April Q's Day

I was always a Star Wars kid. But I was friends with a Star Trek kid. So the little I knew of Star Trek, I learned from him. Tidbits- such as Picard’s first name, the registration numbers and letters of the various Starship Enterprises, and also the existence of a god-like being known as Q.

Nearly three decades later, I know a tiny bit more about Star Trek. Though there are still massive amounts of mythology missing from my brain. And I realized (whilst watching an episode of Star Trek Lower Decks) I had still never seen an episode of Trek with the Q character in it. Maybe that’s telling about how little 20th century-era Trek I’ve actually seen.

And so, for this year’s April 1st Star Trek themed-post I watched all of the Q episodes.

Here we go... 

Star Trek: The Next Generation 

"Encounter at Farpoint"

Season 1 Episodes 1 & 2

1987

And so it begins. “Encounter at Farpoint” has a lot riding on its shoulders. After all, the audience is not guaranteed to show up. How can its characters possibly outshine Kirk, Spock, McCoy and the lot? And yet “The Next Generation” delivers a crew full of iconic personalities that will dominate small screens, big screens, and then small screens again for the next 3 decades- (Except for poor Tasha Yar).

The episode is a good start to the series. Even though I am familiar with these characters, some of them surprised me. Picard is ill-tempered and abrasive- often downright rude. This is a far-cry from the soft-spoken kind-eyed Captain he will become. Some of the accents catch me off-guard. Deanna Troi sounds quite Soviet and the century-year-old “Bones” sounds like a southern plantation owner.

But let’s get to the reason we are here. Q, a being with god-like powers that seeks to test the moral-compass of Picard and therefore all of humanity. What exactly are Q’s motives? It seems he may actually lack the intellect and altruism that he expects other beings to have. He harshly accuses the crew of the Enterprise of being savage, whilst barely controlling his own cruelty. And what rules govern this being anyway? Does he have his own moral code or is he bound by something greater? Perhaps we will find out in future episodes.

"Hide and Q" Season 1 Episode 10

1987

Q is back and this time he is testing Commander William Riker. We know that Q can bend time and space to meet his needs, but we also know that he is somehow bound by some constraints, including the rules of his own games and the agreements he makes. Q fears humans, because they represent potential, perhaps the potential to one day become more powerful than even his own people.

Q grants Riker unlimited power (the power of the Q) and apparently if Riker accepts this power Q will not only win his own game, but also be granted access to the mysteries of the human condition. Riker attempts to use his new powers to “fix” the crew members of Enterprise. Data is offered humanity, Wesley is offered adulthood, LeForge is offered his sight, and Worf is offered… a woman. But when his crewmates obtain what they have always wanted, they find that the gifts are tainted. They, in fact, never really wanted these gifts in the first place. Realizing this, Q has lost at his own game- a theme that I suspect may be repeated in the future.

"Q Who" Season 2 Episode 16

1989

Q has been ostracized by his own people. With nowhere to turn he kidnaps Picard and asks to join the crew. Picard refuses. As punishment Q sends The Enterprise far beyond Federation space where they encounter a strange race that travel in a cube shaped starship.

The first appearance of The Borg in Star Trek is truly frightening. As a viewer I know that Picard and company should turn tail and run, but Picard does not know that yet. It’s like watching one of those horror movies where the teenagers make the stupidest mistakes and all you can do is throw your hands in the air. 

By the time Picard finally asks Q for help he has lost 18 crew members. And Q, for his part, has got what he wanted, to gloat- To show that the human race has no idea what dangers lie ahead. Though Picard and company beat Q at his own games before, they are ill equipped to handle the darkest monsters in the universe.

Kudos to John de Lancie for really showing how complicated and evil this character can be. If Q’s first two appearances were teasing and playful, here Q is truly a smug and chiding force to be reckoned with.

"Deja Q" Season 3 Episode 13

1990

Q has been stripped of his powers and immortality. He has been punished by his people and turned into a lowly human. On the Enterprise it falls upon Data to show Q what it means to be human. Though Data is an android he has studied humans enough to pass some basics onto Q. Q is quite miserable in human form. He is bored, vulnerable and is disenchanted with the basic needs of the human body. He would rather die than continue to live in this fashion. However, when Data risks his own life to save Q’s life, Q learns a tiny bit about the virtues of humanity.

"Qpid" Season 4 Episode 20 

1991

Picard has a girlfriend whom he has not told his crew about. And Q is back to repay a debt. In "Qpid", Q transports the crew of the Enterprise to a simulation where they take on the roles of Robin Hood and his Merry Men, with Picard in the starring role. Though John de Lacie is brilliant as usual it’s really Jennifer Hetrick’s, Vash that steals the show. Who is this woman? She somehow sneaks onto the Enterprise and into the Captain’s quarters without anyone knowing. She easily manipulates every character around her, including the godlike being and she always comes out on top. One wonders if another archaeologist, River Song (from Doctor Who) is not based on this fierce character.

"True Q" Season 6 Episode 6

1992

Amanda Rogers is a young starfleet intern who is studying aboard the Enterprise. Unfortunately Amanda has a dark past that even she does not know about. Amanda is really a Q and her powers are beginning to manifest. Amanda is stuck between two mentors. Dr. Crusher encourages Amanda to subdue her powers, to utilize science, to be herself. Q, on the other hand, encourages Amanda to use her powers without thought, to become as chaotic as he. In the end, Amanda chooses to join the Q continuum, but with the hint that her human perspective will grant her an empathy that the other Q simply do not have. 

"Tapestry" Season 6 Episode 15

1993

It’s a wonderful life, but now Picard’s is over.

John de Lancie, as far as I can tell, never won any awards for his role as Q. But he deserves something for his performance here. He is no longer a court jester punching it up for laughs. He is no longer throwing tantrums. He is presented as a powerful celestial force with more wisdom than deception. He and Patrick Stewart have an amazing chemistry and the scene where they lie in bed together is absolute gold.

This episode is penned by Ronald D. Moore, which isn’t a big surprise. “Tapestry” is one of those episodes that transcends the series, maybe the franchise. It may now be my favorite episode of Trek.

"All Good Things..." Season 7 Episodes 25 & 26

1994

From 1987 - 1994 Jean-Luc Picard and his crew travelled the stars every Monday night. My family didn’t watch Star Trek, so I never saw it. Until recently I’d probably seen more episodes of TOS or Voyager than Next Gen. But if the Q episodes are to be believed, TNG was quite an amazing show that still holds up by today’s standards.

In the end it is the relationships between the characters that really make the difference in any show and certainly in any Trek series. The final episode of Next Gen is about relationships and even though Q is not in the episode much, we do get some glimpses of how a quasi-friendship between Q and Picard has developed since the very first episode of the series. In this finale Q’s “The Trial Never Ends” speech sums up the premise of Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek quite well...

“You just don't get it, do you, Jean-Luc? The trial never ends. We wanted to see if you had the ability to expand your mind and your horizons. And for one brief moment, you did... For that one fraction of a second, you were open to options you had never considered. That is the exploration that awaits you. Not mapping stars and studying nebulae, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence”

Perhaps… Perhaps one day we will return to the relationship between Picard and Q. But until then, we move forward...

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

"Q-Less" Season 1 Episode 6

1993

Q and Vash make a return to our screens after they were last seen in “QPid”. Q is back to his role as a trickster with plenty of costumes to amuse, but this tale really belongs to Vash. She is finished travelling with Q, but he is not quite finished with her. This is part “break-up” story and part “the jewel is really an egg”. Whoops, did I give away the ending? 

John de Lancie does not have much on-screen screen chemistry with Avery Brooks' Benjamin Sisko. Any part of this storyline that was supposed to pit those two against each other, ends abruptly. A lot of storylines seem to just disappear part way through and the writers struggle to hold everything together. One now wonders if Q can be a great character without playing foil to Patrick Stewart’s John-Luc Picard. Maybe those two just had a certain charm that can’t be replicated. I guess we will find out soon...

Star Trek: Voyager

"Death Wish" Season 2 Episode 18 

1996

Star Trek tackles the “Right To Die” debate when a Q (Who we will refer to as Quinn) shows up asking Voyager to help with his suicide. When the Q played by John de Lancie shows up Janeway agrees to hold a hearing to decide the fate of Quinn. A weird variety of witnesses are summoned to the trial including Sir Isaac Newton and Commander William Riker.

Ultimately Janeway decides that Quinn should give up his immortality and become a member of Voyager’s crew. This does not last long however. Q, in an act of mercy, gives Quinn some poisonous hemlock assisting Quinn in his own suicide. This will ultimately set up a Q Continuum Civil War, which we will see in the next  chapter.

"The Q and the Grey" Season 3 Episode 11

1996

This episode is pretty cringey by today’s standards. Q shows up in Janeway’s bedroom and tries to woo her (Pepe Le Pew style). It is very icky considering a god-like being is using his powers to pursue a woman who continually rejects his advances. Q tells Janeway that he wishes to mate with her to produce an offspring so that he can put an end to the Civil War that he has started between the Q Continuum.

Viewers get to see this war play out in a context that they will understand (and a context that a TV budget will allow for). As the title of this episode suggests, we witness the all powerful Q race blowing themselves up through the lens of the American Civil War.

In the end Q chooses to mate with his estranged lover (another Q played by Suzie Plakson) to create the universe's first Q offspring. Q takes on the role of a father by the end of this episode, which potentially sets up a more mature version of the character. Whether Q has had any true character growth is yet to be seen....

"Q2" Season 7 Episode 19

2001

Q is finding fatherhood tough to handle. His son Q (hereafter referred to as Q2) is a teenager and is misusing his powers. He is meddling in the affairs of many races, and causing wars all over the galaxy. Q (the father) believes that only Captain Janeway can mentor Q2 and teach him empathy. When the Q continuum takes away his powers Q2 adapts to life on Voyager and even befriends Icheb, (a former borg child and crewmember of Voyager). In the end it is this friendship that teaches Q2 the value of relationships and humanity. Q thanks Janeway for her help by cutting a full two years off of Voyager’s voyage.

It’s hard to believe that it has been two decades (almost to the day) from the last appearance of Q. Well… unless you count a recent cameo in the animated series “Star Trek: Lower Decks”. Still it seems that another Q appearance of Q is long overdue… 

To be contin-qued?

Bonus!

My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

 “The Return of Harmony”

Season 2 Episodes 1 & 2

2011

When Lauren Faust needed a recurring villain to introduce in the 2nd season of “Friendship is Magic”, she was inspired by Star Trek’s Q to create an all-powerful chaotic trickster god. Initially the production team tried to find a voice artist to impersonate John de Lancie, but ended up casting de Lancie himself. In the season 2 premiere “The Return of Harmony”, Discord is introduced as a draconequus, which literally translates to Dragon/Pony. Discord seeks to set the ponies against each other and end their friendship (which I believe is where they get their magic). 

Discord (similar to Q) continues to plague the ponies through the next 8 seasons of the show and (similar to Q) appears in the finale episodes of the series.