Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

The Pegasus (1994)

Jonathan Frakes: Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

Photos 

Quotes 

• [last lines] 

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : You made a mistake twelve years ago. But your service since then has earned you a great deal of respect, but this incident could cost you some of that respect.

  Commander William T. Riker : I can't help but feel that I should have come forward a long time ago.

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : But when the moment came to make a decision, you made the right one. You chose to tell the truth and face the consequences. So long as you can still do that, then you deserve to wear that uniform. And I will still be proud to have you as my First Officer.

• [Picard interrogates Riker about the real purpose of the mission] 

  Commander William T. Riker : I've said all I can. I am under direct orders from Admiral Pressman not to discuss this, sir.

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Very well. He's an admiral, I'm a captain. I cannot force you to disobey his orders. Therefore, I will have to remain in the dark on this mission. And I will just have to trust that you will not let Pressman put this ship at unnecessary risk. And if I find that that trust has been misplaced, then I will have to reevaluate the command structure of this ship. Dismissed.

• Commander William T. Riker : I wasn't a hero, and neither were you. What you did was wrong. And I was wrong to support you, but I was too young and too stupid to realize it. You were the captain, I was the ensign. I was just following orders.

• Commander William T. Riker : So, who won the contest?

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Oh, er, Paul Menegay, a seven-year-old. He did a most interesting clay sculpture of my head.

  Commander William T. Riker : Was that the orange one? With the lumpy skin?

• Admiral Eric Pressman : [about the dead crew of the Pegasus]  I knew most of these people a lot longer than you did. Yes, it was tragic, but it was their fault!

  Commander William T. Riker : You don't know that. Neither of us knows what happened after we left.

  Admiral Eric Pressman : Well, it's not hard to guess. They tried to shut down an experiment they didn't understand; something went wrong and it killed them.

  Commander William T. Riker : No - *we* killed them.

  Admiral Eric Pressman : Now that doesn't sound like the same man who grabbed a phaser and defended his captain twelve years ago.

  Commander William T. Riker : I've had twelve years to think about it. And if I had it to do over again, I would have grabbed the phaser and pointed it at you instead of them.

• Commander William T. Riker : I don't think anyone's going to come to your defense this time.

• Admiral Eric Pressman : So, how long have you had that beard?

  Commander William T. Riker : About four years. I got tired of hearing how young I looked.

  Admiral Eric Pressman : What was it that, uh... Lieutenant Boylen used to call you?

  Commander William T. Riker : Ensign Babyface!

• Commander William T. Riker : [the Federation cloaking device on board the Pegasus]  I kept hoping it wouldn't be here. That it would have been destroyed or buried back there in that rockface.

  Admiral Eric Pressman : What the hell's that supposed to mean?

  Commander William T. Riker : It means I can't put this off any longer. Right up until now... I have had the luxury of time. But now I've got to make a choice. And Admiral... I'm afraid my choice is this. I can't let you start these experiments again. It was wrong twelve years ago, and it is wrong today.

• Admiral Eric Pressman : You *have* changed.

  Commander William T. Riker : Changed?

  Admiral Eric Pressman : Just something the Captain and I were talking about. To be honest, I'm glad to see this kind of change in you, Will. State your opinion and stand by it. It's a far cry from the young man who used to sit at my helm and worry about pressing the wrong button.

  Commander William T. Riker : A lot of things can change in twelve years, Admiral.

  Admiral Eric Pressman : Yes, they can. But it's important that a man changes the right things in his life. Not his sense of duty, not his sense of loyalty.

  Commander William T. Riker : I'd like to think that I haven't changed those things, sir.

  Admiral Eric Pressman : I would like to think that too. Because those things say more about a man than the rank on his collar or the uniform he wears. They define him. - Twelve years ago, a lot of older and more seasoned officers turned away from their duty. But you stood up for what was right. I'm sorry, Will. I know the kind of man you are. I know that I can count on you again.

• Lt. Commander Data : Sensors show the ship is still intact. However, 65% of it is contained within the asteroid.

  Commander William T. Riker : It looks as if half the ship materialized inside solid rock.

• Commander William T. Riker : I was seven months out of the academy, my head still ringing with words like duty and honour. When they turned on him, I thought they were a bunch of self-serving, disloyal officers, so I grabbed a phaser and defended my captain.