William Somerset Quotes in Se7en (1995)

[last lines]

William Somerset: Hemingway once wrote, "The world's a fine place and worth fighting for." I agree with the second part.

William Somerset: I just don't think I can continue to live in a place that embraces and nurtures apathy as if it was virtue.

David Mills: You're no different. You're no better.

William Somerset: I didn't say I was different or better. I'm not. Hell, I sympathize; I sympathize completely. Apathy is the solution. I mean, it's easier to lose yourself in drugs than it is to cope with life. It's easier to steal what you want than it is to earn it. It's easier to beat a child than it is to raise it. Hell, love costs: it takes effort and work.

William Somerset: If we catch John Doe and he turns out to be the devil, I mean if he's Satan himself, that might live up to our expectations, but he's not the devil. He's just a man.

William Somerset: David. If you kill him, he will win.

[William Somerset looks at an object in the road]

David Mills: What do you got?

William Somerset: Dead dog.

John Doe: I didn't do that.

William Somerset: This guy's methodical, exacting, and worst of all, patient.

David Mills: He's a nut-bag! Just because the fucker's got a library card doesn't make him Yoda!

William Somerset: [Reading from one of John Doe's journals] On the subway today, a man came up to me to start a conversation. He made small talk, a lonely man talking about the weather and other things. I tried to be pleasant and accommodating, but my head hurt from his banality. I almost didn't notice it had happened, but I suddenly threw up all over him. He was not pleased, and I couldn't stop laughing.

William Somerset: This isn't going to have a happy ending.

William Somerset: It's impressive to see a man feeding off his emotions.

William Somerset: [to Tracy] Anyone who spends a significant amount of time with me finds me disagreeable. Just ask your husband.

David Mills: Very true. Very, very true.

David Mills: Yeah, a landlord's dream: a paralyzed tenant with no tongue.

William Somerset: Who pays the rent on time.

William Somerset: If John Doe's head splits open and a UFO should fly out, I want you to have expected it.

William Somerset: But you gotta be a, a hero. You want to be a champion. Well, let me tell you. People don't want a champion. They want to eat cheeseburgers, play the lotto and watch television.

William Somerset: Did the kid see it?

Detective Taylor: What?

William Somerset: The kid.

Detective Taylor: What the fuck sort of question is that? You know, we're all going to be really glad when we get rid of you, Somerset. It's always these questions with you. "Did the kid see it?" Who gives a fuck? He's dead, his wife killed him. Anything else has nothing to do with us.

William Somerset: [discovering what's inside the package] California, tell your people to stay away. Stay away now, don't - don't come in here. Whatever you hear, stay away! John Doe has the upper hand!

William Somerset: We'll just talk to him.

David Mills: Uh huh. Yeah. Excuse me, sir. Are you, by any chance, a serial killer? Okay.

William Somerset: You do the talking. Put that silver tongue of yours to work.

David Mills: Have you been talking to my wife?

William Somerset: [after finding out that Detective Mills's apartment is close to the railway tracks] Just a soothing, relaxing, vibrating home huh?

[chuckles to himself]

William Somerset: [recovers] I'm sorry.

[laughs hysterically, Tracy joins in]

[first lines]

Detective Taylor: Neighbors heard them screaming at each other, like for two hours, and it was nothing new. Then they heard the gun go off, both barrels. Crime of passion.

William Somerset: Yeah, just look at all the passion on that wall.

William Somerset: I meant to ask you something before, when we spoke on the phone: Why here?

David Mills: I don't follow.

William Somerset: Why all the effort to get transferred? It's the first question that popped into my head.

David Mills: I guess the same reasons as you. The same reasons you had before you decided to quit, yeah?

William Somerset: Y... You just met me.

David Mills: Maybe I'm not understanding the question.

William Somerset: Very simple. You actually fought to get re-assigned here. I've just never seen it done that way before.

William Somerset: Gentlemen, gentlemen... I'll never understand. All these books, a world of knowledge at your fingertips. What do you do? You play poker all night.

Library Guard: Hey! We've got culture! We've got culture comin' out our ass!

George, Library Night Guard: [turns on classical music] How's this for culture?

John Doe: Don't ask me to pity those people. I don't mourn them any more than I do the thousands that died at Sodom and Gomorrah.

William Somerset: Is that to say, John, that what you were doing was God's good work?

John Doe: The Lord works in mysterious ways.

David Mills: Honestly, have you ever seen anything like this?

William Somerset: No.

David Mills: Has he tried to speak or communicate in any way?

Dr. Beardsley: Even if his brain were not mush, which it is, he chewed off his own tongue long ago.

William Somerset: Uh... Doc, is there absolutely no chance that he might survive?

Dr. Beardsley: Detective, he'd die of shock right now if you were to shine a flashlight in his eyes. He's experienced about as much pain and suffering as anyone I've encountered, give or take... and he still has hell to look forward to. Good night.

William Somerset: Even the most promising clues usually only lead to others.

Police Captain: [to Mills] What do you think?

David Mills: I'm in.

Mark Swarr: It has to be both of you.

William Somerset: If he were to claim insanity, this conversation is admissable. The fact that he's blackmailing us with his plea...

Mark Swarr: And my client reminds you, two more are dead. The press would have a field day if they found out the police didn't seem too concerned about finding them... giving them a proper burial

William Somerset: If there really are two more dead.

Police Officer at Gluttony crime scene: Nothing's been touched. Everything's like I found it.

William Somerset: What time was death established?

Police Officer at Gluttony crime scene: Like I said, I didn't touch anything... but he's had his face in a plate of spaghetti for about forty five minutes now.

David Mills: Wait a minute, no one bothers with vital signs?

Police Officer at Gluttony crime scene: Did I stutter? This guy ain't breathing unless he's breathing spaghetti sauce.

David Mills: So that's how it's done around here.

Police Officer at Gluttony crime scene: I beg your pardon, Detective, but this guy's been sitting in pile in his own piss and shit, if he wasn't dead, he would have stood up by now.

William Somerset: Oh, wait! You care?

David Mills: Damn right.

William Somerset: And you're going to make a difference?

William Somerset: [as SWAT prepare to breach and clear] They love this.

[Mrs. Gould is being shown photos of her husband's murder scene]

David Mills: Mrs. Gould, I'm truly sorry. I truly am.

Mrs. Gould: [sobs as she looks at the photos] I don't understand.

David Mills: Okay. I need you to look at each photo very carefully. Look and see if there's anything strange or out of place, um. Anything at all.

Mrs. Gould: I don't see anything.

David Mills: You sure?

Mrs. Gould: [emotional] Please! I-I-I just, I-I can't do this right now!

David Mills: Okay.

William Somerset: [whispering to Mills] It's got to be now. There may be something we haven't seen.

Mrs. Gould: [turning to the next photo] Wait.

David Mills: What?

Mrs. Gould: Here. This painting. It's upside down.

David Mills: [Looking at the book list] "Of Human Bondage". Bondage?

William Somerset: It's not what you think.

David Mills: You've read my files, right? You've seen the things I've done?

William Somerset: No.

William Somerset: May I speak freely?

Police Captain: We're all friends here.

William Somerset: This should not be his first assignment.

David Mills: Well, that was money well spent!

William Somerset: He happens to be with the Agency.

David Mills: What, Captain Smelly there?

CIA guy: [hands over printout] Only you I do this for, okay?

William Somerset: [back in squad car] Say you want to know who's reading Mein Kampf...

David Mills: Now, I wasn't standing around guarding the Taco Bell, alright? I worked homicide for five years.

William Somerset: Not here.

David Mills: I understand that.

William Somerset: Well, over the next seven days, Detective, you'll do me the favour of remembering that.

George, Library Night Guard: Yo, smiley. You're really going to miss us.

William Somerset: I just might!

William Somerset: You know what happens if you kill a suspect!

William Somerset: I had to consider the integrity of the scene.

William Somerset: I can't tell you whether or not to keep the baby. But if you do, you spoil that kid every chance you get.

John Doe: [about Tracy to Mills] She begged for her life...

William Somerset: Shut up!

John Doe: She begged for her life and...

William Somerset: Shut up!

John Doe: She begged for her life, and the life of the baby inside her.

William Somerset: [backhanding Doe] Shut up!

[Mills freezes in grieved disbelief, and Doe notices]

John Doe: [to Somerset] Oh...! He didn't know.