quotes from bones star trek

Star Trek: Leonard "Bones" McCoy's 10 Best Quotes

"Bones" McCoy, Chief Medical Officer aboard the USS Enterprise, has some of the funniest, thought-provoking one-liners in the Star Trek franchise.

In 1966, DeForest Kelley embarked on a three-year journey aboard the starship Enterprise as Star Trek 's Leonard McCoy, one of the most iconic characters in the franchise. Over the course of three seasons and 79 episodes, "Bones" gifted audiences with some fantastic, memorable quotes. While McCoy's popularity is often overshadowed by Kirk and Spock, there's no denying that the grumpy doctor was essential in making the trio a team like no other.

Related: Star Trek: All Movies, Ranked According To IMDb

Reliable and experienced, McCoy managed to keep his crewmates in top shape and accompany his commanding officer on dangerous missions at the same time, imparting his wit and wisdom whenever there was trouble on the horizon.

10 "In All The Universe, Three Million Galaxies Like This, And In All Of That... And Perhaps More... Only One Of Each Of Us."

One of Kirk's closest friends and colleagues, McCoy often acted as the captain's advisor and sounding board during the Enterprise's most desperate times. When the starship found itself up against a Romulan warship during the celebrated episode "Balance of Terror," McCoy tried to encourage Kirk while the latter debated how to proceed.

After Kirk confessed he felt burdened by his current responsibility, McCoy wisely reminded him that in the vastness of the galaxy there was only one James T. Kirk, and he should make sure not to destroy him.

9 "Monsters Come In Many Forms. Do You Know The Greatest Monster Of Them All? Guilt."

As the Enterprise's Chief Medical Officer, McCoy was in charge of assessing the crew's physical and mental health, sometimes having to take drastic measures to save his crewmates from themselves. In "Obsession," Kirk was consumed by his desire to destroy a strange, murderous cloud that he had failed to eradicate in his youth, causing the rest of his crew to perish.

McCoy noticed that Kirk's obsession seemed to be rooted in his guilty conscience, calling it the "greatest monster of all" before questioning whether Kirk was fit to stay in command.

8 "A Cage Is A Cage, Jim."

Despite holding Kirk in great esteem, McCoy was never shy to contradict him and give him a different perspective to consider. In "Dagger of the Mind," after Kirk expressed his interest in Dr. Tristan Adams—a renowned psychologist who had revolutionized prisons into hospitals—McCoy carefully reminded him that things may have changed, but a cage was still a cage.

Related: 10 Star Trek Actors Who Played More Than One Role

Ultimately, McCoy was proven right when Dr. Van Gelder, one of Adams's associates, infiltrated the Enterprise and revealed the horrors Adams constantly inflicted on the inmates.

7 "The Chain Of Command Is Often A Noose."

In "The Conscience of the King," Kirk suspected one of the Shakespearean actors aboard the Enterprise might actually be Kodos, the ex-governor of Tarsus IV who had mass-murdered almost his entire colony. As Kirk endeavored to investigate and protect his crew, his strange actions alerted Spock and led him to consult with McCoy.

When asked about Kirk's decision to send Lieutenant Riley back to engineering, a surprising choice given he'd just been transferred, McCoy simply replied that the chain of command was usually a noose and Kirk must have had his reasons for doing so. McCoy often spoke his mind, but he also respected the hierarchy of the Enterprise.

6 "Compassion. That's The One Thing No Machine Ever Had. Maybe It's The One Thing That Keeps Men Ahead Of Them."

Created during the technological boom of the 1960s, Star Trek often discussed the merits and disadvantages of computers in relation to mankind. In episode 53, "The Ultimate Computer," Kirk was temporarily replaced by an uber computer that seemed capable of taking over his role as captain.

After the computer attacked fellow Starfleet ships and shut itself down, McCoy explained that despite its high-tech, it lacked the compassion that kept humanity ahead of any machine. Star Trek was equally of its era and ahead if its time. It was thought-provoking, and "Bones" provided many memorable quotes that forced the viewers to stop and wonder.

5 "I'm Trying To Thank You, You Pointed-Eared Hobgoblin!"

Despite bickering more often than not, McCoy and Spock had absolute respect for one another as Kirk's friends and as two of Starfleet's finest . When Spock saved McCoy from certain death at the hands of a gladiator in "Bread and Circuses," the doctor struggled to thank him as Spock inspects their holding cell.

Various attempts later, McCoy couldn't take more of Spock's logical responses and called him a "pointed-eared hobgoblin." He then tried to break through Spock's aloof exterior by appealing to his humanity, suggesting that Spock might be more afraid of "living" than he let on.

4 "If You Treat Her Like A Lady, She'll Always Bring You Home."

Almost twenty years since the cancellation of The Original Series, Star Trek returned to the small screen with The New Generation in the late 1980s. DeForest Kelley made a cameo appearance in the new series' first episode, "Encounter at Farpoint," as a symbolic passing of the baton for the brand-new crew of the Enterprise.

Related: Live Long & Prosper: 10 Best Quotes From Star Trek's Spock

As an Admiral, a much older McCoy toured the Enterprise-D alongside Data, comparing the android's speech patterns and lack of emotion to a Vulcan's. Just before leaving, McCoy advised Data to treat the Enterprise "like a lady" and she'll always bring the crew home.

3 "The Release Of Emotions, Mr. Spock, Is What Keeps Us Healthy—Emotionally Healthy, That Is."

In "Plato's Stepchildren," the Enterprise found itself up against a race of psychic aliens who followed Plato's teachings. Shortly after being captured by them, Spock was forced to let go of his Vulcan stoicism when he was psychically tortured to show extreme emotions.

Spock was understandably humiliated by the display. To appease him, McCoy mentioned that releasing emotions is what keeps people emotionally healthy, but Spock simply replied that, in his experience, doing so always ends up being 'unhealthy' for those closest to him.

2 "A Man Who Holds That Much Power, Even With The Best Intentions, Just Can't Resist The Urge To Play God."

Since joining the Enterprise, McCoy visited dozens of civilizations ruled by unjust leaders who were corrupted by their own greed. He encountered one of them in "Patterns of Force" when the Enterprise was sent on a rescue mission to the planet Ekos. To the crew's complete shock, its society had modeled itself after Nazi Germany and was led by the man they'd been sent to recover, John Gill.

RELATED: 10 Best Uhura Moments In Star Trek, Ranked

Later in the episode, McCoy explained that, despite Gill's best intentions to organize the Ekosians' chaotic civilization, he eventually succumbed to his absolute power because he couldn't resist the urge to play god.

1 "I'm A Doctor, Not An Engineer!"

McCoy's well-known catchphrase had many variations, but none was as iconic as the one he uttered in the emblematic "Mirror, Mirror" . When Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty accidentally switched places with their counterparts from a parallel universe, they tried to find a way back home without revealing themselves as impostors.

Their only option was to tamper with the transporter and beam back to their reality, so Scotty requested some help from McCoy. The doctor reminded them of his profession, specifically denying his expertise in engineering, but helped Scotty and his crew anyway.

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• Character Quotes
• Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Bones Quotes in Star Trek Beyond (2016)

Bones quotes:.

Bones : [ hears song "Sabotage" blaring ] Is that classical music I'm hearing?

Spock : Yes, doctor, I believe it is.

Bones : Well, at least I won't die alone.

[ Spock is teleported away ]

Bones : Urban, Karl@Bones}: Well, that's just typical.

Sulu : Attention: John Harrison. This is Captain Hikaru Sulu of the USS Enterprise. A shuttle of highly trained officers is on its way to your location. If you do not surrender to them immediately, I will unleash the entire payload of advanced long-range torpedoes currently locked on to your location. You have two minutes to confirm your compliance. Refusal to do so will result in your obliteration. And If you test me, you will fail.

Bones : Mr. Sulu, remind me never to piss you off.

James T. Kirk : If Spock were here, and I were there, what would he do?

Bones : He'd let you die.

Bones : Don't agree with me, Spock, it makes me very uncomfortable.

Spock : Perhaps, you too should learn to govern your emotions, Doctor.

Bones : Damn it, man, I'm a doctor, not a torpedo technician!

Spock : The fact that your are a doctor is precisely why I need you to listen very carefully.

Bones : Five years in space, God help me.

Bones : You were barely dead, it was the transfusion that really took its toll. You were in a coma for two weeks.

James T. Kirk : Transfusion?

Bones : Your cells were heavily irradiated. We had no choice.

James T. Kirk : Khan?

Bones : We synthesized a serum from his... super blood. Tell me, are you feeling homicidal, power-mad, despotic?

James T. Kirk : No more than usual.

Bones : You don't rob a bank when your getaway car has a flat tire.

[ first lines ]

Bones : Damn it, man! That was our ride! You just stunned our ride!

James T. Kirk : Oh, great.

Bones : Jim, you just sat that man down at a high-stakes poker game with no cards and told him to bluff. Now, Sulu's a good man, but he's no captain.

James T. Kirk : For the next two hours, he is. And enough with the metaphors, all right? That's an order.

Bones : [ to Kirk ] Are you out of your cornfed mind?

Bones : Why the hell did he surrender?

James T. Kirk : I don't know. But he just took out a squad of Klingons single-handedly. I want to know how.

Bones : Sounds like we have a superman on board.

James T. Kirk : You tell me.

Bones : [ to Carol ] Sweetheart, I once performed an emergency C-section on a pregnant Gorn. Octuplets, and let me tell you, those little bastards bite. I think I can work some magic on your missile.

[ from trailer ]

Spock : Captain, I cannot allow you to do this!

Bones : Jim, you're not actually going after this guy, are you?

James T. Kirk : I have no idea what I'm supposed to do! I only know what I *can* do!

James T. Kirk : [ over the comm ] Bones, thanks for helping out. Dr. Marcus asked for the steadiest hands on the ship.

Bones : [ disgruntled with his dangerous mission and aware of Kirk's attraction to Dr. Marcus ] You know, when I dreamed about being stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman, there was no torpedo!

James T. Kirk : Dr. McCoy, may I remind you that you're not there to flirt.

Bones : So how can these legendary hands help you, Dr. Marcus?

James T. Kirk : Bones...

Scotty : No! I'm not signing anything! Now get these bloody things off my ship!

[ sees Kirk ]

Scotty : Captain!

James T. Kirk : Is there a problem, Mr. Scott?

Scotty : Aye, sir! I was just explaining to this gentlemen that I cannae authorize any weapons on board this ship without knowing what's inside them!

Spock : Mr. Scott raises yet another point that le...

James T. Kirk : Report to the bridge.

Spock : Captain.

[ leaves the engineering room ]

James T. Kirk : Mr. Scott, I understand your concerns but we need these torpedoes on board!

Scotty : Due respect, sir, but photo torpedoes run on fuel, now I cannae detect the type of fuel that's in the compartments on these torpedoes because it's shielded. Now I asked for the specifications but he says...

[ gestures to Torpedo Security ]

Torpedo Security : It's classified.

Scotty : [ repeating exasperatedly ] It's classified. So I said; no specs, no signature!

Sulu : [ from deck above ] Captain, flight checks complete, we're good to go, sir.

James T. Kirk : Thank you, Mr. Sulu.

Sulu : Yes, sir.

Scotty : Now if you'll excuse me, sir, I have a warp core to prime.

[ walks away ]

Scotty : [ to Keenser ] Get down!

Bones : Jim, your vitals are way off...

James T. Kirk : Report to the medbay.

[ follows Scotty to the warp core ]

James T. Kirk : Scotty! I need you to approve those weapons.

Bones : What ever happened with that thing about your wife?

Dr. Richard Kimble : It's not over yet.

Bama McCall : [ Bama is introducing Gator to his seven-foot-tall bodyguard ] Ask him why they call him "Bones."

Gator McKlusky : Why they call you "Bones?"

Bones : Because I TELL them to!

Zee : I'm just creeped out. You know, I saw an ambulance here today.

Bones : So...

Zee : So, maybe Nebbercracker really did die.

Bones : We should be so lucky, the guy was evil.

Zee : No, he was just a grumpy old dude.

Bones : Oh really? Zee? When I was 10 years old. I had a kite. Awesome kite. I could fly it so high you couldn't see it. One day, it crashed down, I followed the string, and it landed right over there, across the street right on the edge of his lawn.

Zee : Awww, did he take your kite?

Bones : Yeah, he takes everything that lands on his lawn. But that's not the point, the point is, I saw him talking to his house, and kissing it. Besides, everybody knows what he did to his wife.

Zee : Why? What? What did he do to her?

Bones : He ate her!

[ jumps on top of Zee ]

[ last lines ]

Zee : Skull's not like you. He makes time for me and gives me the respect I deserve.

Bones : Whatever.

Zee : Bones!

Bones : I've seen lots of camel toes before, but never on a camel!

Bones : We're the few. The proud. The WATERBOYS!

Bones : Actually, I wish you WERE my "first" sergeant, but I already had a couple before you.

1st Sgt. Brandon T. Williams : Have my words fallen upon deaf ears?

Bones : Yes, Sergeant! I mean No, Sergeant!

1st Sgt. Brandon T. Williams : Don't you know that I'm your First Seargent?

Bones : I really wish you were my First Sergeant, but I already had a couple ones already.

1st Sgt. Brandon T. Williams : Drop and give me push ups! You will continue to give me push ups until you learn to address me as First Sergeant! Is that clear?

Bones : Yes. First Sergeant!

1st Sgt. Brandon T. Williams : Go!

Bones : One, First Sergeant, Two First Sergeant...

Sgt. Ladd : This is exactly like practice, except this is a real live grenade. You will do exactly as you have been trained.

Bones : Yes, Drill Seargent!

Sgt. Ladd : When I give the command to execute, you will drop the pin and throw the grenade.

Sgt. Ladd : Drop the pin, throw the grenade!

Sgt. Ladd : Execute.

Bones : [ Drops grenade and throws pin ]

Sgt. Ladd : Move it!

Bones : Thank you, Drill Seargent, you saved my life. I owe you one.

Sgt. Ladd : No, you owe me fifty!

Bones : Oh yeah, "Its not a job, it's an adventure."

Richard Day, Recruiting Sergeant : No, that's the Navy.

Bones : "The few and the proud?"

Richard Day, Recruiting Sergeant : No, that's the Marines.

Bones : "Keep going, going and gone?"

Jack : No, that's the Energizer Bunny.

Richard Day, Recruiting Sergeant : Gentlemen, we're "Be all you can be"

Bones : In the Arrrmy!

Bones : Can I call you 'General Sweetpants'?

Bones : Thank you, sir. But I could not have done it without the help and inspiration of my brother, the poolman.

Bones : Gabriella, she broke my heart. Thankfully I'm too shallow to let it keep bummed for too long!

Bones : You're sitting in the chair, like "Can somebody

[ coughing,gagging ]

Bones : help me?"

[ coughing ]

Fred Ostroff : See, see that's what I'm talking about!

Bones : Where did the sun go?

Jack : There is no sun anymore. We died, and this is hell.

Bones : Oh, ok. Thanks for clearing that up.

Sgt. Ladd : Drop down and give me twenty!

Bones : Here. Take the whole wallet.

Bones : I don't know. How does it feel to be a dick, dick?

Bones : Is it hot in Chad?

[ Bones, Fred, Christine, and Jack are in their tent at night ]

Bones : Hey this reminds me of camp... John Jacob Jingle Himenschmidt

[ Fred, Christine, Bones, and Jack sing the rest ]

Bones, Christine, Jack, and Fred : LA LA LA LA LA LA LA! John...

Other Troops : SHUT UP!

[ silence ]

[ Jack is trying to get the truck out of the sand and is having trouble ]

Bones : Your sucking too much sand in the air filter! I'M ORDERING YOU!

Jack : Your ordering me?

Bones : I'm first class...

Bones : now I'm ordering you!

Jack : The only reason your first class is cause your brother is a poolman! (Truck makes a poping noise and

[ Jack is naked after seeing a mirage of the ocean ]

Bones : Wow Jack... LOOK AT THAT ASS! Wooo! Maybe you should stay naked!

Bones : [ Jack and Bones are selling things for a camel. Bones takes Jacks watch ] How about this watch?

Jack : No, not the watch. It has a compass.

Bones : ...it has a compass? You mean to tell me that we have been out in this desert for three days and you had a compass the entire time? Ooooh, Jack. You're going to get a lot of noogies for this.

Jack : I forgot.

Bones : Yeah? Well now you're going to forget about this watch cause it's gone now!

1st Sgt. Brandon T. Williams : I am First Sergeant Brandon T. Williams. It is my intention to run this company like a clock. If one gear slips in my clock, my clock'll tell the wrong time. If one spring is loose in my clock, my clock'll tell the wrong time. First Sergeant Williams likes his clock to tell the right time. Do you understand me?

Other Troops : Yes, First Sergeant!

Jack : What did he just say?

Bones : I don't know, something about his clock being broken.

Bug : Hey, smell my finger.

Bones : No.

Bones : Come on in. We don't bite. Unless you want us to.

Bones : You're still just a piece of tail around here, even if it does come in red pants.

[ Bones takes his brother Frankie to Rat ]

Bones : Can you watch Franky for me?

Bones : 'Cause I'm gonna break the spell.

[ Rat asks Bones if he believes her about the spell ]

Rat : [ Rat whispering ] Now you believe me about the spell?

Bones : [ Bones whispering ] No.

Rat : [ Rat whispering ] Well, you know, the only way to break it is to bring a piece to the surface.

[ Bones tells Rat that he found a road that leads underwater ]

Bones : I found a road that goes underwater.

Rat : Where?

Bones : Behind the old zoo.

Rat : Must go down to that town.

Bones : What town?

Rat : You know, the town... at the bottom of the reservoir.

Bones : [ Bones scoffs ] That's crazy. What does that mean?

Rat : It's not really that crazy. They flooded a bunch of towns when they dammed the river. That's why they call this Lost River.

[ Rat asks Bones why doesn't he just leave ]

Rat : Why don't you just get out of this place? What's keeping you here? You've got your car.

Bones : I mean, my Mom... still feels attached to the house, and Franky.

Rat : Is that what's keeping you here? Your Mom and Franky?

Bones : I don't know. What else... what else do I have?

[ Bones asks Rat if she'll leave with him ]

Bones : What about you?

Rat : What about me?

Bones : What if something happened, and we had to leave tomorrow? Would you come? Would you leave?

Rat : Me and you?

Bones : Yeah, me and you.

Rat : [ Rat smiles ] Maybe.

[ Bones talks to his neighbor Skip who's moving away ]

Bones : Think you'll ever come back?

Skip : Know what? Nobody's coming back. It's over with. Gotta get out of here. You gotta get out of here, too.

Bones : Yeah, well, as soon as I get my car fixed, I'll get outta here.

Skip : I don't wanna leave, but I wanna live. Look at this. I had a wonderful childhood. So far, a wonderful life. Just... Just sad what happened. Just sad what happened.

[ Rat tells Bones about the spell over Lost River ]

Rat : My grandmother used to live there. She hasn't been the same ever since. No one has. As soon as the last town was drowned... an evil spell was cast on Lost River.

Bones : I think you're making it up.

Rat : I'm not. That's why this whole place feels like it's underwater, too. It's true. Makes sense... everything that's going on around here. It's got to be for some reason.

[ Bones tells his mother Billy that he's going out ]

Bones : I'm going out.

Billy : You have to watch Franky.

Bones : Can you watch him?

Billy : I have to go to work!

Bones : Please?

[ Rat tells Bones that Bully is trouble ]

Rat : Why would you still something from Bully? Why would you do something that stupid?

Bones : 'Cause it was mine.

Rat : You can't steal from a guy like that.

Bones : Fuck, he stole from me. I mean...

Rat : Whether you stole from him or he stole from you, he's still gonna cut your head off. He's trouble. He'll hurt you.

Higgins : You call yourself a dentist, will ya?

Bones : Now wait a minute, mister! Let's talk this over!

Higgins : By the time I get through with you, you'll not be talkin' - just lispin' you'll be - with meself as a dentist, too, and I won't pull your teeth; I'll be knockin' 'em through the back of your head!

Steve Langdon : Then you decided to take up denistry?

Bones : Oh, yeah, I was lookin' at a book he left back there and I figgered denistry wasn't nothin'. Pullin' teeth just took a little muscle.

Steve Langdon : And judgment.

Bones : Yeah, maybe I should have read the book instead of lookin' at the pictures.

Steve Langdon : Say, does that stuff really cure pain?

Bones : Well, it's kinda like my singin'... takes your mind off of other aches.

Lucky Barton : What are you going to do?

Bones : I'm writing a letter from Captain Rogers to Warden James telling him to release Collins into my custody.

Lucky Barton : You can't sign Captain Rogers' name to a thing like that. That's arson! Er, that's larceny! You get life for larceny!

Bones : Then I'm sending a telegram to the warden, telling him that Collins has been reprieved. I'm signing the governor's name to it.

Lucky Barton : Oh, that's double larceny!

Bones : Yup. Double or nothing!

Lucky Barton : Hey, that might be a good idea at that.

Reporter : We newspapermen get some pretty grim assignments, don't we. First time you've been invited to a hanging?

Bones : Well, the first time, I wasn't exactly invited... I was sort of roped in.

Bones : Boy this riding bareback is hard on your... morale.

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Leonard McCoy Quotes

Compassion: that’s the one thing no machine ever had. Maybe it’s the one thing that keeps men ahead of them.

– Dr. Leonard McCoy

There’s no intelligent life here.

Monsters come in many forms. You know the greatest monster of them all? Guilt.

I told you people, I don’t need a doctor. I am a doctor.

Well there goes paradise.

Dr. Leonard McCoy: Mister Spock, you’re the most cold-blooded man I’ve ever known. Mr. Spock: Why, thank you, doctor.

He’s dead, Jim!

I am a doctor, not a brick layer.

We all have our darker side. We need it; it’s half of what we are. It’s not really ugly, it’s human.

I may throw up on you.

That man can think anything we can, and love, hope, dream as much as we can. But he can’t reach out and no one can reach in!

The chain of command is often a noose.

Barrows: Don’t peek! Dr. Leonard McCoy: My dear girl, I am a doctor. When I peek, it’s in the line of duty.

You know me…Mr. Sensitive.

Treat her like a lady, and she’ll always bring you home.

You gave your girlfriend a tracking device?

I’m not a magician, Spock, just an old country doctor.

Admiral James T. Kirk: My God, Bones, what have I done? Dr. Leonard McCoy: What you had to do. What you always do…turned death into a fighting chance to live.

I’m trying to thank you, you pointed-eared hobgoblin!

You don’t ask the Almighty for his ID!

The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe.

Did you see the love light in Spock’s eyes? The right computer finally came along!

Capt. Kirk: Bones, you ever hear of a doomsday machine? Dr. Leonard McCoy: No, I’m a doctor, not a mechanic.

I’m gonna tell you something I never thought I’d ever hear myself say. But it seems that I’ve missed you. I don’t think I could stand to lose you again.

Look, I’m a doctor, not an escalator!

A man who holds that much power, even with the best intentions, just can’t resist the urge to play god.

Do you know why you’re not afraid to die, Spock? You’re more afraid of living. Each day you stay alive is just one more day you might slip and let your human half peek out.

I’m a doctor, not an engineer.

I’m a doctor, not a coal miner.

• The Inventory

Leonard 'Bones' McCoy Was the True Heart of Star Trek

When most people think of Star Trek , they of course think of Kirk and Spock . This isn’t surprising, as they were the star and the break-out character of the series, but it’s easy to forget that they were two members of a triumvirate that made up the essence of the show. Ship’s doctor Leonard “Bones” McCoy was the third, and just as integral in making Star Trek a joy to watch.

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While Spock was all cold logic and Kirk was fiery passion, Bones was the heart of the Enterprise crew. He was the one who made the plea to do the right thing, who reminded the others of the potential cost of obeying logic or the Prime Directive. McCoy also was the true audience surrogate of the show, saying the things we yelled at the TV. The crew of the Enterprise did run into some completely ridiculous phenomena, and none of it would have worked if McCoy wasn’t there to say “Of course you save their lives, you idiots!” and “How in the universe is this happening to us?”

What makes Bones so fascinating is that he clearly didn’t want to be there. He wasn’t a full believer in the Starfleet mission. He hated space and ships and Starfleet, but he went out there and did his job every single time, no matter what insanity he encountered. Remember “The Devil in the Dark?” Can you imagine starting out life as a doctor in your home state and then finding yourself being asked to treat this?

McCoy complained, but he did it. Because he was a doctor and that was his job. And Kirk ordered him to. McCoy’s history isn’t epic and tragic like Kirk’s or unique like Spock’s. Which is why he, despite being an actual genius, insisted over and over that he was just a country doctor.

And when I say McCoy complained, I mean he complained all the time. About everything, but mostly Spock. Just think about how much life Star Trek would have lost without Bones for Kirk to talk to or for Spock to spar with:

Spock: I’m happy the affair is over. A most annoying emotional episode. McCoy: Smack right in the old heart. Oh, I’m sorry. [pointing to his side] In your case, it would be about here. Spock: The fact that my internal arrangement differs from yours, Doctor, pleases me no end.

(I would literally watch Spock and McCoy trade barbs over any other duo in all of Star Trek ’s 50 years.)

In between insults, grumpiness, and straight-up bitching, McCoy was also responsible for delivering messages about the human condition more than anyone else on the show. Kirk had the mission, Spock his logic, but what McCoy cared about was his patients—and that made him closer to people than he was to anything else.

One of Star Tre k’s primary messages is about the importance of the balance within ourselves. (It’s why several episodes revolve around characters splitting into two halves.) McCoy was an integral part of that equation for TOS, just like DeForest Kelley was integral is making Bones the perfect mix of grumpy and compassionate, prickly but still so essentially humane.

Kelley may not have received the same level of fame as William Shatner or Leonard Nimoy, and Bones might not have gotten the flashiest scenes. But Dr. McCoy was still the heart of the whole show, and it would have never taken off without him. Bones may not have wanted to be in space at all, but thank goodness he was.

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Where did Dr. Leonard McCoy's "Bones" nickname come from in  Star Trek , and how did J. J. Abrams alter its origins for the 2009 movie reboot? Despite premiering over half a century ago, the  Star Trek franchise has rarely been in ruder health. Progress may have stalled on the big screen (although Quentin Tarantino may soon see to that) but on television, there are no fewer than 6  Star Trek projects currently running or in production, and the release of a  Star Trek: Picard trailer at San Diego Comic Con 2019 proved that Gene Roddenberry's creation captures the imagination as strongly as ever.

Even before Jean-Luc Picard's  Star Trek  debut, however, the franchise's success began with William Shatner's James T. Kirk, Leonard Nimoy's Spock and DeForest Kelley's Dr. McCoy, travelling through space in the trusty Enterprise to meet alien races, fight alien races and, more often than not, watch Kirk romance women from alien races. While only running for 3 seasons, the cultural impact of  Star Trek is almost immeasurable and a large part of that success rests of the shoulders of its central trio. The friendship and chemistry demonstrated between Kirk, Spock and McCoy encapsulated the  Star Trek ethos - 3 beings with different backgrounds, personalities and beliefs coming together for the common good and building lifelong friendships.

Related: Star Trek: Everything That Picard Is A Sequel To

While each character dynamic within that triangle was different, Kirk and McCoy's relationship represented the Enterprise's humanity, with both men largely ignoring the boundaries of captain and doctor. One way this partnership manifested on-screen was with Kirk's endearing nickname for McCoy: "Bones." Used in even the direst of situations, the nickname demonstrated familiarity between the duo and became a recognizable, oft-quoted line from  Star Trek: The Original Series .

Like several other elements within the  Star Trek universe, the "Bones" nickname is taken from U.S. military tradition. In the 19th century, Civil War surgeons were often referred to as "Sawbones" because of the many battlefield amputations they would carry out. Captain Kirk truncates this phrase to "Bones" for his chief medical officer - an ironic sleight given the technology and expertise available on the Enterprise.

This 19th century military callback fits in neatly with Kirk's established interest in U.S. history, and the captain's admiration of Abraham Lincoln proves his knowledge of the Civil War period. The evolution of the "Sawbones" tag is just one of many instances where Starfleet mirrors the structure and traditions of the real-life U.S. military and season 3's "The Savage Curtain" makes several allusions to the Civil War in particular, including a comparison between the tactics of Kirk and Ulysses Grant.

J. J. Abrams rebooted the original  Star Trek crew for his 2009 movie, casting a crop of younger characters in the iconic 1960s roles and, once again, Chris Pine's Kirk refers to Karl Urban's McCoy as "Bones." On this occasion, however, an explanation is provided for the nickname, and it doesn't derive from U.S. military lore. When Kirk and McCoy first fly out to space, the good doctor explains why he signed up to Starfleet, joking: " Yeah? Well, I got nowhere else to go. The ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones. "

In Abrams' alternate reality  Star Trek , it's this line that inspires Kirk's nickname, but the deviation wasn't intentional on the director's part. In the DVD commentary track for  Star Trek 2009, Abrams explains that Karl Urban added the line during filming, with the "Bones" reference not originally scripted. As a fan of the Star Trek  franchise , Urban was aware that the original McCoy character was a divorcee and worked this trait into his updated iteration, simultaneously giving Kirk a motivation to call him "Bones."

While  Star Trek purists may prefer Kirk's original Sawbones reference, both stories behind McCoy's nickname fit neatly within the canon and the updated version of events works better for the Abrams' movie. In the 2009  Star Trek , the audience sees Kirk meet McCoy for the first time, and it would be jarring for the future captain to immediately develop a nickname for his new pal without a clear explanation.

More: Why Kirk Replaced Pike In Star Trek: The Original Series

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22 Famous Star Trek Quotes that Will Live Forever

If you haven’t watched Star Trek , you’ve at least heard about it. The sci-fi television series created by Gene Roddenberry has earned millions of fans over the years.

Roddenberry was allegedly inspired by Gulliver's Travels and a TV series called Wagon Train to create Star Trek.  Each episode of the series is built as an incredible adventure, but also as a morality tale, considering that the episodes depict cultural realities and conflicts like war and peace, sexism, human rights, religion, economics, loyalty, racism and technology.

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Due to this approach, Star Trek is not only about space adventure and exploration. The franchise is also recognized for being one of the first TV series with a multiracial cast and applauded for its attitude toward civil rights.

The Star Trek world was full of wisdom and great lines, but here are 22 of the most meaningful quotes from its characters . 

A man either lives life as it happens to him, meets it head-on and licks it, or he turns his back on it and starts to wither away. -- Dr. Boyce

Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end. -- Spock

You may find that having is not so pleasing a thing as wanting. This is not logical, but it is often true. -- Spock

Live now ; make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again. -- Jean-Luc Picard

Sometimes a feeling is all we humans have to go on. -- Captain Kirk

With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censored, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably. -- Jean-Luc Picard

The prejudices people feel about each other disappear when they get to know each other. -- Captain Kirk

If we're going to be damned, let's be damned for what we really are. -- Jean-Luc Picard

Insufficient facts always invite danger. -- Spock

Perhaps man wasn't meant for paradise. Maybe he was meant to claw, to scratch all the way. -- Captain Kirk

In critical moments, men sometimes see exactly what they wish to see. -- Spock

Compassion: that's the one thing no machine ever had. Maybe it's the one thing that keeps men ahead of them. -- Dr. McCoy

Change is the essential process of all existence. -- Spock

Without followers, evil cannot spread. -- Spock

Our species can only survive if we have obstacles to overcome . You remove those obstacles. Without them to strengthen us, we will weaken and die. -- Captain Kirk

Curious, how often you humans manage to obtain that which you do not want. -- Spock

One man cannot summon the future. But one man can change the present! -- Spock

To all mankind -- may we never find space so vast, planets so cold, heart and mind so empty that we cannot fill them with love and warmth. -- Garth

You know the greatest danger facing us is ourselves, and irrational fear of the unknown. There is no such thing as the unknown. Only things temporarily hidden, temporarily not understood. -- Captain Kirk

A species that enslaves other beings is hardly superior -- mentally or otherwise. -- Captain Kirk

Now, I don't pretend to tell you how to find happiness and love, when every day is a struggle to survive. But I do insist that you do survive, because the days and the years ahead are worth living for! -- Edith Keeler

Live long and prosper! -- Spock

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Jason Kelce Helps Grieving Family Fulfill Mom's Last Wish

It’s always hard to lose a loved one, but sometimes the kindness of others and the power of community can really help to make a grieving person feel less alone. That was definitely the case for this family when the kindness of strangers helped them make their mom’s final wish come true.

A Life-Long Sports Fan

Woman in a Philadelphia Eagles sweater posing for photo with her family

Action News 6 /YouTube

Mary Lou Carey was a huge Philadelphia sports fan. In fact, her love of football was so strong that her family always knew her to have the game on, watching as she cheered or yelled at the refs. Carey loved former Eagles center Jason Kelce in particular.

“She called him her young boyfriend,” the woman’s daughter , Jill Carey, recalled to Action News 6 .

Unfortunately, Carey recently battled an illness that didn’t leave her with much time left. She and her family began talking about Carey’s wishes for what would happen when she died, and at one point Carey wondered out loud what she would wear for the funeral.

Jill’s sister joked that she could wear her Jason Kelce jersey, and it spurred an unexpected reaction.

“At this point she was kind of sleeping a lot, not saying much, and she got the biggest smile on her face, her eyes popped wide open, and she said, 'Yes, I love him!'” Jill explained.

Going Out on a Limb

Knowing how much it would mean to their mother , the family wanted to do something special for Carey and get Kelce to sign her jersey before her celebration of life. They knew it was a long shot, but they turned to social media and asked Facebook friends and followers for help.

The post was simple: Did anyone have contact with their mom’s favorite player so they could get the jersey signed? They were touched when people, including two pro athletes, immediately jumped into the comments to help.

The Kindness of Strangers

Before long, the family was asked to send the jersey to Kelce’s house for a signature. They knew their mom didn’t have much time, so they let her in on the plan.

“She smiled and she said, 'Really?' I said, 'Yeah Mom.' And she said, 'For me?' And I said, 'Yeah.' She just smiled,” Jill said.

Unfortunately, Carey passed away on April 6, but the family received the jersey back just in time for the funeral. It brought them joy during an otherwise dark time, and they say they have the kindness of strangers and one very special NFL superstar to thank for it.

“He's all about the fans and the community. He goes the extra mile, and that's why everyone loves him,” Jill added.

The Power of Community

It can be hard to lean on community during times of grief, but this story reminds us just how powerful and important community can be. The kindness of strangers and a community coming together brought Carey’s final wish to Kelce’s attention and gave him the opportunity to fulfill it.

It’s a nice reminder to participate in our own communities where we can, whether that’s helping someone in a Facebook group or physically going out into the community to volunteer, coach, or organize an event.

This story also reminds us to never be afraid to ask for help, even if it seems like a long shot. When you put it out there, you’re at least giving yourself a chance. Plus, as this story proves, you just never know who might come through.

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Childhood Sweethearts Shave Each Other's Heads At Wedding

Weddings are full of surprises, but Jony Macapagal, 20, and her husband, Alistair Lee, 20, pulled off one that no one saw coming.

It wasn’t a quirky dance or a dazzling fireworks display. Instead, they shocked their guests by shaving their heads at their own wedding. And the reason behind it is heartwarming.

After Saying "I Do," The Couple Shocked Everyone

When Jony and Alistair tied the knot at the Allely Estate in Kumeu, New Zealand, their guests were ready for a traditional Filipino dance, as is common at weddings. But this couple had something far more meaningful planned.

After their first dance, the DJ announced that they’d be shaving their heads — in solidarity with Jony's mom, Luna, who had been bravely fighting stage 4 ovarian cancer for three years. What might have been an ordinary wedding transformed into a deeply moving moment of unity, love, and support.

As Alistair sat down for Jony to shave his head, the room was a mix of laughter and tears. The surprise didn't end there — Alistair then took the clippers and shaved his bride’s head too. It was a powerful statement about their support for Luna and anyone battling cancer.

From Childhood Friends to Lifelong Partners: They Met When They Were Just 5 Years Old

Jony and Alistair's journey together began way before their wedding day. They met as children and went to the same school, sharing years of memories. After dating for three years, Alistair proposed to Jony in the beautiful Auckland Botanical Gardens. Of course, he made sure to ask Luna's permission first, showing the deep respect and love he had for Jony’s family.

Their unique proposal set the tone for a wedding filled with love and compassion. The couple's decision to shave their heads wasn’t just a touching tribute — it was a continuation of the bond and solidarity that had grown over their lifetime together.

Watch Jony Macapagal and Alistair Lee's Video:

The Bride Never Wanted To Go Viral

When Jony and Alistair shaved their heads at their wedding, it was meant as a private gesture to comfort Luna, who felt insecure about losing her hair during chemotherapy. Tragically, Luna passed away two months after the wedding, leaving the couple and their family devastated. However, what they didn’t expect was the attention their heartfelt act would receive.

Their goal wasn't to go viral but to show Luna she wasn't alone. Despite their intentions, the story spread like wildfire, catching the world's attention. Some detractors claimed it was just for show, but Jony and Alistair explained that they hadn’t shared any footage — their wedding photographer had posted it, leading to its viral spread.

Their Family Never Expected So Much Love and Support

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Jony Lee (@jonymlee)

Jony and Alistair's story resonated with people worldwide, triggering an outpouring of love and support. Jony shared on Instagram how grateful her family was for the positive response. What began as a personal tribute to her mother grew into a global expression of empathy and compassion. The couple never anticipated the momentum their story would gain, but they were grateful for the connections it created.

"My family and I have been overwhelmed with the response we've gotten from our wedding tribute to mummy. I know for a fact my mummy would have loved to give you all a big hug. She would love to let you know you are not alone and to stay strong." Jony Macapagal

Jony explained that although their donations page has since closed, the funds raised were donated to Cancer Society New Zealand. For those interested in donating, she encourages supporting any organization that has positively impacted your family.

If this story touched your heart, you can donate here .

Copyright © 2024 Goalcast

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• Starfleet Academy personnel (alternate reality)
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701) personnel (alternate reality)
• USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-A) personnel (alternate reality)
• Medical practitioners

Leonard McCoy (alternate reality)

• View history

Leonard H. "Bones" McCoy , MD, was a Starfleet medical officer serving in the 23rd century . He became the chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise during the destruction of Vulcan , serving under acting captain Spock and then his classmate at Starfleet Academy , Captain James T. Kirk . ( Star Trek )

• 1 Early life
• 2.1 Starfleet Academy
• 2.2.1 Stopping Nero
• 2.2.2 Nibiru
• 2.2.3 Hunting down "John Harrison"
• 2.2.4.1 Conflict with Krall
• 3.1.1 James T. Kirk
• 3.1.2 Spock
• 3.2.1 Ex-wife
• 3.2.2 Carol Marcus
• 4 Key dates
• 5 Memorable quotes
• 6.1 Appearances
• 6.2 Background information
• 6.3 Apocrypha
• 6.4 External links

Early life [ ]

Doctor Leonard McCoy was born in Georgia , USA , Earth , in 2227 . He was the son of David McCoy . ( Star Trek III: The Search for Spock ; TAS : " Once Upon a Planet "; TOS : " This Side of Paradise "; TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint "; Star Trek V: The Final Frontier )

McCoy departs for Starfleet Academy

While at medical school, McCoy witnessed an extremely severe allergic reaction . He completed medical school and was a certified doctor sometime prior to 2255 . McCoy was married , but endured a harsh divorce . Afterwards, with nowhere else to go, he decided to enlist in Starfleet. McCoy boarded the Starfleet shuttle for new recruits which departed from Riverside Shipyard in 2255. McCoy suffered from aviophobia and attempted to remain in the shuttle's bathroom during the flight, as there were no windows in that section of the craft. However, a flight officer discovered him and forced him to sit with the other passengers and buckle up. He sat next to James T. Kirk , who assured McCoy of the shuttle's safety, to no avail; the nervous doctor kept ranting to Kirk about the health hazards of flying in a shuttle. McCoy confided to Kirk his reasons for joining Starfleet, saying that his wife "took the whole damn planet in the divorce," and "all I have left are my bones." He and Kirk then introduced each other and shared a flask of alcohol as the shuttle took off for Starfleet Academy . ( Star Trek )

Starfleet career [ ]

Starfleet academy [ ].

McCoy spent three years at Starfleet Academy, during which time he and Kirk became close friends; Kirk was now referring to McCoy as "Bones", based on McCoy's statement three years ago that his bones were his only remaining possession.

McCoy thought Kirk was mad for wanting to retake the Kobayashi Maru test , and knew Kirk well enough not to believe him when he claimed he was going to "study." Indeed, Kirk had gone off to engage in sexual foreplay with a fellow cadet , Gaila .

McCoy in the Kobayashi Maru simulator

At Kirk's request, McCoy participated in Kirk's third attempt to beat the Kobayashi Maru simulation, serving at the helm station. McCoy believed Kirk would fail miserably as he had done the first two times, but he was surprised when his friend somehow defeated the simulation. Shortly thereafter, however, McCoy was among the cadets in attendance in the Academy assembly hall when Kirk was accused of cheating. As it turned out, Kirk had reprogrammed the simulation to make it possible to win. McCoy watched as Kirk faced off against his accuser, Commander Spock , the programmer of the Kobayashi Maru test.

Kirk's hearing was interrupted when the ruling council received word of a distress call from Vulcan . All cadets, including McCoy, were ordered to report to Hangar 1 for assignment. McCoy was assigned to the newly commissioned USS Enterprise , which had yet to have its maiden voyage . Kirk, however, was on academic suspension , which prohibited him from being assigned to a starship . McCoy decided to smuggle his friend aboard the Enterprise ; to do so, he injected Kirk with a vaccine to protect against a viral infection from Melvaran mud fleas . The injection caused Kirk to experience the symptoms of the infection, allowing McCoy to bring Kirk aboard the Enterprise as a patient. ( Star Trek )

Chief medical officer of the USS Enterprise [ ]

Stopping nero [ ].

McCoy becomes CMO of the Enterprise

After successfully sneaking Kirk aboard the Enterprise , McCoy brought him to the ship's medical bay , sedated him, and prepared for duty. Kirk awoke as the Enterprise neared Vulcan, and McCoy was horrified to find that Kirk's hands had swollen, an allergic reaction to the Melvaran mud flea vaccine. Kirk, however, was preoccupied with the notion that the Enterprise was heading into a trap, a deduction he reached after hearing Ensign Pavel Chekov 's announcement over the intercom .

McCoy chased Kirk through the ship, injecting him with various medications while Kirk searched for Nyota Uhura to confirm his theory. Afterward, McCoy and Uhura chased after Kirk as the seemingly delusional officer ran onto the ship's bridge to warn Captain Christopher Pike that they were heading into a Romulan trap. McCoy attempted to explain Kirk's presence to Pike, accepting full responsibility for his actions, but Kirk was ultimately able to convince the crew that there were indeed Romulans waiting for them at Vulcan.

Doctor Puri , the Enterprise 's chief medical officer , was on deck six when he was killed by missiles fired by the Romulan ship, Narada . McCoy took over his role and later received acknowledgment from Spock over the comm as being Puri's replacement. He later treated the injuries Kirk sustained while attempting to deactivate the Narada 's drilling platform , and also saw to the survivors of the Narada 's destruction of Vulcan. With Captain Pike captured by the Romulans, McCoy joined Kirk, Acting Captain Spock, and the rest of the bridge crew in discussing the continuing threat of Nero , the captain of the Narada . Kirk argued with Spock over their next course of action, with McCoy siding with Spock's decision to rendezvous with the rest of the Federation fleet in the Laurentian system . McCoy then laid witness to Kirk's attempted – and failed – mutiny .

"Are you outta your Vulcan mind?"

Later, in a private discussion with Spock, McCoy voiced his extreme displeasure with the acting captain's decision to maroon Kirk on Delta Vega . Spock disagreed with McCoy's assertions, and when Spock left, an infuriated McCoy referred to the acting captain as a "green- blooded hobgoblin ." Shortly thereafter, McCoy was on the bridge when Kirk – who had returned to the Enterprise via transwarp beaming – instigated a brawl between himself and Spock, proving that Spock was emotionally compromised by the mission at hand, having lost his planet and his mother , and could not continue commanding the Enterprise . After coming to his senses, Spock reported to McCoy that he was emotionally compromised and that he was resigning his command as a result.

McCoy conferring with the crew of the Enterprise to defeat Nero

In spite of his obvious support of Kirk, McCoy was still vocally incredulous when Kirk became acting captain of the Enterprise following Spock's resignation, crying out, " You've gotta be kidding me! " when his friend sat in the command chair . He reacted much the same way towards Ensign Chekov and his idea for beaming onto the Narada without being noticed after learning that Chekov was only 17 years old. Chekov's calculations proved to be correct, however, and Kirk and Spock were able to rescue Captain Pike and stop Nero before he destroyed Earth.

McCoy continued serving aboard the Enterprise after Kirk received full command of the ship. McCoy was on the bridge when Kirk assumed command for the first time. With a slap on the shoulder, Kirk advised McCoy to "buckle up," referring back to the first time they met aboard the recruitment shuttle. ( Star Trek )

Pursued by natives of the planet Nibiru

A year later , McCoy was on Nibiru helping prevent a volcano from causing the extinction of the Nibirans , all while avoiding breaking the Prime Directive . McCoy greeted Kirk with a docile animal as their getaway transport, but Kirk accidentally stunned it, forcing them to run and jump off a cliff to dive to the Enterprise , hidden beneath the waves. On the bridge McCoy listened as Spock, who was activating a cold fusion device to stop the volcano's eruption, asked them to leave him, as getting the Enterprise in range to beam him out would expose the ship to the natives and ignore the Prime Directive. While McCoy asked Kirk to consider what Spock would do in his position, Kirk opted to rescue him and ignore the Directive anyway. Which later got him in trouble.

Hunting down "John Harrison" [ ]

Later, Kirk was ordered to hunt down the traitor John Harrison , who was behind a bombing in London and an attack on Starfleet Headquarters that left many, including Admiral Pike, dead. McCoy expressed skepticism, believing his friend was too inexperienced to combat him. Kirk found Harrison on Qo'noS , and witnessed him taking down scores of Klingons singlehandedly, so he ordered McCoy to investigate the source of his superhuman strength. McCoy analyzed his blood, and found it possessed extraordinarily regenerative platelets , which he experimented with by injecting into a dead tribble .

McCoy and Carol Marcus discover a cryotube inside a torpedo

In the meantime, Harrison was reticent about his motives but suggested Kirk examine the 72 experimental photon torpedoes Admiral Alexander Marcus had given them to fire on his location. McCoy was skeptical, but took a shuttle with Marcus's daughter Carol to examine one of the classified weapons on a planetoid. He accidentally activated it and trapped his hand: Kirk ordered him to be beamed up, but was warned doing would also bring an exploding torpedo aboard. Fortunately, Marcus deactivated it before she could be beamed up. The two then opened up the torpedo and discovered it contained a man in cryogenic stasis .

Harrison explained he was actually Khan Noonien Singh, having been revived and forced by Admiral Marcus to design weapons and ships for a war with the Klingon Empire . He had attempted to smuggle out his fellow Augments on the torpedoes, but was forced to escape when his scheme discovered: believing Marcus killed his family, he responded in kind in London and San Francisco. Marcus appeared in the Dreadnought -class USS Vengeance and opened fire on the Enterprise when Kirk refused to hand over Khan, but its weapons were deactivated by Montgomery Scott , who boarded the ship during a leave of absence. Kirk and Khan allied to fly over and commandeer the ship, but a suspicious Spock asked McCoy to remove the cryopods from the torpedoes.

McCoy discovers a way to save Kirk

As expected, Khan took the Vengeance for himself, but McCoy removed the cryopods so Spock was able to use the torpedoes against Khan, crippling his ship. Both damaged ships began hurtling to Earth: Kirk entered the warp core to reactivate the Enterprise 's engines, but did not put on a containment suit, suffered radiation poisoning , and died. Kirk was brought to sickbay, where he lay dead as McCoy and several crew mourned him. When he returned to his desk, the tribble he had injected came back to life. McCoy ordered one of the augments removed from his cryotube and reanimated, but McCoy ordered that he maintained in a medically-induced coma. He and Marcus then placed Kirk in the cryotube, placing him in a suspended animation to preserve his brain functionality. Spock and Uhura beamed down, subduing Khan after he crash landed in the Vengeance , allowing McCoy to perform a blood transfusion on Kirk.

McCoy later greeted a conscious Kirk in a hospital room as his attending physician, checking his vital signs and whether the transfusion had any psychological effects as well.

The five-year mission [ ]

Almost a year after their encounter with Khan, McCoy attended a memorial service for the lives lost, and continued serving on the repaired Enterprise . He was less than pleased, however, to learn they were embarking on a five-year mission . ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Conflict with Krall [ ]

In 2263 , after a failed diplomatic mission, Kirk and McCoy shared a drink while Kirk discussed his reasons for joining Starfleet and how everything seems to have become "episodic." Kirk also requested of McCoy to not tell the crew about his thirtieth birthday.

Following the arrival of Kalara at Yorktown , McCoy traveled with the rest of the Enterprise crew to Altamid inside the Necro Cloud . There, the Enterprise was attacked by Swarm ships and McCoy, who had been on the bridge when the battle began, headed for med bay with Spock. After a brief engagement with Swarm drones , the two men boarded a turbolift , only to be ejected into space when the Swarm severs the Enterprise's saucer from the secondary hull. The turbolift was captured by a Swarm ship, but McCoy and Spock ejected the crew and McCoy took over piloting the ship. McCoy ultimately crashed the Swarm ship on Altamid.

On the surface of Altamid, McCoy discovered that Spock had a piece of metal stuck in his abdomen . Lacking the proper tools to treat Spock's injuries, McCoy removed the piece of metal and crudely cauterized the wound, which he states is only a temporary fix. The two men then began making their way across Altamid, attempting repeatedly to contact the Enterprise , unaware that the ship had been destroyed. While resting, Spock noted the architecture on the planet matched that of the Abronath and told McCoy of Spock Prime's death and his decision to leave Starfleet. McCoy became concerned that Spock was delirious after he laughed at one of McCoy's jokes . As the two continued, Spock admitted to having a great deal of respect for McCoy, who continued to attempt to contact the Enterprise before they were cornered by three Swarm ships. Spock was suddenly beamed away, startling McCoy who was beamed out shortly after the Vulcan to the USS Franklin by Scotty after Chekov detected McCoy's latest attempt to contact the Enterprise and used it to track him and Spock.

McCoy accompanies Spock and Jaylah to free the Enterprise crew

On the Franklin , McCoy took Spock to the mess hall where he used a device from the Franklin to properly treat Spock's wound. McCoy then took part in the debate over how to rescue the crew and was amused to hear that Spock had given his girlfriend essentially a tracking device . McCoy aided in the rescue mission with Kirk, Spock and Jaylah , breaking the crew out of their pens and helping them beam out to the Franklin in groups of twenty. He refused to beam the last group until they were joined by Spock and Uhura and the rescue mission was ultimately successful.

After the crew's rescue, McCoy used what he could find on the Franklin to treat their injuries and remained in med bay for the first part of the battle with Krall's forces. After Spock decided to beam to a Swarm ship to get their cyberpathic connection, he chose to take McCoy along as McCoy was both familiar with his injury and piloting a Swarm ship. Though McCoy protested the idea, he was beamed with Spock to a Swarm ship.

After taking over the Swarm ship, McCoy takes the controls of the craft, proving himself to be a somewhat clumsy but effective pilot. Spock was able to locate the cyberpathic connection, allowing the Franklin to use a VHF disruption signal to destroy the Swarm. Struggling to stay ahead of the exploding Swarm ships and arguing with Spock about Spock's backseat driving , McCoy was startled to recognize the signal as " classical music ".

After Krall and three ships made it into Starbase Yorktown, McCoy followed them in his Swarm ship and attempted, without success, to intercept the three ships. On Kirk's orders, McCoy flew head on at Krall's ships, forcing them low to the ground towards Yorktown Central Plaza where they were intercepted by the Franklin . McCoy then attempted to figure out how to land the Swarm ship before Krall was revealed to be heading towards the Yorktown's central atmospheric processor. McCoy remained in the air during the fight between Krall and Kirk and recognized that Kirk won't be able to get out in time if he attempted to vent the Abronath to space. Kirk succeeded in venting the Abronath and Krall harmlessly into space and McCoy and Spock rescued the captain in their Swarm ship before he can suffer the same fate.

McCoy later lead Kirk to a surprise birthday party with the crew and wondered if Kirk really intended to return to space. Kirk had regained his enthusiasm for spaceflight and expounded upon McCoy what new wonders there were for them to explore. ( Star Trek Beyond )

Relationships [ ]

Friendships [ ], james t. kirk [ ].

McCoy and Kirk at Starfleet Academy

McCoy and Kirk met on a transport shuttle to Starfleet Academy, when the pair found themselves in adjacent seats where a slightly neurotic McCoy instantly opened up to the rebellious and somewhat incredulous Kirk. The two remained good friends throughout their time together at the Academy. When the time came, McCoy always had Kirk's back, such as helping to get him aboard the Enterprise after his suspension, and berating Spock for throwing Kirk off the ship and marooning him on Delta Vega . Despite this, he did not support Kirk's mutiny and was annoyed when he later forced Spock to resign command. Despite his friendship with Kirk, McCoy expressed shock at the idea that he was now acting captain, but supported him. ( Star Trek )

After seeing Spock for the first time at Kirk's disciplinary hearing, McCoy expresses dislike for the half- Vulcan , calling him a "green-blooded hobgoblin." This animosity presumably stems from the fact that Spock is trying to get Kirk, McCoy's best friend, in trouble with Starfleet. On board the Enterprise , McCoy retains his animosity towards Spock, though he works with Spock as the new Chief Medical Officer after the death of Doctor Puri and the promotion of Spock to acting captain . After Spock ejects Kirk from the Enterprise for attempted mutiny , McCoy loudly berates him for the act after gaining Spock's permission to speak freely. During Spock and Kirk's later fight on the Enterprise bridge, McCoy stays out of it like everyone else but berates Kirk for his actions as he believes they now lack a commanding officer. Following Kirk's official promotion to Captain and Spock becoming First Officer, McCoy is noticeably not pleased by Spock's continued presence on the ship. ( Star Trek )

Over the next few years, the relationship between Spock and McCoy only marginally improves though the two gain respect for the other. During the conflict with Khan , Spock requests McCoy replicate his accidental arming of an advanced long-range torpedo on all of the torpedoes as well as to remove Khan's crew from them, showing faith in McCoy's ability to perform a task that could destroy the Enterprise if improperly performed. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

During the conflict with Krall in 2263 , Spock and McCoy were forced to work together extensively, starting with hijacking a Swarm ship during the Battle of Altamid . After crashing on Altamid , McCoy assessed Spock's injuries and admitted that though either of his options could lead to Spock's death, he didn't want Spock to die. During their trek across the planet, McCoy refused to leave Spock behind and the two were friendly enough to have a candid conversation about Spock's plans for the future and relationship with Uhura. Spock also admitted to harboring a great deal of respect for McCoy, something he had thought to be obvious. After Spock reveals that Uhura bears an amulet he can use as a tracking device, McCoy is amused by the idea that Spock gave his girlfriend a tracking device. During the attack on Yorktown , Spock specifically requests McCoy accompany him in hijacking a Swarm ship, feeling that McCoy is the best choice as he's familiar with the ship and Spock's wound. While flying the Swarm ship together, McCoy and Spock bicker and banter several times but prove to be an effective team. Working together, they play a pivotal role in the defeat of the Swarm and save Kirk's life. ( Star Trek Beyond )

Romantic relationships [ ]

Ex-wife [ ].

McCoy was married prior to enrolling in Starfleet Academy . His divorce from her prompted him to join, given that he felt she had gotten everything in the ensuing settlement – " the whole damn planet ", in his words – and left him with nothing but his bones . ( Star Trek )

Carol Marcus [ ]

Marcus rebuffs McCoy's awkward advances

McCoy awkwardly flirted with Dr. Marcus while helping her disassemble one of the advanced long-range torpedoes , much to Kirk's annoyance. Marcus ignored his overtures, choosing instead to focus on the task at hand. ( Star Trek Into Darkness )

Key dates [ ]

• 2227 : Born on Earth
• 2255 - 2258 : Cadet / lieutenant commander at Starfleet Academy
• 2258- 2263 : Chief medical officer on the USS Enterprise
• Attends the re- Christening ceremony of the Enterprise
• Embarks on the five-year mission
• Sometime after 2263: Assigned to the USS Enterprise -A

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I don't need a doctor, damn it! I am a doctor! "

" I suffer from aviophobia . It means fear of dying in something that flies! "

" I might throw up on you. "

" Don't pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. A solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait 'til you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles . See if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding! Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence. " " Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space. " " Yeah. Well, I got nowhere else to go, the ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones. "

" Who was that pointy-eared bastard? " " I don't know. But I like him. "

" Damn it, man, I'm a doctor, not a physicist! "

" Are you out of your Vulcan mind? Are you making a logical choice sending Kirk away? Probably. But the right one? You know, back home we have a saying: If you're gonna ride in the Kentucky Derby, you don't leave your prize stallion in the stable." "

" Green-blooded hobgoblin . "

" Well congratulations Jim. Now we've got no captain and no goddam first officer to replace him! " " Yeah we do. " " What?! " " Pike made him first officer. " " You've got be kidding me! " " Thanks for the support. "

" Same ship, different day. "

" Damn it Man, that was our ride! You just stunned our ride. "

" Jim, you're not actually going down there, are you? You don't rob a bank when the getaway car has a flat tire. "

" Jim, wait. You just sat that man down at a high stakes poker game with no cards and told him to bluff. Now Sulu's a good man but he's no captain. " " Well for the next two hours he is... and enough with the metaphors alright? That's an order. "

" Mr. Sulu... remind me never to piss you off. "

" Are you out of your corn fed mind?!"

" You know, when I dreamed about being stuck on a deserted planet with a gorgeous woman, there was no torpedo. "

" Sweetheart, I once performed an emergency C-section on a pregnant Gorn; octuplets and let me tell you those little bastards bite ."

" Damn it, man, I'm a doctor, not a torpedo technician! "

" Don't be so melodramatic. You were barely dead. "

" Five years in space . God help me. "

" To perfect eyesight and a full head of hair. "

" It looks like a giant snowglobe in space just waiting to break. "

" You guys break up? What'd you do? " " A typically reductive inquiry, doctor. " " You know Spock, if an Earth girl says, uh, "It's me, not you", it's definitely you."

" Leaving me behind will significantly increase your chances of survival, Doctor. " " Well that's damn chivalrous of you, but completely out of the question. " " It is imperative that you locate any surviving crew. " " Here I was thinking you cared. " " Of course I care, Leonard. I always assumed my respect for you was clear. The dialogue we have had across the years has always... " " It's okay, Spock. You don't have to say it. " [McCoy and Spock are surrounded by three of Krall's drone ships] " Well, at least I won't die alone " [Spock is beamed out from behind McCoy] " Well that's just typical. "

" COME ON YOU BASTARDS! "

" Next time you have a piece of pipe stuck in your transverse... call a plumber . "

" Damn it Jim! I'm a doctor, not a ... "

" Damn backseat driver ! "

" You really want to head back out there, huh? "

Appendices [ ]

Appearances [ ].

• Star Trek (First appearance)
• Star Trek Into Darkness
• Star Trek Beyond

Background information [ ]

Urban as McCoy in a US poster promoting Star Trek Into Darkness

Leonard McCoy was played by Karl Urban . In the audio commentary for the film Star Trek , J.J. Abrams stated that the " Bones " line was not actually in the script, but was an on-set improvisation by Urban, a Star Trek fan long before being cast in the film. Urban himself said of McCoy, "'"It's his point of view that I love, and his expression of character. I've been pretty blessed with some fantastic dialogue, particularly from the first film. I had such amazing lines as, 'Space is full of disease and danger, wrapped in darkness and silence.' " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 63)

Karl Urban felt disappointed about the extent to which McCoy is featured in Star Trek Into Darkness . " There wasn't anything for me to do, " he complained. ( Empire , issue 326, p. 67) Scotty actor Simon Pegg agreed, " We didn't really hear much from Bones in [the film]. " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 77)

During filming of Star Trek Into Darkness , Urban became concerned McCoy's lines were making him "some [kind of] metaphor man"; J.J. Abrams' response was to add the line where Kirk orders him to stop using metaphors. Urban's personal favorite of McCoy's metaphors was " You don't rob a bank when the getaway car has a flat tire. " [4]

Karl Urban's reaction to McCoy's limited involvement in Star Trek Into Darkness influenced him when he was asked to reprise the role of McCoy in the next film, Star Trek Beyond . " I was actually on the fence about committing to this movie, " he related. " Unless I had a function and purpose in this film, what's the point of me being there? " ( Empire , issue 326, p. 67) A conversation with Justin Lin , who was due to direct the movie, persuaded the actor to indeed appear in it as McCoy. " It became clear McCoy was going to have a valid function in this film, " Urban continued. " That's something I had been yearning for, to [...] further develop and cement his role. " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 63) Other factors that convinced Urban to appear in the movie were that McCoy's relationships with Kirk and with Spock would be explored therein. ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 63; Empire , issue 326, p. 67)

As co-writer of Star Trek Beyond , Simon Pegg was thrilled to script dialogue for McCoy, who he described as "such an interesting character." " Bones is really fun to write for, just because he's so straight-talking, he uses a lot of metaphors, and his 'Southern charm' is loads of fun, " Pegg remarked. ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , pp. 74 & 77) The character's dialogue in Star Trek Beyond deliberately included some call-backs to previous statements made by the McCoy of the prime universe. " There are a couple of moments of dialogue, a couple of McCoy expressions, that we just took as his parlance, " admitted Pegg. " Like 'in a pig’s eye' from the end of ' Amok Time ', and we thought, if that's in his parlance, he can say it in this movie. So there were little things that I think fans will go, 'I know that!' " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 812)

Karl Urban thoroughly enjoyed helping craft the depiction of McCoy in Star Trek Beyond , later commenting, " I had a fantastic time collaborating with Doug [Jung] and Simon [Pegg] to deliver what we believe to be some truly quintessential Bones beats. " ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 60) Indeed, Urban was proud of their results. " There's a lot more McCoy in this movie than probably the last two movies combined, " he observed. ( SFX , issue 276, p. 48) The actor particularly liked performing McCoy's duration on Altamid, despite additionally enjoying the time he spent on the bridge of the Enterprise . " I was [also] very excited I got to 'beam' in this film, which I didn't get to do in the previous two, " Urban commented. ( Star Trek Magazine Movie Special 2016 , p. 60)

Justin Lin likewise appreciated the chance to help develop McCoy. " On a personal note, with Karl [Urban] I had so much fun, " Lin enthused. " Because Bones was my favorite growing up. So to be able to re-engineer Bones, and to see where he is today but then at the same time how he would interact with challenges and how that would shape who he is and evolve him... That was part of the joy [of making Beyond ]. " ( SFX , issue 276, p. 49)

Apocrypha [ ]

His female counterpart

In the novelization of Star Trek , as McCoy nervously watches Kirk, Spock and Pike beaming back from the Narada , a throwaway line states that he is never confident about transporter use, establishing that he hates the device just like his counterpart does.

The novel More Beautiful Than Death establishes that Bones' father died while he was in medical school.

The opening issue of IDW's Star Trek comic series – the first half of an alternate reality re-imagining of " Where No Man Has Gone Before " – reveals that McCoy had a prior relationship with Dr. Elizabeth Dehner ; it ended badly, and relations still so strained that she withdraws a transfer to the Enterprise after discovering McCoy is aboard. This turn of events is fortuitous for Dehner, as therefore, unlike Gary Mitchell , her fatal encounter with the galactic barrier never takes place.

McCoy is also the protagonist of issue 17 , which recounts his backstory, suggesting that his reasons for joining Starfleet were a combination of his failed marriage and as a tribute to a little girl named "Jenny" who died under his care (she had expressed a desire to join Starfleet when she grew up.). His wife's name in the issue is given as Pamela Branch.

The virtual collectible card battle game Star Trek: Rivals uses screenshots for card #35 Recruit L. McCoy, card #55 Cadet L. McCoy, card #82 Medical Officer L. McCoy, and card #98 Chief Medical Officer L. McCoy.

In the 2013 Star Trek video game, McCoy plays a prominent role, developing the vaccine for the Gorn virus. At one point, Kirk and Spock have to rendezvous with McCoy when Commodore Daniels' frontier starbase is attacked by the Gorn, as the doctor had barricaded himself in a room to avoid being attacked. Later, after landing on the Lymax planet, McCoy is hesitant to remain behind on the shuttle and offers to accompany Kirk and Spock in their quest to retrieve T'Mar. Upon donning a wingsuit and looking over the edge of the cliff they plan to jump from, he changes his mind and elects to stay behind with Sulu and "get a head start on that vaccine". At some point, he delivers the babies of a pregnant Gorn by Caesarean after Sulu stuns it, and they almost "bit (his) hand off," as he explains later to Kirk, who finds the story amusing. Just as Kirk defeats Spock in the ring, the shuttle arrives and McCoy gives them a "little care package" of weapons.

Like the rest of the crew of the Enterprise , McCoy has a female counterpart in the parallel timeline portrayed in Parallel Lives, Part 1 and 2 .

In the First issue of IDW's Star Trek: Boldly Go comic series that is set after the events of Star Trek Beyond , McCoy temporarily accepts a lower rank and agreed to serve under Chief Groffus on the USS Endeavour in order to join Kirk and Pavel Chekov who had also been stationed onboard the Endeavour .

External links [ ]

• Leonard McCoy (Kelvin timeline) at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Leonard McCoy at Wikipedia
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

• More to Explore
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Published Dec 8, 2016

Star Trek 101: Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy

Star Trek 101 debuted in October and the latest regular StarTrek.com column serves two functions: succinctly introduce Star Trek newcomers to the basic foundations and elements of the franchise and refresh the memories of longtime Trek fans. We'll be pulling our entries from the book Star Trek 101: A Practical Guide to Who, What, Where, And Why , written by Terry J. Erdmann & Paula M. Block and published in 2008 by Pocket Books. An invaluable resource, it encompasses The Original Series , The Animated Series , The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , Voyager and Enterprise , as well as the first 10 Trek feature films.

Today, we share Star Trek 101 's file on Leonard "Bones" McCoy, Chief Medical Officer.

"He's dead, Jim." --  McCoy, from " The Enemy Within "

Given half a chance, Leonard McCoy is far more likely to explain what he isn't than what he is . He's not a bricklayer, psychiatrist, escalator, engineer, coal miner, or moon-shuttle conductor. He's "just an old country doctor" who happens to know a lot about twenty-third-century medicine. Born in Georgia, on Earth, McCoy still retains a touch of the charming Southern gentleman about him, which balances out his often cantankerous nature.

More than a little old-fashioned, McCoy isn't convinced that humankind should be galivanting across the galaxy in a warp-powered starship. He loathes having his atoms "scattered back and forth across space" via the transporter, and he is disturbed by the fact that neither computers nor Vulcans have a clue about compassion. As might be expected, Spock's slavish devotion to technology, logic and statistics drives McCoy crazy, and he's constantly trying to punch holes in Spock's cool Vulcan reserve. However, Spock is just as good at getting a rise out of McCoy, playing the good doctor's emotions like a concert pianist.

If Kirk represents the soul of the Enterprise and Spock the mind, then McCoy is undoubtedly the heart. The good doctor's insight provides the captain with a touchstone to his own humanity. He's the guy Kirk seeks out when he needs to let his hair down, generally over a drink.

Key McCoy Episodes:

• " Shore Leave "
• " The City on the Edge of Forever "
• " Friday's Child "
• " For the World Is Hollow and I Have Touched the Sky "

"I signed aboard this ship to practice medicine, not to have my atoms scattered back and forth across space by this gadget." -- McCoy, from " Space Seed "

Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann are coauthors of numerous books about the entertainment industry, including Star Trek 101; Star Trek Costumes: Fifty Years of Fashion from the Final Frontier; Star Trek: The Original Series 365 ; and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion . They currently are writing the latest in their series of Ferengi novellas, which (so far) includes Lust’s Latinum Lost (and Found) ; and Rules of Accusation . Their most recent non- Star Trek book is Labyrinth: The Ultimate Visual History .

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• Spock Prime : James T. Kirk!
• James T. Kirk : Excuse me?
• Spock Prime : How did you find me?
• James T. Kirk : Whoa... how do you know my name?
• Spock Prime : I have been and always shall be your friend.
• James T. Kirk : Wha...
• [ shakes head ]
• James T. Kirk : Uh... look... I-I don't know you.
• Spock Prime : I am Spock.
• James T. Kirk : Bullshit.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Are you actually suggesting they're from the future?
• Spock : If you eliminate the impossible, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : How poetic.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Permission to speak freely, sir?
• Spock : I welcome it.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Do you? OK, then. Are you out of your Vulcan mind? Are you making a logical choice, sending Kirk away? Probably. But, the right one? You know, back home we have a saying: "If you're gonna ride in the Kentucky Derby, you don't leave your prize stallion in the stable."
• Spock : A curious metaphor, doctor, as a stallion must first be broken before it can reach its potential.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : My God, man, you could at least ACT like it was a hard decision.
• Spock : I intend to assist in the effort to reestablish communication with Starfleet. However, if crew morale is better served by my roaming the halls weeping, I will gladly defer to your medical expertise. Excuse me.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [ as Spock leaves ] Green-blooded hobgoblin.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : How the hell did they do that, by the way? And where did the Romulans get that kind of weaponry?
• Spock : The engineering comprehension necessary to artificially create a black hole may suggest an answer. Such technology could theoretically be manipulated to create a tunnel through space-time.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Damn it man, I am a doctor, not a physicist!
• Spock Prime : What if I told you that your transwarp theory was correct, that is is indeed possible to beam onto a ship that is traveling at warp speed?
• Scotty : I think if that equation had been discovered, I'd have heard about it.
• Spock Prime : The reason you haven't heard of it, Mr. Scott, is because you haven't discovered it yet.
• Scotty : I'm s... Wha... It... Are you from the future?
• James T. Kirk : Yeah, he is. I'm not.
• Scotty : Well, that's brilliant. Do they still have sandwiches there?
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I may throw up on ya.
• James T. Kirk : I think these things are pretty safe.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Don't pander to me, kid. One tiny crack in the hull and our blood boils in thirteen seconds. Solar flare might crop up, cook us in our seats. And wait'll you're sitting pretty with a case of Andorian shingles, see if you're still so relaxed when your eyeballs are bleeding. Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence.
• James T. Kirk : Well, I hate to break this to you, but Starfleet operates in space.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Yeah. Well, I got nowhere else to go. The ex-wife took the whole damn planet in the divorce. All I got left is my bones.
• Vulcan Council President : You have surpassed the expectations of your instructors. Your final record is flawless, with one exception: I see that you have applied to Starfleet as well.
• Spock : It was logical to cultivate multiple options.
• Vulcan Council President : Logical, but unnecessary. You are hereby accepted to the Vulcan Science Academy. It is truly remarkable, Spock, that you have achieved so much despite your disadvantage. All rise.
• [ the Vulcan Council stands in honor of Spock, who now looks slightly pissed ]
• Spock : If you would clarify, Minister: to what disadvantage are you referring?
• Vulcan Council President : Your human mother.
• Spock : Council... Ministers, I must decline.
• Vulcan Council President : No Vulcan has ever declined admission to this academy!
• Spock : Then, as I am half-human, your record remains untarnished.
• Sarek : Spock, you have made a commitment to honor the Vulcan way.
• Vulcan Council President : Why did you come before this council today? Was it to satisfy your emotional need to rebel?
• Spock : The only emotion I wish to convey is gratitude. Thank you, Ministers, for your consideration.
• [ In a tone reserved for telling someone to 'Go to Hell' ]
• Spock : Live long and prosper.
• [ Spock notices a elder Vulcan walking in the docking bay ]
• Spock : Father!
• [ the elder Vulcan turns and is revealed as Spock Prime ]
• Spock Prime : I am not our father.
• [ Young Spock, now recognizing who he is, approaches ]
• Spock Prime : There are so few Vulcans left, we cannot afford to ignore each other.
• Spock : Then why did you send Kirk aboard when you alone could have explained the truth?
• Spock Prime : Because you needed each other. I could not deprive you of the revelation of all that you could accomplish together, of a friendship that will define you both in ways you cannot yet realize.
• Spock : How did you persuade him to keep your secret?
• Spock Prime : He inferred that universe-ending paradoxes would ensue should he break his promise.
• Spock : You lied.
• Spock Prime : Aww... I... I implied.
• Spock : A gamble.
• Spock Prime : An act of faith. One I hope that you will repeat in your future in Starfleet.
• Spock : In the face of extinction, it is only logical that I resign my Starfleet commission and help rebuild our race.
• Spock Prime : And, yet, you can be in two places at once. I urge you to remain in Starfleet. I have already located a suitable planet on which to establish a Vulcan colony. Spock, in this case, do yourself a favor: Put aside logic. Do what feels right.
• [ Spock Prime turns and leaves ]
• Spock Prime : Since my customary farewell would appear oddly self-serving, I shall simply say...
• [ Shows Vulcan hand salute ]
• Spock Prime : Good luck.
• Scotty : I like this ship! You know, it's exciting!
• Spock : I am as conflicted as I once was as a child.
• Sarek : You will always be a child of two worlds. I am grateful for this, and for you.
• Spock : I feel anger for the one who took Mother's life - an anger I *cannot* control.
• Sarek : I believe... that she would say, "Do not try to." You asked me once why I married your mother. I married her because I loved her.
• Spock Prime : To stop Nero, you alone must take command of your ship.
• James T. Kirk : How? Over your dead body?
• Spock Prime : Preferably not.
• [ last lines ]
• Spock Prime : [ closing monologue ] Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Her ongoing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life-forms and new civilizations; to boldly go where no one has gone before.
• James T. Kirk : Your ship is compromised, too close to the singularity to survive without assistance, which we are willing to provide.
• Spock : [ speaking privately ] Captain, what are you doing?
• James T. Kirk : Showing them compassion may be the only way to earn peace with Romulus. It's logic, Spock. I thought you'd like that.
• Spock : No, not really. Not this time.
• Nero : [ replying to the offer of assistance ] I would rather suffer the end of Romulus a thousand times. I would rather die in agony than accept assistance from you.
• James T. Kirk : You got it! Arm phasers. Fire everything we've got!
• James T. Kirk : Now, what is it with you, Spock? Hm? Your planet was just destroyed, your mother murdered, and you're not even upset!
• Spock : If you are presuming that these experiences in any way impede my ability to command this ship, you are mistaken.
• James T. Kirk : And yet you were the one who said fear was necessary for command. I mean, did you see his ship? Did you see what he did?
• Spock : Yes, of course I did.
• James T. Kirk : So are you afraid or aren't you?
• Spock : I will not allow you to lecture me about the merits of emotion.
• James T. Kirk : Then why don't you stop me?
• Spock : Step away from me, Mister Kirk.
• James T. Kirk : What is it like not to feel anger... or heartbreak... or the need to stop at nothing to avenge the death of the woman who gave birth to you?
• Spock : Back away from me.
• James T. Kirk : You feel NOTHING! It must not even COMPUTE for you! You NEVER loved her!
• [ Spock snaps and attacks Kirk, nearly killing him ]
• Sarek : SPOCK!
• [ Spock regains control ]
• James T. Kirk : [ on Spock ] Who was that pointy-eared bastard?
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I don't know, but I like him.
• Spock : [ standing across Lt. Uhura before he and Kirk are about to be beamed onto the Romulan warship ] I will be back.
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : [ leaning in ] You better be! I'll be monitoring your frequency.
• Spock : [ actually quite emotional ] Thank you, Nyota.
• James T. Kirk : [ after Uhura leaves ] So her first name's Nyota?
• Spock : I have no comment on the matter.
• Sarek : Speak your mind, Spock.
• Spock : That would be unwise.
• Sarek : What is necessary is never unwise.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Well, congratulations, Jim. We've got no captain and no god-damned first officer to replace him.
• Kirk : Yeah, we do.
• [ Kirk sits himself into the captain's chair ]
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : What?
• Hikaru Sulu : Pike made him first officer.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : You gotta be kidding me!
• Kirk : Thanks for the support.
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : I sure hope you know what you're doing...
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : [ sarcastically ] ... CAPTAIN.
• Kirk : So do I.
• Scotty : Except, the thing is, even if I believed you, right, where you're from, what I've done - which I don't, by the way - you're still talking about beaming aboard the Enterprise while she's traveling faster than light, without a proper receiving pad.
• Scotty : [ to Keenser ] Get off there! It's not a climbing frame!
• Scotty : [ back to Spock Prime ] The notion of transwarp beaming is like trying to hit a bullet with a smaller bullet whilst wearing a blindfold, riding a horse.
• [ Spock writes on a paper ]
• Scotty : What's that?
• Spock Prime : Your equation for achieving transwarp beaming.
• Scotty : [ to himself ] He's out of it
• Scotty : [ reads the equation ] Imagine that! It never occurred to me to think of SPACE as the thing that was moving!
• Spock Prime : You are, in fact, the Mr. Scott who postulated the theory of transwarp beaming?
• Scotty : That's what I'm talking about! How do you think I wound up here? Had a little debate with my instructor on relativistic physics and how it pertains to subspace travel. He seemed to think that the range of transporting something like a... like a grapefruit was limited to about 100 miles. I told him that I could not only beam a grapefruit from one planet to the adjacent planet in the same system - which is easy, by the way - I could do it with a life form. So, I tested it out on Admiral Archer's prized beagle.
• James T. Kirk : Wait, I know that dog. What happened to it?
• Scotty : I'll tell you when it reappears. Ahem. I don't know, I do feel guilty about that.
• Spock : [ Kirk has been appointed captain, and the Enterprise is preparing to depart. Spock enters the bridge ] Permission to come aboard, Captain.
• James T. Kirk : Permission granted.
• Spock : As you have yet to select a first officer, respectfully, I would like to submit my candidacy. Should you desire, I can provide character references.
• James T. Kirk : It would be my honor, Commander.
• Spock : [ on intercom ] Dr Puri, report.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : It's McCoy. Dr. Puri was on Deck 6. He's dead.
• Spock : Then you have just inherited his responsibility as Chief Medical Officer.
• [ McCoy looks at a burning medical room full of casualties from the attack ]
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Yeah, tell me something I DON'T know!
• James T. Kirk : [ still suffering from the vaccine ] My mouth is itchy. Is that normal?
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Well, those symptoms won't last long. I'm going to give you a mild sedative.
• James T. Kirk : Oh, I wish I didn't know you.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Don't be such an infant.
• [ He jabs Kirk with a hypodermic needle ]
• James T. Kirk : OWW! How long's it supposed to...
• [ he suddenly collapses on the bed ]
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [ Shaking his head ] Unbelievable.
• Spock : Acting Captain's Log, Stardate 2258.42. We have had no word from Captain Pike. I've therefore classified him a hostage of the war criminal known as Nero. Nero, who has destroyed my home planet and most of its six billion inhabitants. While the essence of our culture has been saved in the elders who now reside upon this ship, I estimate no more than 10,000 have survived. I am now a member of an endangered species.
• Spock : [ volunteering for what could be a suicide mission ] Romulans and Vulcans share a common ancestor. Our cultural similarities will make it easier for me to access the ship's computer to locate the device. Also, my mother was human, which makes Earth the only home I have left.
• James T. Kirk : I'm coming with you.
• Spock : I would cite regulation, but I know you will simply ignore it.
• James T. Kirk : See? We are getting to know each other.
• Christopher Pike : [ whistles to break up fight between cadets and Kirk ] Outside! All of you! Now!
• Christopher Pike : [ to Kirk ] You all right, son?
• Kirk : [ Looks at him upside down and stunned ] You can whistle really loud, you know that?
• James T. Kirk : You know, coming back in time, changing history... that's cheating.
• Spock Prime : A trick I learned from an old friend.
• [ With an uncharacteristic smile, he gives the Vulcan salute to Kirk ]
• Spock Prime : Live long and prosper.
• Spock : [ to Kirk ] Out of the chair.
• [ Kirk rushes onto the bridge, urging the ship to stop. Three-way arguing ensues between him, Spock, and Pike ]
• Spock : I can remove the cadet...
• James T. Kirk : Try it!
• Christopher Pike : Kirk!
• James T. Kirk : This cadet is trying to save the bridge!
• Spock : By recommending a full stop, mid-warp, during a rescue mission?
• James T. Kirk : It's not a rescue mission. Listen to me, it's an attack!
• Spock : Based on what facts?
• James T. Kirk : That same anomaly, a "lightning storm in space" that we saw today, also occurred on the day of my birth, shortly before a Romulan ship attacked the U.S.S. Kelvin. You know that, sir, I read your dissertation. That ship, which had formidable and advanced weaponry, was never seen or heard from again. The Kelvin attack took place at the edge of Klingon space, and at 2300 hours last night, there was an attack: forty-seven Klingon warbirds destroyed by Romulans, sir, and it was reported that the Romulans were in one ship, one massive ship.
• Christopher Pike : And you know of this Klingon attack how?
• [ Kirk glances at Uhura ]
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : Sir, I intercepted and translated the message myself. Kirk's report is accurate.
• James T. Kirk : We're warping into a trap, sir. The Romulans are waiting for us, I promise you that.
• [ Unsettled, Pike looks at Spock ]
• Spock : The cadet's logic is sound. And Lt. Uhura is unmatched in xenolinguistics, we would be wise to accept her conclusion.
• Christopher Pike : You know, I couldn't believe it when the bartender told me who you are.
• James T. Kirk : Who am I, Captain Pike?
• Christopher Pike : Your father's son.
• James T. Kirk : [ Turns toward the bar ] Can I get another one?
• Christopher Pike : For my dissertation, I was assigned the U.S.S. Kelvin. Something I admired about your Dad: he didn't believe in no-win scenarios
• James T. Kirk : Sure learned his lesson!
• Christopher Pike : Well, it depends on how you define winning. You're here, aren't you?
• James T. Kirk : [ as beer is brought to him ] Thanks.
• Christopher Pike : You know that instinct to leap without looking, that was his nature too. And in my opinion it's something Starfleet's lost.
• James T. Kirk : [ laughing ] Why are you talkin' to me, man?
• Christopher Pike : 'Cause I looked up your file while you were drooling on the floor. Your aptitude tests are off the charts, so what is it? You like being the only genius level repeat offender in the Midwest?
• James T. Kirk : Maybe I love it.
• Christopher Pike : Look, so your Dad dies. You can settle for a less than ordinary life, or do you feel like you were meant for something better? Something special? Enlist in Starfleet.
• James T. Kirk : [ scoffs ] Enlist!
• James T. Kirk : [ laughs ] You guys must be way down on your recruiting quota for the month!
• Christopher Pike : If you're half the man your father was, Jim, Starfleet could use you. You could be an officer in four years. You could have your own ship in eight. You understand what the Federation is, don't you? It's important. It's a peacekeeping and humanitarian armada...
• James T. Kirk : Are we done?
• Christopher Pike : I'm done.
• Christopher Pike : [ Gets up ] Riverside Shipyard. Shuttle for new recruits leaves tomorrow morning, 0800.
• Christopher Pike : [ pause ] Now, your father was captain of a Starship for 12 minutes. He saved 800 lives, including your mother's and yours. I dare you to do better.
• James T. Kirk : So what kind of combat training do you have?
• Hikaru Sulu : Fencing.
• James T. Kirk : [ hurling to his death with Sulu ] Kirk to Enterprise. We're falling without a chute. Beam us up!
• Transport Chief : I'm trying. I can't lock onto your signal.
• James T. Kirk : Beam us up!
• Transport Chief : You're moving too fast!
• Pavel Chekov : I can do zat! I can do zat!
• Christopher Pike : Russian whizkid, what's your name? Chanko? Cherpov?
• Pavel Chekov : Ensign Chekov, Pavel Andreievich, sir.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Wait a minute, kid. How old are you?
• Pavel Chekov : Seventeen, sir.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : Oh... oh, good, he's seventeen.
• Spock : Doctor... Mr. Chekov is correct.
• Spock : We are traveling at warp speed. How did you manage to beam aboard this ship?
• James T. Kirk : Hey, you're the genius. You figure it out.
• Spock : As acting captain of this vessel, I order you to answer the question.
• James T. Kirk : Well, I'm not telling, "Acting Captain." What, did...?
• [ Kirk smiles ]
• James T. Kirk : What, now, that doesn't frustrate you, does it? My lack of cooperation? That-that doesn't make you angry...
• Spock : [ Spock turns to Scotty ] Are you a member of Starfleet?
• Scotty : I, um, yes. Can I get a towel, please?
• Spock : Under penalty of court martial, I order you to explain to me how you were able to beam aboard this ship while moving at warp.
• Scotty : Well...
• James T. Kirk : Don't answer him.
• Spock : You will answer me.
• Scotty : [ pause ] I'd rather not take sides.
• Kirk : [ highly agitated and suffering side effects from McCoy hypospray ] Uhura! Uhura!
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : Kirk? What are you doing here?
• Kirk : The transmission from the Klingon prison planet. What exactly...
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : Oh, my God, what's wrong with your hands?
• Kirk : [ waves off the question with his bloated hands ] I-i-it's... Look, who is responsible for the attack...
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : What?
• Kirk : ...and was the ship walullaa?
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : And was the ship... WHAT?
• Kirk : [ to McCoy ] Whass happening to my mouth?
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : You got numb-tongue?
• Kirk : NUM-TUNG?
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : I can fix that!
• [ hurries off to find another hypospray ]
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : Was the ship what?
• Kirk : Womulan!
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : What? I...
• Kirk : WOMULAN!
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : Romulan?
• Kirk : Yeah!
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : Yes!
• Kirk : Yes?
• [ Bones injects him with another hypospray ]
• Kirk : ACK! ACK!
• [ trying to say 'stop it' ]
• Kirk : STAHHMIT!
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : [ During the Kobayashi Maru test ] We are receiving a distress signal from the U.S.S. Kobayashi Maru. The ship has lost power and is stranded. Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them.
• James T. Kirk : [ clearly enjoying himself ] "Starfleet Command has ordered us to rescue them... CAPTAIN."
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : [ rolls his eyes ] Two Klingon vessels have entered the Neutral Zone and are locking weapons on us.
• James T. Kirk : [ Smugly ] That's okay.
• Leonard 'Bones' McCoy : "That's okay?"
• James T. Kirk : Yeah, don't worry about it.
• Test Administrator : Did he say "Don't worry about it?"
• Test Administrator : Is he not taking the simulation seriously?
• Pavel Chekov : Ensign Authorization code: nine-five-wictor-wictor-two!
• [ Authorization is not recognized ]
• [ as the Narada pursues Spock, he suddenly whips the ship around and heads directly for it ]
• Nero : What's he doing?
• Spock's Ship's Computer : Ambassador Spock, you are on a collision course.
• Nero : [ panicking ] FIRE EVERYTHING!
• Admiral Richard Barnett : This is Commander Spock. He is one of our most distinguished graduates. He's programmed the Kobayashi Maru exam for the last four years. Commander?
• Spock : Cadet Kirk, you somehow managed to install and activate a subroutine in the programming code, thereby changing the conditions of the test.
• James T. Kirk : Your point being?
• Admiral Richard Barnett : In academic vernacular, you cheated.
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : I'm impressed. For a moment there, I thought you were just a dumb hick who only has sex with farm animals.
• James T. Kirk : Well, not only.
• Burly Cadet #1 : This townie isn't bothering you, right?
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : Oh, beyond belief, but it's nothing I can't handle.
• James T. Kirk : You could handle me, if that's an invitation.
• Burly Cadet #1 : Hey, you better mind your manners.
• James T. Kirk : Oh relax, cupcake, it was a joke.
• Burly Cadet #1 : Hey, farm-boy, maybe you can't count, but there are four of us and one of you.
• James T. Kirk : So go get some more guys and then it'll be an even fight.
• Hikaru Sulu : The fleet has cleared spacedock, Captain. All ships ready for warp.
• Christopher Pike : Set a course for Vulcan.
• Hikaru Sulu : Aye-Aye, Captain. Course laid in.
• Christopher Pike : Maximum warp. Punch it.
• [ One by one, the rest of the star fleet jumps into warp drive, leaving the Enterprise behind. Sulu frowns at the console, puzzled ]
• Christopher Pike : Lieutenant, where is Helmsman McKenna?
• Hikaru Sulu : He has lungworms, sir. He couldn't report to his post. I'm Hikaru Sulu.
• Christopher Pike : And you are a pilot, right?
• Hikaru Sulu : Very much so, sir.
• [ he trails off, hitting buttons ]
• Hikaru Sulu : I'm, uh, I'm not sure what's wrong here.
• Christopher Pike : Is the parking brake on?
• Hikaru Sulu : Uh, no. I'll figure it out. I'm just...
• Spock : Have you disengaged the external inertial dampener?
• Hikaru Sulu : [ Embarrassed. Without looking at anyone, he punches in the correct sequence ] Ready for warp, sir.
• Christopher Pike : Let's punch it.
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : [ Having just learned that she is assigned to the Farragut ] Commander, a word?
• Spock : Yes, Lieutenant?
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : Was I not one of your top students?
• Spock : Indeed you were.
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : [ the scene cuts to another location, where Uhura is still hounding Spock ] And did I not, on multiple occasions, demonstrate an exceptional aural sensitivity, and I quote, "an unparalleled ability to identify sonic anomalies in subspace transmissions tests?"
• Spock : Consistently, yes.
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : And while you are well aware of my own qualified desires to serve on the U.S.S. Enterprise, I'm assigned to the Farragut?
• Spock : It was an attempt to...
• [ he glances around, keeping his voice low ]
• Spock : ...avoid the appearance of favoritism.
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : [ Adamantly ] No. I'm assigned to the Enterprise.
• Spock : [ He adjusts his roster list ] Yes, I believe you are.
• Lt. Nyota Uhura : Thank you.
• James T. Kirk : [ to Spock ] The test itself is a cheat, isn't it? I mean, you programmed it to be unwinnable.
• Spock : Your argument precludes the possibility of a no-win scenario.
• James T. Kirk : I don't believe in no-win scenarios.
• Spock : Then not only did you violate the rules, you also failed to understand the principal lesson.
• James T. Kirk : Please enlighten me.
• Spock : You of all people should know, Cadet Kirk, a captain cannot cheat death.
• James T. Kirk : [ reminiscing ] I of all people...
• Spock : Your father, Lieutenant George Kirk, assumed command of his vessel before being killed in action, did he not?
• James T. Kirk : I don't think you like the fact that I beat your test.
• Spock : Furthermore, you have failed to divine the purpose of the test.
• James T. Kirk : Enlighten me again.
• Spock : The purpose is to experience fear, fear in the face of certain death, to accept that fear, and maintain control of oneself and one's crew. This is the quality expected in every Starfleet captain.
• James T. Kirk : [ Stepping aboard the bridge as its official captain ] Bones! Buckle up!
• [ the U.S.S. Enterprise is being sucked into a black hole, seconds away from doom ]
• Scotty : I'm giving her all she's got, Captain!
• [ the bridge ceiling begins to crack as the ship's drawn closer ]
• James T. Kirk : All she's got isn't good enough! What else ya got?
• Scotty : Um... Okay, if we eject the core and detonate, the blast could be enough to push us away! I cannae promise anything, though!
• [ the viewing window starts to rupture ]
• James T. Kirk : DO IT, DO IT, DO IT!
• James T. Kirk : Stardate: 2258.42... or, uh, 4... Whatever. Acting Captain Spock has marooned me on Delta Vega, in what I believe to be a violation of Security Protocol 49.09 governing the treatment of prisoners aboard a star...
• [ Kirk breaks off abruptly before completing the word starship as the howl of a predatory animal is heard, possibly heading his way ]
• James T. Kirk : I relieve you, sir.
• Christopher Pike : I am relieved.
• Young Spock : I presume you've prepared new insults for today.
• Vulcan Bully #1 : Affirmative.
• Young Spock : This is your thirty-fifth attempt to elicit an emotional response from me.
• Vulcan Bully #2 : You're neither human nor Vulcan, and therefore have no place in this universe.
• Vulcan Bully #1 : Look. He has human eyes. They look sad, don't they?
• Vulcan Bully #2 : Perhaps an emotional response requires physical stimuli.
• [ shoves Spock ]
• Vulcan Bully #2 : He's a traitor, you know, your father, for marrying her, that human whore.
• [ Spock beats up the bully ]
• [ through a mind meld with Kirk ]
• Spock Prime : Billions of lives lost because of me, Jim, because I failed.

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Star Trek 4 potential release date, cast and everything you need to know

A new writer has boarded the USS Enterprise.

Star Trek 4 potential release date: When can we expect Star Trek 4?

Star trek 4 cast: who's going to be in star trek 4, star trek 4 plot: what's going to happen in star trek 4, star trek 4 trailer: any star trek 4 footage yet.

Star Trek 4 still isn't close to being released, but we do at least know that development continues on the long-awaited movie .

In March 2024, it was reported that Steve Yockey – who developed The Flight Attendant – had become the latest writer to tackle a new draft for the movie, which is intended to bring back Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto and Zoe Saldaña.

This is separate from the other two Star Trek movies in the works: a prequel movie directed by Toby Haynes and Star Trek: Discovery spin-off Section 31 , which finished filming in March 2024.

We'll likely see both of those movies before we see Star Trek 4 , but at least it should be released one day. But while we wait, here's everything you need to know about the (potential) return of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek 4 .

Is Star Trek 4 confirmed?

As far as we know, Star Trek 4 is definitely going to happen despite the fact we're nearing eight years since the last movie, Star Trek Beyond , was released.

The long-gestating movie finally looked to be on track in February 2022 when it was announced that JJ Abrams was returning to produce with Matt Shakman directing, to the surprise of the cast as much as the fans.

Unfortunately, Shakman left the movie in August 2022 to direct Fantastic Four for Marvel instead . And then in September 2022, Paramount took the movie off the release calendar entirely.

In March 2023, JJ Abrams – who has produced all three movies in the reboot trilogy and directed two of them – said that a search for a director is ongoing.

"I will say it's the first time [since the original reboot] that we have a story that feels as compelling as the first one," he told Esquire . Of course, Pine also called the franchise "cursed" so it depends how hopeful you feel like being.

We've heard nothing since about a potential director for the movie, but at least we know is that Star Trek 4 is in active development at Paramount, given that there is now a new writer on board.

Once upon a time, Star Trek 4 was scheduled to be released in cinemas on December 22, 2023.

Of course, that never happened, and Star Trek 4 hasn't got a confirmed release date as of May 2024. There's no rumours either about when it could reappear on the schedule.

In June 2022, prior to Shakman leaving the project, Paramount boss Brian Robbins did confirm development was under way on the fourth Star Trek . "We're deep into it with JJ Abrams, and it feels like we're getting close to the starting line and excited about where we're going creatively," he said .

However, in November 2022, star Zachary Quinto told The Independent : "At this point, I honestly have very little attachment to it.

"All of us would like to come back and make another movie, but I’ve learnt to only get excited about things I know are actually real. And there's nothing about a fourth Star Trek movie that feels real right now."

Other people involved seem to have faith in the project moving forward, though, and hopefully a new writer joining is a positive step.

All we can do is watch this space.

Even when Star Trek 4 was originally being released in December 2023, it hadn't been 100% confirmed that the reboot cast would be back.

That being said, during his June 2022 announcement, Robbins did say he knew audience "wants that cast in this movie" – referring to the reboot cast.

So, if it ever does come to fruition, we'd be surprised if it was with a brand-new cast. You can likely then expect the returns of Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto (Spock), Zoe Saldaña (Uhura), Karl Urban (Bones), John Cho (Sulu) and Simon Pegg (Scotty).

Urban certainly seems keen for a return, although he also revealed in March 2022 that, like Pine, he hadn't read a script yet . "I would love to work with those guys again; so much fun, the best hang. We'll see," he enthused.

It all feels very up in the air, as per Quinto's quotes, but that doesn't mean we can't hope.

The initial plan for the fourth movie was to have a timey-wimey adventure that featured Chris Pine's James T Kirk somehow joining forces with his long-dead dad, played by Chris Hemsworth .

Hemsworth opened up in May 2019 about why he stepped away from the movie , saying: "I didn't feel like we landed on a reason to revisit that yet. I didn't want to be underwhelmed by what I was going to bring to the table."

It's unclear if this new version of Star Trek 4 plans to bring Hemsworth back or if it's gone in a totally new direction, but Hemsworth seems open to a return for the fourth movie.

In October 2022, Rings of Power bosses JD Payne and Patrick McKay teased more about what their original idea for the fourth movie was going to be. "The conceit was that through a cosmic quirk in the Star Trek world, they were the same age," McKay explained.

We also don't know yet whether the new movie will recast Pavel Chekov following Anton Yelchin's tragic death in 2016. "It's bittersweet because we are coming together for a fourth time, and one of us is no longer with us," Saldaña said in March 2022 .

"But we honestly feel that going back and keeping the Star Trek family together is a way to really keep him alive in our thoughts and our hearts."

Right now, we don't have any confirmed plot details for the fourth movie, and it's not clear how closely it'll follow on from the ending of Star Trek Beyond .

The third movie ended with Kirk declining the promotion to vice admiral and staying as the captain of the USS Enterprise. Spock also chose to remain in Starfleet and reignited his romance with Uhura.

As the movie ends, they're all set to continue their mission on a brand-new USS Enterprise after the previous one was destroyed during the movie's events.

It means that the fourth movie can go anywhere. But, for Pine, he believes that whatever the plot is, it shouldn't try to compete with Marvel .

"I've always thought that Star Trek should operate in the zone that is smaller. You know, it's not a Marvel appeal. It's like, let's make the movie for the people that love this group of people, that love this story, that love Star Trek ," he said.

"Let's make it for them and then, if people want to come to the party, great. But make it for a price and make it, so that if it makes a half-billion dollars, that's really good."

You're kidding, right? We'd love to get all timey-wimey ourselves and show you a trailer for Star Trek 4 from the future, but we're stuck in the Mirror Universe.

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Movies Editor, Digital Spy  Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor.  Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies , attending genre festivals around the world.   After moving to Digital Spy , initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.  

Gabriella Geisinger is a freelance journalist and film critic, and was previously Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy. She loves Star Wars , coming-of-age stories, thrillers , and true crime. A born and raised New Yorker, she also loves coffee and the colour black, obviously.

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