LogFAQs > #970701889

Episode 13: Deja Q

Always happy to see Q again. Making him mortal lends itself to some great comedy antics. It's like he's starring in a weird sitcom at times.

Picard is instantly disappointed and exasperated by Q's arrival. Immediately distrusting, not that I blame him, and we finally get the famous face-palm, which he interrupts in shock at almost being called a friend. During Q's confession, you can read on his face the temptation to be more sympathetic, but he ultimately rejects it.

Riker doesn't take to Q, either. Finds Worf hilarious. Prepared to just abandon Q, which in any other story would make him unlikeable.

La Forge is showing a bit more personality in how he does his job. Has no patience whatsoever for Q, even when what he's saying is seemingly correct. Shares Riker's viewpoint that they should just abandon Q.

Worf is comedy gold. Truly is delighted to finally arrest Q. Stews in anger over being called Romulan.

Crusher enjoys her treatment of Q far too much.

Troi's empath powers are helpful for making sure the audience believes Q, even if the characters dont. Outright mocks him for his fear.

Having Data be the one to guide Q is a brilliant choice. Aside from offering fascinating perspectives from the outside looking in, some of which lend themselves to great comedy moments, he's obviously the only one who displays true empathy for him I.e., as always, the most human. The sudden laughter is outstanding.

Guinan is far too gleeful over Q's plight. Straight up savage and more than a bit menacing.

Q certainly knows how to make an entrance. Dressing him in that ridiculous costume is an act of pure evil. Manages to keep his smarminess, but with an added taste of undue arrogance and entitlement. Fitting the sitcom esque role he's playing, there's a lot of neuroticism to him, too. It's a reasonably subtle change to his previous characterisation, but a necessary one, so, that he be a far more desperate than usual. Actually DeLancie does something quite interesting where he plays up Q's unlikeable qualities just enough that his costars don't become unpleasant in how callous they are to him, whilst still being sympathetic enough to the audience that we start genuinely feeling for him when he gets attacked.

The revelation that Data has no emotions (even though we all know its a lie, at this stage) actually gives him pause for thought and the near sacrifice allows him to develop a degree of genuine empathy for him and leads to a confession that he is little more than a bully. Despite his protestations, he's definitely more human after his experience.

Q2 is a one scene wonder. Just as hammy as the main one, but with an air of a slick wheelerdealer who knows he's got all the power in every bargain. Apparently he was a bit of stunt celebrity casting. It actually works for once.

The people of Bre'el seem a bit stereotypical to say the least. We get some lovely shrill noises throughout this episode. Quite liked the spinning shot in the turbolift, following Q as his own head spins with the laundry list of potential defects a human body can have. Quite a few decent shots actually. We have the pan around Q before Guinan makes her entrance to indicate his dread, the spin around the two to emphasise a tense back and forth that she obviously wins and her standing over him after he's been attacked. Seeing the Calamarain drift by the windows in ten forward is pretty cool and I like that the extras actually react to the general insanity.

Perhaps the most vital thing to have in a comedy episode is a sharp script and this one positively crackles with quality. Every one liner and retort flows with expert delivery, the observational humour on the minutiae of human existence is genuinely amusing and even the more serious scenes have an expert pace to them. I have some minor misgivings (which I'll elaborate on in a bit) about actually using Q in this manner, but I can't deny that the episode was an almost constant delight from start to finish.

I'm convinced that there are 2 Qs and I'm not talking about the scene in the shuttlecraft. The writers themselves seem inconsistent on whether Q should be a slightly sinister, but ultimately well meaning stealth teacher or a chaotic trickster figure. This episode and Hide and Q leaned towards the latter, which is usually my least preferred version of him. Obviously, I enjoyed the episode, but after Q Who redeemed him, having him returned to a bit of a joke in his very next appearance is remarkably inconsistent. The actual lesson of learning what it means to be human is fairly banal, but well executed, but it still doesn't seem like the right fit for Q. I think part of the problem might be the Continuum themselves. Having Q beholden to some organisation kind of cripples him a fair bit and, as great as Q2 is, they kind of fall of into the same trap that the Time Lords of Doctor Who do, where they are obviously important to the lore, but remarkably uninteresting in their own right and quite damaging to their main representatives. Even if you prefer chaotic trickster Q, he'd probably do better as a completely unshackled lone wolf.

All that said, the episode is fantastic and will probably remain a highlight by the end of the season, so, maybe I've got even less of an idea of what I'm talking about than I believe.

It's all A Matter of Perspective, as is the next episode.