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Star Trekis regarded as the most popular science fiction television series to hit the small screen. Its portrayal of the future shows potential dangers, yet it’s inspiring because of the advancements that humanity has achieved. Crime and poverty have been eradicated on Earth, and humans have come together to form an egalitarian society. Even more impressive is the technology that Earth and other advanced cultures throughout the galaxy have created. Spaceships are a common mode of transportation. Instead of large navies on the oceans of a planet, they sail through the sea of stars.
The most advanced piece of technology any civilization can create in theStar Trekuniverse is the warp drive. Warp technology allows starships to travel through space faster than the speed of light, which is a convenient narrative device. As fast as light is, it still takes over five hours for the sun’s light to travel to Pluto, and that’s a celestial body in the same system.Star Trekcharacterstravel all across the galaxy, so to get there in mere minutes, they use varying degrees of warp speed. Starfleet captains are notorious for using a phrase just before their helmsperson initiates warp speed.
What is a ‘Warp Catchphrase’?
Every mission Starfleet crews go on is in the name of science, diplomacy, or exploration, but not every alien race they encounter has the same mentality. Whenever a starship jumps to warp, there’s no telling what’s waiting for the crew at their destination. It could be an alien race that has just discovered warp technology, eager to reach the stars. On the other hand, it could be a faction hellbent on war and galactic domination, likeDeep Space Nine’s Dominion. So it’s only fitting that the captain would havesomething reassuring or inspiring to saybefore the helmsperson initiates the warp drive. It’s like a short pep-talk to get the crew pumped for the mission.
Choosing a Warp Catchphrase
UntilStar Trek: Discovery, every captain made choosing a catchphrase look easy. InDiscovery,when the experimental starship USS Discovery received Saru as its new captain, the bridge crew anxiously awaited his choice. His first choice was"Execute,“which long-time trekkies know asone of Captain Kirk’scatchphrases. However, it felt clunky when Saru said it, and the crew weren’t too pleased with it either.
Choosing a warp catchphrase isn’t easy. It needs to be inspiring, it needs to roll off the tongue, and it can’t be something that sparks laughter from the crew. Moreover, it’s difficult to stick with just one phrase, because it’s a situational practice. Sometimes it can be something a little more jovial, while other times it needs to convey the direness of a situation. So, most captains don’t stick with a single catchphrase. Although, the show’s writers probably prefer to keep using the same word or phrase to make their job easier.
More importantly,each captain chooses a phrase that best suits their personality. Somebody like Spock wouldn’t choose something intentionally humorous or light like “Let’s get outta here.” He’s going to choose something to the point and pragmatic, which he does inan episode ofStrange New Worlds— kind of. His exact phrase is:
I would like the ship to go… now
Each Captain’s Warp Catchphrase
There have been many captains featured inStar Trekprojects, and even more individuals who have received the privilege of using a warp catchphrase. Some characters have even been portrayed by different actors and in different timelines. It’s not an exhaustive list, but here are a few memorable ones:
Captain James T. Kirk
There have been a few different iterations of Kirk on the big and small screen. On the original TV series, he typically said something along the lines of"Warp factor one.“It’s simple and official, sounding like something officers are taught to say in Starfleet Academy. On the big screen, there wasn’t one phrase he stuck to. Shatner’s Kirk changed it up, with phrases including “Execute,” “Let’s see what she’s got,“and"That-a-way.“Chris Pine’s Kirk in J.J. Abrams’s Kelvin-verse said,“Take us out,“which isn’t the most memorable phrase.
Captain Christopher Pike
In both the Kelvin-verse andStrange New Worlds,Captain Christopher Pike, even knowing his fate, is simple yet inspiring. Pike’s original iteration in the original series never got a chance to say a warp catchphrase, so audiences' first exposure to Pike’s phrase came from Bruce Greenwood’s version where he simply states, “Punch it.” This isn’t too far off from Anson Mount’s phrase,“Hit it.”
Captain Jean-Luc Picard
Much like Captain Kirk, Picard said a variety of phrases before ushering theUSS Enterprise into warp speed, but he had a few favorites that even non-trekkies would recognize as being fromStar Trek. Picard was probably most famous for"Make it so"and"Engage.“The former phrase was more common, as Picard often said it after giving a crewmember an order.
Captain Janeway
Of all the Starfleet captains,Kate Mulgrew’s Janewayprobably commanded the most authority with her simple phrase, especially when she didn’t have her morning cup of coffee. She made"Do it"sound like an order that had to be followed immediately. Janeway proved to be cunning and resourceful, always a step ahead of adversaries in the ship’s unfamiliar surroundings. So when she said to do something, the crew did it, or they risked certain doom with no hope of the cavalry showing up.
Captain Michael Burnham
Michael Burnham, Spock’s adoptive sister,didn’t start out as a captain of ship onStar Trek: Discovery, so she didn’t have a catchphrase to speak of. She did work under a couple of other captains who did, though, giving her some inspiration for what would eventually be her warp catchphrase. Captain Lorca, the traitorous captain who was actually from the mirror universe, simply said,“Go!”. It felt appropriate for his character who was pragmatic and to the point. However, the revelation of his true identity showed that he really just didn’t care.
When Michael came up with her phrase, it was clear she put a little more thought into it.“Let’s fly"was both inspirational and a glimpse at her idealistic philosophies. It’s uplifting and fits her personality brilliantly. It also fit with the “Red Angel” storyline that she was central to.
