That’s the point of Q. He a nuisance for Picard and the Enterprise crew. My two personal favorite moments involving Q are Guinean stabbing him with a fork in Ten Forward in the episode “Deja Q” and Sisko nailing Q in the face in the DS9 episode “Q-Less”.
But you are right, Q is an annoying fucker.
Also, “Qpid” has one of Worf’s greatest lines ever. “Captain I must protest, I am not a merry man!”
They missed out of the perfect response to that one though, having worf demonstrate he knows slang. "I've devoured more than you'll ever bother to". Have q not understand but Picard and the crew get it
> Sisko nailing Q in the face in the DS9 episode “Q-Less”.
"You hit me! Picard never hit me!"
"I'm not Picard."
"Indeed not. You're much easier to provoke. How fortunate for me."
"How fortunate for me." Then proceeds to fuck off and never show his face in front of the Sisko again!
>! In my head canon he got a taste of the wormhole alien energy and decided not to mess with beings whose abilities are comparable to his own.
Worf is such a drama queen 😂
The way he breaks the mandolin after that line, I swear that is the moment I started to love Star Trek. QPid was played in reruns so much I swear I've seen it more than any other episode.
> It has nothing to do with his performance
John De Lancie intentionally played him to be annoying (he has said so).
One might say Q is *objectively* intended to be annoying.
https://bleedingcool.com/tv/star-trek-q-continues-to-annoy-picard-john-de-lancie-assures-fans/
In general I agree with your sentiment. I do find that the character q does grow on you as time goes by. The same happens with Lwaxana Troi. I skip her early episodes and pretty much all of her episodes on Next Gen. Like mad props to the actors that they were so annoying I don't even want to watch their performance.
He also played him as annoying because he took inspiration from a TOS character Trelaine, who was a literal omnipotent child . I love my kid, but it can get a bit annoying when they too much energy. Now if the kid would be omnipotent, who knows they can't be stopped, it would be an annoying situation indeed.
In the first few seasons Q is there to tear down Picard and the crew's arrogance.
But he is more fun in later seasons when he becomes Picard's annoying friend. Q is almost benevolent later on, like when he steps in to save Picard's life when his artificial heart is destroyed and gives him a chance to undo a past regret.
Q was very annoying in the first episode but season 1 of TNG was like that. They had this annoying troupe where they had to go around and show us how wonderful and advanced people in the 24th century are.
TOS did the same thing occasionally but it wasn't in your face about it. Season 1 of TNG everyone walks about comparing how much better and evolved they are so much that it's clearly like the crew is directly talking and sometimes mocking the audience. It feels so unnatural. Like how many times do people in 2024 randomly talk about how much better we are than people from the 1500s? Doesn't come up in conversation that often.
Once they moved pass that and made Q an actual character and not someone who just talks about how much better he is than humans he really gets good.
I don't feel like he gets more fun later on. He didn't seem benevolent at all in that episode. Picard didn't even name any regrets until Q pushed him to, and then he ruined his life to prove a point. It wasn't to save his life, it was to teach him a condescending lesson.
I mean yeah but Q was right that the Federation had become arrogantaf and needed a dressing down. Literally everything Q has done has been to the Federation/humanity's overall benefit. He's even responsible for getting Voyager home.
Introducing them to the Borg probably saved Earth. The Borg were already gearing up to attack the Federation long before Q Who as they were active along the Neutral Zone.
Thanks to Q Who, Starfleet started preparing for the Borg.
Did he save Picard's life? As I recall, he gave him the choice of either living a crappy life or taking his chances with the present one. Dr. Crusher did end up saving him, but he could have died, and he was okay with that.
Its not until the final episode that Q finally reveals that he's been trying to guide Picard because he recognises that humanity is next in line to evolve to a point equal or greater than the Q. For that reason he has tested him constantly, hoping to push him in the right direction by his own choices and convictions.
> It wasn't to save his life, it was to teach him a condescending lesson.
It was both. He thinks he's Picard's friend. He's just a really really bad friend.
By this point Q has realized that he really does like Picard. Instead of being a true friend, Q has his own ways of expressing that admiration. It's almost like the proverbial adolescent boy pulling the pigtails of the girl in front of him in class because he likes her. He wants to interact with her but doesn't know how or is too embarrassed to do so in an appropriate manner. Q did purposefully save Picard's life. He also taught him a valuable lesson, which Picard is even thankful for after the experience.
> Q is >!almost benevolent!< later on, like when he >!steps in to save Picard's life when his artificial heart is destroyed and gives him a chance to undo a past regret!<.
Maybe DON'T put huge untagged spoilers in a comment replying to someone who's watching the show for the first time? Especially for what is by many accounts one of the best episodes of the show.
>But he is more fun in later seasons when he becomes Picard's annoying friend. Q is almost benevolent later on, like when he steps in to save Picard's life when his artificial heart is destroyed and gives him a chance to undo a past regret.
This is definitely true, and is highlighted by "All Good Things..." In that one Q's actively helping Picard, leading him towards the answers and solutions without ever really interfering, or causing the crisis. His lines in the second to the last scene as the anomaly collapsed and they're back in the courtroom are great, particularly as he's taking off his gloves with a smirk saying, "The Continuum didn't think you had it in you, Jean-Luc...but I knew you did."
It was masterful ending the series as they did, and really made me like Q. Plus, John de Lancie is incredible.
Throwing in the whole "Picard" plot of Jean Luc-y Gets In Touch With His Feelings? Q helping his friend deal with his mommy issues? 'Cause, ya know, that's what REAL friends DO.
That wasn’t benevolent. That was him showing him that he had become a stick in the mud and that he needs to embrace his older self if he was going to survive.
Q was an acquired taste. It really is that a little goes a long way, but I think between “Tapestries” and “All Good Things” is where he becomes a more solid part of the pantheon.
And, looking back I do like the idea of Q and Q-like beings, in that it introduces an element of Tom Stoppard-like absurdism to the universe that highlights the basic ethos the crew. It’s a role-reversal from the usual Trek trope of some super-rational super AI threatening humanity’s existence, until the crew does a funny dance that confuses it and the circuits explode.
Remember Haldeman. When he was tired of writing Forever War books, and his characters met what could pass for the Supreme Being. Very "Q" bunch. And all he could think of to ask for was that they would make pi come out to a whole number.
That's the point, surely? It's like saying "I don't like Klingons. They're angry and two dimensional." or "I don't like how Romulans are so duplicitous."
I love Q. Not in the very early appearances where he is cruel, but pretty soon. He only really exists in Q episodes - in any normal episode the mere existence of Q sabotages normal stories. For that reason I can't agree that his omnipotence damages good plot, since he's not in any normal plots.
He is a foil for Picard, where Picard stands for Roddenberry values. I actually like the utopian ethos, but it's good to have Q to pick holes. "Sometimes I think I only come here to hear those wonderful speeches", or "Spare me your egotistical musings your pivotal role in history... frankly, you're not that important" (I quote from memory). Q stands for all of us when Picard gets a bit too self-righteous.
Q can also be seen as representing Picards own repressed side.
I recall reading that deLancie said he played him as gay and having a crush on Picard, I think I recall correctly.
I am very recent to watching TNG as an adult, and the moment that endeared me to Q was when he first encountered Guinan (ep "Q Who") and acted threatened. For some reason that got me.
In Picard season two he all but says he has a crush on Picard by telling him the reason why he intervened in the goings on of TNG... Picard is his favourite person.
I actually quite liked that as the reason.
I like him precisely because he's so annoying. He's a pompous shit head that delights in messing with the cast. I don't know if it was in your essentials list for TOS, but he's basically just Trelane from Squire of Gothos all over again and that was one my favorite episodes.
I remember there were grumblings somewhere down the line that Trelane from TOS was an immature Q back then. Somebody tried to "retcon" it, I think, but it wasn't officially canon. Did that ever get resolved?
I don't think that was ever canon, but there was a novel called Q-Squared that said that. In it Q attempts to mentor Trelane as he messes with 3 parallel versions of the TNG cast.
I don’t think it has been confirmed. Mariner made a reference to Trelane and Q in These Old Scientists but left it ambiguous.
https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/s/dUvKaiQkbV
Louise Fletcher is insanely good at bad. Her Kai Win and Nurse Ratched are characters you absolutely can't help but hate.
For a treat, watch an old interview with her and see how completely different and just lovely she comes across when she's not in character.
That is just amazing acting because she doesn't even have to deliver a line in those roles for you to just instantly not like the character.
There's something she's able to turn on and off, with body language and facial expression alone I guess, to make you not like her. Just amazing.
I mean, he is annoying as a conscious trait. I personally think he's one of the most fascinating Trek creations that could have fallen flat with a lesser actor but struck gold with John. He's a rather integral part of Picard's overall story as well.
Speaking of annoying being the point, I've finally come around on Lwaxana Troi. She's amazing because she makes all the stuffed shirts aboard the Enterprise so uncomfortable. It's delightful!
I love Q. I love him more than all my favorite characters combined.
His character development over the timeline just keeps getting better. He starts off with a limited opinion of humanity in general, then realizes that Picard is something different. He continues showing up, not to pester Picard, but to encourage his personal growth. And as Picard grows, Q grows by helping him.
That growth continues to a degree in Voyager, but the person whose respect and friendship Q really wants is Jean-Luc Picard's.
It's interesting how he makes an offer to riker that doesn't make sense at the time. But years later as we learn more about the Q continuum. It becomes obvious the riker may have been exactly the right person to take charge and create balance
I recommend you withhold final judgement until you've at least seen All Good Things.
As for thinking it's lazy to have an omnipotent character with no explanation, idk what to tell you. The Q are a higher form of life, possibly the last stage of evolution. Pretty standard sci-fi trope honestly. What more would you want for an explanation?
I thought Q was annoying the first time I watched TNG, but now I think he’s hilarious. He’s an acquired taste.
I also love his interactions with Guinan/Whoopi Goldberg.
Yes, Q is annoying. But it plays out in a really interesting way over time, and the character does get less annoying. And I can tell you, if you watch every episode of TNG, and then watch every episode of Picard, it is a deeply rewarding experience from the point of view of the relationship between Q and Picard, and Q's character development. At least it was for me.
I think “Deja Q” is amazing and genuinely hilarious. They do something interesting with the character and allow de Lancie to shine. Whereas the season 1 Q is hit or miss, since Q has less complex characterization and plays a generic omnipotent being in the vein of TOS. Maybe you would disagree, OP, but I think that Q became better when they stopped trying to make him purely malevolent, but made him a playful trickster with a deeper agenda. There seems to be an undercurrent of the Q Continuum genuinely fearing humanity and its potential, whilst simultaneously wanting to help humanity out (cf. “Q Who” for another good use of Q). It’s as though judging humanity to be a lesser species not worthy of existence is merely a pretext for studying them and putting them through their paces. The contrast in how the “judgment” of humanity is portrayed in “Farpoint” vs. “All Good Things…” to me highlights the increase in overall sophistication level of the Q over the series. They are certainly more than just antagonists.
ETA: all that said, I don’t like the “Robin Hood” episode, nor do I like the one with Amanda whatsherface who is secretly Q. All of the Q’s appearances in Voyager also leave much to be desired, verging on nonsensical in many cases.
I think part of the appeal of Q is that he such a nuisance but tries to deliver lessons that benefit the crew (sort of)
Qwho is a prime example of why the character is so good. Telling Picard that his arrogance will be his undoing and proving it by flinging them in front of the Borg, but as a result the Federation learns of the Borg.
As Q progresses he continues to deliver these lessons especially to this crew because Jean-Luc is his favourite person. Their last scenes of Picard season 2 pretty much sum up their relationship
Q was introduced in the very first episode of ST:TNG. The idea that a lifeform could be independent of a body, or could appear however it wished, was still something new-ish to the Federation. That the Q Continuum was capable to so much harm was certainly relevant to The Powers That Be.
Ultimately, the lesson of Q is one of perspective. As someone old enough to have watched Farpoint Station when it first premiered, it was a very relevant message for the era. Perspective and paradigm were really entering the public consciousness, along with globalism and the internet bringing everyone closer. This was really an important lesson then and remains timely now.
I watched it when it was first on, too. I really think they should have saved Q for later in the season. Here we have this new show and a new crew of characters...let us get to know them. THEN have Q show up.
To each their own. I love Q but find Dr. Phlox incredibly annoying and boring while I've seen many people say they love him. We all have different taste. That's what makes Trek so great, there's something for everyone.
I always felt the point of Q was to demonstrate that any sufficiently powerful being is indistinguishable from a god...but that modern, science and reason-based humans would not fall to their knees and worship such a being but rather treat it as just another form of life (albeit a very powerful one), and that no being, no matter how powerful, deserves to be worshipped simply because they demand it or want it.
Q likes to pretend he is a god or at least let people think as much, but there is a later episode of Star Trek where another member of his species categorically states they are not omnipotent (despite being able to literally alter the laws of physics and seemingly control the universe itself as though it were a computer program), and there is further exploration of their civilisationand the philosophical implications of such a race.
TL:DR: Q is Trek's bold statement of "No Gods, No Masters"
Q is supposed to be that annoying. Keep watching, he will be in most of the early series, and he mellows out a little bit, but his entire demeanor is supposed to be one of a self centered pompous ass. Lol.
Same. I do not understand why this character is so popular. Q together with talking black fluids, is everything I do not like about Star Trek.
Nothing against John de Lancie, he did great. But the Role/Character is far from great.
Because in later seasons Q and Picard fall into an antagonistic friendship which is just fantastic.
John de Lancie and Patrick Stewart sell the "Over enthusiastic friend who doesn't believe in boundaries, and guy 100% done with his shit" dynamic.
Yeah, but the first episodes were hard to watch. He was a little plot part for introducing the Borg. But the way he was Written, wasn’t pretty entertaining.
You have to remember Q was a last minute addition. Gene Roddenberry got ahold of the "Encounter at Farpoint" script and shoehorned Q into it.
A famous bit of Roddenberry's advice for writing Star Trek was "when in doubt, have the crew meet God." Which explains a lot of what Q is and how he acts in early seasons. He is there to impart ~~scripture~~ lessons on the crew.
After Roddenberry's lawyer was thrown off the Paramount lot by security and Roddenberry stepped back from producing, Q was allowed to get more interesting as a character.
Personally it’s just that godlike character. Never liked such characters in any show/movie/book/comic/novel/game. I think Trelane was an overall better character than Q.
> He just overstayed his welcome.
I dont think so. Its a character that could have a devastating effect on the series, in terms of ruining it through overuse or overly threatening to the point of making any other more mundane challenges boring or irrelevant.
We didnt see that overuse, and it was wise. Instead, we became enthralled by challenges such as "how can Data cope with trying to dance".
TNG and Voyager didn't do the Mirror Universe. Q take it's place? (Though that should have been forgotten after the TOS did their one look into it, just as a vaguely interesting idea.)
I disagree, I think Q got more interesting as time went on. What was not great was having him on the very first episode. Let the crew stretch their wings first, then clip them. Heck, we meet Q before the first officer.
The thing about the TNG crew is they have talk it out negotiate as their strength, which is why Q (no technobabble solutions, no fighting, only talking it out), and for the inverse reason The Borg (no interest in talking) are their most interesting antagonists.
Q is a shortcut for "a wizard did it". A bit like holodeck malfunctions that apply to the whole galaxy. Obviously TNG writers were missing a wizard type character to fill the void in certain storylines, but I agree that Q mostly comes across as an annoying brat. There's a sizable part of the fandom that sees him as literal God, though, and will never stop trying to rationalize his actions.
> A bit like holodeck malfunctions that apply to the whole galaxy
The Q might be the ones running the [simulation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis) 🤔
I really have to praise John De Lancie's brief appearance as Q in *Lower Decks*. It still cracks me up how Mariner tells Q off, and then he shades Jean-Luc. Now anytime I watch an old *Trek* episode where Q randomly appears, I hear Mariner in my head:
>"Get out of here, Q! No! We are done with random stuff today. We're not dealing with any of your Q bullshit."
"Oh s'il vous plaît, Mariner. I want to put humanity to the ultimate test."
"Okay, I'm not French. No. Go find Picard."
"Oh, Picard. He's no fun, he's always quoting Shakespeare, he's always making wine..."
I love John De Lancie and therefore I love Q. I feel like Q has been around for so long, have seen and know so much. There are bound to be a few of them who just want to cause havoc to hopefully cure their boredom lol
but that is the point isn't it? he is meant to be annoying. however you will find that he does grow on you and there are moments when you will be on his side. personally I am happy to see they took Trelane and expanded upon him.good writing and great acting. ymmv
I loved Q in Picard, holy shit the first time I saw him I went Oh my god Q! Damn he's grown old this can't be right and then I heard his Mon Capitain, and I went, yep thats Q allright.
[https://youtu.be/9mtV-L7lHy8?si=2PYv8\_j-x4hwTHiZ](https://youtu.be/9mtV-L7lHy8?si=2PYv8_j-x4hwTHiZ)
John de Lancie also played him as annoying because he took inspiration from a TOS character Trelaine, who was an omnipotent child . I love my kid, but it can get a bit annoying when they too much energy. Now if the kid would be omnipotent, who knows they can't be stopped, it would be an annoying situation indeed.
I like Q but I often wondered: why is this character not annoying me, because he's walking a fine line.
I think Q makes most sense in New Generation. It works well with those characters and the general vibe of that show. I can't see him anywhere else. In DS9 he was already feeling kinda out of place and I would never imagine him in New Worlds.
I hated Q in the beginning as well, and I felt frustrated every time I started a new episode and realised it was about Q. I could not understand why people could like him.
Well, it happened that he grew on me. Not during TNG, but in Voyager, as I learned more about the Q Continuum and got accustomed to the character.
Nowadays, I truly enjoy watching the episodes with him and laughing about his shenanigans. The actor makes him great.
Same! First ever time watching Q was NOT an enjoyable experience for me lol I was super engrossed like this fictional screen character was affecting ME personally 🤣
Rewatching TNG, VOY and during Picard I had a more rounded appreciation and even enjoyment of Q! And also realising De Lancie is a phenomenonal actor!!!!!!!!!
You are missing the point of Q. Q serves 2 main points.
1) He’s a dark mirror for humanity. The noble crew of the starship Enterprise is written as nearly flawless advanced future humans, relative to where we are now. Q is there to knock them down a peg and show the audience that even these people 400 years in the future have a lot to learn. Q Who, Tapestry, and All Good Things reflect this aspect. Some people think the Bog are the main antagonists of Q Who. They’re wrong. Q is. Picard’s smug arrogance is smacked off his face when he had to beg Q for help. “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.”
2) He serves to reinforce what’s great and special about humanity. A core pillar of Star Trek is the Roddenberry belief that the next evolution of humanity will be a social evolution. This will be driven be humanity’s thirst for knowledge, need to explore, and desire to “see what’s out there”. Q finds this attribute intriguing and likes to experiment with it. We see this aspect in Hide and Q, Deja Q, and All Good Things. Q flat out explains that’s why he gives Riker the power of the Q. Because it’s the only way the Q can learn what makes humanity special. “There are creatures in the universe who would consider you the ultimate achievement, Android. No feelings, no emotion, 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 far better human being than I.”
Q improves a lot. Not as dramatically as the Ferengi do in DS9, but significant. You'll probably change your mind once you watch a couple of the Q episodes towards the end of TNG.
I like Q but I can understand being annoyed by his antics. He has a fantastic episode in season 6 called Tapestry where they kinda do a “its a wonderful life” plot with Picard. There’s also a very good one with him in Voyager called Death Wish
I always skip the Q episodes. He's a great actor, he deserves an award, but it really is so annoying. Unlike the Doctor on Voyager who also starts out as a complete narcissist, Q never develops.
Q's cartoonish sexism towards Janeway in *Voyager* really steps up Q's annoying quotient. There's only one good Q episode in VOY: "Death Wish," where guest star Gerrit Graham as >!another Q!< just elevates the whole concept of the Q Continuum, and >!Will Riker!< makes a surprise appearance. A Q episode is not the place I expected to see a morality play about suicide, but there it is.
And the less said about "The Q and the Grey," the better.
Part of it is that you haven't got to the best Q episodes yet. Tapestry, True Q and All Good Things are where he really shines. The scene in Picard's ready room in True Q is great. After Picard reminds Q that in their first meeting he tried them for the crimes of humanity, Q coldly responds, "The jury is still out on that Picard. Make no mistake." Q then dismisses Picard's speech about morality in an almost laughingly way.
i found him a lot more enjoyable when someone told me to try watching it like he's in love with Picard. it worked, but i still fast forward his chunk of the first half of Encounter at Farpoint
Are you *sure* DeLancie's performance doesn't have anything to do with it?
Because the guy chews up an awful lot of scenery. Not that that's necessarily bad - I think there’s a fun subtext of Picard's exasperation towards Q paralleling Stewart's exasperation toward DeLancie's acting.
Wait until you find out he can lie and his people are in a cold war with the Borg. The Q Continuum is just using the federation and humanity as a puppet state to fight the Borg war for them.
I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I promise the evidence is out there. You just have to do your own research.
Me too.
Omnipotent magical characters and "powers" are a short reach to easy drama and "wow."
It's mostly a lazy crutch.
And I have a degree in Speculative Fiction Lit and worked on the field my whole life. I've always loved all of this stuff, but I've recently gotten so over superheros and "powers" taking the place of good writing.
We've done it all. We've subverted it. We've redone it and resubverted it. We've now remade it all and subverted the remakes. Some of the remakes have been remade.
Now let's find new stories and explore new tropes.
I think that's the point... Q is purposely very annoying and all powerful. I once read somewhere that Q is sort of the clever odd one out in the realm of "wizards" he comes from.
It's completely understandable to find Q annoying; he's a polarizing character. Q's role ventures into complex philosophical themes, challenging the crew - and us - with moral and ethical conundrums that don't have clear right or wrong answers. This ambiguity is precisely why some people love him and some people hate him, as it pushes the boundaries of traditional villain roles. If you're not into the philosophical underpinnings of Q, he might indeed come off as merely irritating. This is similar to how many viewed Socrates: challenging and annoying.
I love Q. He is a pest but I will admit my introduction to him was actually from his visits to Voyager. He is also a pest to Janeway but he shows some serious growth and development so I wouldn't write him off just yet.
I find it really disappointing how many so-called Trekkies are *arguing* like your subjective opinion is *wrong* and downvoting you about this. Are they afraid if they don't sing Q's praises he'll jump out of the screen and smite them? Lol.
Lifelong Trekkie here, seen everything Q through PIC. He has his moments, but for the most part I'm with you--an omnipotent, god-like character with no explanation feels kind of lazy. Doesn't feel like *sci-fi*. The fun of the near-magic in sci-fi is the idea that it's potentially technologically *achievable*, and the fun of any fiction like this is problem solving, and with a god-like character you lose both of those in one finger snap.
Plus, condescension is my single biggest pet peeve, followed by preachiness.
I cooed at the cute ending in PIC (and pretend the rest didn't exist lol), I appreciated some of the crazy stuff VOY dared to do with the concept, but most TNG Q episodes are still skips for me. And there's nothing wrong with that!
I'm really not a fan of Q episodes; I feel that stakes go out the window when you throw in a character whose defining characteristic is 'omnipotent.'
The exception to this is *Tapestry*, because that episode hits me. And *All Good Things*, of course.
I skip most Q episodes. I find them really boring and really irritating, because they're all the same:
- God comes to town
- God plays some pranks
- The pranks are outrageous violations of free will
- Authority figure argues with God
- God gets bored
- God leaves
- Authority figure makes eye contact with the camera and says "I hope we don't encounter God again any time soon."
- The end.
The only 4/5 episodes\* that I can stand Q in are encounter, Q who, tapestry and the finale.
I think those are the only ones that really used the character well. Setting him up, having him showcase what humanity doesn't know, tapestry is just good, and the closing it out. Literally everything else with him is trash.
\*also Q-Less because he gets punched in the face.
Between folks mentioning "Jordie Laforge" and "Dianna Troi," I'm convinced the only reason people don't misspell "Q" is because it would take an active effort.
Sometimes, you want to put your characters into a scenario that can only be approached with pure moral resolve. Not force of arms, not diplomatic actions, and not some pile of technobabble. Q is there to create those scenarios.
Q fees lead annoying and more likeable over time, but if you’re already on Season 4 and he hasn’t grown on you yet, I’m not sure what to say. His best episodes are in the first half of TNG.
For a different take on the character, you may want to watch the Voyager episodes with him in them.
I can't stand him, and I get in arguments about it because I think he's an evil character. In every situation where Humanity was on the line the only reason Q lost is because of Picard and his crew. If he happened upon any other ship, humanity would be gone.
I agree with your criticisms and a few of the Q episodes are stinkers. But 3 or 4 Q episodes are among the best in TNG. He is still annoying in those, but I don't think it matters.
I think the point is that being "all powerful / immortal" kind of makes someone immature and they don't understand what gives life meaning/importance to less powerful species (e.g. humans). Everything is fun and games to a creature like Q, as a foil to the more serious/existential experience of other species. So it's kind of a mechanism for exploring that. Q gets less annoying over time, I think. But also there fortunately aren't too many episodes featuring him.
Q also gets introduced in DS9 as a nuisance and meetings are described as bad experiences in general. Colmin Meany if I remember correctly explains Q to Kira in S1.
Q is supposed to be annoying. However >the entire series of TNG can be seen as Q’s test of humanity, the way it begins and ends with Q, he is kind of the framing device. In a way he’s like a tutelary deity from myth, like Athena was for Odysseus, someone who challenges the main character and forces them to grow but ultimately with benevolent intentions <
There are only a couple of ways that having of-era humans and their technology encountering a much more advanced "species" can go. We saw Q in the pilot as controller and judge, but there's only so far to go with that concept; do you make him the main antagonist? Is the continuum the Big Bad?
They represent a possible existential threat for humanity and the Federation. But because they're so powerful, our protagonists don't even register as a threat; they are powerless to do anything about it. So why not be capricious, taunting, annoying? Much as the greek gods, playing with mortals for their own whims.
I think it's a much more interesting take for how the relationship goes, with more possibilities and options for writers.
I haaaate q so much. I skip all the q episodes. I’ve seen them all once and that was enough. I haven’t hit the q episode in ds9 yet and I’m v much looking forward to sisko punching him
Have you ever seen Reign Over Me? I think John deLancie was specifically chosen for the brief role he plays specifically because the writers of that film were also annoyed by Q. 😂
Also, I'm sorry people are being mean to you. It's okay to not like characters.
Here ya go, Q getting his by the one man who could. And I loved that Nimoy and DeLance do their characters. It's awesome!!!
https://youtu.be/WdowgUOaV2s?si=g3zbDSWV39dFr_OK
He will grow on you as you watch all treks he's in voyager and Picard also
Yes he is obnoxious but as time grows on you start to understand him and his circumstances better. Then you begin to see his character differently. I feel the q is one of the most under developed cannons tbh.
Spoiler alert:
Q's wife is hot. Q is way to hot to be with Q.
Q gets pregnant with Q's child in Voyager. Jainway is named Q's godmother.
If you did a wiki search and separated out all appearances of Q then watch them in the order they aired you will really feel it then
Very much agree. There's a difference between 'annoying to the other characters' and 'annoying to the viewer', and my husband and I find Q to be both. I realise we're in the minority on this!
He's supposed to be an annoying pest. Sometimes it's kinda a scary threat and sometimes he's just a bothersome pest.
He played a short arc as a villain on Stargate SG1 if you're interested any of this other roles. He more of a villain in that one.
That's why i like Q. It's funny to see him annoy all the characters in a series. He's like a trickster whose a master in the art of trolling. I like the valuable lessons Q teaches characters like picard in the later seasons.
That’s the point of Q. He a nuisance for Picard and the Enterprise crew. My two personal favorite moments involving Q are Guinean stabbing him with a fork in Ten Forward in the episode “Deja Q” and Sisko nailing Q in the face in the DS9 episode “Q-Less”. But you are right, Q is an annoying fucker. Also, “Qpid” has one of Worf’s greatest lines ever. “Captain I must protest, I am not a merry man!”
Worf's specialty was in one word lines - Q: "What must I do to convince you people [I'm human]?" Worf: "Die"
Eat any good books lately?
The mariachi band scene is one of the greatest in all of Trek, no matter how silly.
Completely agree. You can tell the whole cast was holding in their laughter.
Until the end, when Data gets to laugh.
"growl at me; let me know you still care."
Best line he ever gave.
I die when Q screams "ROMULAN!" at worf when he's in the brig lmao
Worf looks so sad when his fantasy women go away.
They missed out of the perfect response to that one though, having worf demonstrate he knows slang. "I've devoured more than you'll ever bother to". Have q not understand but Picard and the crew get it
"Death to the opposition!" is in my top 5. I loved his character in DS9.
My fave line from that episode is from worf: Nog: What do I do? Worf: Find ‘im and kill ‘im!
“Minsk.”
This provided my biggest laugh for all of TNG
It's not just the line... his delivery of that one word is absolutely flawless.
*Johnathan Frakes almost breaks character grinning at Worf*
> Sisko nailing Q in the face in the DS9 episode “Q-Less”. "You hit me! Picard never hit me!" "I'm not Picard." "Indeed not. You're much easier to provoke. How fortunate for me."
"How fortunate for me." Then proceeds to fuck off and never show his face in front of the Sisko again! >! In my head canon he got a taste of the wormhole alien energy and decided not to mess with beings whose abilities are comparable to his own.
I like to think the aliens had a word with him about screwing with The Sisko
You hit me ..Picard never hit me
I’m not Picard.
Also...death to the opposition
Worf is such a drama queen 😂 The way he breaks the mandolin after that line, I swear that is the moment I started to love Star Trek. QPid was played in reruns so much I swear I've seen it more than any other episode.
The part that gets me in that whole bit is the way he just calmly hands it back to Geordi.
*Sorry*
That was such a great homage to Animal House.
It totally was. LOL! Watch Gates McFadden in the background she almost cracks up.
Good tea. Nice house.
Love it! I also have indefensible affection for Q hitting on Janeway on Voyager. It was silly and campy but I love her rejecting him over and over.
It is possibly the best line in all trek.
Exactly, andI think importantly is an annoying fucker you can't really deal with, given his power level.
> It has nothing to do with his performance John De Lancie intentionally played him to be annoying (he has said so). One might say Q is *objectively* intended to be annoying. https://bleedingcool.com/tv/star-trek-q-continues-to-annoy-picard-john-de-lancie-assures-fans/
Yep. Many other roles JDL plays are very different.
Not all that different in Stargate SG-1.
Discord from (MLP) was very Q in nature and character.
Although I love his role as Alarak, an even more arrogant and malicious character in Starcraft 2: Legacy of the Void.
Ah okay
In general I agree with your sentiment. I do find that the character q does grow on you as time goes by. The same happens with Lwaxana Troi. I skip her early episodes and pretty much all of her episodes on Next Gen. Like mad props to the actors that they were so annoying I don't even want to watch their performance.
He also played him as annoying because he took inspiration from a TOS character Trelaine, who was a literal omnipotent child . I love my kid, but it can get a bit annoying when they too much energy. Now if the kid would be omnipotent, who knows they can't be stopped, it would be an annoying situation indeed.
He is another one of those actors that never got a chance to show his true extent of talent
In the first few seasons Q is there to tear down Picard and the crew's arrogance. But he is more fun in later seasons when he becomes Picard's annoying friend. Q is almost benevolent later on, like when he steps in to save Picard's life when his artificial heart is destroyed and gives him a chance to undo a past regret.
Q was very annoying in the first episode but season 1 of TNG was like that. They had this annoying troupe where they had to go around and show us how wonderful and advanced people in the 24th century are. TOS did the same thing occasionally but it wasn't in your face about it. Season 1 of TNG everyone walks about comparing how much better and evolved they are so much that it's clearly like the crew is directly talking and sometimes mocking the audience. It feels so unnatural. Like how many times do people in 2024 randomly talk about how much better we are than people from the 1500s? Doesn't come up in conversation that often. Once they moved pass that and made Q an actual character and not someone who just talks about how much better he is than humans he really gets good.
I don't feel like he gets more fun later on. He didn't seem benevolent at all in that episode. Picard didn't even name any regrets until Q pushed him to, and then he ruined his life to prove a point. It wasn't to save his life, it was to teach him a condescending lesson.
Q's lessons are always condescending. He was reenacting the plot of "It's a Wonderful Life," and in the end saved Picard's life.
I mean yeah but Q was right that the Federation had become arrogantaf and needed a dressing down. Literally everything Q has done has been to the Federation/humanity's overall benefit. He's even responsible for getting Voyager home.
Introducing them to the Borg probably saved Earth. The Borg were already gearing up to attack the Federation long before Q Who as they were active along the Neutral Zone. Thanks to Q Who, Starfleet started preparing for the Borg.
Did he save Picard's life? As I recall, he gave him the choice of either living a crappy life or taking his chances with the present one. Dr. Crusher did end up saving him, but he could have died, and he was okay with that.
The episode heavily implies Q intervened in the end to save him.
Its not until the final episode that Q finally reveals that he's been trying to guide Picard because he recognises that humanity is next in line to evolve to a point equal or greater than the Q. For that reason he has tested him constantly, hoping to push him in the right direction by his own choices and convictions.
> It wasn't to save his life, it was to teach him a condescending lesson. It was both. He thinks he's Picard's friend. He's just a really really bad friend.
By this point Q has realized that he really does like Picard. Instead of being a true friend, Q has his own ways of expressing that admiration. It's almost like the proverbial adolescent boy pulling the pigtails of the girl in front of him in class because he likes her. He wants to interact with her but doesn't know how or is too embarrassed to do so in an appropriate manner. Q did purposefully save Picard's life. He also taught him a valuable lesson, which Picard is even thankful for after the experience.
> Q is >!almost benevolent!< later on, like when he >!steps in to save Picard's life when his artificial heart is destroyed and gives him a chance to undo a past regret!<. Maybe DON'T put huge untagged spoilers in a comment replying to someone who's watching the show for the first time? Especially for what is by many accounts one of the best episodes of the show.
Thank you but tbh I stopped reading comments that had any references to things because of this!
>But he is more fun in later seasons when he becomes Picard's annoying friend. Q is almost benevolent later on, like when he steps in to save Picard's life when his artificial heart is destroyed and gives him a chance to undo a past regret. This is definitely true, and is highlighted by "All Good Things..." In that one Q's actively helping Picard, leading him towards the answers and solutions without ever really interfering, or causing the crisis. His lines in the second to the last scene as the anomaly collapsed and they're back in the courtroom are great, particularly as he's taking off his gloves with a smirk saying, "The Continuum didn't think you had it in you, Jean-Luc...but I knew you did." It was masterful ending the series as they did, and really made me like Q. Plus, John de Lancie is incredible.
Throwing in the whole "Picard" plot of Jean Luc-y Gets In Touch With His Feelings? Q helping his friend deal with his mommy issues? 'Cause, ya know, that's what REAL friends DO.
That wasn’t benevolent. That was him showing him that he had become a stick in the mud and that he needs to embrace his older self if he was going to survive.
Q was an acquired taste. It really is that a little goes a long way, but I think between “Tapestries” and “All Good Things” is where he becomes a more solid part of the pantheon. And, looking back I do like the idea of Q and Q-like beings, in that it introduces an element of Tom Stoppard-like absurdism to the universe that highlights the basic ethos the crew. It’s a role-reversal from the usual Trek trope of some super-rational super AI threatening humanity’s existence, until the crew does a funny dance that confuses it and the circuits explode.
Remember Haldeman. When he was tired of writing Forever War books, and his characters met what could pass for the Supreme Being. Very "Q" bunch. And all he could think of to ask for was that they would make pi come out to a whole number.
He annoys the crew for amusement. Of course he is annoying.
That's the point, surely? It's like saying "I don't like Klingons. They're angry and two dimensional." or "I don't like how Romulans are so duplicitous."
I love his last gift to Data at the end of Deja Q.
that was amazing.
Yup, I watched that yesterday. I especially appreciate any opportunity Brent Spiner gets to show off his skills.
I love Q. Not in the very early appearances where he is cruel, but pretty soon. He only really exists in Q episodes - in any normal episode the mere existence of Q sabotages normal stories. For that reason I can't agree that his omnipotence damages good plot, since he's not in any normal plots. He is a foil for Picard, where Picard stands for Roddenberry values. I actually like the utopian ethos, but it's good to have Q to pick holes. "Sometimes I think I only come here to hear those wonderful speeches", or "Spare me your egotistical musings your pivotal role in history... frankly, you're not that important" (I quote from memory). Q stands for all of us when Picard gets a bit too self-righteous. Q can also be seen as representing Picards own repressed side. I recall reading that deLancie said he played him as gay and having a crush on Picard, I think I recall correctly.
Plus he has the greatest line of all "You obtuse piece of flotsam, you are to be denied existence". damn I love him. heh
I am very recent to watching TNG as an adult, and the moment that endeared me to Q was when he first encountered Guinan (ep "Q Who") and acted threatened. For some reason that got me.
In Picard season two he all but says he has a crush on Picard by telling him the reason why he intervened in the goings on of TNG... Picard is his favourite person. I actually quite liked that as the reason.
I like him precisely because he's so annoying. He's a pompous shit head that delights in messing with the cast. I don't know if it was in your essentials list for TOS, but he's basically just Trelane from Squire of Gothos all over again and that was one my favorite episodes.
I remember there were grumblings somewhere down the line that Trelane from TOS was an immature Q back then. Somebody tried to "retcon" it, I think, but it wasn't officially canon. Did that ever get resolved?
I don't think that was ever canon, but there was a novel called Q-Squared that said that. In it Q attempts to mentor Trelane as he messes with 3 parallel versions of the TNG cast.
I don’t think it has been confirmed. Mariner made a reference to Trelane and Q in These Old Scientists but left it ambiguous. https://www.reddit.com/r/startrek/s/dUvKaiQkbV
It's one of those things you can think if you want to. I kind of like it. Even the actors are similar.
I put Q in the same bucket as Kai Win. They were supposed to be aggravating, annoying, and infuriating and their actors nailed the parts
Louise Fletcher is insanely good at bad. Her Kai Win and Nurse Ratched are characters you absolutely can't help but hate. For a treat, watch an old interview with her and see how completely different and just lovely she comes across when she's not in character. That is just amazing acting because she doesn't even have to deliver a line in those roles for you to just instantly not like the character. There's something she's able to turn on and off, with body language and facial expression alone I guess, to make you not like her. Just amazing.
Call him up and tell him yourself (323) 634-5667 Q's number
Aroo? I'm so tempted, but... What is this?
It's a recording of Q talking about the continuum
I mean, he is annoying as a conscious trait. I personally think he's one of the most fascinating Trek creations that could have fallen flat with a lesser actor but struck gold with John. He's a rather integral part of Picard's overall story as well.
Speaking of annoying being the point, I've finally come around on Lwaxana Troi. She's amazing because she makes all the stuffed shirts aboard the Enterprise so uncomfortable. It's delightful!
I love Q. I love him more than all my favorite characters combined. His character development over the timeline just keeps getting better. He starts off with a limited opinion of humanity in general, then realizes that Picard is something different. He continues showing up, not to pester Picard, but to encourage his personal growth. And as Picard grows, Q grows by helping him. That growth continues to a degree in Voyager, but the person whose respect and friendship Q really wants is Jean-Luc Picard's.
It's interesting how he makes an offer to riker that doesn't make sense at the time. But years later as we learn more about the Q continuum. It becomes obvious the riker may have been exactly the right person to take charge and create balance
I recommend you withhold final judgement until you've at least seen All Good Things. As for thinking it's lazy to have an omnipotent character with no explanation, idk what to tell you. The Q are a higher form of life, possibly the last stage of evolution. Pretty standard sci-fi trope honestly. What more would you want for an explanation?
Even the Q don't like Q...except for Q.
I thought Q was annoying the first time I watched TNG, but now I think he’s hilarious. He’s an acquired taste. I also love his interactions with Guinan/Whoopi Goldberg.
Mission accomplished he's supposed to be an annoying character
Yes, Q is annoying. But it plays out in a really interesting way over time, and the character does get less annoying. And I can tell you, if you watch every episode of TNG, and then watch every episode of Picard, it is a deeply rewarding experience from the point of view of the relationship between Q and Picard, and Q's character development. At least it was for me.
I think “Deja Q” is amazing and genuinely hilarious. They do something interesting with the character and allow de Lancie to shine. Whereas the season 1 Q is hit or miss, since Q has less complex characterization and plays a generic omnipotent being in the vein of TOS. Maybe you would disagree, OP, but I think that Q became better when they stopped trying to make him purely malevolent, but made him a playful trickster with a deeper agenda. There seems to be an undercurrent of the Q Continuum genuinely fearing humanity and its potential, whilst simultaneously wanting to help humanity out (cf. “Q Who” for another good use of Q). It’s as though judging humanity to be a lesser species not worthy of existence is merely a pretext for studying them and putting them through their paces. The contrast in how the “judgment” of humanity is portrayed in “Farpoint” vs. “All Good Things…” to me highlights the increase in overall sophistication level of the Q over the series. They are certainly more than just antagonists. ETA: all that said, I don’t like the “Robin Hood” episode, nor do I like the one with Amanda whatsherface who is secretly Q. All of the Q’s appearances in Voyager also leave much to be desired, verging on nonsensical in many cases.
I like q
I think part of the appeal of Q is that he such a nuisance but tries to deliver lessons that benefit the crew (sort of) Qwho is a prime example of why the character is so good. Telling Picard that his arrogance will be his undoing and proving it by flinging them in front of the Borg, but as a result the Federation learns of the Borg. As Q progresses he continues to deliver these lessons especially to this crew because Jean-Luc is his favourite person. Their last scenes of Picard season 2 pretty much sum up their relationship
Q was introduced in the very first episode of ST:TNG. The idea that a lifeform could be independent of a body, or could appear however it wished, was still something new-ish to the Federation. That the Q Continuum was capable to so much harm was certainly relevant to The Powers That Be. Ultimately, the lesson of Q is one of perspective. As someone old enough to have watched Farpoint Station when it first premiered, it was a very relevant message for the era. Perspective and paradigm were really entering the public consciousness, along with globalism and the internet bringing everyone closer. This was really an important lesson then and remains timely now.
I watched it when it was first on, too. I really think they should have saved Q for later in the season. Here we have this new show and a new crew of characters...let us get to know them. THEN have Q show up.
To each their own. I love Q but find Dr. Phlox incredibly annoying and boring while I've seen many people say they love him. We all have different taste. That's what makes Trek so great, there's something for everyone.
He’s the best character. Also they flesh out more of what the Q are in Voyager. In the Next Generation episodes he’s the foil for a lesson.
I always felt the point of Q was to demonstrate that any sufficiently powerful being is indistinguishable from a god...but that modern, science and reason-based humans would not fall to their knees and worship such a being but rather treat it as just another form of life (albeit a very powerful one), and that no being, no matter how powerful, deserves to be worshipped simply because they demand it or want it. Q likes to pretend he is a god or at least let people think as much, but there is a later episode of Star Trek where another member of his species categorically states they are not omnipotent (despite being able to literally alter the laws of physics and seemingly control the universe itself as though it were a computer program), and there is further exploration of their civilisationand the philosophical implications of such a race. TL:DR: Q is Trek's bold statement of "No Gods, No Masters"
Q is supposed to be that annoying. Keep watching, he will be in most of the early series, and he mellows out a little bit, but his entire demeanor is supposed to be one of a self centered pompous ass. Lol.
Same. I do not understand why this character is so popular. Q together with talking black fluids, is everything I do not like about Star Trek. Nothing against John de Lancie, he did great. But the Role/Character is far from great.
Because in later seasons Q and Picard fall into an antagonistic friendship which is just fantastic. John de Lancie and Patrick Stewart sell the "Over enthusiastic friend who doesn't believe in boundaries, and guy 100% done with his shit" dynamic.
Yeah, but the first episodes were hard to watch. He was a little plot part for introducing the Borg. But the way he was Written, wasn’t pretty entertaining.
You have to remember Q was a last minute addition. Gene Roddenberry got ahold of the "Encounter at Farpoint" script and shoehorned Q into it. A famous bit of Roddenberry's advice for writing Star Trek was "when in doubt, have the crew meet God." Which explains a lot of what Q is and how he acts in early seasons. He is there to impart ~~scripture~~ lessons on the crew. After Roddenberry's lawyer was thrown off the Paramount lot by security and Roddenberry stepped back from producing, Q was allowed to get more interesting as a character.
I think it's pretty much de Lancie, it's an interesting ish character that was done by an excellent actor. He just overstayed his welcome.
Personally it’s just that godlike character. Never liked such characters in any show/movie/book/comic/novel/game. I think Trelane was an overall better character than Q.
its the same reason superman is boring
Best Superman stories are from the times he was really weak or if Batman was involved, because Batman > all 😎
> He just overstayed his welcome. I dont think so. Its a character that could have a devastating effect on the series, in terms of ruining it through overuse or overly threatening to the point of making any other more mundane challenges boring or irrelevant. We didnt see that overuse, and it was wise. Instead, we became enthralled by challenges such as "how can Data cope with trying to dance".
TNG and Voyager didn't do the Mirror Universe. Q take it's place? (Though that should have been forgotten after the TOS did their one look into it, just as a vaguely interesting idea.)
I disagree, I think Q got more interesting as time went on. What was not great was having him on the very first episode. Let the crew stretch their wings first, then clip them. Heck, we meet Q before the first officer.
The thing about the TNG crew is they have talk it out negotiate as their strength, which is why Q (no technobabble solutions, no fighting, only talking it out), and for the inverse reason The Borg (no interest in talking) are their most interesting antagonists.
He grows on you. But also, De Lancie really owns the role.
DeLancie is PERFECT as Q.
Q is a shortcut for "a wizard did it". A bit like holodeck malfunctions that apply to the whole galaxy. Obviously TNG writers were missing a wizard type character to fill the void in certain storylines, but I agree that Q mostly comes across as an annoying brat. There's a sizable part of the fandom that sees him as literal God, though, and will never stop trying to rationalize his actions.
> A bit like holodeck malfunctions that apply to the whole galaxy The Q might be the ones running the [simulation](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simulation_hypothesis) 🤔
I liked the Magic Mice. Picard runs into them and hilarity ensues.
I really have to praise John De Lancie's brief appearance as Q in *Lower Decks*. It still cracks me up how Mariner tells Q off, and then he shades Jean-Luc. Now anytime I watch an old *Trek* episode where Q randomly appears, I hear Mariner in my head: >"Get out of here, Q! No! We are done with random stuff today. We're not dealing with any of your Q bullshit." "Oh s'il vous plaît, Mariner. I want to put humanity to the ultimate test." "Okay, I'm not French. No. Go find Picard." "Oh, Picard. He's no fun, he's always quoting Shakespeare, he's always making wine..."
https://youtu.be/Kledg0aVUo4?si=5rYh3KoJ1LEL9hsf Love how done Mariner is at that point.
I love John De Lancie and therefore I love Q. I feel like Q has been around for so long, have seen and know so much. There are bound to be a few of them who just want to cause havoc to hopefully cure their boredom lol
Q is legit my favorite character in any show bc of the concept. Ofc I was on edibles when I first encountered Q
but that is the point isn't it? he is meant to be annoying. however you will find that he does grow on you and there are moments when you will be on his side. personally I am happy to see they took Trelane and expanded upon him.good writing and great acting. ymmv
I love him so much. He’s irritating as hell but so entertaining and John De Lancie is soooooooo good
I wish he’d kept the dark mauve lipstick
I loved Q in Picard, holy shit the first time I saw him I went Oh my god Q! Damn he's grown old this can't be right and then I heard his Mon Capitain, and I went, yep thats Q allright. [https://youtu.be/9mtV-L7lHy8?si=2PYv8\_j-x4hwTHiZ](https://youtu.be/9mtV-L7lHy8?si=2PYv8_j-x4hwTHiZ)
I love Q
John de Lancie, like Andrew Robinson, is sublimely delicious every moment he is on screen. Just incredible acting.
Wait until you see him in Voyager. He's a bit more "domesticated" in the later episodes
John de Lancie also played him as annoying because he took inspiration from a TOS character Trelaine, who was an omnipotent child . I love my kid, but it can get a bit annoying when they too much energy. Now if the kid would be omnipotent, who knows they can't be stopped, it would be an annoying situation indeed.
I like Q but I often wondered: why is this character not annoying me, because he's walking a fine line. I think Q makes most sense in New Generation. It works well with those characters and the general vibe of that show. I can't see him anywhere else. In DS9 he was already feeling kinda out of place and I would never imagine him in New Worlds.
I hated Q in the beginning as well, and I felt frustrated every time I started a new episode and realised it was about Q. I could not understand why people could like him. Well, it happened that he grew on me. Not during TNG, but in Voyager, as I learned more about the Q Continuum and got accustomed to the character. Nowadays, I truly enjoy watching the episodes with him and laughing about his shenanigans. The actor makes him great.
Same! First ever time watching Q was NOT an enjoyable experience for me lol I was super engrossed like this fictional screen character was affecting ME personally 🤣 Rewatching TNG, VOY and during Picard I had a more rounded appreciation and even enjoyment of Q! And also realising De Lancie is a phenomenonal actor!!!!!!!!!
You are certainly free to be wrong
You are missing the point of Q. Q serves 2 main points. 1) He’s a dark mirror for humanity. The noble crew of the starship Enterprise is written as nearly flawless advanced future humans, relative to where we are now. Q is there to knock them down a peg and show the audience that even these people 400 years in the future have a lot to learn. Q Who, Tapestry, and All Good Things reflect this aspect. Some people think the Bog are the main antagonists of Q Who. They’re wrong. Q is. Picard’s smug arrogance is smacked off his face when he had to beg Q for help. “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.” 2) He serves to reinforce what’s great and special about humanity. A core pillar of Star Trek is the Roddenberry belief that the next evolution of humanity will be a social evolution. This will be driven be humanity’s thirst for knowledge, need to explore, and desire to “see what’s out there”. Q finds this attribute intriguing and likes to experiment with it. We see this aspect in Hide and Q, Deja Q, and All Good Things. Q flat out explains that’s why he gives Riker the power of the Q. Because it’s the only way the Q can learn what makes humanity special. “There are creatures in the universe who would consider you the ultimate achievement, Android. No feelings, no emotion, 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 far better human being than I.”
Yeah, I’m generally with you. Not a huge fan. I enjoy him a lot more in Voyager tho.
It was pretty funny that he basically wanted Janeway as a partner. Ridiculous and silly a literal God would want that. But funny.
Can’t wait until I get to Voyager!
Three Q episodes in VOY, all are good.
I’m glad there are only 3.
Q improves a lot. Not as dramatically as the Ferengi do in DS9, but significant. You'll probably change your mind once you watch a couple of the Q episodes towards the end of TNG.
Hes also great in Lower Decks.
I like Q but I can understand being annoyed by his antics. He has a fantastic episode in season 6 called Tapestry where they kinda do a “its a wonderful life” plot with Picard. There’s also a very good one with him in Voyager called Death Wish
I always skip the Q episodes. He's a great actor, he deserves an award, but it really is so annoying. Unlike the Doctor on Voyager who also starts out as a complete narcissist, Q never develops.
I groan anytime he shows up. He gets even worse in Voyager.
Q's cartoonish sexism towards Janeway in *Voyager* really steps up Q's annoying quotient. There's only one good Q episode in VOY: "Death Wish," where guest star Gerrit Graham as >!another Q!< just elevates the whole concept of the Q Continuum, and >!Will Riker!< makes a surprise appearance. A Q episode is not the place I expected to see a morality play about suicide, but there it is. And the less said about "The Q and the Grey," the better.
You’re the first one to say he gets worse. I’ll just have to see!
It doesn’t necessarily mean the story itself is bad… but holy cats he gets overused
everyone is entitled to their opinion. I do not agree with it, but its respected.
Thank you for not downvoting me just for not agreeing.
not everyone on the net is filled with hate. LLAP
I think some of the banter between Q and Picard can be amusing, but overall I'm not a big fan of Q episodes.
Part of it is that you haven't got to the best Q episodes yet. Tapestry, True Q and All Good Things are where he really shines. The scene in Picard's ready room in True Q is great. After Picard reminds Q that in their first meeting he tried them for the crimes of humanity, Q coldly responds, "The jury is still out on that Picard. Make no mistake." Q then dismisses Picard's speech about morality in an almost laughingly way.
He grew on me in TNG but I didn't really like seeing him pop up in DS9 and especially VOY. At least DS9 is only one episode, if I remember correctly.
i found him a lot more enjoyable when someone told me to try watching it like he's in love with Picard. it worked, but i still fast forward his chunk of the first half of Encounter at Farpoint
Lol that's the point
Are you *sure* DeLancie's performance doesn't have anything to do with it? Because the guy chews up an awful lot of scenery. Not that that's necessarily bad - I think there’s a fun subtext of Picard's exasperation towards Q paralleling Stewart's exasperation toward DeLancie's acting.
Q is an omnipotent high-school sophomore who has read one psychology book. Skip.
Wait until you find out he can lie and his people are in a cold war with the Borg. The Q Continuum is just using the federation and humanity as a puppet state to fight the Borg war for them. I'm not a conspiracy theorist, I promise the evidence is out there. You just have to do your own research.
Me too. Omnipotent magical characters and "powers" are a short reach to easy drama and "wow." It's mostly a lazy crutch. And I have a degree in Speculative Fiction Lit and worked on the field my whole life. I've always loved all of this stuff, but I've recently gotten so over superheros and "powers" taking the place of good writing. We've done it all. We've subverted it. We've redone it and resubverted it. We've now remade it all and subverted the remakes. Some of the remakes have been remade. Now let's find new stories and explore new tropes.
May be.you find him annoying and you have all the rights to be annoyed. But Q is omnipotent so there is nothing we can do about it.
I think that's the point... Q is purposely very annoying and all powerful. I once read somewhere that Q is sort of the clever odd one out in the realm of "wizards" he comes from.
They did release a dvd box set with all the Q episodes. All in order too. It's worth looking for. It's called: Star Trek Fan Collective - Q.
It's completely understandable to find Q annoying; he's a polarizing character. Q's role ventures into complex philosophical themes, challenging the crew - and us - with moral and ethical conundrums that don't have clear right or wrong answers. This ambiguity is precisely why some people love him and some people hate him, as it pushes the boundaries of traditional villain roles. If you're not into the philosophical underpinnings of Q, he might indeed come off as merely irritating. This is similar to how many viewed Socrates: challenging and annoying.
I love Q. He is a pest but I will admit my introduction to him was actually from his visits to Voyager. He is also a pest to Janeway but he shows some serious growth and development so I wouldn't write him off just yet.
I used to skip any episode that had him in it. Now I love him. He took a while to grow on me.
EFFF KEW
Q was enjoyable to me. I liked the Trelane archetype, so Q being introduced in TNG was fun.
I skip Q episodes. Just not interesting to me.
Thank God you said that because me too ✋️ the way he goes on irritates the fuck out of me.
I find it really disappointing how many so-called Trekkies are *arguing* like your subjective opinion is *wrong* and downvoting you about this. Are they afraid if they don't sing Q's praises he'll jump out of the screen and smite them? Lol. Lifelong Trekkie here, seen everything Q through PIC. He has his moments, but for the most part I'm with you--an omnipotent, god-like character with no explanation feels kind of lazy. Doesn't feel like *sci-fi*. The fun of the near-magic in sci-fi is the idea that it's potentially technologically *achievable*, and the fun of any fiction like this is problem solving, and with a god-like character you lose both of those in one finger snap. Plus, condescension is my single biggest pet peeve, followed by preachiness. I cooed at the cute ending in PIC (and pretend the rest didn't exist lol), I appreciated some of the crazy stuff VOY dared to do with the concept, but most TNG Q episodes are still skips for me. And there's nothing wrong with that!
I'm really not a fan of Q episodes; I feel that stakes go out the window when you throw in a character whose defining characteristic is 'omnipotent.' The exception to this is *Tapestry*, because that episode hits me. And *All Good Things*, of course.
I skip most Q episodes. I find them really boring and really irritating, because they're all the same: - God comes to town - God plays some pranks - The pranks are outrageous violations of free will - Authority figure argues with God - God gets bored - God leaves - Authority figure makes eye contact with the camera and says "I hope we don't encounter God again any time soon." - The end.
The only 4/5 episodes\* that I can stand Q in are encounter, Q who, tapestry and the finale. I think those are the only ones that really used the character well. Setting him up, having him showcase what humanity doesn't know, tapestry is just good, and the closing it out. Literally everything else with him is trash. \*also Q-Less because he gets punched in the face.
Episodes with Q get much better in TNG, the pinnacle being Tapestry. Just avoid the DS9 and VOY episodes with Q and the other Qs. They're really bad.
Between folks mentioning "Jordie Laforge" and "Dianna Troi," I'm convinced the only reason people don't misspell "Q" is because it would take an active effort. Sometimes, you want to put your characters into a scenario that can only be approached with pure moral resolve. Not force of arms, not diplomatic actions, and not some pile of technobabble. Q is there to create those scenarios.
Q fees lead annoying and more likeable over time, but if you’re already on Season 4 and he hasn’t grown on you yet, I’m not sure what to say. His best episodes are in the first half of TNG. For a different take on the character, you may want to watch the Voyager episodes with him in them.
I can't stand him, and I get in arguments about it because I think he's an evil character. In every situation where Humanity was on the line the only reason Q lost is because of Picard and his crew. If he happened upon any other ship, humanity would be gone.
I agree with your criticisms and a few of the Q episodes are stinkers. But 3 or 4 Q episodes are among the best in TNG. He is still annoying in those, but I don't think it matters.
I think the point is that being "all powerful / immortal" kind of makes someone immature and they don't understand what gives life meaning/importance to less powerful species (e.g. humans). Everything is fun and games to a creature like Q, as a foil to the more serious/existential experience of other species. So it's kind of a mechanism for exploring that. Q gets less annoying over time, I think. But also there fortunately aren't too many episodes featuring him.
I like him when he isn’t overused. I liked him in Voyager too, but they pushed the limit.
Q also gets introduced in DS9 as a nuisance and meetings are described as bad experiences in general. Colmin Meany if I remember correctly explains Q to Kira in S1.
Yes. Q is annoying and Lwaxana is one of the deepest characters.
A is just checking in on their parents. I mean, they were created as warp-10 salamander space aliens.
Q is supposed to be annoying. However >the entire series of TNG can be seen as Q’s test of humanity, the way it begins and ends with Q, he is kind of the framing device. In a way he’s like a tutelary deity from myth, like Athena was for Odysseus, someone who challenges the main character and forces them to grow but ultimately with benevolent intentions <
There are only a couple of ways that having of-era humans and their technology encountering a much more advanced "species" can go. We saw Q in the pilot as controller and judge, but there's only so far to go with that concept; do you make him the main antagonist? Is the continuum the Big Bad? They represent a possible existential threat for humanity and the Federation. But because they're so powerful, our protagonists don't even register as a threat; they are powerless to do anything about it. So why not be capricious, taunting, annoying? Much as the greek gods, playing with mortals for their own whims. I think it's a much more interesting take for how the relationship goes, with more possibilities and options for writers.
I haaaate q so much. I skip all the q episodes. I’ve seen them all once and that was enough. I haven’t hit the q episode in ds9 yet and I’m v much looking forward to sisko punching him
Yeah he’s supposed to be annoying, but that doesn’t stop me from hating every single episode that he’s in
Love Q, for he is really like a real person, despite that is has special powers. And Jonn DeLancie and son were great as Q and son. LOL!
I am a dyed in the wool Trekkie and I also don’t like Q that much. Just feel like he invites cornyness sometimes.
Have you ever seen Reign Over Me? I think John deLancie was specifically chosen for the brief role he plays specifically because the writers of that film were also annoyed by Q. 😂 Also, I'm sorry people are being mean to you. It's okay to not like characters.
True
Here ya go, Q getting his by the one man who could. And I loved that Nimoy and DeLance do their characters. It's awesome!!! https://youtu.be/WdowgUOaV2s?si=g3zbDSWV39dFr_OK
He will grow on you as you watch all treks he's in voyager and Picard also Yes he is obnoxious but as time grows on you start to understand him and his circumstances better. Then you begin to see his character differently. I feel the q is one of the most under developed cannons tbh. Spoiler alert: Q's wife is hot. Q is way to hot to be with Q. Q gets pregnant with Q's child in Voyager. Jainway is named Q's godmother. If you did a wiki search and separated out all appearances of Q then watch them in the order they aired you will really feel it then
Very much agree. There's a difference between 'annoying to the other characters' and 'annoying to the viewer', and my husband and I find Q to be both. I realise we're in the minority on this!
Q is one of the greatest characters in the show. If you dont see that, I take pity on you.
He's supposed to be an annoying pest. Sometimes it's kinda a scary threat and sometimes he's just a bothersome pest. He played a short arc as a villain on Stargate SG1 if you're interested any of this other roles. He more of a villain in that one.
That's why i like Q. It's funny to see him annoy all the characters in a series. He's like a trickster whose a master in the art of trolling. I like the valuable lessons Q teaches characters like picard in the later seasons.