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Star Trek Memes: 45 Trekkie Memes For The Nerds

4 weeks ago

45 Star Trek memes that boldly go to a galaxy far, far away or whatever

Beam aboard the USS Laughter with our collection of 45 Star Trek memes, designed to delight Trekkies and humor enthusiasts alike. Whether you're a die-hard fan of the original series or a newcomer to the Star Trek universe, these Trekkie memes are sure to engage your warp drives and set your phasers to laugh.

These stellar memes, infused with wit and creativity, transport you to the far reaches of the galaxy, where laughter knows no bounds. From the iconic bridge of the USS Enterprise to the depths of the Klingon Empire, each of these Star Trek memes captures the essence of Star Trek's rich universe, offering a humorous take on beloved characters, memorable episodes, and the idiosyncrasies of spacefaring life. Whether you're a fan of Captain Kirk's bold leadership or find yourself drawn to the logical wisdom of Spock, there's a meme here to engage and entertain.

As you scroll through this collection of Trekkie memes, you'll discover a universe of laughter waiting to be explored. Whether it's a clever play on words, a humorous observation about alien cultures, or a nod to classic moments from the series, these memes are sure to evoke smiles and spark conversations among fellow fans.

So, prepare to engage your funny bone and set your phasers to laugh as we journey through the cosmos of Star Trek humor together. After all, in the vast expanse of space, there's always room for a good laugh.

If you've enjoyed these Star Trek memes, why not explore more sci-fi and fanasy humor? From Star Wars to The Lord of the Rings , there's a universe of laughter waiting to be discovered. So, strap in and prepare for warp speed as we journey through the cosmos of comedy together.

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10 famous star trek tng memes (& the episode they come from).

Star Trek TNG has produced some of the internet's greatest memes, and and fans may want to know which episodes they came from.

Though Star Trek: The Next Generation is known for its more serious content, there was also a time when it ruled the internet with its hilarious memes . When taken out of context, funny stills and moments from the show have had internet users laughing hysterically for years.

While fans of the show might remember the moments, casual internet denizens probably don't know the origin episodes of some of their favorite TNG memes. The exploits of Captain Picard's Enterprise crew are extremely meme-able, but only the best have stood the test of time and continue to be funny today.

Ensign Haskell's Death - "Where Silence Has Lease" (S2 E2)

Though most great TNG memes were static in nature, a classic moment from "Where Silence Has Lease" resulted in some great GIF and video memes. After encountering a strange omnipotent being in the far reaches of space, the crew soon learns of its deadly power when it attacks unsuspecting Ensign Haskell.

RELATED: The 20 Best Star Trek TNG Episodes Of All Time

The early seasons of the show were somewhat cheesy in nature, and the actor's over-the-top performance only added to the goofy atmosphere. Since fans on the internet discovered the moment, the clip has been used as a perfect reaction GIF for almost any situation.

Data's Android Phone - "Phantasms" (S7 E6)

The episode "Phantasms" had a host of strange moments that were quite silly when taken out of context, but one stood above the rest as perfect meme fodder. Not long after gaining the ability to dream, Data begins to suffer terrible nightmares that might be warning him about a potential danger to the ship.

While the episode leads to one of Data's smartest decisions on the show , the hilarious still of Picard answering a phone from Data's chest is usually the only part fans remember. There have been a variety of different jokes surrounding the meme format, but most rely on puns regarding Data's android nature.

Picard's Smiley Face - "Timescape" (S6 E25)

Picard is known as a stentorian leader, and that's why fans have never missed an opportunity to meme his more lighthearted moments. In the episode "Timescape" the ship is caught in a vortex that allows the Captain to traverse the ship that is nearly frozen in time. Delirious from exposure, Picard acts out of character and draws a smiley face on a breached warp core.

Not only is the moment a truly memorable one, but the memes that have spawned from it have been quite funny. While the episode itself is filler that can be skipped to save time , the sheer amount of memes that it produced is what sets it apart.

Data's Belly Laugh - "Deja Q" (S3 E13)

Being an android, Data is incapable of feeling emotions, and it is actually his greatest desire to be like other living beings. "Deja Q" sees the titular omnipotent being bestowed upon the beloved android the temporary gift of laughter, and he explodes in a barrage of guffaws.

RELATED: The 10 Best Omnipotent Aliens In Star Trek, Ranked

Expressing such a generic emotion as laughter, the scene is the perfect moment to be turned into a meme, and fans have stepped up. Brent Spiner's exaggerated performance has helped to make it all the funnier, and the meme has grown far beyond the Trek community.

Four Lights - "Chain Of Command" (S6 E10-11)

Coming as one of the best two-part episodes of TNG , "Chain of Command" was also one of Picard's most harrowing experiences as captain. Captured by the ruthless Cardassians, the captain is subjected to a series of mental tortures that attempt to break his mind and make him a more malleable subject.

The climactic sequence where Picard exclaims that he sees four lights is triumphant in the show but hilarious when taken out of context. The moment has become a meme on its own and has been popularly inserted into various existing meme formats and even cut into funny songs and GIFs as well.

Deanna Troi Winking - "Timescape" (S6 E25)

"Timescape" produced more memes than any other episode of the show by far, and Counselor Troi got in on the action in the opening scene. While recounting her experience at a boring conference to the captain and Geordi, Troi does an exaggerated and hilarious impression of a man that hit on her.

In the moment, the impression isn't all that funny, but keen-eyed fans were able to pause the scene at just the right moment to capture a hilarious meme. The silliness of her face has led to a host of great jokes, and it is one of the rare Star Trek memes that doesn't involve Captain Picard.

Annoyed Picard - "Ménage À Troi" (S3 E24)

Captain Picard is a busy man with a lot of responsibilities and doesn't usually make a lot of time for the petty squabbles of the people aboard his ship. However, the episode "Ménage à Troi" brought him into the conflict, whether he liked it or not.

RELATED: 10 Reasons Why TNG Is The Best Star Trek Show, According To Reddit

While trying to appease a dignitary, Picard is called on to act his way through a situation, and it resulted in some hilarious stills. The combination of gesture and facial expression was used to create untold amounts of memes, and the best aspect of the format is that it can be applied to almost any situation with hilarious results.

Surprised Picard - "Timescape" (S6 E25)

Coming in the same scene as Troi's notorious wink, Picard also delivered a hilarious impression that resulted in a memorable meme. To one-up Troi's silly story, Picard recounts his own tale and even acts out the parts with appropriate gusto while they return to the Enterprise in a shuttlecraft.

The versatility of the meme format is what makes it so great, and there is always something hilarious about seeing Captain Picard go above and beyond his normally reserved self. Though Picard's surprised face is usually overshadowed by other memes featuring the captain, it is still one of his funniest moments.

Geordi LaForge This Or That - "Quality Of Life" (S6 E9)

Star Trek: The Next Generation often tackled deep issues , and "Quality of Life" touched on concepts like sentience and what makes something alive. The episode saw Geordi in heavy debate with a colleague about the rights of a robotic organism, and he made several hand gestures that mimicked a famous meme.

Usually used to replace the meme with the same concept featuring the rapper Drake, the Geordi version is just as hilarious as the original but with a Star Trek twist. Proving that the simplest memes are usually the funniest, Geordi LaForge's personal meme format is still largely used today.

The Facepalm - "Deja Q" (S3 E13)

Of all the meme contributions that TNG has made over the years, Captain Picard's infamous facepalm will never be topped. When Picard's omnipotent nemesis Q returns to torture the ship once again in "Deja Q," the beleaguered captain can't help but facepalm.

The early days of internet memes are quite different from what they are now, and it is difficult to overstate the popularity of that single frame from TNG . The concept of the facepalm was mostly born from that moment and had a life of its own as a separate meme concept. While the episode itself is worth checking out for its great story, many fans return to see the origin point of one of the best memes of all time.

NEXT: 10 Star Trek Memes That Perfectly Sum Up Spock

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Gangsta picard.

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Picard Yelling at Gul Madred

LIVE LONG PROSPER AND MULTIPLY STAR TREK MEME

Star Trek Discovery Federation Outpost Change My Mind Meme

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Live long prosper and multiply star trek

this is no time for jokes star trek strange new worlds quote mem

this is no time for jokes star trek strange new worlds memememe

the higher the hair the closer to Jesus meme

When Your Number One is a Perfect Ten Set Phasers To Stunning!

Meme Me Up: 15 Hilarious Star Trek: The Next Generation Memes

Set phasers to dank. We've got 15 hilarious memes that have been patrolling the Neutral Zone.

Sure, The Last Jedi is the big thing everyone’s talking about right now, but sometimes you just want your science fiction a little more focused. For more than 50 years, the adventures of various officers of the futuristic Starfleet have ruled many a nerd’s television set. A pop culture phenomenon, Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek has kept science fiction fans glued to their seats, following along with their favorite Captains as they set out on missions to explore the galaxy and forge alliances with new and strange lifeforms. Though the original series spent decades as a cult classic that spawned a successful film franchise, 1987 saw Star Trek truly explode into something magnificent.

Star Trek: The Next Generation took a new team of adventurers and sent them out even further into the reaches of deep space, exploring strange new worlds with bleeding edge technology and wilder and weirder plots than ever before. The series became a television mainstay, breathing new life into the franchise for decades to come. As with all things, the Internet has taken to memeing it, and something like Star Trek led to some of the best memes out there. Here are 15 hilariously unforgettable Star Trek: The Next Generation memes.

15 BETTER THAN YAR

An early mantra for Star Trek: The Next Generation was that there’d be not many references to the original series. Series creator Gene Roddenberry was eager to create a unique world distant from the adventures of Captain Kirk. Alien species from the original were largely off limits, the exception being a Klingon named Worf who served as a bridge officer, largely remaining in the background.

Following the death of Natasha Yar when actress Denise Crosby opted to leave the show, Worf got a promotion to chief tactical officer and gained a much greater presence. Serving as the ship’s chief of security, Worf was often consulted when battle was necessary and became one of the Enterprise’s most prized crew members. Worf proved to be one hell of a pop culture phenomenon even today, years after ST:TNG and Deep Space Nine have gone off the air.

14 WHAT CAPTAINS DO

Captain Picard’s a busy dude. In addition to jetting around the Neutral Zone in the cutting edge of spaceship design and negotiating treaties with alien races both familiar and new, he’s still got to find time to schmooze with ambassadors and roleplay as a detective on the holodeck. Being a Starfleet Captain is pretty serious business!

Picard manages to come out above all that, though. Well-rounded, intellectual, and thorough to a fault, it’s no wonder Jean-Luc is considered the superior Captain by many fans. Picard’s kept more than busy over the years, as this meme reminds us. Though it’s a bit of a jab at some familiar Star Trek: The Next Generation moments, it also highlights some of the greatest moments in Picard’s storied Starfleet career.

13 FOUR LIGHTS

Poor Picard. He went through a lot of bad times, from being assimilated into the Borg collective to having to appear in Star Trek: Generations . But the season six two-parters “Chain of Command” showcased a different side of Picard. Captured while on a covert mission, Picard is tortured and interrogated in one of Star Trek’s most intense scenes to date.

In an attempt to break his will, a Cardassian interrogator shows Picard four bright lights and tells him the torture will end when he says there are five lights. The episode itself is a hell of a story, but Picard’s parting, defiant cry to his captor of “There are FOUR lights!” has become a meme in its own right. This meme might be one of the best takes on it, though, because let’s face it, we all hate fighting with those damn Christmas lights when December rolls around.

12 GOOGLE GLASS

Hey, remember Google Glass? Google kinda hopes you don’t, but they’re also not really making a thing of it anymore. It was a smart device that you wore like a pair of glasses, giving you access to a number of popular Google features like maps and phone calls. The device had a limited release, but it didn’t do terribly well thanks to an exorbitant price and awkward interface.

Did they pull some inspiration from Star Trek: The Next Generation ? Possibly. A mainstay from the first episode, the ship’s chief engineer Geordi LaForge was notable as a Starfleet engineer with a disability. Blind since birth, Geordi wore a device referred to as a VISOR which allowed him to see. The device became a signature staple of the show and made Geordi one of the show’s most recognizable characters.

11 GUINAN COMBAT

Oh, Guinan. Played by Star Trek superfan Whoopi Goldberg, the bartender aboard the Enterprise proved to be a fan favorite character. Mysterious, seemingly ageless, and always there to offer a shoulder to lean on, fans loved the down to Earth tone she brought to an otherwise fantastical piece of hard science fiction.

Guinan doesn’t interact all that much with the crew as a hold, appearing in only about 30 episodes or so, but that hasn’t helped her escape the fate of being a meme. Maybe it’s the unusual sense of style she possesses, maybe it’s that aloof and strange nature she carried. But ultimately it’s that Guinan tended to just be kind of goofy when the story didn’t call for her to be serious, that makes her pretty easy to meme.

10 HD MEMES

Many fans likely didn’t see Star Trek: The Next Generation in HD for a long while. Originally airing on syndicated networks, the show was hardly primed to be the mainstream success it came to be. A testament to the quality of storytelling and production, ST:TNG really did age like a fine wine over the years.

With the rise of blu-ray, remastered Star Trek was only a matter of time. Released between 2012 and 2014, Star Trek: The Next Generation got a spiffy HD remaster (though limitations of the original film prevent it from being released in an aspect ratio other than 4:3). The HD remasters are gorgeous, but many fans aren’t using them for memes, still sticking to the original images and screencaps that have been floating around the Internet for years.

9 99 PROBLEMS

Starfleet ships are pretty crazy when you think about it. The panels seem to spew sparks seemingly at random. None of the seats have seat belts, which provides a number of issues when the ship is inevitably blasted to hell by Romulans. And that’s not even counting the Holodecks, which seem to exist with the sole purpose of being literal death machines.

It’s even crazier when you consider the Enterprise itself. As a ship intended to perform peacekeeping duties and patrol the Neutral Zone, the ship housed a number of civilians. There’s a lot to go wrong day to day on a ship that also houses a fully functioning school and a nursery. Fortunately, they’ve got a pretty competent crew to keep things intact, but it’s a miracle that the number of casualties racked up during ST:TNG ’s run weren’t worse.

8 INCOMPLETE DATA

Poor Data. He gets stuck with no shortage of jokes about his Android nature. It makes him something of an easy target when people are cooking up memes about Star Trek , in much the same way that Spock’s logical nature can make it easy for him. But for all the easy jokes, Data is an incredibly notable character in Star Trek lore.

Essentially the reverse of Spock, Data’s quest to obtain humanity made him a quickly relatable and easily lovable character. He may have had more than his fair share of falters, be it injuring crew members when he didn’t mean to or putting the crew at risk with the presence of his brother Lore, but Data’s personable nature and humble backstory made him a classic character almost instantly.

7 WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE

Will Riker is an interesting addition to the cast. With Captain Picard intended to be a purely introspective leader (in direct opposition to Captain Kirk, who spent much of his time on away missions, punching baddies and bedding ladies), it was decided that his second-in-command should fill the void of an action-oriented character in a leadership role.

The end result was Commander Will Riker. A bit emotional when the time called for it, a consummate ladies man, and arguably over-qualified by season 3 of the series, Riker’s choice to remain second-in-command overtaking his own ship became a key character trait in later episodes. These days, fans mostly meme Riker for his track record with women, poking fun at his many romantic encounters to take place over the course of ST:TNG .

6 TRICORDER SELFIE

Star Trek has had more than its share of influences on real-world technology. ST:TNG episodes featured the popular datapads, a series of tablet devices that crew members regularly would use for reading and transferring documents around in lieu of paper. These datapads would eventually be spotted by Steve Jobs, who cited them as the inspiration for iPad style devices.

Star Trek probably didn’t do much to inspire the selfie, but without the history of Star Trek , we wouldn’t be where we are today. Unfortunately, we’ve reached a point where the technology has surpassed the presented history of Trek technology. It created real problems with series like Star Trek: Enterprise aired decades after Star Trek but had to reconcile the prospect of modern technology versus the old school tech aesthetic of the original series.

5 THREE BUTTONS

There’s a lot of thought put into Star Trek ’s design, to the point that the LCARs system that powers the computers of the Enterprise exists as a fan-created OS conversion. Still, there are a few intricacies of the system that fans have taken note of. For instance, this meme points out how many incredibly complex maneuvers seem to be available with just a few button presses.

We see all sorts of things like this. The movies especially showcase this, with things such as Data disabling a self-destruct that needed three crew members to activate all by himself, or Picard pulling up a specific play with just a few taps on a screen. Still, they’re cheats all done in the favor of making the story more interesting. After all, who wants to watch a movie that features 20 minutes of Picard navigating an archaic file structure?

4 ANDROID SMARTPHONE

Naturally, Star Trek has been on the forefront of modern technology. However, it might be safe to say that this isn’t what they had in mind when they crafted this excellent moment from the episode “Phantasms.” Here Data was having strange dreams, which ultimately led to him seemingly losing his mind and even injuring Counsellor Troi.

Naturally, the episode ended with Data being fine, the dreams being the result of his android brain helping him resolve how best to destroy a parasitic organism infecting the Enterprise. Though the episode is hailed as an ST:TNG classic, it’s unlikely that this one particular image from Data’s dream, of Picard answering a phone inside his torso, is what the creators of Android had in mind when creating a new smartphone.

3 ARTIFICIAL HEART REPLACEMENT

Have you ever thought about how wildly inconsistent the seemingly magical science of Star Trek can be? One episode featured Worf being paralyzed by a falling barrel and begging his close friend Riker to help him commit suicide, as per a Klingon tradition. The whole episode is played up as a deeply philosophical affair, but then at the end of the episode a doctor shows up and just gives Worf a new spine, no questions asked.

Captain Picard has a similar unique story. Stabbed in the chest while still a Starfleet cadet, Picard received an artificial heart. Obviously a marvelous medical feat, but how is there not a modern solution for Picard’s receding hairline? Truth be told this was once a consideration, with early footage of Patrick Stewart wearing a toupee appearing years ago, but one look at that footage highlights why producers opted not to go with the look.

2 PHASER GUNS

Already in his late 40s, Patrick Stewart had the odds against him when he was cast as Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation . Fans were somewhat put off by the much older Captain, given the years where they had been used to the much younger and more action prone Captain Kirk.

But damn, did Patrick Stewart prove them wrong. Even today, at age 77, Patrick Stewart is ripped and makes you feel like you’re lazy. Picard carried this on, too, in both the television show and following movies. Sure, he was more distinguished than other Captains, opting to settle matters with words as opposed to fists, but when it came time to throw down you definitely didn’t want to be on Picard’s bad side.

1 DANGEROUS MISSION

To be fair, this is a problem that every iteration of Star Trek has had so far. When you’re going down to a strange planet to encounter an unknown entity, who better to take planetside than every executive officer on the ship? Routinely, the likes of the Enterprise’s chief engineer, operations officer, tactical officer, commanding officer, and even the Captain will venture down into the unknown.

So what happens to the Enterprise if one of them dies? Or worse, just imagine the upheaval if all of them die. For a dangerous mission, you wouldn’t dream of sending crew members that important. Still, it has to happen. After all, Star Trek is a television program above all else, and no one would care about anything that happened planet-side if every excursion featured a group of no-name red shirts with no emotional attachment.

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Memes / Star Trek

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• Space...the final frontier...
• "To boldly X where no Y has X'ed... before!"
• Live long and prosper. And the V-sign that goes with it.
• Q got bored and decided to go troll ponies! explanation John de Lancie plays both Q and Discord in My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic , causing fans of the latter series (and often fans of both shows) to make jokes about Discord and Q being one and the same.
• Worth pointing out though that Scott was the second officer, third in command behind the commanding officer (Captain Kirk) and the first officer (Mr. Spock). Since he was often left in command of the Enterprise while Kirk and his right hand Mr. Spock were on a landing party mission, Kirk often communicated with Scotty while he was in the command chair, including requests for retrieval ("beam up").
• The deadliest thing in the universe is a Red Shirt . explanation Security and Engineering departments on the Enterprise wore red shirts. The security guys tended to be cannon fodder whenever an episode required somebody to die. It became a meme that wearing a red shirt meant guarenteed death. This one has become so universal that it named the trope , although the original series had minor members of other departments die too, and shirt colors switched around in sequel series.
• "It's X, Jim, but not as we know it".
• "(It's worse than that!) He's dead, Jim."
• "Dammit, man/Jim! I'm a doctor, not a meme! "
• "Da-da DA DA DA DA DA da-da DA DA..." explanation Fight music, especially when Kirk and Spock fight on Vulcan when Spock goes into heat
• I cannae do it Cap'n! I doon't have the power!
• I CANNAE BREAK THE LAWS OF PHYSICS!
• "Brain and brain! WHAT IS BRAIN?"
• "That is illogical, Captain."
• There's Klingons on the starboard bow!
• We Come in Peace — Shoot to Kill note  Attributed to Kirk in The Firm's song "Star Trekkin'". Did he ever actually say it?
• Let us state (rather loudly) for the record that THERE ARE FOUR LIGHTS !
• "I am Pentium of Borg. Accuracy is irrelevant. You will be approximated."
• This is a Borg. This is drugs. This is a Borg on drugs: "Resilience is floor tile. Wanna be simulated?"
• "I am Homer of Borg. Resistance is futile. Prepare to be ... oooh, doughnuts ."
• Memes are irrelevant.
• "Shut up, Wesley!" Explanation A famous line from the early episode "Datalore" where Picard cuts off Wesley as he's piecing together that Lore is impersonating Data. While in context it wasnt intended as a jab at the character, it quickly morphed into one for the fanbase due to just how reviled of a character Wesley became . Even Wil Wheaton got on the fun on occasion, though in later years he's gotten sick of the line and autoblocked anyone on his Twitter who quoted it to him, even in jest.
• " Au contraire, mon capitan! 'Eeees back! " Explanation From the episode "Deja Q", when Q returns, repowered and backed by a mariachi band , after the crew of the Enterprise think he performed a Heroic Sacrifice
• "Darmok and Jalad at Tanagra." Translation Requesting help or cooperation
• "Temba, his arms wide." Translation An item being offered
• "Shaka, when the walls fell." Translation Failure of any kind
• "Make it so." Explanation One of Picard's catchphrases, letting someone know they should perform an action that has been suggested.
• "Engage!" Explanation Another one, after a course has been set, telling the helm to move the ship into warp.
• "Mr. Worf? Fire." TO BE CONTINUED... Explanation The very infamous last words from the TNG Season 3 finale "The Best of Both Worlds Part 1"
• (Snaps fingers.) "WOOSH!" explanation Q's main action for warping reality was to nonchalantly snap his fingers, often accompanied by a flash of white light and a trademark "woosh" sound.
• "If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid." explanation Q's speech towards Picard at the end of "Q Who"
• A specific shot of Picard, arm extended and face contorted in poetic agony, from the episode "Menage a Troi" has become the "WTF IS THIS SHIT?" image. Saw a resurgance in 2019 with the "Bro! You just posted cringe!" meme using the image.
• Gene's vision. Explanation Some fans can be very, very fickle about what they think is Star Trek , to the point where they will complain that it was going against what they thought was Gene Roddenberry's vision for the series.
• " KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!!!!! "
• SPOOOOOOCCCCKKKKK!
• "Yes." "No." "Yes." "No." "Yes. I love Italian. And so do you." "...Yes."
• Star Trek III: The Search for Spock : " I...HAVE HAD ENOUGH...OF YOU! "
• "The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!"
• Everything gets delivered on Tuesday. Explanation In the Action Prologue Enterprise -B isn't finished when it has to respond to a distress signal, being somehow the only ship in range despite the Sol system being the Federation capital and military headquarters . In order, Kirk, Chekov, and Scotty ask Capt. Harriman for a tractor beam, medical staff, and photon torpedoes, all of which are due to be delivered Tuesday.
• Oh... shit! Explanation When the Enterprise -D's saucer starts to deorbit after the warp drive goes critical , Data, who had an emotion chip installed at the start of the film, gets scared and drops a Precision F-Strike . Considered notable, as the Star Trek films are based on a family-friendly primetime network television series, where the characters generally aren't allowed to swear.
• " Bridge on the Captain! " Explanation William Shatner said this after filming his Trope Naming death scene.
• Data's "Life forms" song.
• Frequently used as a reaction GIF: "[Said happily] I hate this! It is revolting!" "More?" "Please!"
• "I am Spock." [ Beat ] "Bullshit." Explanation (spoilers) Prime Spock's introduction and Kelvin!Kirk's blunt response.
• I've got your gun! Explanation When Kirk is trying to get to Pike, he's manhandled by a Romulan. As the Romulan has Kirk in a Neck Lift , he realizes he's saying something, only to realize too late that Kirk has gotten ahold of his weapon.
• I think this page needs more Lens Flare . Explanation For some odd reason, 2009 and Into Darkness had copious amounts of lens flare and was quickly mocked.
• Hi, Christopher, I'm Nero.
• From Into Darkness: YOU SHOULD HAVE LET ME SLEEP!!!
• JAAAAAWWWN!
• Since 2009 ? Nuclear. Wessels.
• I like this ship! Y'know, it's exciting! Explanation When an increasingly irate Spock is trying to figure out how Kirk got back on the Enterprise after marooning him on a frozen world, Scotty breaks the tension briefly with the oddball outburst.
• I have no comment on the matter.
• Maximum warp. Punch it!
• FIRE EVERYTHING!
• ATTENTION BAJORAN WORKERS!
• " I'm afraid. " " I know... "
• Experience Bij!
• "There's coffee in that nebula!" explanation Janeway's obsession with coffee is firmly established in "The Cloud," in which she orders the ship into a nebula to gain additional energy sources.
• O'Brien Must Suffer. explanation In Deep Space Nine , Chief O'Brien had approximately one episode per season in which he had A Day in the Limelight . Unfortunately, those episodes often put him in the most unenviable of positions, from having twenty years of life in prison imprinted in his mind to his daughter being displaced in time.
• "Is this what Star Trek has become?!" Explanation The first trailer of Star Trek: Lower Decks really riled up the more critical fans of the franchise, complaining that the comedy ruins the entire thing. One complainer actually said the quote in question on a Tweet, thus it became a rallying cry of the other part of the fandom by using the quote while showcasing the franchise's more ridiculous moments.
• Roddy Doyle's Star Trek Explanation Crossing over Chief O'Brien scenes with quotes from The Commitments , The Snapper , and The Van , and other phrases that Colm Meaney's characters from the films would likely say in a Star Trek scenario.
• "Remember when Star Trek was a smart show?" Explanation Similar to the "Is this what Star Trek has become?!" quote above, one complainer got upset over the Lower Decks second season episode "I, Excretus", using the scene of Boimler and Rutherford naked with Boimler spread eagle with his penis censored. Once more, the other part of the fandom mocked this guy by pointing out that Star Trek was incredibly horny, too .
• “You must have Klingon blood” Explanation : A meme that pokes fun at the somewhat Embarrassing Last Name pronunciation of actor Alan Tudyk ’s last name and the revelation of Klingons having two of a certain male organ.
• Pike's Peak. note  The hairstyle given to Anson Mount in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is a lot bigger than has been previously seen on the character—even Mount's previous appearance on Discovery . The bouffant stands a good few inches above his head and has a distinctive swoosh shape which has proven too tempting for photoshoppers not to edit onto everything—whether it is Wheelchair Pike's head, or Picard's head, or in place of the Paramount+ logo as Ansonmount+.
• "Are you two friends?" "Yes." "No." Explanation From Voyager Season 3, Episode 14. Used when a group thinks they are in a good relationship with another group, when they really aren't.
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Live Long and Prosper: Why are Star Trek Memes and Concepts So Enduring?

It has been over 50 years since the first time Captain James Kirk proclaimed the mission of the Enterprise and its goal to “boldly go where no man has gone before.” Despite being a niche television show by that era’s standards, “Star Trek” has managed not only to endure but become more popular then ever. “Star Trek” memes proliferate the internet and similar sci-fi shows, like “ Farscape” and “Battlestar Galactica” have all tried to emulate the original premise of the show.

The original series and its sequels and spin-off are also now available on streaming sites , delighting new audiences with its campy aesthetics and compelling plots.

But why is “Star Trek” so popular?

What makes it so enduring that “Star Trek” memes, like Picard facepalming are still widely circulated years after the show and its sequels have gone of the air?

Take a deep dive into what made “Star Trek,” so enduring as well as its effects on popular culture and the internet.

The Wonder of Exploration

The confluence of logic and emotion, a bright future for all, how did star trek endure, surprised kirk, angry picard, picard’s facepalm, the ideals of star trek.

 Before there were Star Trek memes, there was the opening monologue.

Long before there were sarcastically surprised Kirk memes and massive conventions for “Trekkies,” there were only a handful of visionaries. But the main driving force behind it all was Gene Roddenberry , a writer and producer. Roddenberry had a long running love of science fiction and how could he not?

The 1960s was the height of the Space Race, the technological conflict between the United States and the U.S.S.R. Lunar landings, interstellar flight and astronauts seized the public imagination. Roddenberry and his contemporaries were eager for a bright future, ushered in by science and understanding.

The cultural zeitgeist of the era was optimistic, brazenly moving forward from the shadows of World War II. Fiction of the time was equally positive, patriotic and idealistic. The concept of such an appalling and satirical villain, such as Homelander , would have been unthinkable at the time.

Roddenberry, and eventually other writers such as the legendary D.C. Fontana, wanted to build a world of positivity, science and enlightenment, but also one of danger, risks and conflict. Some of the central tenets of “Star Trek” include the following concepts.

“Star Trek” was so appealing because it explored new worlds. At a time when society was eager for new information about the cosmos, the show provided audiences with a glimpse of what could be waiting out there among the stars. Roddenberry’s background as a writer for television Westerns highlighted the wonders of pioneering, exploration and discovery.

The crew of the Enterprise weren’t soldiers out for conquest; they were cosmic pioneers, expanding the horizons of humanity. Much of the plot of the original series revolves around not only exploring new planets, but also exploring new technologies, new peoples and challenging the limits of what is known.

Exploration in the series did not necessarily mean subjugation, colonization or violence. Quite the opposite in fact. The show could be argued to showcase that true exploration wasn’t just about uncovering new places and peoples but also about discovering better aspects of the self.

Although Captain Kirk is an invaluable and important main character, there’s no denying that the show would not have been as memorable without Science Officer Spock. The Vulcan member of the Enterprise crew may not be the subject of many popular “Star Trek” memes, but his inclusion highlighted the importance of logic and reasoning. Spock’s cold deliberation often helped the crew avoid confrontation and approach problems with rational solutions.

However, Spock’s devotion to logic, while important, also needed to be tempered by compassion and empathy. The show was not shy about showcasing that although there are scenarios that require one more than the other, a truly progressive and effective team needed both to excel. During a time when science was starting to become mainstream, “Star Trek” helped popularize the notion that logic and reasoning were excellent tools to one’s life, so long as it was combined with decency and kindness.

“Star Trek” was visionary in more than one facet. Yes, the writers dared to imagine alien worlds and advanced civilizations with awesome technology, but they also commented on what human society could and should be. The world of “Star Trek” showcased an egalitarian society, where anyone could rise to greatness no matter their race or creed.

The character of Lieutenant Nyota Uhura was groundbreaking for a plethora of reasons. She was a Black woman who was not a servant but an invaluable member of the crew. Nichelle Nichols, the amazing actor who portrayed Uhura on screen once expressed a desire to leave the cast. She rethought the decision when Martin Luther King Jr. explained the importance of the role . Uhura served as a role model for Black women everywhere and represented them on television. Nichols and Shatner, who played Kirk, also ensured that they portray the first interracial kiss on national television .

The same could be said of Hikaru Sulu, the helmsman of the Enterprise of Japanese descent, portrayed by an actor with similar heritage. The show was decades ahead of its time, fitting for a series set in the far future.

These ideals are eternal and enduring, representing positive wishes for the future of humanity. It’s no wonder the show is still highly regarded decades after it stopped airing. These ideals are part of the reason the show endured cancellation.

Despite all these groundbreaking and inspiring ideals espoused by the show, “Star Trek” was still a niche television show. At a time when there were only three major television networks, getting less than a third of the country’s entire viewership was a death sentence. The fans of the show during its original run helmed a massive letter writing campaign just to save it. Although the letter writing campaign persuaded the studio to make a third season, it was moved to the Friday night slot, ensuring its cancellation.

So if the original show ended after only three seasons, how did it become so popular as to launch at least five related television shows? The show even has six feature films and an animated series, the latter of which is the source for the surprised Kirk meme.

From a distribution standpoint, “Star Trek” endured because the original series made it to three seasons. This was the minimum requirement for shows to become eligible for syndication. Even though the main studio no longer made new episodes, countless local studios around the country began broadcasting “Star Trek” episodes. It helped that these episodes were broadcast during the day, ensuring that young children coming home from school and others could watch. This helped the show remain in the public’s eye and get a new crop of fans.

By the time these fans grew up, there was enough buzz and hype for the studio to revisit the show with a sequel series. “Star Trek: The Next Generation” was an instant success, with a stellar cast and better looking effects. Unlike the original series, this show was beloved by the network and audiences, going on for 7 seasons. Various episodes promoted the ideals espoused by the original series along with other more modern concepts. It even gave people the much-shared frustrated Captain Picard meme and another still of Picard facepalming.

The sequel series was so beloved, it launched two spin-offs in the 90s while it was still on air. Although the original series had already done much to cement itself as a science-fiction icon and television landmark, these additional series helped cultivate broader audiences for the show and enabled the franchise to expand into the 21 st century.

Star Trek Memes and the Internet

Even if you somehow didn’t watch the shows or the three very successful film reboots, you’ve probably still encountered concepts and images from the show in the form of memes. “Star Trek” memes have been used as reactions and jokes for years.

Aside form image stills, other recognizable instances and details from the show are used for different things on the internet. It is a testament to the shows enduring powers that they remain relevant to digital cultures to this day. Some of the most popular “Star Trek” memes include the following.

The surprised Kirk meme is used to indicate or hint that the person posting isn’t actually shocked by the information or revelation provided. The image comes from an episode of the “Star Trek” animated series released in 1974. The stills come from Kirk’s reaction to another one of Bone’s and Spock’s many arguments.

One of the earliest “Star Trek” memes to gain popularity, the image first gained widespread use in 2012. It used as a way to express exasperation, frustration or anger towards a subject. It features Captain Jean-Luc Picard, portrayed by Sir Patrick Stewart, angrily gesturing. The image comes from an episode of the prequel series in which the captain is reciting poetry.

No one seems to exude frustration like Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The image of Picard facepalming rose to popularity in 2007, only two years after the term “facepalm” hit the mainstream. As with most memes, the image still doesn’t come from a scene where Picard is actually frustrated. It comes from the episode “Deja Qu” during a scene where a character tells Picard that he is the closest thing they have to a friend.

Why is it important that there are “Star Trek” memes? How do they contribute to the show’s legacy? The fact is, memes, no matter how denigrated by others, are a blooming for of communication, a digital rendering of hieroglyphs. Each image is only meaningful because of communally decided meaning and specific backgrounds. The notion of such a language would have doubtless been intriguing for Spock.

They’re also evidence of the enduring power not just of the concept of “Star Trek,” but also of the lofty ideals espoused by the original show. Yes, “Star Trek” memes may be removed from their original contexts. But so long as they are relevant, there is every hope that those who view them will also be appreciative of the concepts and dreams first espoused by the show more than 50 years ago.

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30+ of the Best Star Trek Memes of the Week (March 26, 2024)

This weekend, I got myself out of bed, put on my clothes, and made my way down to a historic movie theatre to finally watch the misadventures of Paul and Chani in Dune: Part 2 . Before I did that, though, I had to get out of bed, sit on my couch, and watch Dune: Part 1 for the first time. You might say I had a pretty Dunetastic weekend, and I'm happy to say I'm ready to return to the comforts of Star Trek. 

It's not easy to learn an entire sci-fi language in one day. I was spending most of my viewing experience hoping I wasn't mixing up the names of the bald race and the giant sandworm. At least Star Trek delivers exposition in a manner that's less confusing than conversational Klingon . If you prefer the series model to the epic model of sci-fi storytelling, these Star Trek memes might be your path to space travel. 

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