Star Trek: The Next Generation (TV Series)

Ethics (1992)

Jonathan Frakes: Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker

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Quotes 

• Commander William T. Riker : Remember Sandoval? Hit with a disrupter blast two years ago - she lived for about a week... Fang-Lee, Marla Aster, Tasha Yar? How many men and women, how many friends have we watched die? I've lost count. Every one of them, every single one fought for life until the very end!

  Lieutenant Worf : I do not welcome death, Commander.

  Commander William T. Riker : Are you sure? Because I get the sense you're feeling pretty noble about this whole thing. "Look at me! Aren't I courageous, aren't I an honorable Klingon?" Let me remind you of something: a Klingon does not put his desires above those of his family, or his friends.

• Lieutenant Worf : Will you, or will you not, help me with the Hegh'bat?

  Commander William T. Riker : You are my friend. And in spite of everything I've said, if it were my place, I would probably help you. But I have been studying Klingon ritual and Klingon law, and I've discovered... it is not my place to fill that role. According to tradition, that honor falls to a family member - preferably the oldest son.

  Lieutenant Worf : That is impossible. He is a child.

  Commander William T. Riker : "The son of a Klingon is a man the day he can first hold a blade." True?

  Lieutenant Worf : Alexander is not fully Klingon. He is part Human!

  Commander William T. Riker : That's an excuse. What you really mean... is, it would be too hard to look at your son and tell him to bring you the knife, watch you stab it into your heart, then pull the knife out of your chest and wipe your blood on his sleeve. That's the rite of death, isn't it? Well, I'm sorry, Mr. Worf - I can't help you. There's only one person on this ship who can.

• Lieutenant Worf : I have a personal favor to ask.

  Commander William T. Riker : Name it.

  Lieutenant Worf : I want you to assist me in performing the Hegh'bat ceremony. I want you to help me die.

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard : I understand from Dr. Crusher that Worf will never regain the use of his legs.

  Commander William T. Riker : That doesn't mean that his life is over.

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : That's a very Human perspective, Will. For a Klingon in Worf's position... his life is over.

• Captain Jean-Luc Picard : You and I could learn to live with a disability like that, but not Worf. His life ended when those containers fell on him. Now, we don't have to agree with it, we don't have to understand it. But we do have to respect his beliefs.

  Commander William T. Riker : I can respect his beliefs, but he is asking me to take an active part in his committing suicide!

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : He's asking for your help, because you're his friend. And that means that you're gonna have to make your decision based on that friendship.

  Commander William T. Riker : [smiles wryly]  Which leaves me right back where I started.

  Captain Jean-Luc Picard : Will... Look, I'm sorry, I cannot help you to make this decision. But I can tell you this: Klingons choose their friends with great care. If he didn't know he could count on you, he would never have asked.

• Commander William T. Riker : I've been studying this ritual of yours. Do you know what I've decided? I think it's despicable. I hate everything about it. The casual disregard for life, the way it tries to cloak suicide in some glorious notion of honour... I may have to respect your beliefs but I don't have to like them.