the truth, you never have to remember later what you lied about.

• Alexander Rozhenko : I'm supposed to do everything right all the time. I don't know how.

  Lwaxana Troi : [sighs]  To tell you the truth, little warrior... neither do I.

• Lieutenant Worf : The boy is unreasonable.

  Lwaxana Troi : Well, of course he's unreasonable. He's a child!

• Lwaxana Troi : I really wasn't in any trouble - until I saw this dress! Oohh... ugly, isn't it?

  Alexander Rozhenko : What's it for?

  Lwaxana Troi : I'm getting married.

  Alexander Rozhenko : Why?

  Lwaxana Troi : You sure my daughter didn't send you?

  [he looks at her] 

  Lwaxana Troi : Oh, just a joke.

• Lwaxana Troi : So, my little warrior wants to see more out of life than just fighting, eh?

  [laughs] 

  Lwaxana Troi : Oh, the mind opens, and in creeps wisdom.

  [laughs and kisses Alexander's forehead] 

• Lwaxana Troi : Every one of us has a thousand different kinds of... of little people inside of us. And some of them want to get out and be wild, and some want to be sad or happy or inventive or... or even just go dancing. Th-that's why we all have so many different urges at different times. And all those different little people inside of us... we must never be afraid to take them with us, wherever we go. I mean, who knows when we... we may need one of them to pop up and rescue us from ourselves?

• Lwaxana Troi : Life's true gift is the capacity to enjoy enjoyment.

• Lwaxana Troi : Deanna, I love you, but you do make everything sound like an epitaph.

• Counselor Troi : Mother, I'm trying to help the boy learn the value of responsibility. You're not helping by giving him a lot of mixed messages.

  Lwaxana Troi : I exposed you to all sorts of mixed messages when you were that age. You still turned out deadly dull. What are you so worried about?

  Counselor Troi : Among other things, his relationship with his father.

  Lwaxana Troi : Oh!

  Counselor Troi : No more holodeck, Mother.

  Lwaxana Troi : Oh...

  Counselor Troi : Please. Anyway, why aren't you all absorbed in your wedding plans? It's only three days away.

  Lwaxana Troi : I'm letting Mr. Homn handle all the mundane details. He knows my tastes.

  Counselor Troi : Mother...

  Lwaxana Troi : Deanna, there is absolutely nothing to do, you nosy little girl. Campio's already sent me his mother's wedding gown, which Mr. Homn is now altering for me. Outside of that, there really isn't anything else that I...

  Counselor Troi : Wedding gown? Mother, stop. You're telling me you're not going to be naked at your own wedding?

  Lwaxana Troi : Campio is from a different planet with different traditions. He would not approve of a traditional Betazoid wedding, so I am happily adapting. Now, it's as simple as that, and I need some tea.

  Counselor Troi : I can't believe I'm hearing this from the heir to the Holy Rings of Betazed, holder of the Sacred Chalice of Rixx.

  Lwaxana Troi : Oh! Oh, why can't I ever work this replicator?

  Counselor Troi : Mother, I think it's time to talk about this mysterious marriage to a man you've never met.

  Lwaxana Troi : Computer, some Jestral tea, please.

  [turns from replicator to Deanna] 

  Lwaxana Troi : Oh, anyway, why shouldn't I get married if I choose to? You make everything into such a mystery. There is no mystery, Deanna,

  [turns to get tea] 

  Lwaxana Troi : except about this... this Petrokian sausage. The tea - all I wanted was a cup of tea.

  [takes sausage out of cup] 

  Lwaxana Troi : Oh, dear, I think you're replicator's having a... a nervous collapse. Oh...

  [takes a drink of tea] 

• Lwaxana Troi : You know, making little boys reasonable only gives them pimples.

• Lwaxana Troi : [to Deanna]  You poor dear, don't they ever let you change those colorless outfits?

• Lwaxana Troi : Variety, my little Alex. The great secret is not the variety of life. It's the variety of us.

• Lwaxana Troi : My poor plodding little Deanna with her questions, questions, questions. Wherever did you inherit such pedestrian genes?

• Lwaxana Troi : Alexander, now life's true gift is the capacity to enjoy enjoyment. Now - hm! - have I arrived too late, or, uh, can you still smile?

  [he smiles, she laughs] 

• Poet : Every moment requires a purpose.

  Lwaxana Troi : [whispers to Alexander]  No, it doesn't.

  Poet : Every purpose requires a plan.

  Juggler : He does this every day, usually while everyone's food is getting cold.

  [yawns] 

  Juggler : It's rather boring.

  Poet : The higher, the fewer

  Lwaxana Troi : Well, that's a conversation stopper if I ever heard one.

• Lwaxana Troi : Alexander, my little warrior!

• [Worf and Alexander enter to ask for Deanna's help in forming their father-son contract] 

  Counselor Troi : Alexander, this is my mother.

  Lwaxana Troi : Alexander? What a wonderful name! You know, I once knew a tall, handsome warrior named Alexander. Oh, he utterly adored me and we went everywhere - simply everywhere. Have you been anywhere y... Contract? What contract?

  Counselor Troi : Between father and son, a fair and balanced way to achieve a mutual sense of order.

  Lwaxana Troi : [to Alexander]  Well, how ghastly for you.

  [to Worf] 

  Lwaxana Troi : And you are doing this to your own child, Mr. Woof?

  Counselor Troi : Mother!

  Lieutenant Worf : It is "Worf," madam.

  Lwaxana Troi : Contracts are usually between people who don't really trust one another. A child who is trusted becomes worthy of that trust.

• Alexander Rozhenko : [referring to two holo-characters]  Why are they arguing?

  Juggler : They're friends. They love contradiction. They, they thrive on challenge. They flourish in conflict.

  Alexander Rozhenko : Then why are they friends?

  Lwaxana Troi : Who else're you gonna fight with if not your friends?

• Lwaxana Troi : Aaah, Heavenly! Every pore of my body tingles with contentment.

• Lwaxana Troi : But mostly, a true friend is a person you can always tell the truth to without worrying about it.