| Q (star Trek) |
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Information AboutQ (star Trek) |
This page is about the character Q; for the race, see Q Continuum .
Q, played by ''. The name "Q" is also shared by other members of the Q Continuum . Gene Roddenberry chose the letter "Q" for the character and race in honor of his friend, Janet Quarton. Q is a mischievous, seemingly Omnipotent being who has taken an interest in humans. Q's power is limited only in that he cannot overcome others in the Q Continuum , and, like others of his "species," he has not demonstrated the ability to read the minds of sentient beings. However, they can kill each other (as can non Q continuum members) if they have the right weapons. He also has a flair for the dramatic, with a Mercurial personality that switches between a joking, Camp style and a more ominous and even dangerous manner. While he is boastful, condescending and threatening, he arguably has humanity's best interests at heart, as seen in the series finale, All Good Things... , in which he causes Jean-Luc Picard to shift through time periods, giving him a chance to save humanity. In his portrayal of Q, John de Lancie used as his inspiration a description attributed to Lord Byron : "Mad, bad and dangerous to know."''Star Trek: The Next Generation'' DVD, disc 7, extras Beginning with the pilot episode of '''', Q became a popular recurring character, in large part because of the comedic and dramatic chemistry between de Lancie and Patrick Stewart (who played Captain Jean-Luc Picard ). Interestingly enough, de Lancie always felt that each portrayal of Q was the last time he'd take up the role. OVERVIEW Q (John de Lancie) first appears as a villain, putting Picard and the Enterprise crew on trial for venturing beyond humanity's abilities and threatening all of humanity with annihilation. In later episodes, he becomes more of a Trickster . Q evolved into a sympathetic, and sometimes even pitiable character. In " Déjà Q ", Q is punished by the Q Continuum by being turned into a mortal; his commission of an uncharacteristically selfless act garners the return of his powers. In the same episode, Q says that Picard is "the closest thing in this universe that I have to a friend." Toward the end of ''The Next Generation'', Q is less antagonistic toward Picard, even in " Tapestry ", apparently saving Picard's life and helping the captain better understand himself. In the series finale, "All Good Things...", Q gives Picard a "helping hand" in saving humanity. Picard often thinks of Q as an annoyance, and Q often is surprised by Picard and the other humans he encounters. In " Q Who? ", when Picard argues that humanity is capable of dealing with anything, Q whisks the USS ''Enterprise'' to the Delta Quadrant for humanity's first encounter with the Borg . Picard resorts to asking for Q to save the ship. Surprised, Q brings the ''Enterprise'' home and tells Picard that most men would rather have died than ask for help. In Q's later appearances on ''Star Trek: Voyager'' and ''Star Trek: Deep Space Nine'', he is less concerned with humanity as a whole, and is more of a Comic Relief character. In the ''DS9'' episode " Q-Less ", Q at one point goads Commander Benjamin Sisko into a Bare-knuckle Boxing match, all the while belittling and insulting him. When Sisko loses his temper and knocks Q down, an astonished Q says, "You hit me! Picard never hit me!" Sisko counters frankly that "I'm ''not'' Picard." Q responds with a smile, saying "No...you're ''much'' easier to provoke." Q enjoys goading humans, Klingons , and other races to display their savage side, and when they refuse he dismisses them as no fun; this seems to be just a game for Q; however, and when characters show genuine compassion or restraint, he will usually admit to being impressed that their "tiny human minds" were capable of such actions. Later, on ''Voyager,'' Q has started a civil war among the continuum in a campaign for personal freedoms. The war goes badly for his side however, and Q comes to the conclusion that the creation, or birth, of a new member of the continuum could revitalize the Q. Q first seeks Captain Janeway to be the mother of his child but she refuses and eventually Q procreates with a female Q he had previously been involved with. The child is born entirely conscious and with all the powers of any other Q. As could be imagined, such power in the hands of an immature child goes terribly wrong. Q's son causes no end of trouble for the continuum and Q turns to Captain Janeway for help. Eventually they agree that the boy will remain on ''Voyager'', without his powers, and either learn how to be a responsible, productive citizen of the cosmos, or spend eternity as an Amoeba . Eventually the young Q comes around but the continuum is not entirely convinced, so in negotiations with Q, they work out an agreement. Q must eternally guard, observe, and accompany the boy to ensure he behaves. The two set out together with a much better relationship, and Q offers Janeway a gift in thanks by showing her how to cut a few years off their trip back to Federation space. When asked why he won't send them all the way, he replies that doing all the work for them would set a bad example for his son. APPEARANCES Episodes featuring Q often have titles that play on the letter "Q".
1 Audiobook also features Majel Barrett-Roddenberry . 2No Audiobook version available. REFERENCES EXTERNAL LINKS |
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