Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, sweepstakes, and more!
Star Trek's 6 essential Q episodes you have to watch
"Come come, mon capitaine..." the trial never ends.
Q is not just a letter in the alphabet. When Star Trek: The Next Generation launched, an unforgettable character was created alongside the new crew of the Enterprise D. John de Lancie appeared as the omnipotent hassle known only as “Q” in the pilot episode. He put all of humanity on trial, and he continued to be a presence on the series up through the finale.
Not resigned to bother only one crew with trials and tests, de Lancie appeared as the character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager . It doesn’t matter how many other humans he spends his time with; Q’s heart, if he has one, will always lie with Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart). He has recently returned to Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard to make good on a promise that he made in the TNG finale: the trial never ends.
If Q appears in an episode, then it’s going to be memorable. John de Lancie’s performances are never anything other than stellar. We do have our favorites, and what better time to run through the Q-pisodes that we love the most? Are we putting Q himself (and the episodes that he appears in) on trial? We wouldn’t dare.
Here are our picks for the 6 best episodes in the Star Trek universe that feature Q. Red alert, mon capitaine.
Honorable Mention: “Veritas” from Star Trek: Lower Decks
This isn’t a true Q episode, but we have to mention it. The animated antics of this trial-based episode brought Q in for a cameo, and the show celebrated him with perfect mockery. It showed him turning the main crew into chess pieces, before featuring Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) blowing right past him on her way to do anything else. She didn’t have time for any of his Q nonsense, and she told him so. That anyone would dare to do this to an omnipotent trickster is hilarious.
Flowing with french phrases, he’s portrayed as a ridiculous amalgam of everything that is Q. It’s silly, but that’s the point. We hope that de Lancie returns to the Cerritos again at some point in the future... we’d pay real money for an entire episode of Newsome and de Lancie sniping at each other.
6. “Q-Less” from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
This episode is here because of one specific moment. Q only made one visit to DS9, and it was early on in Season 1. The moment that we love so much may be the reason why he never went back.
Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) is not Jean-Luc Picard. When Q tried his trickster act on him, briefly transforming both himself and Sisko into boxers, Sisko did what many viewers likely wanted to do themselves from time to time. Sisko punched Q directly in the face.
“You hit me! Picard never hit me!” Q said, sprawled on the deck. Sisko told him what we’ve already said; he’s not Picard. No playing along, certainly not in Season 1 of this series. Q got punched in the face and that moment alone earns the entire episode a place here.
5. “Death Wish” from Star Trek: Voyager
“How would you like to spend eternity as a Gorakian midwife toad?” Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) only had to hear the name “Q” before she immediately called red alert in this underrated Season 2 entry. The Q that appeared on Voyager was not the Q we knew; it was another member of the Continuum who wanted to die. The Q we were familiar with appeared to deal with him a few moments later.
The first Q (Quinn) is eventually granted asylum by Janeway, and after a lot of discussion about the Q Continuum, he is made mortal. Very much against the wishes of the Continuum, Q provides Quinn with a rare poison and makes death possible for him.
The way that de Lancie portrays Q’s change of position throughout the episode is great, and we love it when Janeway tells him that the Continuum won’t be happy with him. “I certainly hope not,” he says. Despite whatever orders and rules he gets from on high, Q has grown a conscience. Underneath all of the judge robes and bluster, he cares.
This episode also features a blink and you’ll miss it cameo from Riker (Jonathan Frakes), as well as Q somewhat falling for Janeway. This would be followed up on the next time that Q visited the stranded Voyager crew.
4. “Deja Q” From Star Trek: The Next Generation
Upsetting the Q Continuum has consequences, and we saw what they were in Q's Season 3 TNG showcase. He fell out of nowhere, naked, to the deck of the bridge. He smiled at Picard and said, “Red alert.”
He’d been striped of his powers and was human, so naturally he wanted to join the Enterprise crew. He demonstrates enough selflessness by the end of the episode to get his powers back, but there are so many riches to be found before that happens.
The famous Picard hand-palm moment? That’s from this episode, and it comes after Q tells Picard that he’s the closest thing he has to a friend. In order to prove that he’s human, Worf suggests that Q dies. The absolutely fascinating dynamic between Q and Guinan (Whoopi Goldberg) continues here, and it includes Guinan stabbing Q’s hand with a fork.
When he gets his powers back? Q brings in a Mariachi band. He also makes it clear that there is likely some humanity left in him, as this episode's disaster-of-the-week conveniently fixes itself. The moment that stands out the most is Q’s farewell to Data (Brent Spiner). He doesn’t inflict Data with the “curse” of humanity, but he does give him a gift.
Data is allowed to have a miraculous and genuine laugh, and he remarks that it was a wonderful feeling. This episode is fun as hell, but it also marks a turning point. Q is markedly different after all of this, definitely more human than wants to be.
3. “Q Who?” from Star Trek: The Next Generation
Q feels the need to show the Enterprise crew how unprepared they are for what’s waiting for them out in the vastness of space. He greatly overcompensates and sends them right into their first encounter with the Borg, a foe that is laughably beyond them.
The Borg making their first appearance here is enough on it’s own, but Q’s involvement in the episode makes it an all-time great. The Guinan rivalry begins here, and as we've said, it fascinates us. Guinan seems to have some kind of defense against Q’s omnipotent powers. We still don’t know what that’s about, but we love thinking about it.
What does Q really want? He wants Jean-Luc to tell him that they are scared, unprepared, and that they need him. He wants Picard to humble himself, and that’s exactly what happens in the end. Picard begs Q for help, and with a snap of his fingers, it’s over.
Not really, though. Thanks to Q, the Borg are now aware of them. They’ll be coming, and we know how that proceeded to go down. Q almost got all of humanity assimilated because he wanted one man to swallow his pride. Classic.
2. “Tapestry” from Star Trek: The Next Generation
The current course of Star Trek: Picard (featuring Q showing Jean-Luc the road not taken) reminds us very much of this episode. Picard “dies” and Q greets him in the afterlife; he shows him what would happen if Jean-Luc didn’t get into a bar fight when he was a callous youth.
He wouldn’t have required a synthetic heart, but he would also have gone on to live a life without taking any risks. The bar fight was a pivotal thread on which the tapestry of Picard’s life was based. Picard has no interest in living the timid life that he experiences here, and he tells Q that he would rather die in the present than live as that person. Q obliges him. Though Picard survives and is still his same old self, he remains unsure whether or not it was another test from Q. He can’t quite believe that it was compassion, because what would Q have to gain from that?
Nothing, if you ask us. We’d like to think that Q’s selflessness continues here, and that he really does want to help Picard. This is Season 6, and we’re not far away from Q giving Picard a “helping hand.” It’s a terrific representation of how small choices can change a bold captain into a man who is bereft of passion and imagination. “Welcome to the afterlife, Jean-Luc. You’re dead.”
1. “All Good Things…” from Star Trek: TNG
“You’re doing it right now. You’ve done it before and you’ll do it again.” The finale of TNG is one of its greatest episodes, and it rightfully bookends the series with Q. He’s the reason that Picard is moving back and forward through time, but he’s not the one who causes existence to be wiped out. Picard is to blame for that.
All of our favorite Q/Picard scenes are from this episode. The “yes or no” game is up there, as is Q whisking Picard to the moment where the first protein fails to form. Nothing tops their final scene, though, as Q admits that he was the one to blame for getting Picard into this in the first place. It was another directive from the Continuum, but the “helping hand” part? That was Q’s idea. Seven seasons changed an omnipotent ponce.
The trial never ends, and Q almost tells Picard a truth about his own future. He leans in, comes close to whispering, and then backs away with a smile and a “you’ll find out.” It is perfectly staged and perfectly played by de Lancie, and ever since this scene, we’ve been wondering what the hell Q was talking about.
At long last, we may be finding out. Q never appeared in the movies that featured the TNG cast, but he’s back in action on Star Trek: Picard . He’s already referenced some of what he said in this episode, and we are very lucky that he has made good on his promise: to drop by and say hello from time to time.
When Jean-Luc Picard meets his ultimate fate, we are confident that Q will be there. Q has had an immense effect on Picard’s life, but that goes both ways. Q would hate to admit it, but Picard has changed him as well. Maybe that’s why he can’t stay away from him; Picard makes him a better being. As many of the episodes listed above prove, Q longs to be better. He needs Picard to show him the way.
New episodes of Star Trek: Picard air Thursdays on Paramount+.
Watch SurrealEstate
- Patrick Stewart
- Star Trek: Picard
- Star Trek: The Next Generation
- SYFY Insider
Related Stories
The Best Fantasy Movies Streaming on Peacock
The Real-Life Story Behind 2012 Jewish Horror Film The Possession
Everything to Know About The Cancelled Miniseries Sequel to The Thing
The Alien Movies 13 Scariest and Most Iconic Moments
The 20 Best Sci-fi TV Shows on Peacock Right Now
The Tiny Tweak to Back to the Future's Ending That Made the Film's Final Twist Work Perfectly
Nope VFX Supervisor Dishes on Film's Creature Design
How Resident Alien Made That George Takei Cameo Happen
Nathan Fillion's Resident Alien Cameo Explained
Nicholas Hoult's Best Sci-Fi and Horror Boyfriend Roles
Everything We Know About The Purge 6
I, Robot Screenwriters Reveal Unmade Sequel Ideas
Recommended for you.
The Classic Twilight Zone Episode That Inspired Jordan Peele's Us
Linda Hamilton on Resident Alien Role: "I'm Not the Funny Girl, I'm the Straight Man"
NASA Discovery Could Mean Mars Had Life-Supporting Volcanic Vents
Filed under:
Star Trek’s 12 most Q episodes, ranked by chaotic energy
A Q for every mood
Share this story
- Share this on Facebook
- Share this on Reddit
- Share All sharing options
Share All sharing options for: Star Trek’s 12 most Q episodes, ranked by chaotic energy
Decades before the letter “Q” gained a sinister political connotation (and during a rare fallow period for the James Bond film franchise), the alphabet’s most quizzical consonant became synonymous with Star Trek . Portrayed by actor John de Lancie, the omnipotent trickster god Q debuted in the series premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation in 1987 and developed into the show’s signature antagonist, the perfect foil for disciplined, steadfastly moral Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Q has remained one of the most popular guest characters in the Star Trek franchise, appearing across five series including the new season of Star Trek: Picard .
Q owes his longevity as a character to de Lancie’s magnetic performance and to the multiple ways he can be employed in a Star Trek story. Q is an all-powerful authority, casting judgment over humanity and enforcing the cosmic status quo of the Q Continuum, but he’s also a cartoonish agent of chaos who takes delight in befuddling straight-laced Starfleet Captains . Most of the best Q episodes find a balance between Q’s two extremes, depicting him as part bully, part teacher, and part comic relief.
In recognition of the delicate chemistry that goes into creating a good Q episode, Polygon’s scientists have developed the Q Scale, a method of measuring the ratio of Authoritative Q to Chaotic Q in a given story. Like the pH Scale, the Q Scale starts at 0 (Fully Authoritarian) and ends at 14 (Fully Chaotic), with the median 7 representing a healthy neutral between the two extremes.
Excluding his cameo in the Lower Decks episode “Veritas” (which is too slight to include here) and his recurring role in Picard ’s second season (which shouldn’t be judged until it’s completed), we’ve ranked every appearance of Q based on where it sits on the Q Scale, in ascending order of chaos.
12. “Encounter at Farpoint”
The Next Generation season 1, episode 1
In the series premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation , Q forces the crew of the Enterprise to stand trial on behalf of all of humanity. He introduces himself as a representative of a godlike ruling body who has determined that our species is too savage and violent to be permitted further expansion across the galaxy. The episode contains the seeds of the flamboyant, hedonistic Q of his later appearances — namely, his love of playing dress-up — but most of what makes Q pop in “Farpoint” comes from John de Lancie’s performance rather than from the script itself. de Lancie was hand-picked by Trek creator Gene Roddenberry for the role based on his ability to elevate the material, and future appearances would be written with his theatrical strengths in mind.
Q Level: 1 (Wholly authoritarian)
Q Fact: The character of Q was a late addition to the script for “Encounter at Farpoint.” Writer Dorothy “D.C.” Fontana had been instructed to write a script for a 90-minute series premiere, and when the episode was expanded to two hours, Roddenberry wrote a 30-minute “envelope” story to pad out the episode, adding the “trial for humanity” subplot. Fontana and fellow Trek writer David Gerrold later theorized that Roddenberry did this in order to deliberately pocket what would have been Fontana’s contractual bonus for writing a double-sized episode.
11. “True Q”
The Next Generation season 6, episode 6
In this Next Generation episode, young Enterprise intern Amanda Rogers (Olivia d’Abo) discovers that she’s actually a Q, born on Earth to two outcasts from the Continuum who chose to live as humans. Now that her powers are emerging, the Continuum sends our Q to retrieve her, but Captain Picard demands that she be allowed to determine her own fate. Once again, we see Q operating as an unquestioning agent of a higher authority, though this is also his sixth appearance on TNG and his familiarity and fondness for Picard has made him more amenable to compromise. Q attempts to sway Amanda by claiming that the point of being Q is to do whatever you want, but this doesn’t hold water given that he also threatens to kill her if she doesn’t cooperate with the Continuum. Notably, this is also Q at his least fun, as he spends most of the episode being a creep to a teenage girl.
Q Level: 2 (Highly authoritarian)
Q Fact: Writer René Echevarria tried to name the young Q “Samantha” after the protagonist of the 1960s sitcom Bewitched , but executive producer Rick Berman caught the reference and nixed the idea.
10. “Death Wish”
Voyager season 2, episode 18
After The Next Generation concluded, Q began guest starring on its subsequent spin-off, Star Trek: Voyager . His first Voyager episode, “Death Wish,” is undoubtedly his best, and the most successful attempt at exploring the internal politics of the Q Continuum. In “Death Wish,” Voyager encounters a second Q (who calls himself “Quinn” to avoid confusion) whose desire to become mortal has made him a political enemy of the Continuum. When Quinn applies for asylum aboard Voyager, the powers that be dispatch our old familiar Q to represent their interests in a hearing to determine Quinn’s fate. “Death Wish” is the best of the more authoritarian Q episodes, not only because it explores a complex moral dilemma in the classic Star Trek tradition, but because it interrogates the duality of Q’s character. Quinn forces Q to look at himself and realize that he’s lost his sense of mischief and sold out to The Man.
Q Level: 3 (Skeptically authoritarian)
Q Fact: John de Lancie and Kate Mulgrew ( Voyager ’s Captain Janeway) have been close friends since long before Star Trek, which no doubt contributed to the pair’s chemistry on screen.
Voyager season 7, episode 18
In Q’s final appearance on Voyager , we get acquainted with his son, Q (or “Junior,” played by John de Lancie’s real-life son Keegan). Since Junior is the first child born in the Continuum, the inexperienced Q ditches his unruly adolescent offspring with Captain “Aunt Kathy” Janeway in the hopes that she can teach him some discipline. The Continuum expects Junior to help maintain order in the universe and threatens him with severe punishment if he fails to shape up, but Q himself plays only a minor role in turning his son’s life around, letting the Voyager crew set the example for responsible behavior. When Q does finally participate, it’s by staging a cruel costume drama that tricks Junior into believing that he’s put his new friend Icheb’s life in danger. Q scares Junior into becoming more responsible by way of his classic hijinx, staging elaborate tests and deliberately annoying a Starfleet crew.
Q Level: 4 (Nominally authoritarian)
Q Fact: This is Keegan de Lancie’s final acting credit. He currently works for the US State Department .
8. “All Good Things…”
The Next Generation season 7, episode 25
The series finale of The Next Generation resumes the trial that began in “Encounter at Farpoint,” returning Picard to the scene of his first conflict with Q as well as showing him a glimpse of a possible future. As it turns out, Q has been directed by the Continuum to put Picard through one more deadly test that will either prove humanity’s potential or destroy all organic life in the galaxy. Q follows his orders, but also obtains permission to appear to Picard and occasionally drop subtle hints as to the nature of the deadly puzzle. After seven years of observing and pestering Picard, Q is now less interested in controlling or passing judgment over humanity and more invested in seeing us grow to our full potential.
Q Level: 5 (Barely authoritarian)
Q Fact: “All Good Things…” is, to date, the fourth and final Star Trek episode to win the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation . Twenty-five movies and episodes have been nominated between 1966 and 2018.
7. “Tapestry”
The Next Generation season 6, episode 15
In “Tapestry,” arguably the best Q episode of all time, Captain Picard dies after suffering damage to his artificial heart. Q greets Picard in the supposed afterlife and offers him the chance to relive a key moment from his reckless youth, the bar fight that resulted in his cardiac replacement. Q acts as Picard’s guardian angel on a time-bending journey painted with shades of A Christmas Carol and It’s a Wonderful Life , teaching Picard to value the wilder parts of himself, the traits that he just happens to share with Q. Q finds the exercise amusing, sure, but he seems motivated primarily by the desire to help his “pet” human learn a difficult lesson, and to save his life in the process. Picard is permitted to make his own choices throughout the entire experience, and while he does encounter a cruel twist, it’s one of his own making and Q provides a way out of it.
Q Level: 6 (Benignly authoritarian)
Q Fact: Writer Roland D. Moore considered using “Tapestry” to visit more than one pivotal moment in Picard’s life, including the never-seen death of his best friend Jack Crusher aboard the USS Stargazer.
The Next Generation season 4, episode 20
Feeling he owes Picard a debt after their previous adventure, Q insists on doing Picard a favor in return. Since Picard refuses to offer any suggestions apart from “Go away,” Q decides to interject into Picard’s love life, forcing him to confront his feelings for the rogue archeologist Vash (Jennifer Hetrick). Q traps Picard, Vash, and the rest of the Enterprise senior staff in a recreation of the legend of Robin Hood. Once in motion, the fantasy is beyond even Q’s own control, and Picard and company have mere hours to storm Nottingham Castle and rescue Vash/Maid Marian from her scheduled execution. Q devises all the rules of this deadly game, but he also abides by them, and Picard, Q, and Vash all get something out of the experience.
Q Level: 7 (Equally authoritarian and chaotic)
Q Fact: In the episode’s climactic battle, all of the male Enterprise crew members draw swords while Dr. Crusher and Counselor Troi smash vases over the heads of their opponents. Ironically, Gates McFadden and Marina Sirtis were the only members of the ensemble with fencing experience (save Patrick Stewart, who has been stage fighting since the 1970s ).
5. “Hide and Q”
The Next Generation season 1, episode 10
In his second appearance, Q endows Commander Riker with powers identical to his own and dares him to use them, while Picard insists that he resist the temptation. While Q is still acting on the authority of the Continuum and in the interests of better understanding humanity, “Hide and Q” doubles down on John de Lancie’s whimsy, casting Q even more like a tempestuous child who plays with the fates of individuals and entire species for his amusement. Q devises a high-stakes contest for the crew that is, by his own admission, “entirely unfair.” When his attempts to woo Riker to godhood fail anyway, the Continuum forces Q to abide by the conditions of his own game and leave the Enterprise alone.
Q Level: 9 (Noticeably chaotic)
Q Fact: An earlier draft of this episode would have established that there were only three members in the entire Q species .
4. “The Q and the Grey”
Voyager season 3, episode 11
Inspired by his experience with Quinn, Q leads a revolutionary movement that launches the Continuum into a civil war. Q seeks to upset the status quo he once upheld by fathering the first new Q in eons, and he wants Captain Janeway to be its mother. (This episode ignores the existence of Amanda Rogers.) Q’s maturity level swings wildly between adulthood and adolescence throughout the episode. His goal is to strike down the old order and establish a new one that is less restrictive to individual freedoms and more receptive to new ideas, but his plan hinges on some pretty wild assumptions, namely that a half-Q, half-human baby will be greeted as a messiah and that reproducing with one of his own, like his longtime “associate” Q (Suzie Plakson), would be impossible. His buffoonish attempts to seduce Janeway are embarrassing to watch.
Q Level: 10 (Actively chaotic)
Q Fact: Prior to playing a Q, Suzie Plakson portrayed Vulcan Dr. Selar the Klingon Ambassador K’Ehleyr on The Next Generation . There are winks to both of these roles in her dialogue in “The Q and the Grey.”
The Next Generation season 2, episode 16
On the outs with the Continuum, Q arrives on the Enterprise and offers to join the crew, even to renounce his powers if necessary. Picard declines, deciding that Q is too dangerous to trust. Q handles this rejection by shoving the Enterprise deep into unexplored space, where they encounter an enemy too powerful to confront without his help — the Borg . Q proves his point all too well, as the Enterprise makes first contact with a species that would threaten billions of lives and change the face of the Federation over the next 15 years. While there’s still plenty of “teacher Q” in this action, it’s also an impulsive, unilateral decision with massive repercussions that he barely seems to consider. So long as he’s properly shaken Picard, he’s satisfied.
Q Level: 11 (Maliciously chaotic)
Q Fact: Writer Maurice Hurley initially intended for the big bad revealed in Season Two to be a race of insects , but that idea proved too expensive. The Borg retained the hive mind of the original concept, but were portrayed as humanoid cyborgs instead.
2. “Deja Q”
The Next Generation season 3, episode 13
Embarrassed by his clownish antics and galaxy-spanning reputation for wanton cruelty, the Continuum casts Q out and drops him on Picard’s doorstep. Trapped in a human body, Q must now depend on the mercy and kindness of the Enterprise crew to survive when one of the civilizations he once tormented catches wind of his newfound mortality and comes looking for revenge. While he can’t get up to much trouble in his human form “Deja Q” is the first episode to depict Q as a liar and cheater who’s spent eternity tormenting weaker beings for sport. Much in the way that “Death Wish” makes Q second-guess his authoritarian bent, “Deja Q” challenges his desire to wreak havoc and force-feeds him some of his own medicine.
Q Level: 13 (Proudly chaotic)
Q Fact: In the teaser for this episode, the de-powered Q arrives on the bridge of the Enterprise totally naked. After director Les Landau struggled to find a way to achieve the desired effect via camera trickery, John de Lancie decided to simply perform the scene in the nude .
1. “Q-Less”
Deep Space Nine season 1, episode 6
Q makes a single appearance on TNG ’s first spin-off, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , in an episode that serves as a sequel to “Qpid.” After two years exploring the galaxy as Q’s companion, archeologist Vash catches a lift back to Federation space via the Bajoran Wormhole and arranges to spend some time aboard the show’s titular space station. Vash attempts to make a clean break from Q, but he refuses to leave her alone and spends most of the next week using his powers to harass her and any member of the DS9 crew who gets in his way. In “Q-Less,” Q has no goal beyond stalking a woman who’s rejected him, and has no involvement or interest in an existential threat to the station that rears its head during his visit. He’s purely there to goof off and make mischief. While the episode does offer one classic moment in which Sisko loses his patience and clocks him in the jaw, Q proved to be an ill fit for the setting and tone of DS9 and never returned.
Q Level: 14 (Bugs Bunny chaotic)
Q Fact: According to the Deep Space Nine Companion , John de Lancie was dissatisfied with the depiction of Q in this episode, feeling that “skirt-chasing” was a motivation unworthy of his character.
The 10 horniest episodes of Star Trek, ranked by cultural impact
The picard legacy collection puts one of the greatest remasters of all time in sprawling context, patrick stewart told paramount he wants a picard movie.
- View history
Q is a highly powerful individual from a race of godlike aliens known as the Q .
- 1.1.1 Trial
- 1.1.3 Guide
- 1.1.4 Being Human
- 1.1.5 Meeting Vash and acting as benefactor
- 1.1.6 Never-ending trial
- 1.2.1 Quinn
- 1.2.3 Junior
- 1.3 The Cerritos
- 1.4 The Road Not Taken
- 1.5 Visiting Jack Crusher
- 2 Q's disguises
- 3 Locations "created" by Q
- 4.1 Appearances
- 4.2 Background information
- 4.3 Apocrypha
- 4.4 External links
History [ ]
Q appeared to the crews of several Starfleet vessels and outposts during the 2360s and 2370s . As a consequence, all command level officers in Starfleet were briefed on his existence thereafter. One such briefing was attended by Benjamin Sisko in 2367 . ( DS9 : " Q-Less ") Q typically appeared as a humanoid male , though he could take on other forms if he wished, and was almost always dressed in the uniform of a Starfleet captain . ( VOY : " Death Wish ")
In every appearance, he demonstrates superior capabilities, but also a mindset that seemed quite unlike what Federation scientists expected for such a powerful being. He had been described, in turn, as "obnoxious," "interfering," and a "pest." However, underneath his acerbic attitude, there seemed to be a hidden agenda to Q's visits that often had the best interests of Humanity at their core.
On Brax , he was known as "The God of Lies ." ( DS9 : " Q-Less ")
In the 22nd century , Q had "some dealings" with the El-Aurian Guinan . These encounters resulted in strong antipathy between them. ( TNG : " Q Who ")
When temporarily rendered Human by the Q Continuum , Q claimed to possess an IQ of "two thousand and five". ( TNG : " Deja Q ")
Q occasionally used verbal contractions in regular speech, but not often, as part of his chaotic god title. ( citation needed • edit )
By 2401 , Q was, for an unknown reason, dying, something that he had not believed to be possible. ( PIC : " Mercy ") Not wanting Picard to die alone as Q was about to, he endeavored to unshackle Picard from his past guilt so that he could move forward with his life simply because Q genuinely cared about Picard and wished to help his friend rather than for a grander design of some kind. To this end, Q intervened to save Picard and his friends from the destruction of the USS Stargazer and created an alternate timeline by altering the history of the Europa Mission in 2024 . After Picard and his friends restored the original timeline, Q revealed his true intentions and used the last of his power to send them home and to resurrect Elnor . Q's death saddened Picard who had come to see the being as a true friend and who ensured that Q was not alone when he finally met his end. ( PIC : " Farewell ")
In 2402 , despite his apparent death, Q appeared to Picard's son Jack Crusher , simply chiding him for thinking too linearly when asked about his death. Q told Jack that while the trial of humanity had ended for Picard, it had only just begun for Jack. Q's response to Jack's question about his death suggests that either Q never died or Jack was not meeting him in linear order to Picard's last encounter with Q, meaning that this Q may have been a version from before his supposed death. ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")
Picard and the Enterprise -D [ ]
Q was first encountered by the Federation when he appeared aboard the USS Enterprise -D in early 2364 . He warned the crew of the Enterprise that Humanity should return to their home star system or be destroyed.
Q appearing as a soldier of the Third World War
When he encountered resistance, Q placed Humanity on trial, with Jean-Luc Picard and his command crew as representatives. Q accused Humanity of being a "dangerous, savage child-race". Picard managed to strike a deal with Q, however, and submitted to a test of conduct to prove that Humanity had evolved beyond its previously savage state.
The Enterprise 's mission to Farpoint Station served as this test. The Starfleet crew sufficiently proved their evolved state of being by discovering and assisting a space vessel lifeform that had been coerced by the Bandi to take the form of a starbase . Q disappeared, but promised the crew they had not seen the last of him. ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ")
Q explaining to Picard that how Humans respond to a game tells more about them than a direct confrontation
The next time Q appeared on the Enterprise later that year, he created a bizarre and deadly "game" for the ship's crew, in order to demonstrate that he had given Commander William T. Riker Q-like abilities. His motives for this were that Humans had a desire to grow and explore, which the Q did not have or understand. Q wanted Riker to join the Continuum so they could understand and possess this desire because if they did not, Humanity could one day surpass the Q.
Q and Picard settled on a bet that, if Riker rejected his offer, the Q would leave Humanity alone forever. Ultimately, Riker rejected these new powers, and Q was forced back into the Continuum. ( TNG : " Hide And Q ")
Because of those actions, Q was asked to leave the Q Continuum. ( TNG : " Q Who ")
" Do we stay out here years? Decades? "
Q's third appearance on the Enterprise was in 2365 . He presented himself as homeless and expressed an interest in joining Picard's crew, his reason being that Humanity would eventually push into uncharted territory and would need a guide as they were ill-prepared to face what they would find. He even offered to renounce his powers to prove that his offer was genuine. However, when Picard vehemently declined (inspired by thinking that Humanity could handle any threat), Q hurled the Enterprise into the path of a Borg cube . Ultimately, Picard had to beg for Q's help in escaping from the pursuit of the Borg ship. ( TNG : " Q Who ")
In that encounter, Q alluded to a past association with Enterprise bartender Guinan. She declined to elaborate on the nature of their relationship, other than to express an extreme dislike for Q. Based on Q's reactions, the sentiment seemed mutual. ( TNG : " Q Who ")
Being Human [ ]
Powerless, Q meets Guinan in Ten Forward
In 2366 , Q was stripped of his power and immortality and transformed into a Human by the Q Continuum, as punishment for his irresponsibility. He sought refuge on the Enterprise , and requested asylum and protection from the beings in the universe whom he had tormented. Though Captain Picard and the rest of the crew were unconvinced of the sincerity of Q's plea and indeed suspected the entire situation was merely an elaborate prank, Picard agreed to provide Q temporary asylum. During a visit to Ten Forward (almost humorously), Guinan took advantage of the situation and stabbed Q in the hand with a fork. Though not a scientist, Q provided theoretical guidance for Geordi La Forge 's analysis of Bre'el IV 's moon , which was in danger of colliding with its planet of orbit . During that time, Data was assigned to watch Q and Q gained an unusual perspective on Humanity and its condition from observing Data, in turn. However, after a Calamarain attack nearly destroyed Data (who risked his life to protect Q), Q became ashamed of his newly-discovered lack of empathy for other beings, and resolved to leave on a shuttle, allow the Calamarain to kill him, and prevent further risk to the Enterprise crew. Another Q intervened at that point, acknowledged Q's selfless act and restored his powers as a reward. In gratitude, Q corrected the orbit of the moon and also gave a special gift to Data, his "professor of the Humanities", a brief moment of genuine laughter. ( TNG : " Deja Q ")
Meeting Vash and acting as benefactor [ ]
In 2367 , the Enterprise crew encountered a woman claiming to be the mythical Ardra of Ventax II . Her demonstrations of omnipotent power resembled those of Q, to the extent that the Enterprise crew speculated that she might be of the Q Continuum or perhaps Q himself. Picard pointed out that the woman's obsession with the Contract of Ardra was atypical of Q and her powers were later proved to be the product of sophisticated technology rather than any innate ability. ( TNG : " Devil's Due ")
Q and Vash visiting Deep Space 9 in 2369
Later, in 2367 , Q returned to the Enterprise to "properly" thank Captain Picard for his role in helping him regain his standing in the Continuum. At the time, Picard was meeting a past lover named Vash (whom he had met on Risa ) the year before. ( TNG : " Captain's Holiday ") Q resolved to teach Picard a lesson about love, and cast Picard, Vash, and the Enterprise command crew into an elaborate scenario styled by the ancient legend of Robin Hood . Q himself assumed the role of the High Sheriff of Nottingham . Ultimately, Picard learned and everyone was returned to the Enterprise . However, intrigued by Vash, Q offered to take her on a journey of exploration to various archaeological ruins of the galaxy and she accepted. To pay his debt to Picard, he promised no harm would come to Vash. ( TNG : " Qpid ")
Q encouraging Amanda Rogers to use her Q powers
In 2369 , he once again appeared aboard the Enterprise -D, this time to instruct Amanda Rogers , a seemingly Human female who developed Q powers during an internship with Doctor Beverly Crusher . Shortly after Rogers' birth, the Continuum used a tornado to execute Rogers' parents, two Q who had assumed life as Humans on Earth, for being unable to resist using their powers while in Human guise. Although Q's petulant and acerbic attitude did little to ingratiate himself to Amanda, he eventually convinced her to go with him to the Continuum to learn to use her new-found abilities. ( TNG : " True Q ")
A few months later, Q followed Vash back to the Alpha Quadrant , after the discovery of the Bajoran wormhole created a new avenue of travel between there and the Gamma Quadrant . Having had so much fun with Vash, Q wanted to continue exploring the galaxy , but Vash wanted nothing to do with him. While the two were at Deep Space 9 , mysterious power drains were thought to be Q's doing, but they were, in fact, due to an embryonic lifeform that Vash had unknowingly returned from the Gamma Quadrant. Q had a brief confrontation with Commander Benjamin Sisko during his visit and disrupted an auction that Quark and Vash staged in Quark's . Though he was intrigued by Sisko hitting him as Picard never did, Q eventually became bored because "Sisko was so different than Picard," being so much easier to provoke. One might speculate that Q's actions were intended to ensure Vash's safety in regards to the promise that he had made to Picard two years earlier. In the end, Q and Vash went their separate ways, though both eventually admitted to retaining a certain fondness for each other. ( DS9 : " Q-Less ")
Q appearing to Picard as "God" in the afterlife
Later that same year, Q appeared to Picard when the latter was critically injured in a Lenarian ambush. Appearing as "God", Q told Picard he died because of his artificial heart and offered him the chance to return to the incident in his youth, which allowed him to relive the events leading up to his near-fatal injury and change history. Though Picard was successful in changing history, he eventually realized the event – and his previous nature as an arrogant, brash young man – was a part of his identity, and had helped mold him into the successful Starfleet officer he became. Even though he was uncertain as to whether the experience had been real or simply a vision, Picard was grateful for Q's revelation. ( TNG : " Tapestry ")
Never-ending trial [ ]
Q congratulating Picard for his method of collapsing the anomaly
In 2370 , Q returned to the Enterprise to continue the trial against Humanity. Claiming the seven-year-old trial never actually ended, Q proclaimed Humanity guilty of "being inferior" and informed Picard that his race was to be destroyed. He sent him traveling through time to his own past and present, as well as to a potential future. In all three time periods, Picard was presented with a temporal paradox in the form of an eruption of anti-time in the Devron system . In that paradox, Picard himself was responsible for the creation of the anomaly, which propagated backward in normal time, anti-time having the opposite properties of normal time, thus destroying Humanity in the past.
In addition to sending Picard jumping through time, Q provided him with hints to understanding the nature of the paradox. Ultimately, Picard determined the solution and devised a way to close the anti-time anomaly in all three time periods. Following the success, Q revealed that the entire experience had been a test devised by the Continuum and had been aimed at determining whether Humanity was capable of expanding its horizons to understand some of the advanced concepts of the universe, including the potential of Humanity's own evolution – but helping Picard had been his idea. Q promised to continue watching Humanity and proclaimed that " the trial never ends. " ( TNG : " All Good Things... ")
Janeway and Voyager [ ]
Q debuting on Voyager
In 2372 , Q was sent by the Continuum to board the USS Voyager , whose crew had unintentionally released a renegade Q from confinement in a rogue comet . When the other Q (later known as "Quinn") asked for asylum on Voyager in order to fulfill his wish to commit suicide , an act considered illegal in the Continuum, Q was permitted to represent the Continuum at a hearing to determine whether the requested asylum would be granted. Q argued that permitting a Q to commit suicide would cause unspeakable chaos and disorder – a profound irony, considering Q's own history as a prankster and renegade. When confronted with his past deeds, Q commented that [his] record has been expunged.
Ultimately, Quinn's arguments prevailed and he was made into a mortal being. Q himself was touched by Quinn's dedication and beliefs – Quinn had previously been an admirer of Q's because of Q's propensity to stir controversy and spread chaos – and actually provided Quinn with the means with which to commit suicide. Q resolved to return to some of his old habits and to encourage the Continuum to allow more chaos into their own order. ( VOY : " Death Wish ")
Following the death of Quinn, a massive Q Civil War broke out as the forces of the status quo resisted the calls for change in the Continuum, by a faction led by Q himself. Seeking to end the conflict, Q devised a plan to mate with Kathryn Janeway , the captain of Voyager , in order to create a new Q / Human hybrid – a new breed of Q that would help bring an end to the civil war. However, Janeway flatly refused.
Q kidnapped Janeway and took her to the Continuum, where he again tried to persuade her by explaining the nature of the conflict. However, Janeway again declined, though she openly sympathized with Q for his inability to understand love and tried to negotiate a truce between the two sides. However, those negotiations failed because the status quo faction refused to accept any terms other than surrender. They tried to execute both Q and Janeway, but they were stopped by personnel from Voyager , with the assistance of Q female , an old flame of Q's. Q and the female Q were able to equip Janeway and the rest of Voyager 's crew with Q weapons , which they were able to use to battle the opposing status quo faction.
Q proposed mating with his old girlfriend instead of with Janeway and she agreed. The new child, nicknamed " Q junior ," became the first child born in the Continuum for millennia and his presence brought an end to the civil war. ( VOY : " The Q and the Grey ")
Q giving Janeway a PADD
Regardless, Q's child did not prove to become the perfect "savior" child he was meant to be; he grew into a spoiled brat and caused chaos and disorder. Q tried to briefly leave his son with "Aunt Kathy" aboard Voyager and hoped that Janeway's "vaunted Starfleet ideals" would rub off on him. Q himself began to learn more about the role of being a parent, revealing that much of Junior's actions were not punished properly by Q. However, after spending years with the child, Junior only began to behave worse. As a result, the Continuum stripped his son of his powers, left him aboard Voyager (again under the care of Janeway), and told him to change his ways within a week or he would be sentenced to spend eternity as an Oprelian amoeba .
Though Q was initially unimpressed by his son's progress, he devised a test of "Q-ness" to determine whether his son had improved his attitude. He masqueraded as a Chokuzan captain and threatened Junior and his friend Icheb after they took the Delta Flyer from Voyager . Junior passed with flying colors and offered to sacrifice himself to face the consequence of his actions, which had endangered Icheb.
However, the Continuum was not impressed by Junior's progress and sentenced him to remain a Human. Outraged, Q proclaimed he would leave the Continuum if his son was not allowed to rejoin – the pair was a "package deal". "Begging for [Q's] return" as a deterrent to instability, Q earlier stated that he "holds them all together", the Continuum acquiesced, on one condition – that Q retain eternal custody of the boy. Grateful for her assistance, Q provided Janeway with a map to a shortcut that would shave three years off Voyager 's journey home. Janeway asked Q why he did not send them all the way back to Earth and his response was that it would be setting a bad example for his son if he did all the work for them. ( VOY : " Q2 ")
The Cerritos [ ]
Q aboard the Cerritos
Q's reputation preceded him aboard the USS Cerritos , when in 2380 , he was referenced by Ensign Brad Boimler in a simile explaining the existence of his girlfriend , Lieutenant Barbara Brinson , whom he described as being "as real as a hopped-up Q on Captain Picard Day ." ( LD : " Cupid's Errant Arrow ")
That same year, he made multiple appearances aboard Cerritos . At one point, while wearing a variation of his judge's garb, he abducted four members of the bridge crew to participate in one of his challenges. He dressed the crew up as chess pieces , and put them on a large chessboard, but had anthropomorphic playing cards holding hockey sticks as the opposing pieces, football goal posts at either end of the game board , and a singing , dancing soccer ball .
After the Cerritos left K'Tuevon Prime , Q appeared before Ensigns Beckett Mariner , Brad Boimler, Sam Rutherford , and D'Vana Tendi to challenge them. Mariner told him they were not in the mood and walked away, even as Q followed them and urged them – in vain – to continue, and lamented that he found Picard to be boring. ( LD : " Veritas ")
The Road Not Taken [ ]
Q appears before Picard following the destruction of the Stargazer
At some point prior to 2401 , Q began to experience a change he believed was impossible: despite everything he believed about the Q as a species, Q was not truly immortal, and he realised that he was going to die. Symptoms of this phenomenon were that Q had begun to lose his powers. Q thought of it as being on "the threshold of the unknowable" and believed that he was about to be "enveloped in the warm glow of meaning" now that his life had a definite end in sight. ( PIC : " Mercy ")
In 2401, three decades after their last encounter, Q visited Picard at his home on Earth . After having ordered USS Stargazer to self-destruct in order to stop the Borg from seizing control of the Starfleet armada, Q had intervened to stop Picard's death. ( PIC : " Penance ") Picard had awoken in his home to find that not only was he alive, but several things had changed. Picard turned to face Q, and Q remarked that Picard was older than he imagined. Snapping his fingers, Q updated his appearance to more closely match the aged Picard and reminded Picard about the words that he imparted to him when they last parted ways, " the trial never ends. " Q reminded Picard about how he had talked about second chances and told him that he was now at the " very end of the road not taken. " ( PIC : " The Star Gazer ")
Following Picard's question as to where they were, Q explained to Picard that he had brought him "home". After Picard inquired about the whereabouts of the Stargazer crew, Q admitted that there was no Stargazer . Picard demanded to know what Q had done, to which Q responded that he had merely shown Picard a world of his own making and stated that it was "Human" of Picard to instead blame him. Picard angrily asked if Q had had enough of playing games with other peoples' lives and exclaimed that he was no longer Q's pawn, to which Q answered that Picard was much more than a pawn – he was instead the " very board upon which this game is played ". When Picard told him that he was too old for Q's "bullshit", Q angrily affirmed that Picard was old, and lamented that time was unfair and had presented Picard with " so many wrinkles... so many disappointments. " Picard demanded that Q get to the point, to " cut to the chase ". Q rambled to Picard about the chase bleeding out and how he was a suture on the wound. Noticing Q's odd behavior, Picard asked Q if he was unwell. Q responded by transporting them both to the vineyard.
At the vineyard, Picard asked again what had happened to the crew of the Stargazer , and Q acknowledged that he had intervened because he had wanted to see him. Picard demanded that Q tell him what he wanted, and Q told him that while he could tell him, Picard was too clever to listen. Picard told Q that he had enough of Q's patronizing, and Q struck Picard, angrily telling Picard that he had had enough of Picard's stubbornness, obstinance, and " insistence on changing in all ways but the one that matters ". Q declared the situation was not a lesson but instead a penance. Q explained that in Picard's original history, Humanity had found a way to spare the planet they were "murdering", but in this timeline, Humanity " keeps the corpse on life support ". Q once again transported Picard back inside the château, where he revealed several alien slaves working for Picard. Despite Picard's insistence that he would never do this, Q stated that " such moral convictions are the luxury of the victors ".
Q offers Picard a choice between remaining as he is, or a chance at "atonement"
Q brought Picard inside the trophy room , explaining the life that Picard had led in this new timeline. Q talked through several of Picard's trophies – including the skulls of Dukat , Martok , and Sarek , all of whom this timeline's Picard had executed in brutal fashion. Q called Picard " the most bloodthirsty, merciless, ruthless Human to ever set out to conquer the galaxy " and asked if Picard wished to see what else had been lost thanks to Picard's fear. He offered Picard a choice: he could remain as he was in this world, trapped inside " the body of a madman, in the world of a madman ", and try to " wash the blood " from his hands for the brutal murders committed by his counterpart – though Q deemed that to be "unwashable". Q offered an alternative: Picard could show atonement, possibly forgiveness. When Picard asked what he would be forgiving, Q answered cryptically that Picard already knew. Q stated that he would not let Picard take this on alone. Picard refused Q's choice and Q left him alone.
Picard would later inform Seven of Nine and Raffaela Musiker of his encounter with Q, and explained that Q would in the past put him to the test using "games" such as the situation they found themselves in. He told them that he felt that there was something wrong with Q, as he was acting stranger than usual.
A Borg Queen held captive in Agnes Jurati 's laboratory was able to perceive the fracture in the timeline and calculated that Q had implemented a single change in the year 2024 to create the current timeline. ( PIC : " Penance ") Q briefly appeared again to Picard aboard CSS La Sirena to repeat his words about this being the only life Picard understood. ( PIC : " Assimilation ")
Q observing Renée Picard, about to attempt to interfere with her mission
Q later observed Renée Picard reading a book before she undertook the Europa Mission . Q attempted to amplify Renée's fear about the upcoming mission, but his powers failed. ( PIC : " Watcher ")
He next attempted to get assistance from Adam Soong , whom he promised to give a cure for his daughter 's genetic disorder . ( PIC : " Fly Me to the Moon ")
During a gala celebrating the Europa Mission, Q, posing as Renée's therapist, encouraged her not to go on the mission and nearly succeeded. However, Picard successfully foiled Q's plan. In response, a desperate Soong tried to run down Renée, only to have Picard take the hit himself in order to save her life. ( PIC : " Two of One ")
Jean-Luc survived and met with Guinan, who performed an El-Aurian ritual in an effort to summon Q. The ritual appeared to fail, and shortly after, Guinan and Jean-Luc were arrested by a team of FBI agents led by Martin Wells . ( PIC : " Monsters ") Q had heard the summons, however, and visited Guinan in prison, where she realized that Q was dying. Q imparted to her that he was trying to find meaning in his remaining time, and that he was using Jean-Luc as a means to that end. He also demonstrated his loss of power by attempting unsuccessfully to vaporize Guinan. Q left with a parting statement that Humans were " all trapped in the past ", which gave Guinan the clue she needed in order for Jean-Luc to pry into Agent Wells' past in order to secure their release. ( PIC : " Mercy ")
Q later hacked himself into a virtual reality program operated by Kore Soong, to reveal to her the truth and offer himself as an ally, in spite of Adam Soong not keeping his end of their bargain. Kore removed the VR headset to end the conversation, but Q had left the permanent cure – labeled "freedom" – in the airlock for her. ( PIC : " Mercy ")
Q before his "death"
After the success of the Europa Mission and the restoration of the original timeline, Picard encountered Q in his home after leaving the skeleton key for his younger self to find in the future. Q noted that although Picard had the chance to potentially save his mother and change his own future, he instead accepted himself as he was and absolved himself. Because Picard had chosen himself, he may now be worthy for someone else to choose and he may even give himself the chance to be loved. Q reminded Picard that he'd told Picard that this was about forgiveness: Picard's own forgiveness of himself. Q stated that Picard had fixed all of the deaths that Q had caused by altering the timeline aside from Tallinn and Elnor . However, Tallinn was always destined to die in every timeline, but thanks to Picard's intervention, Tallinn had met Renée in this one. Picard asked why Q had taken such an interest in him for over thirty years and Q explained that he was dying alone and he didn't want that for Picard. Q had elaborated: " Even gods have favorites and you've always been one of mine. " As such, he had set it up so that Picard would travel back in time and in a round about way come to terms with his mother's death and absolve himself of his perceived responsibility for the event. " As I leave, I leave you free. " For once, Q was not acting as part of some grander design but simply because he cared about Picard and genuinely wanted to help his friend.
Gathering outside, Q prepared to use the last of his power to send Picard and his friends back to their own time, something that would kill Q in his weakened state. With Rios choosing to stay in 2024, Q told Picard that he had an unexpected surplus of energy that he would use to give Picard one last surprise gift. Stating that Q didn't have to die alone, Picard hugged him and an emotional Q promised to " see you out there " and snapped his fingers, sending Picard, Musiker, and Seven back to 2401 moments before the Stargazer 's destruction, allowing Picard the chance to change his future. Shortly thereafter, the group discovered Q's final gift: Q had resurrected Elnor and returned him to the Excelsior . ( PIC : " Farewell ")
Visiting Jack Crusher [ ]
Q in Jack Crusher's quarters aboard the USS Enterprise -G
In 2402 , Q appeared to Jack aboard the USS Enterprise -G . Jack immediately recognized the being, having heard about Q from his father Jean-Luc Picard . Jack was surprised as Q was supposed to be dead, but Q simply stated that he was hoping that "the next generation wouldn't think [time] so linearly", and told him that Jack had much ahead of him. While humanity's trial was over for Picard, Q was here to inform Jack that his trial had only just begun. ( PIC : " The Last Generation ")
Q's disguises [ ]
Locations "created" by Q [ ]
- A post-atomic horror courtroom of 2079 ( TNG : " Encounter at Farpoint ", " All Good Things... ")
- The planet of the animal things ( TNG : " Hide And Q ")
- Sherwood Forest ( TNG : " Qpid ")
- The afterlife ( TNG : " Tapestry ")
- The puzzle planetoid ( LD : " Veritas ")
Appendices [ ]
Appearances [ ].
- " Encounter at Farpoint " ( Season 1 )
- " Hide And Q "
- " Q Who " ( Season 2 )
- " Deja Q " ( Season 3 )
- " Qpid " ( Season 4 )
- " True Q " ( Season 6 )
- " Tapestry "
- " All Good Things... " ( Season 7 )
- DS9 : " Q-Less " ( Season 1 )
- " Death Wish " ( Season 2 )
- " The Q and the Grey " ( Season 3 )
- " Q2 " ( Season 7 )
- LD : " Veritas "
- " The Star Gazer " ( Season 2 )
- " Penance "
- " Assimilation "
- " Watcher "
- " Fly Me to the Moon "
- " Two of One " ( flashback ; archive footage)
- " Farewell "
- " The Last Generation " ( Season 3 )
Background information [ ]
Filming Q's scene in The Next Generation series finale " All Good Things... "
Q was played by John de Lancie ; Q as the Chozukan commander was played by Michael Kagan .
The idea of Q was conceived by Gene Roddenberry as a way to help fill out the events of "Encounter at Farpoint" from a one-hour to two-hour running time. ( Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 28) The name "Q" was chosen by Roddenberry in honor of an English Star Trek fan named Janet Quarton. She was the first president of the UK Star Trek fan club, and Roddenberry and many others spent time at her home, in the Scottish highlands. ( Star Trek Encyclopedia (4th ed., vol. 2, p. 191); [1] )
Immediately after Roddenberry invented the character of Q, the other members of the TNG preproduction staff realized it was very reminiscent of the character Trelane from the Star Trek: The Original Series episode " The Squire of Gothos ". " We're all looking at each other, saying, 'It's Trelane [from the original series] all over again,' " remembered David Gerrold . " We all hated it and very gently suggested to Gene that it wasn't very good. Of course, this fell on deaf ears. He said, 'Trust me, the way I'll do it, the fans will love it.' " ( The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years , p. 67)
In an interview, de Lancie likewise drew parallels between Q and Trelane, feeling Gene Roddenberry had explored his storehouse of effective creations in writing The Next Generation and had found one that would turn out to be highly successful again in The Next Generation . [2] In another interview, de Lancie stated that, upon thinking of ways to describe Q's character, he had remembered a famous quote made about Lord Byron : That he was "mad, bad, and dangerous to know." ( Star Trek 25th Anniversary Special )
Minimal makeup was used for the character of Q. " We always defined Q with a little eye makeup and a little lip color, just to make him stand out, " recalled Makeup Supervisor Michael Westmore . ( Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 26)
Production designer Herman Zimmerman was influential in the depiction of Q as a judge presiding over a courtroom . In the script of "Encounter at Farpoint," Q seemed to be floating in that area, though none of the production crew could figure out precisely how to show Q floating without resorting to visual effects for every one of those shots. Ultimately, Zimmerman suggested putting de Lancie on a camera crane and bringing him into the courtroom out of a black hole, which was exactly how Q's arrival in that scene was shot. ( Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 30)
The depiction of Q in "Encounter at Farpoint" turned out to be extremely popular. Yar actress Denise Crosby commented, " The character of Q, and the way John de Lancie was playing it, was really interesting. " Rick Berman noted, " I think [Q] was certainly the most memorable element of that opening episode. " "Encounter at Farpoint" Director Corey Allen remarked, " Q was so clearly a wonderful idea of Gene's, about the questions we all ask ourselves; he was the interrogator that each of us carries on our shoulder. " Herman Zimmerman observed that his idea of having Q arrive in the courtroom on a camera crane "worked very well." ( Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12 , pp. 19, 28, & 30)
Though a first draft script of TNG Season 1 episode " Hide And Q " that Maurice Hurley penned was substantially rewritten by Gene Roddenberry, the character of Q still intrigued Hurley thereafter. He thought of Q as an unreliable god and subsequently intended for him to feature in a story arc through the second season . Due to a writers' strike though, he was only returned in the Season 2 episode " Q Who " before Hurley left the series. ( Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12 , pp. 52 & 53)
Rob Bowman , who got an opportunity to direct de Lancie as Q in "Q Who," enjoyed the experience, finding that de Lancie was easy to direct in the role. " He really had a grasp of the peculiarities of that character, " Bowman remarked. ( Star Trek: The Magazine Volume 2, Issue 12 , p. 95)
Though Q was a recurring character over a relatively long time, he was used sparingly by the Star Trek producers in case fans got tired of him. Gowron actor Robert O'Reilly once likened these circumstances to his own situation, regarding his portrayal of Gowron. ( The Official Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Magazine issue 16 , p. 22) Writing staffer Ronald D. Moore commented, " Q was a fascinating character, but I thought that he should be carefully rationed through the series. I thought if you played him about once a season, that was the most you wanted to use him. " ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 90, p. 17)
Devising Q stories challenged the writing staff of Star Trek: The Next Generation due to the character's omnipotence. Q could not be made completely into an adversary as he could simply wipe all the characters out of existence. The fact he was intended to be all-powerful also raised the question of why he even bothered with Humans and their allies. Both Ronald D. Moore and Jeri Taylor found it difficult to write for the character, though Moore also regarded doing so as "fun" because Q's extreme powers allowed the writers a wide variety of stories they could feature him in. ( Star Trek: Communicator issue 113 , p. 68)
Patrick Stewart and John de Lancie during the filming of " Tapestry "
Following Q's appearance in " Q-Less ", the possibility of him making another visit to DS9 was dismissed by Ira Steven Behr , when he remarked, " I don't foresee Q being back on the show. To me, his relationship with Picard was gold. And I don't think we can top it. " ( AOL chat , 1997 ) Ron Moore agreed, " The secret to Q was the Q and Picard relationship. Q was in love with Picard, for some reason. That was the underpinning of the relationship, which was why, when he came to Deep Space Nine , he wasn't as effective a character. The weird love affair that he had going with Jean-Luc made that whole thing work, and it made ' Tapestry ' work, and ultimately it made ' All Good Things... ' work. " ( Star Trek: The Official Starships Collection , issue 90, p. 17)
Q was originally rumored to make an appearance in Star Trek: Insurrection ; however, Michael Piller ultimately put those rumors to rest. ( AOL chat , 1997 )
In 2002 , Q placed eleventh in TV Zone 's list of the top twenty science fiction television villains, along with several other Star Trek characters; the Borg Queen was second, Dukat was fourth, Weyoun was eighth, and Seska was nineteenth. However, despite his listing, Q is not necessarily a villain, but more of an anti-hero.
Along with Quark, Morn , and Evek , Q is one of only four characters to appear in all of the first three Star Trek series based in the 24th century : Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , and Star Trek: Voyager . Of these four, Q is the only one who did not appear in " Caretaker ".
Of the thirteen Star Trek episodes featuring Q prior to Star Trek: Picard Season 2 , eight of them use the letter "Q" in the title, often forming a pun.
In " Magic to Make the Sanest Man Go Mad ", having Harcourt Fenton Mudd say " Adieu, mon capitaine " to Captain Gabriel Lorca was intended as an homage to Q. [3]
Q was the first character to ever use the word "trek" in a Star Trek film or episode, which he does in the Star Trek: The Next Generation series finale "All Good Things...". However, Zefram Cochrane is the only character to utter the phrase "star trek," doing so in Star Trek: First Contact .
Apocrypha [ ]
According to Q in the String Theory books, omnipotent beings were actually rather fond of games of choice and chance as it was only under those conditions that beings such as Q could feel the thrill of not being in total control.
Besides the character of Trelane having been an inspiration on the conception of Q in reality, they were both featured in Q-Squared , in which Trelane was actually described as a "child" member of the Q Continuum, even implied to be Q's own illegitimate son.
The reason for Q's original interest in Picard in particular was explained in the novel The Buried Age , which also revealed he chose to call himself "Q" as he felt that his original choice of 'The Inquisitor' would be too complicated for Humans to say regularly, speculating that, if ever asked why he called himself 'Q', he would reply, "Because U will always be behind me."
The audio play " Spock Vs. Q: The Sequel " suggested there was at least one individual "above" Q, naming herself "Petunia", who, in the play, seemed to have taken Q's powers and placed him, together with Spock, on an asteroid.
In the novel Q-in-Law , Q meets Lwaxana Troi who developed romantic feelings toward him when the two came to the Enterprise during a significant wedding in 2366. Q used this to his advantage to perform a cruel experiment on the nature of the Human emotion of love and Q briefly shared his vast power with Lwaxana. When Q was finished with his experiment to prove that love made others blind to faults in their chosen partner and fixated on their own desires, citing as proof how Lwaxana had ignored all the warnings that he would do exactly this, he tried to take the power back without success. Lwaxana used her power to thoroughly humiliate Q as he had humiliated her. It was later revealed that Q2 was responsible for preventing Q from removing Lwaxana's powers as a way to teach Q another lesson about interfering in the lives of mortals.
Q returned in the Star Trek: Ongoing story arc The Q Gambit . Beginning shortly after the events of Star Trek: Countdown , Q visits Picard on board the USS Enterprise -E , informing Picard that Spock was still alive and that the black hole he was pulled into actually sent him into an alternate reality . When Q tries to discuss this timeline, Picard cuts him off, believing that the various timelines should remain separate from one another. Annoyed, Q reveals he had come for Picard's counsel as Spock had set off a chain of events that would doom that timeline. But since the former captain was uninterested, Q took his leave for the other timeline despite Picard's attempt to call him back. Materializing aboard the USS Enterprise on Stardate 2261.34 , Q introduces himself to James T. Kirk by way of masquerading as a security officer (and complimenting the shiny aesthetic of the ship).
To test Kirk's established lack of belief in a " no-win scenario ", Q replicates the Kobayashi Maru scenario in an attempt to teach Kirk that no-win scenarios are a reality. Kirk is undaunted and reveals that no matter what, he does not believe in a no-win scenario. Q takes them both back in time to when Kirk died saving the Enterprise . As the two watch the event, Q asks Kirk if this constitutes Kirk beating the ultimate no-win scenario before revealing he will show Kirk a scenario where failure is a certainty. He then sends the Enterprise and its crew over a hundred years into the future where the Federation no longer exists and the Dominion established an alliance with the Cardassian Union and took over the Alpha Quadrant while existing in a state of cold war against the Klingon Empire .
Q sporadically appears to Kirk throughout the adventure, offering vague advice as well as assuring that he and his crew would not be confined to these dire circumstances forever. After Gul Dukat had merged with a Pah-wraith and intended to ascend to godhood, Q finally appears to Kirk and reveals to him the true magnitude of the stakes: The higher species are at war and the Q Continuum is on the verge of defeat. Galvanized by their victory over the Prophets , the Pah-wraiths have turned on their other neighbors. Not even the Q can stop their onslaught because in spite of all the power they wield in the three-dimensional universe , they are as powerless and clueless as Humans in their own realm. Unable to find a path to victory, Q left to seek the counsel of Picard on what action to take. But when he could not get an answer, Q intended to instead seek the counsel of Kirk for his experience in triumphing over no-win scenarios.
When Q, Kirk, Spock , and Sisko are brought aboard the Enterprise as prisoners, Dukat kills Sisko, who transfers the last Prophet to Spock, and Spock then transfers the Prophet into Q through a mind meld . This causes the two to merge into an even more powerful entity, one readily capable of quelling the Pah-wraith threat. After returning the Enterprise and its crew back to their proper places in time and making it so that only Kirk and Spock remember what happened throughout their ordeal, Q returns to Picard to inform him of his latest adventure. Flatly, Picard said he did not want to know.
In " Connection, Part 1 ", Q is mentioned when Kirk switches minds with his prime timeline counterpart and Kirk initially assumes Q was messing with him again, with a confused Chekov asking who Q is.
John de Lancie shared his own origin story for the Q in an interview following the conclusion of his arc in Star Trek: Picard : " I gave myself a story, which was, Plato’s Cave. “There’s a cave with an entrance [that] the sunlight goes through, there are humans who are chained inside the cave and can only see the wall of the cave. Therefore, everything that goes in front of the cave becomes a projection on the wall. So they are only seeing shadows. Continuing the story, one of them breaks his chains, goes out to the entrance, goes outside, and goes ‘Oh, my God, that is reality – that is truth out there.’ Comes back, [and] tells the humans, ‘These are just shadows, I’m a philosopher now, I’m giving you the truth.’ And of course, they kill him. So I had in my head, what are the Q? The Q are in fact the [people] who are chained, who watch the wall. We are the witnesses, but we are only seeing the shadows. So what have I done? I’m the one who has broken out. And I’m traipsing through the universe trying to actually get the real deal. That was my backstory. " [4]
Q and the Q Continuum appeared in the following non- canon works:
- Spock Vs. Q
- Spock Vs. Q: The Sequel
- Star Trek: Borg - Experience the Collective
- #9: Requiem
- #13: Gods Above
- The Buried Age
- The Eternal Tide
- Encounter at Farpoint
- All Good Things...
- Q's Guide to the Continuum
- " All Good Things... "
- #3: " Q Factor "
- #4: " Q's Day "
- #5: " Q Affects! "
- #33: " The Way of the Warrior "
- #34: " Devil's Brew! "
- #35: " The Dogs of War "
- #79: " Artificiality "
- #80: " The Abandoned "
- Annual #1: " The Gift "
- Star Trek Unlimited #7: " An Infinite Jest "
- " The Q Gambit, Part 1 "
- " The Q Gambit, Part 2 "
- " The Q Gambit, Part 3 "
- " The Q Gambit, Part 4 "
- " The Q Gambit, Part 5 "
- " The Q Gambit, Part 6 "
- Star Trek: Borg
- Star Trek: The Game Show
- Star Trek: ConQuest Online
- Star Trek Online
- Star Trek Timelines
External links [ ]
- Q at StarTrek.com
- Q at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
- Q at Wikipedia
- 3 Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Star Trek Folgen Specials
1.) Star Trek Borg Episoden
2.) Star Trek Q-Episoden
3.) Star Trek Zeitreise Episoden
Star Trek Borg Folgen
Die Borg, bzw. das Borg-Kollektiv ist eine der kompromisslosesten aber auch faszinierendsten Fraktionen im Star Trek Universum. Anbei eine Liste mit allen Star Trek Folgen, in denen die Borg eine Rolle spielen. Hinweis: Episoden, in denen die Borg nur eine sehr kleine Rolle spielen (z.B. in einer Traumsequenz oder nur als Hologramm vorkommend) haben wir mit einem „ * “ markiert.
Star Trek: Enterprise
- Regeneration (Episode 23, Staffel 2)
Star Trek: The Next Generation
- Zeitsprung mit Q ( Episode 16, Staffel 2)
- In den Händen der Borg (Episode 26, Staffel 3)
- Angriffsziel Erde (Episode 1, Staffel 4)
- Ich bin Hugh (Episode 23, Staffel 5)
- Angriff der Borg, Teil 1 (Episode 26, Staffel 6)
- Angriff der Borg, Teil 2 (Episode 1, Staffel 7)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
- *Der Abgesandte (Episode 1, Staffel 1)
Star Trek: Voyager
- * Pon Farr (Episode 16, Staffel 3)
- Die Kooperative (Episode 17, Staffel 3)
- Skorpion Teil 1 (Episode 26, Staffel 3)
- Skorpion Teil 2 (Episode 1, Staffel 4)
- Der schwarze Vogel (Episode 6, Staffel 4)
- * Der Zeitzeuge (Episode 23, Staffel 4)
- * Eine (Episode 25, Staffel 4)
- * In Furcht und Hoffnung (Episode 26, Staffel 4)
- Die Drohne (Episode 2, Staffel 5)
- Das Vinculum (Episode 7, Staffel 5)
- Das ungewisse Dunkel, Teil 1 (Episode 15, Staffel 5)
- Das ungewisse Dunkel, Teil 2 (Episode 16, Staffel 5)
- Überlebensinstinkt (Episode 2, Staffel 6)
- * Dame, Doktor, As, Spion (Episode 4, Staffel 6)
- Das Kollektiv (Episode 16, Staffel 6)
- Icheb (Episode 19, Staffel 6)
- Unimatrix Zero, Teil 1 (Episode 26, Staffel 6)
- Unimatrix Zero, Teil 2 (Episode 1, Staffel 7)
- Unvollkommenheit (Episode 2, Staffel 7)
- * Fleisch und Blut, Teil 1 (Episode 9, Staffel 7)
- * Fleisch und Blut, Teil 2 (Episode 10, Staffel 7)
- * Zersplittert (Episode 11, Staffel 7)
- Endspiel, Teil 1 (Episode 25, Staffel 7)
- Endspiel, Teil 2 (Episode 25, Staffel 7)
Star Trek: Picard
- * Gedenken (Episode 1, Staffel 1)
- Karten und Legenden (Episode 2, Staffel 1)
- Die Geheimnisvolle Box (Episode 6, Staffel 1)
- Die Stargazer (Episode 1, Staffel 2)
- Star Trek: Der erste Kontakt (Film)
Star Trek Q-Folgen
Der Charakter Q nimmt im Star Trek Universum insofern eine besondere Rolle ein, da er das einzige omnipotente Wesen ist, dass regelmäßig und aus eigenem Antrieb Kontakt zur Föderation sucht. Q ist in gewisser Weise fasziniert von den Menschen, auch wenn er von den meisten Menschen als nervig und arrogant wahrgenommen wird. Wir finden die Star Trek Folgen mit Q fast allesamt hervorragend. Auch wenn Q’s Handlungen zum Teil durchaus fragwürdig sind, stellt er das Handeln der Menschen (der Föderation) oft auf sehr unorthodoxe Art auf die Probe und bringt die Menschen dazu Ihr eigenes Handeln zu hinterfragen.
- Der Mächtige (Episode 1, Staffel 1)
- Mission Farpoint (Episode 2, Staffel 1)
- Rikers Versuchung (Episode 10, Staffel 1)
- Zeitsprung mit Q (Episode 16, Staffel 2)
- Noch einmal Q (Episode 13, Staffel 3)
- Gefangen in der Vergangenheit (Episode 20, Staffel 4)
- Eine echte „Q“ (Episode 6, Staffel 6)
- Willkommen im Leben nach dem Tode (Episode 15, Staffel 6)
- Gestern, heute, morgen, Teil 1 (Episode 25, Staffel 7)
- Gestern, heute, morgen, Teil 2 (Episode 26, Staffel 7)
- Q – unerwünscht (Episode 7, Staffel 1)
- Todessehnsucht (Episode 18, Staffel 2)
- Die „Q“-Krise (Episode 11, Staffel 3)
- Q2 (Episode 19, Staffel 7)
- Wächter (Episode 4, Staffel 2)
- Fly me to the moon (Episode 5, Staffel 2)
- Die Gala (Episode 6, Staffel 2)
- Monster (Episode 7, Staffel 2)
- Gnade (Episode 8, Staffel 2)
- Abschied (Episode 10, Staffel 2)
Star Trek Zeitreise-Folgen
Zeitreisen sind im Science-Fiction-Genre ein beliebtes Setting – zu recht! Zeitreisen bieten Raum für wilde Spekulationen und was-wäre-wenn-Fragen. Natürlich darf bei Zeitreisen auch das klassische Motiv „Wir müssen in der Vergangenheit irgendwas reparieren, um die Zukunft zu retten“ bei Zeitreisen nicht fehlen. Im Star Trek Universum gibt es erfreulicherweise Dutzende Zeitreise-Episoden!
Im Folgenden findet Ihr alle Star Trek Folgen, in denen Zeitreisen vorkommen. Darüber hinaus haben wir auch Folgen mit in die Liste genommen, bei denen temporale Anomalien eine tragende Rolle spielen.
Star Trek: The Original Series
- Implosion in der Spirale (Episode 6, Staffel 1)
- Morgen ist Gestern (Episode 21, Staffel 1)
- Griff in die Geschichte (Episode 28, Staffel 1)
- Ein Planet, genannt Erde (Episde 26, Staffel 2)
- Portal in die Vergangenheit (Episode 23, Staffel 3)
- Begegnung mit der Vergangenheit (Episode 24, Staffel 1)
- Die Zukunft schweigt (Episode 13, Staffel 2)
- Die alte Enterprise (Episode 15, Staffel 3)
- Picard macht Urlaub (Episode 19, Staffel 3)
- Der zeitreisende Historiker (Episode 9, Staffel 5)
- Déjà Vu (Episode 18, Staffel 5)
- Gefahr aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, Teil 2 (Episode 26, Staffel 5)
- Gefahr aus dem 19. Jahrhundert, Teil 2 (Episode 1, Staffel 6)
- Gefangen in einem temporären Fragment (Episode 25, Staffel 6)
- Parallelen (Episode 11, Staffel 7)
- Gestern, Heute, Morgen, Teil 1 (Episode 25, Staffel 7)
- Gestern, Heute, Morgen, Teil 2 (Episode 26, Staffel 7)
- Gefangen in der Vergangenheit, Teil 1 (Episode 11, Staffel 3)
- Gefangen in der Vergangenheit, Teil 2 (Episode 12, Staffel 3)
- Der Visionär (Episode 17, Staffel 3)
- Der Besuch (Episode 3, Staffel 4)
- Kleine, grüne Männchen (Episode 7, Staffel 4)
- Die Übernahme (Episode 17, Staffel 4)
- Immer die Last mit den Tribbles (Episode 6, Staffel 5)
- Kinder der Zeit (Episode 22, Staffel 5)
- Tiefes Unrecht (episode 17, Staffel 6)
- Das Zeitportal (Episode 24, Staffel 6)
- Der Klang Ihrer Stimme (Episode 25, Staffel 6)
- Die Parallaxe (Episode 3, Staffel 1)
- Subraumspalten (Episode 4, Staffel 1)
- Das Nadelöhr (Episode 7, Staffel 1)
- Der Zeitstrom (Episode 5, Staffel 2)
- Vor dem Ende der Zukunft, Teil 1 (Episode 8, Staffel 3)
- Vor dem Ende der Zukunft, Teil 2 (Episode 9, Staffel 3)
- Temporale Sprünge (Episode 21, Staffel 3)
- Ein Jahr Hölle, Teil 1 (Episode 8, Staffel 4)
- Ein Jahr Hölle, Teil 2 (Episode 9, Staffel 4)
- Temporale Paradoxie (Episode 6, Staffel 5)
- Schwere (Episode 13, Staffel 5)
- Zeitschiff „Relativity“ (Episode 24, Staffel 5)
- Es geschah in einem Augenblick (Episode 12, Staffel 6)
- Voller Wut (Episode 23, Staffel 6)
- Zersplittert (Episode 11, Staffel 7)
- Endspiel, Teil 2 (Episode 26, Staffel 7)
- Aufbruch ins Unbekannte, Teil 1 (Episode 1, Staffel 1)
- Aufbruch ins Unbekannte, Teil 2 (Episode 2, Staffel 1)
- Kalter Krieg (Episode 11, Staffel 1)
- Die Schockwelle, Teil 1 (Episode 26, Staffel 1)
- Die Schockwelle, Teil 2 (Episode 1, Staffel 2)
- Die Zukunft (Episode 16, Staffel 2)
- Carpenter Street (Episode 11, Staffel 3)
- Azati Prime (Episode 18, Staffel 3)
- E² (Episode 21, Staffel 3)
- Stunde Null (Episode 24, Staffel 3)
- Sturmfront, Teil 1 (Episode 1, Staffel 4)
- Sturmfront, Teil 2 (Episode 2, Staffel 4)
Star Trek: Discovery
- Auftakt zur Vergangenheit (Episode 13, Staffel 1)
- Der rote Engel (Episode 10, Staffel 2)
- Der Zeitsturm ( Episode 11, Staffel 2)
- Süße Trauer, Teil 2 (Episode 14, Staffel 2)
Star Trek Filme mit Zeitreise-Elementen:
- Star Trek 4: Zurück in die Gegenwart
- Star Trek: Treffen der Generationen
- Star Trek: Der erste Kontak t
DVD- & Blu-Ray-Boxen & Streaming-Möglichkeiten
- Zu einigen Themen, wie z.B. Borg-Folgen oder Folgen mit Q gibt es von Fans zusammengestellte Fan-Collective-Boxen ( mehr erfahren )
- Infos zu kompletten Serien-Boxen und Infos zu Streaming-Möglichkeiten findet Ihr hier .
Privacy Overview
8 Best Q Quotes In Star Trek: The Next Generation
The enigmatic Q provides many life lessons for Captain Picard as the Enterprise journeys through outer space.
- Q is a god-like entity with a perverse sense of humor who forms a love/hate relationship with Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Q's role is to guide and challenge humanity rather than destroy it, as he often sets obstacles that the Enterprise-D can overcome.
- Q is a memorable character due to his irritating but not-quite-evil nature, his contrast of humor and menace, and his role as a foil to the staid Picard.
There are many strange and exciting things to be discovered in the world of Star Trek: The Next Generation , from mind-bending anomalies to foes like the Klingons or Borg. But one of the strangest forces encountered by the Enterprise-D during its long-term exploration mission was Q (John de Lancie), a god-like entity with an especially perverse sense of humor.
Best Picard Quotes In Star Trek: The Next Generation
Q is both an occasional ally to and a thorn in the side, of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The two characters develop something of a love/hate relationship as their various encounters bring them face to face with alternate timelines, scientific conundrums, and deadly threats to the Federation.
8 "Generosity has always been my weakness."
"encounter at farpoint" (season 1, episodes 1 and 2).
Q's initial challenge for the human race is to solve the mystery of Farpoint Station. Picard and his crew realize that they need to free a powerful alien from captivity.
Q's comment about his apparent generosity is interesting, as it suggests that, for all his theatrics about presiding over the future of humanity, a part of him wants Picard to succeed. He does not set obstacles that the Enterprise -D is unable to overcome, demonstrating that the entity is interested in guiding humanity rather than destroying it.
7 "Sometimes I think the only reason I come here is to listen to these wonderful speeches of yours."
"True Q" (Season 6, Episode 6)
Q and Picard cannot exactly be called friends, but their banter is a key feature of their complicated relationship. In "True Q", Q responds to Picard's monologue about the differing moralities of the Q Continuum and the Federation by playfully complimenting Picard's custom of taking every opportunity to give a self-important lecture. Yet the pair have genuine affection for one another, despite their differing perspectives.
6 Weirdest Star Trek Easter Eggs
It is this tension that helps to make Q such a memorable character. He is irritating, rather than evil, and there is a certain method to his madness. Indeed, Q's jester-like qualities make him the perfect foil for the staid Picard, resulting in one of Star Trek 's greatest double acts.
6 "Change is at the heart of what you are. But change into what? That's the question."
"hide and q" (season 1, episode 9).
The Next Generation 's writers often complained that Gene Roddenberry's enlightened humanity limited the kind of stories they could tell, but some contributors were still able to show enduring human flaws even in the enlightened twenty-fourth century. In "Hide and Q", the titular super-being tempts Commander Riker by offering to have him join the powerful Q.
Riker ultimately chooses to remain as a human, despite the great powers that the Q Continuum offers. However, both the episode and Q's dialogue demonstrate that, for all its advances, the human race has not finished evolving into its final form.
5 "They're simply interested in your ship, its technology. They've identified it as something they can consume."
"q who" (season 2, episode 16).
- "The Borg is the ultimate user. They're unlike any threat your Federation has ever faced. They're not interested in political conquest, wealth, or power as you know it. They're simply interested in your ship, its technology. They've identified it as something they can consume."
Q's doom-laden speech about the Borg sets out a new status quo that would come to define not only the remainder of The Next Generation , but would also inform shows like Deep Space Nin e , Voyager , Enterprise , and even Star Trek: Picard .
John de Lancie demonstrates considerable skills as a comedy actor throughout his time on Star Trek , but his chilling speech about the Borg demonstrates that the powerful Q is as menacing as he is humorous. This contrast is part of what makes Q such a legendary character in the Star Trek mythos.
4 "No feelings. No emotions. No pain. And yet you covet those qualities of humanity."
"deja q" (season 3, episode 13).
- "There are creatures in the universe who would consider you the ultimate achievement, android. No feelings. No emotions. No pain. And yet you covet those qualities of humanity. Believe me, you're missing nothing. But if it means anything to you - you're a better human than I."
While some episodes of The Next Generation examined how humans reacted to becoming part of the Q Continuum, "Deja Q" reversed the equation and showed the consequences of Q becoming human. Q struggles to adjust to his new condition, including the need for sleep.
Star Trek: 8 Best Holodeck Creations Ever
Q discusses his newfound humanity with Data, who longs to be more human. In the scene, Q demonstrates a touching sympathy towards the android , pointing out that Data is more human than Q can ever be. Once Q regains his powers, he uses them to make Data experience laughter for the first time, demonstrating that, for all his tricks, Q is capable of good deeds.
3 "It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
- "If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
While the second season of The Next Generation is generally regarded as one of the show's weaker years (due in part to industry strikes), it holds the distinction of introducing one of science fiction's most iconic threats : the Borg.
Picard complains that the meeting with the Borg has resulted in the deaths of several of the Enterprise 's crew. Q is unrepentant: he points out that space is a dangerous place to explore, and that Picard should expect to face significant obstacles during his voyages. However, given that the alternative is to miss out on the wonders of the cosmos, Q believes that Picard and his crew must be brave.
2 "He's the person you wanted to be. One who was less arrogant and undisciplined in his youth. One who was less like me."
"tapestry" (season 6, episode 15).
In "Tapestry", Q offers Picard a second chance at life. Rather than being stabbed as a reckless youth, Picard is given the chance to do things differently and avoid the incident. However, changing his past has far-reaching ramifications. Without a near-death experience, Picard becomes meek and never reaches the captain's chair.
Patrick Stewart Confirms Star Trek: The Next Generations's Weirdest Rumor
Q's intervention teaches Picard an important lesson: there are times when recklessness can pay off, and he must take life as it comes, rather than attempting to tidy it up. Picard may be ashamed of his past, but it is what drives him to succeed in the present.
1 "The trial never ends."
"all good things..." (season 7, episodes 25 and 26).
- "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."
The Next Generation comes full circle in its finale, "All Good Things...", in which Q makes the closing arguments in the trial for humanity's survival. Picard must solve a fiendishly complicated temporal puzzle to convince Q of the human race's right to exist. While he eventually succeeds, Q reminds Picard that the tests faced by the human race are bound to continue. The process of exploration is never-ending.
Star Trek: Picard would later return to this sentiment , with Q reminding Picard of his earlier words. Q's classic speech also foreshadows that, while The Next Generation was coming to an end, the so-called Golden Age of Star Trek was only just beginning.
MORE: Star Trek: Best Body Swap Episodes
John de Lancie Talks Reprising Q on ‘Star Trek: Picard’: ‘You Can Never Go Back’ (EXCLUSIVE)
By Adam B. Vary
Adam B. Vary
Senior Entertainment Writer
- 15 Buzzy SXSW Premieres: ‘The Fall Guy,’ ‘3 Body Problem,’ Travis Kelce’s Producing Debut and More 1 day ago
- SXSW Announces Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, Katie Couric, Brooke Shields to Lead Keynote on Women in Media (EXCLUSIVE) 4 days ago
- ‘Elsbeth’ Star Carrie Preston on Columbo’s Inspiration, That ‘Good Wife’ Reference and Taking Center Stage 1 week ago
When John de Lancie was first cast as Q on the pilot of “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” his expectation was that he was only supposed to play the wily omnipotent being — who challenges Capt. Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) with proving humanity’s worthiness — for that single, two-part episode. But three days into shooting, “Star Trek” creator Gene Roddenberry took de Lancie aside.
“He said to me, ‘You have no idea what you’ve gotten yourself into,'” de Lancie says. “And oh my god, was he right.”
De Lancie reprised his performance as Q on seven more episodes of “TNG,” including the series finale, when Q promised he would visit Picard again “from time to time.” Despite appearances as Q on “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” and “Star Trek: Voyager” (as well as a brief cameo on the animated series “Star Trek: Lower Decks”), however, Q never did drop in on Picard for another verbal tête-à-tête.
That is, until Monday’s announcement that de Lancie would return as Q in Season 2 of the Paramount Plus series “ Star Trek: Picard ,” which will premiere in 2022.
A prolific character actor in TV, film and theater, de Lancie’s played everything from “My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic” as the voice of the villain Discord to “Breaking Bad” as Donald Margolis, the distraught father of the heroin-addicted Jane (Krysten Ritter).
But for many, Q is de Lancie’s signature role. His episodes of “TNG” remain some of the most beloved in the series’ seven-season run from 1987 to 1994, and the news that he would be playing the role again lit up Trekkie Twitter in celebration. In this exclusive conversation with Variety , de Lancie explains his reaction to the news that he was being invited to return to “the dinner party,” as he puts it — and his reservations about reprising a character he hasn’t played since 2001.
When “Star Trek: Picard” was first announced, did that cause you to wonder, “Oh, what if Q could come back?”
Well, it’s interesting. Terry [Matalas], one of the executive producers, when I met with him, he said, “Oh, of course, you knew you were going to be coming back.” And I said, “You know what, Terry, ‘Star Trek’ has done a lot of movies and other shows without me. So I did not assume that that was going to be the case.” I just sort of discipline myself as a professional over the years to go, “look, it’s somebody else’s dinner party. You cannot spend your time worrying about whether you’re getting invited. Just take it off the radar. You get invited or you don’t get invited, that’s all.”
So when were you first invited back to this dinner party?
Well, I want to say, six months ago. This whole COVID year has been disjointed, but it was after their first season.
How did that feel to know that they were interested in bringing Q back?
You know, it was, and is, a little bit of a mixed bag. One of the issues that I have is you don’t want to fall into the trap of re -creating. I was obviously a little concerned — very concerned — about the issues having to do with, well, excuse me, this is 20 years later. I’m supposed to be immortal and I certainly look very mortal. There were issues about all of that. I was flattered. Of course, I said yes. I didn’t have to think about that part. And then I wondered, where are they going to go with this?
Did the producers talk with you at that point about what was planned for Q, or was this more of a mystery to you?
There was generalized talk, which intrigued me. One of the things that’s sort of unusual, having played a character that has had such a long history — I’ve only done, I think, nine episodes [of “Star Trek”], between the three shows. [ Editor’s note: It’s been 12. ] I’ve always thought of it as being kind of a diamond in the rough, and having new facets of that stone that’s going to be cut. So here it is, many years later, we’re still cutting that stone. There will be elements of that stone which have already been cut, and they will simply need to be burnished up. And then there will be elements of this stone that will be newly cut, for which there will be people who go, “Oh I always thought you would go in that direction,” and then others, “Oh, I like him the way he was before!”
It solved one major problem for me, and that is I feel very strongly about the whole thing of, you can never go back. Dare I say, how often have we gone back to meet with old girlfriends or boyfriends or what have you and you go, “Oh, I think it would have been better just keeping this in my imagination!” Here, we are not, in fact, going back. We are taking what we have and we are moving forward. And to me, that’s exciting.
Have you shot anything yet?
How did it feel to act against patrick stewart again.
It was fun. My own issues have always been the same. I have to put in a lot of homework because I’m very dyslexic and I just have to work really hard to get all of that into RAM, as it were. And then once that’s done, I’m there to play . And so it was just fun. That type of preparation has paid off and you’re just ready to rock and roll.
Did you pay any attention to the way that the announcement of your return was received?
I saw the little trailer, which I thought was really well done, where there’s a playing card that disappears and then you just see the Q. I felt that that was very befitting this character. This is thin ice for all of us: There are expectations . In the case of that little announcement, I thought they exceeded expectations on that. It was a really nice little morsel of, “Here he comes!”
“Star Trek” fans are notoriously picky, but I have not seen negative reactions to Q’s return — it’s been quite enthusiastically received. How does it feel to have people be so interested in seeing you continue to play this role?
Well, as you were saying that just now, what I felt was mostly was, Oh shit . [ Laughs ] The pressure is on! That’s how I feel about it. I find that to be a challenge. I hope that I can match it. I hope that we all can match it, and more to the point, exceed it. [ Laughs ] This is one of the reasons I stay away from all this stuff. I kind of just have to stay in the world of what can be done, and what cannot be done, and not to get too pressurized in all this.
One common reaction I’ve seen is people saying, “oh, thank god, I can feel good about the letter Q again.” Obviously, in the last few years, the letter Q has taken on a much different connotation with the rise of the QAnon conspiracy cult. How strange has that been for you, given how identified you’ve been with the role?
[ Sighs ] I’m really grateful for that character that I played — and I have become protective of that, of what Q means and all that. Certainly with this other thing, I’ve chosen not to dumpster dive into it. I don’t want to bring those two elements together in any way whatsoever. There’s a part of Q that I’m playing that is frankly more real and more positive and more life-affirming than the [ pause ] ridiculousness that I hear about this other stuff.
Since we’re talking about reprising one of your most memorable roles, I did want to ask — given that “Better Call Saul” is a prequel series for “Breaking Bad,” have you ever wondered if Donald Margolis would pop up on that show?
I would have loved for that character to have continued. Through my career, I was always hired to play the very aggressive, wordsmith-y sort of character, which ironically is difficult for me because I just tend to work seemingly twice as hard as anybody else. That character allowed me to just relax a little bit, and to just feel , as opposed to trying to dominate or bulldoze. But again, you brought it up and I appreciate it and I take it as a compliment, but I just don’t think about it ever. I just can’t.
Let me just tell you, it’s very interesting what different characters can do for somebody. In this case, just imagine a 22-year-old, shy, kind of strung out kid who comes up to me and says, “Hey, are you Jane’s father?” And I go, “Uh yeah.” And he’s looking at me kind of askance, and he goes, “Yeah, well, now I guess I know what my parents went through.”
I’m sure his parents did everything to try to keep him from, you know — “Please, you can’t keep on doing this, you’re going to ruin your life.” And he couldn’t hear any of it, but he could be affected when he saw it in a story. So I’m really happy to have played that role.
This interview has been edited and condensed.
More From Our Brands
Dave grohl rips through a roaring cover of paul mccartney’s bond theme ‘live and let die’, sneak peek: the best napa valley wines coming this year, comcast, masn deal puts orioles, nationals on a pricier cable tier, the best mattress protectors, according to sleep experts, ratings: fox news and abc lead state of the union coverage — more than 27.7 million tuned in, verify it's you, please log in.
#37 Star Trek: The Next Generation Retrospective - ’Hide and Q’ The Thundernerds podcast
- Science Fiction
"Have your favourite wish, my young friend. You're ten years older. A man." Indi and Josh break down one of the wildest episodes of TNG yet... KEY TALKING POINTS: What missing Doctor Who eps would the Thundernerds like to see return? High Level Thoughts - 'Hide and Q'. Trivia - 'Hide and Q'. Episode Deep-dive. THAT scene on the bridge... LOL!!! 'Hide and Q' Final Thoughts.
- More Episodes
- Copyright 2023 All rights reserved.
Screen Rant
Captain picard’s star trek tng love interest vash, explained.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard's archeologist love interest, Vash, was played by Jennifer Hetrick in Star Trek: The Next Generation.
- Vash, an archaeologist with a shady past, stirred intrigue with Captain Picard and reappeared on Deep Space Nine.
- Actress Jennifer Hetrick, who played Vash, had a real-life romance with Patrick Stewart.
- Star Trek: Lower Decks introduced its own version of Vash in archaeologist Petra Aberdeen.
Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) had a few love interests throughout Star Trek: The Next Generation , but Jennifer Hetrick's Vash was one of the most memorable. Unlike Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Picard did not regularly go on away missions, and he certainly did not regularly romance alien women. Picard spent much of his free time aboard the USS Enterprise-D, reading his favorite books and sipping Earl Grey tea. For the most part, Jean-Luc kept his friends at arm's length, and he allowed very few people into his heart.
Captain Picard's most captivating love story in Star Trek: The Next Generation was not quite a true romance, but involved a will they/won't they dynamic with Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden). One of Jean-Luc's most significant romances aside from Beverly begins in TNG season 3, episode 19, "Captain's Holiday," while Picard is enjoying a much-needed vacation on the "pleasure planet" Risa . Soon after arriving on Risa, Picard encounters Vash, who greets him with a kiss despite the fact that the two have never met. Picard then gets caught up in an archeological adventure with Vash and the two begin a brief romance.
Every Jean-Luc Picard Star Trek Love Interest
Who was vash in star trek: tng, vash also made one appearance on star trek: deep space nine, in ds9 season 1, episode 7, "q-less.".
Although Vash had once been a legitimate member of the Federation Archaeology Council, she was most interested in making a profit from selling the ancient artifacts she found (or stole). Because of her illicit activities and questionable ethics, Vash was banned from several planets and had her membership to the Daystrom Institute Archaeological Council suspended twice. After Vash and Picard reconnected in TNG season 4, episode 20, "Qpid," Vash left with Q (John de Lancie) to explore more of the universe. Vash later appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , where she found a kindred spirit in the Ferengi bartender, Quark (Armin Shimerman) .
In her initial encounter with Captain Picard, Vash not only used Jean-Luc as a means to distract the Ferengi, Sovak (Max Grodenchik), but she also lied to him about the artifact she was searching for on Risa.
Jennifer Hetrick has appeared in many television episodes over the years, including Beverly Hills 90210, Sliders, Alias, Criminal Minds, NCIS, Cold Case, and Prison Break . She portrayed Arnie Becker's ex-wife Corrinne Hammond on L.A. Law , as well as Walter Skinner's wife, Sharon Skinner, in one episode of The X-Files . Hetrick appeared in the films No Regrets , A Poor Kid's Guide to Success , and had an uncredited role in 500 Days of Summer . Her most recent role was as Mrs. Berlinger in an episode of the CBS medical drama Code Black .
Patrick Stewart & Vash Actress Jennifer Hetrick Dated In Real Life
Stewart and hetrick dated on and off while filming star trek: the next generation..
In his autobiography, Making It So: A Memoir, Patrick Stewart opened up about some of his past relationships, including one with Jennifer Hetrick. The two had an affair during the filming of Star Trek: The Next Generation , which resulted in the breakdown of Stewart's marriage with his first wife, Sheila Falconer. Stewart does not go into much detail about his romance with Hetrick, but he does open up about his struggle of going through his first divorce.
Patrick Stewart and Jennifer Hetrick dated throughout parts of Star Trek: The Next Generation's run and were reportedly engaged during the filming of "Qpid," although they never married.
Patrick Stewart and Jennifer Hetrick dated throughout parts of Star Trek: The Next Generation's run and were reportedly engaged during the filming of "Qpid," although they never married. Stewart was then married to Wendy Neuss from 2000 to 2003, before marrying his current wife Sunny Ozell in 2013 . Hetrick later married as well, although she has kept her relationship very private.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Had Their Own Vash
Petra aberdeen is a member of the independent archaeologists guild..
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 5, "Reflections," introduced a character very similar to Star Trek: The Next Generation's Vash. Like Vash, Petra Aberdeen (Georgia King) was an archeologist who played by her own rules. Although Petra had previously been serving aboard the USS Victory, she left Starfleet to become an independent archeologist. While running a recruitment booth for the Independent Archaeologists Guild, Petra met Ensigns Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) and Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome) , who were manning a Starfleet booth. Petra's true reason for being at the recruitment fair was to steal the Grand Nagus' staff from the nearby Museum of Antiquities and return it to the Ferengi.
Many of Petra's missions to retrieve and return previously stolen artifacts were sponsored by none other than Admiral Jean-Luc Picard, as revealed in Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 10, "The Stars At Night."
After Mariner was transferred to Starbase 80 as punishment for something she didn't do, she joined Petra aboard her ship, the Free Spirit. When Mariner learned about the dangerous malfunction of the AI within the Texas-class automated starships, she convinced Petra to come to the aid of the USS Cerritos. The Free Spirit then rallied all of the California-class starships to form an armada against the rogue Texas-class ships. Mariner then returned to Starfleet and her position on the Cerritos. Petra Aberdeen was a fascinating character who will hopefully return, and she would likely not have existed if not for Star Trek: The Next Generation's Vash.
Star Trek: The Next Generation , Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , & Star Trek: Lower Decks are available to stream on Paramount+.
- Cast & crew
- User reviews
Star Trek: The Next Generation
Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.
- Gene Roddenberry
- Patrick Stewart
- Brent Spiner
- Jonathan Frakes
- 320 User reviews
- 162 Critic reviews
- 39 wins & 61 nominations total
Episodes 176
Photos 3429
- Captain Jean-Luc Picard …
- Lieutenant Commander Data …
- Commander William Thomas 'Will' Riker …
- Lieutenant Commander Geordi La Forge …
- Counselor Deanna Troi
- Lieutenant Worf …
- Doctor Beverly Crusher …
- Enterprise Computer …
- Wesley Crusher …
- Chief Miles O'Brien …
- Youngblood …
- Lieutenant Natasha 'Tasha' Yar …
- Doctor Katherine Pulaski …
- Nurse Alyssa Ogawa …
- Ansata Terrorist …
- Ensign Ro Laren …
- Keiko O'Brien …
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Stellar Photos From the "Star Trek" TV Universe
More like this
Did you know
- Trivia When the cast decided to lobby for a salary increase, Wil Wheaton 's first offer from the producers was to instead have his character promoted to Lieutenant. His response was, "So what should I tell my landlord when I can't pay my rent? 'Don't worry, I just made Lieutenant'?!"
- Goofs It is claimed that Data can't use contractions (Can't, Isn't, Don't, etc) yet there are several instances throughout the series where he does. One of the first such examples is heard in Encounter at Farpoint (1987) , where Data uses the word "Can't" while the Enterprise is being chased by Q's "ship".
[repeated line]
Capt. Picard : Engage!
- Crazy credits The model of the Enterprise used in the opening credits is so detailed, a tiny figure can be seen walking past a window just before the vessel jumps to warp speed.
- Alternate versions The first and last episodes were originally broadcast as two-hour TV movies, and were later re-edited into two one-hour episodes each. Both edits involved removing some scenes from each episode.
- Connections Edited into Reading Rainbow: The Bionic Bunny Show (1988)
User reviews 320
- Jun 2, 1999
Exceptional Robots on Film & TV
- How many seasons does Star Trek: The Next Generation have? Powered by Alexa
- Who is the captain of the USS Enterprise?
- Did any cast members of the original Star Trek series appear in The Next Generation?
- September 26, 1987 (United States)
- United States
- Official Facebook
- Official site
- Star Trek: TNG
- Donald C. Tillman Water Reclamation Plant - 6100 Woodley Avenue, Van Nuys, Los Angeles, California, USA (location)
- Paramount Television
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Technical specs
- Runtime 44 minutes
- Dolby Stereo
Related news
Contribute to this page.
- IMDb Answers: Help fill gaps in our data
- Learn more about contributing
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
2. Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987-1994) Episode: Hide and Q (1987) TV-PG | 46 min | Action, Adventure, Drama. 6.9. Rate. The Enterprise encounters Q again, and he tempts Riker by endowing him with the powers of the Q. Director: Cliff Bole | Stars: Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Denise Crosby.
Q is a fictional character, as well as the name of a race, in Star Trek, appearing in the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Lower Decks, and Picard series and in related media. The most familiar Q is portrayed by John de Lancie.He is an extra-dimensional being of unknown origin who possesses immeasurable power over time, space, the laws of physics, and reality itself, being capable of ...
As Star Trek: The Next Generation progressed, Q's appearances in the show got better and better, but season 4, episode 20, "Qpid," was a step backward.Q tries to help Picard rekindle his relationship with Vash (Jennifer Hetrick) by sending him and his crew to Sherwood Forest to reenact the events of Robin Hood.Silly holodeck episodes allowed the Enterprise crew to go on all sorts of adventures ...
Star Trek: The Next Generation is an American science fiction television series which aired in syndication from September 1987 through May 1994. It is the second live-action series of the Star Trek franchise and comprises a total of 176 (DVD and original broadcast) or 178 (syndicated) episodes over 7 seasons. The series picks up about 95 years after the original series is said to have taken place.
Das erste Aufeinandertreffen zwischen der Menschheit und Q findet im Jahr 2364 statt, als die USS Enterprise auf dem Weg zur Farpoint-Station ist. Q stellt den Kommandostab der Enterprise vor ein Gericht des Jahres 2079, stellvertretend für die gesamte Menschheit. Falls die Menschheit verlieren würde, lautet das Urteil Vernichtung der Menschheit.
Q is not just a letter in the alphabet. When Star Trek: The Next Generation launched, an unforgettable character was created alongside the new crew of the Enterprise D. John de Lancie appeared as the omnipotent hassle known only as "Q" in the pilot episode. He put all of humanity on trial, and he continued to be a presence on the series up through the finale.
Star Trek: Picard season 2's release date passed; it's time to recount the best episodes of Q and his time with Jean-Luc Picard in The Next Generation, Voyager, DS9, and more. Here's a ...
Q Who: Directed by Rob Bowman. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn. Q tries to prove that Picard needs him as part of their crew by hurling the Enterprise 7,000 light years away where they encounter the Borg for the first time.
True Q: Directed by Robert Scheerer. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn. When an honor student in the medical field is assigned to the Enterprise in an internship manner, she begins to demonstrate powers of the Q, prompting you-know-who to show up.
8. "Death Wish" (Voyager, Season Two, 1996) Star Trek was often at its best when it used sci-fi metaphors to deal with real-world issues. Such was the case with "Death Wish," Q's first ...
Next →. "A Matter of Perspective". Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 3) List of episodes. " Deja Q " is the 13th episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 61st episode of the series overall. This episode aired on syndicated television in February 1990.
S2 E1645MTV-PG. The crew is hurled into a distant part of the galaxy by the malevolent Q, who sets them up for destruction by a race of half-human, half-robot aliens known as the Borg. Watch Full Episodes.
Along with Quark, Morn, and Evek, Q is one of only four characters to appear in all of the first three Star Trek series based in the 24th century: Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and Star Trek: Voyager. Of these four, Q is the only one who did not appear in "Caretaker". Of the thirteen Star Trek episodes featuring Q ...
Star Trek: The Next Generation. Zeitsprung mit Q ( Episode 16, Staffel 2) In den Händen der Borg (Episode 26, Staffel 3) ... Star Trek Q-Folgen. Der Charakter Q nimmt im Star Trek Universum insofern eine besondere Rolle ein, da er das einzige omnipotente Wesen ist, dass regelmäßig und aus eigenem Antrieb Kontakt zur Föderation sucht. ...
There are no inadequacies. Picking up decades after Gene Roddenberry's original Star Trek series, The Next Generation follows the intergalactic adventures of Capt. Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and his crew aboard the all-new USS Enterprise NCC-1701D as they explore new worlds. Stream Star Trek: The Next Generation free and on-demand with ...
Watch Every Star Trek EVER on Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/?cbscidmt=startrekuniverse&ftag=PPM-01-10afe6eThe Enterprise fends off a Romulan atta...
Q is a god-like entity with a perverse sense of humor who forms a love/hate relationship with Captain Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation. Q's role is to guide and challenge humanity rather ...
Sat, Mar 31, 1990. After mediating a difficult trade agreement, Captain Picard is encouraged to take a much needed rest on a vacationing planet, where he's visited by a strange race from the future, in search of a dangerous weapon. 7.2/10 (3.5K) Rate. Watch options.
When John de Lancie was first cast as Q on the pilot of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," his expectation was that he was only supposed to play the wily omnipotent being — who challenges ...
John de Lancie, who played Q in multiple Star Trek series, explained the real difference between the character in Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: The Next Generation.Q has become one of the most ...
Show The Thundernerds podcast, Ep #37 Star Trek: The Next Generation Retrospective - 'Hide and Q' - Mar 3, 2024
I, Q is a 1999 Star Trek novel by John de Lancie and Peter David.Set in the Star Trek: The Next Generation fictional universe, the novel depicts Q joining forces with Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Lieutenant Commander Data to save his wife and son and avert the end of the universe. It is the first novel to explore Q's parenthood. [citation needed] De Lancie, who played Q on several Star Trek ...
There are a surprising number of Star Trek episodes that are essentially sequels to earlier episodes, either within the same show, or on other shows in the same era. In Star Trek: The Next Generation, Star Trek: Voyager, and earlier seasons of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the common practice was that each episode of Star Trek was a single, stand-alone story that didn't require too much ...
Sat, Nov 28, 1987. While on a mission to a planet called Haven, Counselor Troi meets her husband to be, a marriage arranged by her father years before, as the Enterprise encounters a ship far deadlier than any combat could provide. 6.2/10 (3.7K) Rate. Watch options.
Star Trek: Lower Decks season 3, episode 5, "Reflections," introduced a character very similar to Star Trek: The Next Generation's Vash. Like Vash, Petra Aberdeen (Georgia King) was an archeologist who played by her own rules. Although Petra had previously been serving aboard the USS Victory, she left Starfleet to become an independent ...
In a 2007 oral history of "The Next Generation" by Entertainment Weekly, Robert H. Justman (a producer on what's now called "Star Trek: The Original Series") said that syndication reruns of "TOS ...
Star Trek TV series. Star Trek: The Next Generation ( TNG) is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry. It originally aired from September 28, 1987, to May 23, 1994, in syndication, spanning 178 episodes over seven seasons. The third series in the Star Trek franchise, it was inspired by Star Trek: The Original ...
Recently viewed. Star Trek: The Next Generation: Created by Gene Roddenberry. With Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton, Marina Sirtis. Set almost 100 years after Captain Kirk's 5-year mission, a new generation of Starfleet officers sets off in the U.S.S. Enterprise-D on its own mission to go where no one has gone before.
Rachel Garrett was the captain of the USS Enterprise-C, which traveled into the future in the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "Yesterday's Enterprise".In 2344, Garrett took the Enterprise ...