Summary
Several iconic phrases fromStar Trek: The Original Serieshave made their way into the pop culture lexicon, including,“He’s dead, Jim.“Most often spoken by Dr. Leonard McCoy (DeForest Kelley),this phrase was Bones' rather blunt way of reporting a deathto Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner). While"Live long and prosper"and"Beam me up, Scotty"may be the most famous of the phrases to originate fromStar Trek,some variation of"He’s dead"was spoken more times throughout the series than either of those lines.
With his gruff personality, Dr. McCoy was not known for his good bedside manner, so it’s not surprising he would report deaths rather bluntly. Although the phrase,“He’s dead, Jim,“is often associated with thedeath of so-called red shirts, Dr. McCoy never actually used this exact wording in that way. Surprisingly,the exact phrase,“He’s dead, Jim,“was only spoken by Dr. McCoy four timesonStar Trek: The Original Series,although he used some variation of"He’s dead"many more times. Here is every time McCoy uttered this now iconic phrase.
Every Time Star Trek’s Dr. McCoy Said “I’m A Doctor, Not A…”
A look at every time the distinguished and much-loved Dr. Leonard “Bones” McCoy used his famous “I’m a doctor, not a …” catchphrase in Star Trek.
5About Alfa 177 Canine
In Star Trek: The Original Series Season 1, Episode 5 - “The Enemy Within”
The first time Dr. Leonard McCoy says,“He’s dead, Jim,“comes inStar Trek: The Original Seriesseason 1, episode 5, “The Enemy Within.” When a transporter malfunction causes Captain Kirk to be split into two people, Dr. McCoy and the Enterprise crew must find a way to recombine thetwo Kirk doppelgangers. One of the Kirks is"good,“but struggles to make difficult decisions, while the other one is"evil"and lacks impulse control.
Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Scotty (James Doohan) reconfigure the transporter to reverse the malfunction, sending an alien dog that had also been split through the transporter. Although the transporter does recombine the two dogs into one, the poor animal does not survive the process.When the dog reappears on the transporter pad, McCoy reports that,“He’s dead, Jim,“and surmises that the creature died of shock. Despite this, Spock hypothesizes that Kirk would survive the process as his brain could better handle the stress.
4About Lt. Montgomery Scott
In Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 3 - “The Changeling”
When the USS Enterprise investigates a distress call from the Malurian star system, they determine thata powerful space probe known as Nomad wiped out all life in the system.Nomad is brought aboard the Enterprise, and it incorrectly identifies Captain Kirk as its creator. When Nomad hearsLt. Nyota Uhura (Nichelle Nichols)singing, it probes her mind, erasing all of her memories. As Nomad attacks Uhura, Scotty jumps in to help her, and Nomad lashes out with a blast of energy, killing him.
Dr. McCoy rushes over to aid Scotty, only to report that"He’s dead, Jim.“When Nomad realizes that Dr. McCoy cannot"repair"Scotty, the probe offers to"repair the unit.“Nomad then brings Scotty back to life,much to the shock and relief of Kirk and McCoy. Nomad kills multiple security officers before Kirk talks the probe into destroying itself.Star Trek’s “The Changeling” containsone of the only instances when McCoy uses the phrase,“He’s dead, Jim,“to refer to one of the main characters, although thankfully, Scotty does not remain dead.
3About Hengist, Kara, & Karen Tracy
In Star Trek: The Original Series Season 2, Episode 14 - “Wolf In The Fold”
Several murders occur inStar Trek: The Original Series' “Wolf in the Fold,” givingDr. McCoy numerous times to announce that someone"is dead, Jim.“WhenScotty is found near one of the murder victims with a bloody knife,he becomes the prime suspect, but he has no memory of the event. The Chief Administrator of Argelius II, Mr. Hengist (John Fiedler), takes over the investigation, and two more women are murdered.
Although Scotty remains the prime suspect, Kirk and his crew eventually determine that a malevolent, non-corporeal entity may be behind the murders. In fact, Hengist was the actual murderer, althoughhe was possessed by the non-corporeal lifeform, which was known as Jack the Ripper on Earth. Throughout “Wolf in the Fold,“Dr. McCoy reports that,“She’s dead, Jim,“twice, about a dancer named Kara (Tania Lemani) and Lt. Karen Tracy (Virginia Aldridge). McCoy also says,“He’s dead, Jim,“once when the entity kills Hengist.
“Beam Me Up, Scotty”: Star Trek’s Most Famous (& Incorrect) Catchphrase Explained
“Beam me up, Scotty” has become one of Star Trek’s most famous catchphrases in pop culture despite no Star Trek character ever actually saying it.
2About Larry Marvick
In Star Trek: The Original Series Season 3, Episode 5 - “Is There in Truth No Beauty?”
InStar Trek: The Original Series' “Is There in Truth No Beauty?,” theMedusan Ambassador Kolloscomes aboard the Enterprise, accompanied by the telepathic Dr. Miranda Jones (Diana Muldaur) and her associate, Larry Marvick (David Frankham). Marvick is in love with Jones, but she does not return the feeling.Out of rage and jealousy, Marvick attempts to kill Kollos,but he is driven mad by the sight of the Medusan.
Marvick then runs to the Enterprise engine room and accelerates the ship to an unknown location beyond the galactic barrier. Although security rushes in to restrain Marvick, he continues to rave about Dr. Jones until he dies, unable to live with the sight of Kollos. When Marvick collapses,Dr. McCoy scans him with his tricorder and pronounces that"He’s dead, Jim.“Spock then mind melds with Kollos, who helps direct the Enterprise back to known space with his superior navigation abilities.
1Other Variations
Numerous Episodes of Star Trek: The Original Series
ThroughoutStar Trek: The Original Series, Dr. McCoy and several other characters use variations of the phrase"He’s dead,“such as"He’s dead, Captain"and"He’s dead, sir.“AlthoughNurse Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett), Lt. Uhura, Spock, and Captain Kirk all utter some version of the phrase,the words are most often said by Dr. McCoy.As the ship’s Chief Medical Officer, McCoy is usually the one scanning fallen crew members or guests with his medical tricorder, so it makes sense he would be the one who most often pronounces people dead.
Surprisingly, Dr. McCoy does not utter the exact phrase,“He’s dead, Jim,“in any of theStar Trekfilms, although, again, some similar words are used.
According to a biography of DeForest Kelley entitledFrom Sawdust to Stardustby Terry Lee Rioux, Dr. McCoy was originally meant to say,“He’s dead, Jim,“after Spock’s sacrifice inStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.Kelley, however, felt that this would be inappropriateas it would add humor to the tragic moment. In the final film, Scotty delivers the line,“He’s dead already,“to Captain Kirk. Despite only technically being spoken a handful of times onStar Trek: The Original Series,“He’s dead, Jim,“remains one of Dr. McCoy’s most iconic lines.
