The Big Bang Theory Had A Hilarious Picard Reference Only Star Trek Fans Caught

"The Big Bang Theory" is crammed full of more pop culture references than one can begin to count, be it jokes related to Marvel Comics, DC Comics, or "Star Wars." However, the franchise that the series arguably holds the most reverence (or perhaps irreverence) for is arguably "Star Trek." Not only does the show frequently mention the long-running sci-fi franchise, but it also has "Star Trek: The Next Generation" actor Wil Wheaton recur as a fictionalized version of himself. In fact, one episode featuring Wheaton includes a certain "Star Trek" in-joke that non-fans may have missed the significance of.

In "The Big Bang Theory" Season 4, Episode 8, titled "The 21-Second Excitation," Jim Parsons' Sheldon Cooper and several other members of the show's main friend group make plans to attend a theatrical showing of a special cut of "Raiders of the Lost Ark," only to find that the line to get in is exceptionally long. Sheldon subsequently runs into Wheaton, who taunts him by using his star status to cut the line and get in. Incensed by Wheaton, Sheldon proceeds to shout: "As Captain Jean-Luc Picard once said, the line must be drawn here! This far! No farther!"

Dedicated fans may realize that Sheldon is directly quoting Captain Picard's (Patrick Stewart) iconic line from "Star Trek: First Contact" — right down to replicating the impassioned emphasis on the word "here."

"The Big Bang Theory" cleverly pays homage to Captain Picard's "Star Trek: First Contact" quote by recontextualizing its use to reference an actual line of people, but that's far from the only time that this memorable snippet of dialogue has been the center of a joke. Since its inception, Picard's line has become rather infamous in the pop culture space, with it being the subject of various internet memes. "Star Trek" itself has even referenced the line, with Quark (Armin Shimerman) reciting something very similar in an episode of "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine." 

Suffice to say, there's a reason why Picard's line has stuck around in the minds of many for so many years — and it mostly has to do with Stewart's unexpectedly intense delivery of the quote. As it turns out, Stewart's co-star Jonathan Frakes was among the first to tease him about it. "We all felt good about the scene after we shot it, but it was Jonathan who recognized instantly that my eccentric pronunciation was bound to achieve traction," Stewart recalled in his 2023 memoir "Making It So." "He started saying, 'The line must be drawn h'yah!' in my voice, in all sorts of situations. Sure enough, it has become a pop-culture trope, oft quoted and parodied. I am all too pleased about it."