Burnham makes coming up with a new captain's catchphrase look difficult; Star Trek: Picard's Rios proves it doesn't have to be with "¡Dale!" Anchoring Star Trek: Discovery since its maiden voyage in 2017, no one could suggest Michael Burnham's ascension to captain in season 3's finale wasn't richly deserved. And since taking Discovery's comfiest chair, Sonequa Martin-Green's resolute hero has brilliantly upheld the legacy of Star Trek legends like Kirk, Picard, Janeway, and Sisko, while also bringing her own unique leadership style and mannerisms to the table. Burnham has everything a modern Star Trek protagonist needs, and then some, but if there is one area for improvement Admiral Vance might raise at Burnham's next appraisal, it's her catchphrase.
A string of Star Trek captains have employed signature phrases - typically used when setting off or entering warp. Some stick more than others (expect to hear Pike's "hit it!" a lot in Strange New Worlds), but Patrick Stewart's Jean-Luc Picard was the true master, bequeathing audiences with both "engage" and "make it so." Modern Star Trek has something of a preoccupation with recreating that magic. Though sometimes played for laughs (Saru trying out different phrases was, admittedly, hilarious), Star Trek: Discovery makes an earnest attempt at giving Captain Burnham a signature catchphrase with, "Let's fly..."
It's... not the best Star Trek has come up with. While the dreamy, idyllic and inclusive qualities suit Burnham's style of captaincy, "let's fly" doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. Nor does it sound especially natural, which is where catchphrase falls down as a successor to "engage," which was both snappier, and made more sense in the context of commanding a ship. Some fans love it, some hate it, some are ambivalent, but "Let's fly" sounds just a touch too corny - like Burnham spent long nights contriving the line, rather than uttering something off-the-cuff. Wherever one stands in the "let's fly" debate, Star Trek: Picard's Captain Rios just left Burnham's captaincy catchphrase in the dust with only a single word.
Back in Starfleet and assigned command of the Stargazer - a modern version of Picard's first ship - Rios' style of captaincy can best be described as "casual." Chomping a cigar on the bridge, Rios hears a crew member shout, "Course set, Captain." With a small nod, Santiago Cabrera's Star Trek charisma machine replies with unmatched cool, "¡Dale!" Broadly translating into English as "go ahead" or "do it," the line has everything you could want from a Star Trek captain's catchphrase. It's brief and punchy, it doesn't sound forced, it speaks to the character's Latino background, and it's completely unlike any signature line we've heard before. The mark of any catchphrase's success is how much viewers want to repeat it. Try going 5 minutes at a Star Trek convention without hearing "make it so." Attempting to recreate Burnham's "let's fly" conjures images of an airline steward, but hearing "¡Dale!" come out of Rios' mouth? Well, pass the cigars...
Captain Rios may have a far superior catchphrase compared to Star Trek: Discovery's Burnham, but the Disco leader can find a silver lining in how Rios' crew totally ignore their captain at the first sign of a Borg assault. Say what you like about Burnham's middling catchphrase, but she inspires complete loyalty in her crew - so much so, they'd follow her into the far future, toward certain death, or anywhere in between. Rios' crew won't even execute a ceasefire command properly, barraging the new Borg Queen with phaser blasts despite their captain's protests. Still, he came up with "¡Dale!" and Burnham didn't.
Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard continue Thursdays on Paramount+.
