ScreenRant calls Uhura's 'Sorry, neither' line one of sci-fi's greatest quotes
A new piece from ScreenRant argues that a two-word line from Nichelle Nichols's Lieutenant Uhura remains one of science fiction's most powerful quotes.
Per the outlet, the line occurs in the original series episode "The Naked Time." In a scene where Sulu, affected by alien water, acts out a knightly fantasy, he grabs Uhura and declares, "I'll protect you, fair maiden."
Uhura's immediate, deadpan reply is, "Sorry, neither." According to ScreenRant, this sarcastic retort was a pointed rejection of the sexist implications in Sulu's words, making clear her character was neither "fair" nor a "maiden" in need of protection.
The outlet states the line carried deeper significance in its 1966 context. Rejecting "fair" was seen as a statement against racial oppression, while rejecting "maiden" subtly alluded to the era's sexual revolution and feminist movements.
ScreenRant concludes that the simple phrase, reportedly added by creator Gene Roddenberry during script revisions, exemplified the show's progressive storytelling and Uhura's groundbreaking role as a self-possessed, skilled black woman on television.
