amanda star trek q

Star Trek: Voyager's Q Return Forgot TNG's Amanda Rogers

• Q forgot about TNG's Amanda Rogers in his Star Trek: Voyager return.
• Rogers disproves Q's claim that no two Q ever conceived a child before himself and Miss Q.
• However, Q may not have counted Rogers as a true Q offspring due to the unique circumstances surrounding her parents and birth.

Q's (John de Lancie) return to Star Trek: Voyager season 3 forgot about Amanda Rogers (Olivia d'Abo) from Star Trek: The Next Generation . Q is one of the most prolific characters in all the Star Trek TV shows , appearing throughout the franchise's 1990s era and even in more recent series like Star Trek: Lower Decks or Star Trek: Picard . Although Q first made a name for himself on TNG , his appearances on Voyager fleshed out more of his character and provided some never-before-seen backstory for the Q Continuum.

Much of this backstory was seen in Q's first two appearances on Voyager . In particular, season 3, episode 11, "The Q and the Grey" dealt with the consequences of the events of Q's first Voyager cameo in season 2. The episode's premise revolved around Q's attempts to get Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) to mate with him to create a child that would stop the Q Civil War. Eventually, Q ended up accomplishing this with Miss Q (Suzie Plakson), but made a mistake when he commented that two Q had never reproduced before .

Star Trek: Voyager Cast & Character Guide

Q forgot about tng’s amanda rogers in his star trek: voyager return, q met rogers on star trek: the next generation.

Amanda Rogers from Star Trek: TNG proves that Q was incorrect about no two Q having a child before "The Q and the Grey." Rogers was a female Q who became an intern on the USS Enterprise-D during TNG season 6, episode 6, "True Q." Initially, Rogers had no idea she was a Q, as she had been raised by human parents and had limited powers. However, it was Q himself who revealed her true parentage and the fact that the Continuum had been keeping an eye on Rogers since her birth.

It seems strange then that Q would forget about Rogers' existence during his appearance on Voyager . Although she was adopted by humans as a baby, Rogers was born to two Q parents, meaning that Q and Miss Q's child wasn't actually the first Continuum member to be conceived from the union of two Q . Q seemed extraordinarily proud of his child by the end of the episode, so it is possible he was simply gloating or exaggerating the baby's importance. However, there are some concrete reasons why Q might not consider Amanda Rogers a real Q child.

Why Q Doesn't Count Amanda Rogers As A Q Offspring

Amanda was a unique case in the q continuum.

Although both of Rogers' parents were fully Q, her backstory in "True Q" revealed that her parents assumed human form to live on Earth, where she was also supposedly conceived under human means. This differs from how two Q in fully Q form conceive a child, as Q and Miss Q demonstrated in "The Q and the Grey." Therefore, it is possible that Q didn't count Amanda Rogers as a child conceived by members of the Continuum because of the circumstances of her birth . Even her upbringing as a human could have excluded her from his consideration.

However, the fact that Rogers not only manifested full Q powers but also eventually chose to join the Continuum undoubtedly made her a Q. Whether Q considered her a true member of his species, he was wrong in his assessment of his son being the first Continuum member conceived by Q parents. Unfortunately, Star Trek: Voyager missed out on the opportunity for a good TNG tie-in by not directly referencing Amanda Rogers during "The Q and the Grey," which is too bad considering she was a fascinating character who might have provided some nuance to the episode.

Star Trek: Voyager is available to stream on Paramount+

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

Cast Jennifer Lien, Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo

Release Date May 23, 1995

Genres Sci-Fi, Adventure

Network UPN

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Showrunner Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Rating TV-PG

Where To Watch Paramount+

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Published Nov 11, 2011

An Interview With TNG's Young Q, Olivia d'Abo

Olivia d’Abo earned her place in Star Trek history – and in the hearts and minds of fans, too – with her portrayal of Amanda Rogers in the sixth-season TNG episode “ True Q .” Amanda was the beautiful young woman who, during an internship on the Enterprise, discovered that she was actually a powerful Q. The British actress, who is best known for her roles as Karen on The Wonder Years and Nicole Wallace on Law & Order: Criminal Intent , continues to appear in features, on TV and on stage, and she’s also a respected singer-songwriter. StarTrek.com recently caught up with d’Abo for a wide-ranging interview in which she recounted her “True Q” experience and filled us in on her current projects, which include We Have Your Husband , a Lifetime TV movie airing tomorrow night, and some new music.

Let's start with Star Trek . First, what did you know about the franchise in general and TNG specifically when you landed your role in "True Q?" D’Abo: I really didn't know anything about the franchise of Star Trek and I wasn't as familiar with The Next Generation as I was with TOS . But I was immediately excited by the endless possibilities creatively and the mystery of getting to explore a role that seemed really unique to me. Ultimately, when I was cast, I considered it a real honor to be working on the continuation of the Star Trek legacy I'd grown up with, but also to work alongside of some of the most seasoned actors in the business. I learned so much from them. As kids, both my brother and I had grown up with William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy, and from that moment on we got majorly hooked on science-fiction. It had a huge effect on my childhood and not unlike Star Wars it made me more curious about space, other life forms in our galaxy and the wonder of astronomy in general. What intrigued you most about the role of Amanda in "True Q"? D’Abo: Amanda had a vulnerability I related to because she was an orphan and in the episode was clearly at a stage in her life where she had some pretty important choices to make about her future. She had a strength and a wisdom about her. She was searching for the truth and searching for her own sense of truth. Though she was impressionable at times, it was inevitable to me through playing her that through her own self discovery she'd know which choices to make and what path to take. What do you remember of the shoot? Of working on the set and with the other actors, especially Gates McFadden and John de Lancie? D’Abo: I remember everyone being so warm and so kind to me. From the director to the actors down to everyone on the crew, it was an extremely happy group of people who were there to support each other and do their best every day. The sets were absolutely top-notch and made me feel like I was really aboard a real Enterprise spaceship. My favorite features on set were the space doors that would automatically open and close as you entered and exited each room. There was a lot of new dialogue to learn each day, which happens in television, so you just roll with the punches and embrace the changes in the words as they come. A large component in getting cast on the show was that you had to have extensive theater training and an ability to memorize dialogue well and quickly. Luckily I'd just done a play at the Mark Taper Forum and my memorization chops were where they needed to be, which came in handy, especially in my scenes in the lab with Gates. She was so easy, giving and wonderful to work with. I loved her.I really enjoyed the challenge of exploring Amanda's serious side and focusing on experiments while using unusually unfamiliar scientific words to communicate and get my point across. John de Lancie was great to work with. He had tremendous energy and reminded me of Puck from William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night’s Dream . He was wonderfully mischievous, always so excited on set and eager to educate me on the importance of what a true Q represented. He also continually reminded me how Star Trek lives on forever, that it's immortal and so important to so many people all around the world. I wasn't necessarily sure what he meant at the time, but he was right. In some way strange way, for that episode's moment in time, we were contributing something to science fiction history.

How tough a role was Amanda to pull off? She had to think like a human, but have the powers of a Q. D’Abo: She was actually a lot of fun to play and I think I was more interested and challenged by how she dealt with the obstacles she had to overcome in the storyline. I had fun discovering and revealing her inner conflicts and where the possibilities lived inside her. I was also looking for places to have the freedom to play with her curiosity. I definitely made a choice to play her as human as possible. And I made that choice because we all have a great power inside us. Sometimes, others see it in us before we see it in ourselves, so there's a process we must go through to recognize it. I saw Amanda that way. She had great depth, power and potential. That can be scary at times for all of us because our potential for greatness is so vast and expansive that we shy away from it. But hopefully it's what we aspire to claim for ourselves... when we're ready. You've attended a few Star Trek conventions and autograph shows over the years. Why do you think so many people are still eager to talk to you about “True Q” and Amanda? To get your autograph on a picture of you from the episode? D’Abo: Actually I've done very few conventions and only just went to my first Star Trek convention this year (she attended the Creation’s Official Star Trek Convention in Las Vegas this past August), so I'm fairly new at this. I'm not really certain why people are still eager to talk about “True Q” and Amanda, but I've noticed Star Trek fans are very picky about what makes a great episode and “True Q” was extremely well written and portrayed. I feel very I'm very lucky and honored to have played the only female Q in TNG . I've met many fans recently who collect the game cards and have mentioned a Q card can be very valuable because of the character's powers. What question about Amanda and your Trek experience are you most often asked... just in case we didn't ask it? D’Abo: What was it like to kiss Jonathan Frakes? The episode seemed to leave open the possibility of a return engagement. What did the producers tell you at the time? How close did you come to returning in another episode? D’Abo: As far as I knew it was always just going to be one episode. Who knows? Maybe that's what made “True Q” special. By the time we'd shot the episode the series had less than a year to go, so I'm sure they had their storylines set in stone for the following episodes to come. Incidentally, I met a screenwriter at Creation this year, before I went on stage for a Q&A, and she shared a very touching and beautiful story with me. She said that “True Q” inspired her to write a spec script with Amanda in it and that it was that script that started her career as a writer on the following show, DS9 . Hearing that story was the biggest gift I could have received from fulfilling my role as Amanda. Knowing things you do can inspire others to create is very rewarding to me. If you had reprised the character, what would you like to have seen for Amanda? D’Abo: Oh, well, that's hard to say, but probably more of Amanda being mentored by Captain Picard, because of how well he backed her up and guided her in “True Q.” I absolutely loved working with Patrick Stewart, especially in the last scene of “True Q,” where Captain Picard lets Amanda choose. He truly backed her up and protected her to (let her) find her own individual power and sense of purpose. He gave Amanda the opportunity in an urgent situation to save a dying planet. And in return, the situation proves to be the most powerful scene in the episode, as it allows Amanda to use her powers in the most positive way and finally find herself. If there had been a reprise it would have been cool to up the stakes even more and see Picard call upon her to use even more aspects of her intuition and powers to save lives and worlds and work efficiently and effectively in problematic areas or situations that they might have encountered. In addition to Amanda, what other roles from throughout your career do people most like to speak with you about? D’Abo: People really love Nicole Wallace from Law & Order: Criminal Intent . She seems to get under people's skin and people are really curious about her and just what makes her tick. Obviously, The Wonder Years as Karen, as a lot of people grew up with that show. My first film, Conan the Destroyer , because I was so young and it's now considered a classic. Wayne's World 2 because Garthette is the ultimate nerd. The role of Jane in Kicking and Screaming , Greedy , Eureka , Jedi Master Luminara in Clone Wars , Live Nude Girls , and The Last Good Time for indie fans. I'm very fortunate to be able to have the range to play roles I really love and don't get bored of. Luckily, people are still connecting the dots, because the roles have been so diverse. Let's talk current events. You’re also a singer-songwriter and recorded some new music recently, including a duet with Seal. Tell us more about the songs, their titles, where people can get them. How would you describe the sound? D’Abo: I have an awesome album out right now called Not TV that consists of 10 narrative pop songs I've written that are both reflective and introspective in theme. It's available in retail stores now, as well as Amazon.com. The digital version of Not TV will be released on the 22nd of November and available at Amazon.com with two free bonus tracks. The first track is a smoky, sensual duet I wrote that features Seal called “Broken,” and the second track is a song I recorded called "Alright," which appears in the newly released film Waking Madison . Not TV is definitely alternative pop in style with catchy melodies and lyrics and it pays homage to my classic influential Brit rock sensibilities. But it’s also layered with jazz undertones and soulful R&B rhythms. There are some amazing musicians on the album including Wendy Melvoin from Wendy and Lisa, Richie Sambora, Patrick Leonard, and Susie Katayama's incredible string arrangements. My dad (Mike d’Abo) has been a huge influence on me musically, as he was the lead singer of Manfred Mann and has written classic songs such “Build Me Up Buttercup” for The Foundations and “Handbags and Gladrags” for Rod Stewart.The song "Broken" was originally recorded by me on my own and placed as the end-title track song in a movie called Loving Annabelle , directed by Katherine Brooks. Being that the song was so strongly embraced by listeners, the producer and co-writer, Thomas Barquee, and I thought, “Wouldn't it be great to record it as a duet? Seal was the first and only artist I could think of to sing it with me, as we were good friends, supported each other's music and had an already built-in history that's reflected in the song. Luckily, he really loved the song when he heard it. So, not soon after that, we went to his house to record it. It was so effortless to record that we literally got the vocal take in an hour. What I love about the song as a duet is how open and disarming the vocals are and the blending of our voices together. You've completed a TV movie called We Have Your Husband , which will premiere on November 12. Give us a feeling for the story and your role in it. D’Abo: The film is a gripping and suspenseful drama. I think viewers will find it to be quite a roller coaster ride. The cast is great, and though it's a Lifetime movie it's shot like a cool freestyle documentary with a great sense of underlying urgency in most of the scenes. We Have Your Husband is actually a book and a true story that's been aired (as a segment) on Dateline . It’s about a married couple called Jayne and Eduardo Valseca, whose story became a life-altering experience. Jane (Teri Polo) fights to get her husband (Esai Morales) back from kidnappers down in San Miguel. I play the role of Olivia, Teri Polo's bohemian ex-patriot best friend, who's sort of a butterfly. I fly in and out of the mayhem. Olivia is an artistic free spirit who met Jane when she moved down to San Miguel a number of years ago with her husband. In hindsight, through the film my character has a big lesson to learn about herself and where her depth and character lie. What else do you have wrapped or about to start? D’Abo: I'm really excited, as I'm about to guest host Second City on November 12th, which will be fun because I'm getting a chance to do live sketch comedy and play funny characters. I've just come off a high-paced, completely exhilarating run playing the role of Kath in Stan Zimmerman's prestigious theater production of Joe Orton's Entertaining Mr. Sloane at the Actors Company Theater. It's been an amazing experience and a rare opportunity to play against type as a frumpy, tragic hilariously funny human being who against all odds figures out how to get exactly what she wants by the end of the play. It's hands-down the most amazing character and arc I've ever played. Plus, I got to wear vintage 60's wardrobe designed by Kevin King. He also made me the most phenomenal fat suit. It really helped me morph into my character and lose myself. Funnily enough, I get pregnant by the second and third acts, so even more padding was made for me to pull that off effectively. The casting was flawless in this production, with Ian Buchanan, Emrhys Cooper and Robin Gammell. We've just won six StageSceneLA Awards… for best comedy production, best comedic performances (including d’Abo’s) and best director. And I just found out today that we've been nominated for 10 BroadwayWorldLA Awards. So it looks like we'll be bringing the play back in the not too distant future, hopefully in both L.A and New York.I've also just recently finished shooting the post-apocalyptic action-thriller film Nuclear Family for Michael Eisner's VUGURU Inc., directed by Kyle Rankin, and Justice League: Doom , a movie for Warner Bros. Animation, portraying both Star Sapphire and Carol Ferris, directed by Andrea Romano. And for all you science-fiction fans, you can catch me on Clone Wars playing Jedi Master Luminara.

To keep track of Olivia d'Abo and her latest projects, visit her official site by clicking HERE .

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Who Is Q in 'Star Trek: Picard'?

Your Q-uintessential guide.

Since Star Trek 's premiere in 1966, audiences have seen new iterations with each passing generation. From the original series to the original cast movies, to the Berman era in the 1990s and early 2000s (known for executive producer Rick Berman ) and now, each addition to the decade-spanning franchise has been able to introduce new elements and elaborate on the old. Star Trek: Picard capitalizes on Star Trek nostalgia even more than its predecessor, Star Trek: Discovery , serving as a character study on the fan-favorite Jean-Luc Picard ( Sir Patrick Stewart ) of Star Trek: The Next Generation . Season 2 not only sees the return of Guinan ( Whoopi Goldberg ), but also the mostly omnipotent Q ( John de Lancie ) as he hurdles Picard into the next test he must face amidst reflecting over the decisions he's made throughout his life.

But Picard doesn't quite give the audience a detailed refresher of the history of Q or his relationship with Picard other than a few expository references. So, if you need a refresher on a 30-year-old show, or are a newer Star Trek fan born after 1994 but don't have the time to trek on a 178 episode binge of The Next Generation , this feature is for you.

RELATED: ‘Star Trek: Picard’s Isa Briones, Santiago Cabrera, and Evan Evagora on Season 2 and Geeking Out with Patrick Stewart

Q is a member of The Q, a race of beings who have the ability to alter matter and energy, and therefore time, at their whims. They can inhabit the dimension/reality that humanity exists in, but also have their own plane of existence called "The Q Continuum." Their society is organized, but highly reactive to change due to their powerful, almost god-like status. Many of the appearances of the Q sees minute questioning and change start a wildfire throughout the Continuum. Just like an overprotective father, they need control.

The Q also have the ability to present themselves in different forms, but Q almost always presents himself as a human male dressed in a Starfleet uniform, though he makes a point to age and matches Picard in his latest appearance -- becoming decades older and in civilian clothing with his signature snap. Q, as an individual, is boastful, emotional, and manipulative. He has an inflated ego, to say the last. Even among the Continuum, he's known for his chaotic and brash behavior and is reprimanded for it at one point.

He appears across 5 series ( The Next Generation , Deep Space 9 , Voyager , Lower Decks , and Picard ), but his first and probably most memorable appearance comes in the premiere of The Next Generation , "Encounter at Farpoint." This first encounter sets the stage for most of Q's appearance, especially much of those with Picard. When Q stops the crew of the Enterprise-D on its maiden voyage, he warns Picard and crew that humanity isn't worthy of space travel, and if they don't return to Earth they will be put on trial for confirmation. The Enterprise is able to pass Q's test, freeing a space creature captured and used for energy on a colony.

Perhaps the most relevant Q appearance comes in The Next Generation 's 3rd season episode, "Q Who," which includes many of the highlight elements returning to Star Trek via Picard. This time, instead of a trial or a game, Q requests to join the Enterprise as a guide, as he has knowledge that could help humanity as they venture to where no man has gone before. Picard unsurprisingly declines, and Q angrily transports the ship to an unknown location in the Delta quadrant where they encounter a Borg cube. The Enterprise is almost destroyed, but Picard asks Q for help in the last moment, serving Picard a harsh message about what enemies awaited them. Not only is this the first appearance of the Borg chronologically in Star Trek , but this episode also introduces a vague hostile history between Q and Guinan, both special guest stars on this season of Picard.

In addition to his fascination with Jean-Luc, Q also made quite a few appearances to Starfleet personnel and other civilizations in the 2360s and 2370s which put him on the Federation's radar. The organizations began briefing officers of his existence as a result. Q followed Vash, a woman whom he provided Q abilities, to Deep Space 9, but found Sisko boring compared to Picard. He also appears to crew members of the Cerritos, putting them through trials similarly to his antics on the Enterprise.

Q doesn't mess with only humans either, although you could say he has an affinity for humanity. When the Q Continuum doesn't allow his chaos to go unnoticed, he tries to seek asylum on Picard's Enterprise when he's punished by being made human. He doesn't say it aloud, but Picard can deduce that he's seeking protection from other civilizations Q made enemies of. This is temporary, of course, when Q shows progress and leaves the Enterprise to protect the people he torments so often. This experience also enlightens him in a profound way as he interacts with Data ( Brent Spiner ), who has a unique relationship with humanity on his own.

Q's arc on Voyager is possibly more consequential than even the introduction of the Borg to the alpha quadrant, even although he only appears in 3 episodes. When Voyager accidentally releases an imprisoned Q (known by Quinn) from a comet, Q becomes involved in a Q civil war over the idea of changing their status quo. Q became one of the leaders supporting change. To end the civil war, he has a child with a female Q -- the first Q offspring in over a millennium.

Despite the galactic scale consequences of the fate of the Q Continuum, Q has always been revered for his relationship with Picard and humanity. The last time he meets Picard in The Next Generation , it's been some time since Q has put humanity on trial. In the series finale, Picard once again passes the mind-bending test, but Q advises, "The trial never ends." That same line teases the continuation of the story between the man and the Q.

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• First Splinter timeline deaths
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• 2351 births

Amanda Rogers

• View history
• 1.1.1 Death
• 2.1 References
• 2.2 External link

Biography [ ]

Born in Topeka , Kansas in the year 2351 to two Q parents, she was raised as a Human on Earth . As a result of her birth, the Q Continuum executed her parents with Amanda being adopted by two marine biologists. Amanda grew up unaware of her true heritage but occasionally brought objects and creatures into existence based on her subconscious desires. As she grew up, this attracted the attention of the rest of the Q.

In 2369 , Amanda received an internship aboard the USS Enterprise -D under the mentorship of Beverly Crusher . After Q had subjected her to several tests that revealed her reality warping capabilities, Amanda was made aware of her heritage. Though Amanda initially decided to renounce her powers so she could stay among the humans, she was compelled to use them to save Tagra IV , departing for the Continuum with Q. ( TNG episode : " True Q ")

A decade later , after Q had angered the Prophets during his God War, Amanda mended diplomatic ties between the two races. Seeing how unhinged Q was becoming in the conflict, Guinan requested Amanda's aid, along with that of Wesley Crusher and The Traveler , to end the conflict. After all four of the abducted crews had been brought together, Amanda gifted them Q weapons. When Q later agreed to a peaceful resolution to the war, one of his terms was for Amanda to surrender her powers, something she gracefully accepted. Q later took Amanda home and made it so she could have a career in the biomedical sciences. ( ST - The Q Conflict comics : " Issue 4 ", " Issue 5 ", " Issue 6 ")

First Splinter timeline [ ]

By 2381 Amanda had regained her status as a Q and had become friends with Junior . As he was concerned with his inability to travel beyond a certain point in the future, she decided to help him investigate the matter. She encountered an opening to the Omega Continuum and tried to cross it, but unknown to her the Omega was made to consume the power of the Q Continuum and so it erased her from the timeline. ( VOY novel : The Eternal Tide )

Appendices [ ]

References [ ].

• Star Trek Adventures RPG module : The Sciences Division

External link [ ]

• Amanda Rogers article at Memory Alpha , the wiki for canon Star Trek .
• Amanda Rogers article at the Star Trek Timelines Wiki .
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• 3 Ferengi Rules of Acquisition

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http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E6TrueQ

Recap / Star Trek The Next Generation S 6 E 6 True Q

Edit locked.

Original air date: October 26, 1992

A young intern named Amanda Rogers boards the Enterprise while they're trying to alleviate the ecological woes of Tagra IV. As Riker leads her to her quarters, she wishes her three puppies were here as she makes puppy-dog eyes at the Commander...and when Riker leaves, three puppies appear!

The next day, we get more of Amanda's backstory: She's an orphan, her parents having been killed in an accident when she was young. Then, when she goes to the cargo bay, she sees a container fall right at Riker's head! But she moves her hand and the thing just barely misses him. Then after Techno Babbling a few solutions for Tagra IV's environmental troubles, the warp core breaches unexpectedly, as foreshadowed in the previous episode. As the core explodes, Amanda comes in to save the day! But how?

An answer comes in the form of Q, who tells a stunned command staff that Amanda is a member of the Q Continuum. Her parents weren't human, but actually Q who decided to live like disgusting humans , including the abominably disgusting act of mating. The Continuum was unsure whether this foul act would beget an offspring with Q powers, so they sent Q to oversee her and make sure she doesn't destroy the multiverse with her newfound powers. He wants to take Amanda back to the Continuum for study, but she objects and throws him across the room. Picard suggests that he not do things like walk through a wall and inspect her like a human would inspect a bacteria, then tells Data after he leaves to look into her parents' "accident." Meanwhile, Q's shadow asks him for a progress report. He tells the Q he may have to "terminate the girl," but he may not.

Dr. Crusher convinces Amanda to talk to Q again. Amanda doesn't want anyone on board to treat her any differently from any other member of the crew now that she's a Q. Q takes a more conversational tack, telling her that the Q are indeed omnipotent, and she can do anything she wants, like see her actual parents again or speed up the process of the slow experiment Crusher has her doing. When Crusher complains, Q turns her into a barking dog, but Amanda changes her back.

Once again trying to alleviate her concerns, Q gives Amanda more Q lessons by playing Hide and Seek around the ship using teleportation. Q hides in the warp core and then on the outer hull of the ship. Amanda starts to appreciate the wonders that her powers make her capable of. Meanwhile, Data informs Picard that Amanda's parents were killed by a Suspiciously Specific Tornado, one that shouldn't have even happened thanks to the Federation's all-powerful weather control machine. It suddenly appeared over the Rogers home, demolished just that one building, and then vanished.

Later, Amanda's eating lunch in Ten-Forward when she sees Riker again, and whisks herself and Riker to a romantic gazebo. Unfortunately, this does nothing to woo Riker until she manipulates his mind to love her. But, of course, the artificial love proves unsatisfying, and Amanda puts him back the way he was.

Meantime, Q is summoned to Picard's ready room, where Picard berates him from hiding the truth from Amanda. Q admits that the tornado was the Q's doing. They let Amanda survive because she was deemed an innocent in all this, but now Q must determine if she's fully Q or some sort of human/Q hybrid. If she's not fully Q, she'll be fully dead.

On Tagra IV, Geordi, Riker, and the Tagrans have whipped up some Techno Babble that might work in their situation, and are going down to fix everything, just as Picard tells Amanda that the Q might have to kill her. Q shows up and says the Q are willing to make a deal: She can live as a human, but only if she agrees to never use her powers. She immediately chooses to live as a human, though Q warns her that it won't be as easy as she assumes.

Cue Tagra IV blowing up. Picard immediately accuses Q of rigging this catastrophe as a test, but Q pleads innocence. Needless to say, Amanda uses her newfound powers and saves the day. More than, in fact: she completely restores Tagra IV's ecosystem to peak condition. One crisis averted, another so very, very not. Q says he knew she would do it, and now she has to come with him. Amanda decides to accept her new status as a Q and go with them. And so, with a heart-felt goodbye to Dr. Crusher and her foster parents, Q whisks her away to the Continuum.

• Badass Adorable : Amanda. She may be new to the whole Q thing, but she proves herself a match for Q.
• Beware the Silly Ones : This is one of those rare times that Q isn't just goofing around being a nuisance but is acting as a direct agent of the Continuum on a mission of great importance. He still acts like his usual irritating self, but the episode is still another reminder of how dangerous it is to associate with a literally omnipotent being.
• Comically Missing the Point : Q explains thats he tampered with the warp drive to get Amanda to use her powers and fix it, before the ship got destroyed. Crusher, very concerned, asks, "What if she hadn't been able to stop it?" Q responds with, "Then I would know she isn't Q."
• The circumstances of the tornado that killed Amanda's parents are initially seen as this. The moment that Data and Picard learn of the exact circumstances of this tornado, they realize what really happened.
• The planetary crisis occurs at a VERY convenient time, immediately after Amanda makes the choice to not use her powers, though averted if one interprets it as the doing of Q or the Continuum despite his denials.
• Did You Just Flip Off Cthulhu? : When Picard has had enough of Q's proclaiming The Right of a Superior Species , he delivers a Patrick Stewart Speech about how humans display far greater morality than he has ever seen from the Q. Q is impressed.
• Die or Fly : How Q opts to test Amanda. He triggers a warp core breach and disables all the safety mechanisms (not that they ever work anyway) while Amanda is touring main engineering. When the core explodes, Amanda instinctively uses her powers to contain the explosion and restore everything to normal. Q later notes that had she failed to do so then it would have confirmed that she was not a Q. Picard is understandably not amused.
• Evil Cannot Comprehend Good : While not evil, Q cannot grasp any Q would want to exist as humans.
• Foreshadowing : Picard recalls Q put humanity on trial in " Encounter At Farpoint ". Q states, "The jury is still out on that." A few years later, the trial continues in the Series Finale , " All Good Things... ". Although, in "Q Who", Q said that they'd been exonerated.
• Forgot About His Powers : Variation- Riker himself received and gave up the powers of the Q back in " Hide and Q ", but neither he, Q or anyone on the crew bothers to bring it up or think about how he could probably offer Amanda some insight into her predicament.
• Green Aesop : Amanda wonders why Tagra IV would go to such great lengths to remove pollution from their air rather than just stop polluting it in the first place. The representative of Tagra IV has a horrible hacking cough and wears an inhaler around his neck.
• Hostile Weather : The Q used a tornado to execute Amanda's parents for refusing to refrain from using their powers. Learning of how her parents died surprised Picard since by the 24th century weather technology would normally dissipate destructive weather phenomena before it could do any damage, and to further emphasize that the tornado was artificial in nature, weather data and eyewitness reports stated it as being small but 3 times as strong as other tornados of its size and that it manifested out of nowhere, destroyed their house and disappeared as quickly as it appeared.
• Human Alien Discovery : Amanda comes aboard the Enterprise as a Starfleet intern to study with Doctor Crusher. During the course of the episode it's revealed that she's actually a Half-Human Hybrid , the product of two members of the Q Continuum conceiving a child while they were living human lives.
• Hypocrite : Picard accuses the Q of this with his talk of morality, pointing out that Q previously put the crew of the Enterprise on trial for the crimes of humanity.
• I Just Want to Be Normal : Amanda would much rather lead a normal human life instead of whatever a Q does.
• I Meant to Do That : After Amanda throws him across the room for creepily observing her face, Q claims he'd been testing her powers. Picard snarks that she had certainly acted like a Q.
• Irony : When Q concludes that Amanda is indeed a Q and not some sort of Q-human hybrid, he gives her the choice of either joining the Continuum, or forswearing all use of her powers and living as a human. She insists she will do the latter, though Q tells her she'll find it hard to resist the temptation. What ends up proving him right, though, is an entirely human quality of Amanda's — her compassion for others, when she realizes she can't let the people on Tagra IV (especially not Riker ) die, and fixes their environmental problem.
• Jerkass Has a Point : How Q justifies to Picard Amanda not actually having a choice in her future. Q even speaks from experience, given his prior punishment by the Continuum. "Do you think it is reasonable for us to allow omnipotent beings to roam free through the universe?"
• Likes Older Men : 18 years old Amanda is very attracted to Riker, who is in his thirties. ( Olivia d'Abo was 23, Jonathan Frakes had just turned 40)
• Living Shadow : The Q continuum take this form when talking to Q.
• Q gets a nice one when he talks about how he normally wouldn't care about Amanda or the crew but...
• And when Q is asking if Amanda has used any Q powers, such as spontaneous combustion of someone you don't like. (looks at Picard)
• No Challenge Equals No Satisfaction : Amanda's realization after making Riker fall in love with her.
• Not Me This Time : Q claims this when Tagra IV is in danger. It's up in the air whether or not he's actually at fault.
• Ooh, Me Accent's Slipping : Olivia d'Abo generally does a good job of hiding her natural British accent, though there are times where it does seem to slip through.
• One appears in the background in a later shot of her quarters, so she must have given in to a bit of temptation.
• Refusal of the Call : Amanda Rogers first decides she wants to be human rather than a member of the Q Continuum. She later changes her mind when she learns she will be killed if she doesn't become a Q.
• Rhyming Title : One of the few rhyming episode titles within the Star Trek franchise, along with "Q Who."
• The Right of a Superior Species : Q says he has the right to judge Humanity due to "superior morality". That earns him a Patrick Stewart Speech .
• Screw You, Elves! : Picard does this with his Patrick Stewart Speech of the episode in response to Q's talk of The Right of a Superior Species saying that Q have power, but they do not display any form of morality. Q is impressed, and interestingly he doesn't fire back, as though on some level he actually agrees with Picard.
• Shout-Out : Amanda's parents were living in Topeka, Kansas, when they were "killed" by a tornado .
• Shut Up Picard: Picard gives a Patrick Stewart Speech on Amanda's behalf, which Q just finds amusing: Q: Jean-Luc, sometimes I think the only reason I come here is to listen to these wonderful speeches of yours.
• Small Name, Big Ego : Picard makes a case that Q and the rest of the Continuum are this. He doesn't deny their power but points that their claims of morality are hollow based on what he's seen of them.
• Visual Pun : A two-in-one. Q temporarily turns Dr. Crusher into a bitch (a female dog). For bonus points, he turns her into an Irish Setter (Crusher has Irish ancestry).
• Q was last seen with Vash in tow, but no mention was made of her here. "Q-Less" would explain her whereabouts, but that episode wouldn't air for another couple of months. This episode also takes place before that one because O'Brien hasn't yet been transferred.
• Amanda Rogers herself would become this for anyone who saw the Voyager -based Q episodes, all of which dealt with all of the problems tackled in this episode, but no mention of Amanda at all. This topic is eventually addressed in the The Q Continuum trilogy, which affirms that Amanda isn't considered a "true" born Q as she was conceived and born in a purely human manner where Q's son was conceived in the Continuum itself.
• What Measure Is a Non-Human? : Inverted by Q, per usual. He's particularly disgusted that Amanda's parents conceived a child "and in vulgar human fashion became attached to it."
• With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility : Q reveals that the Q Continuum actually do feel a great amount of responsibility for their powers and won't let an omnipotent being run amok in the universe without any restraint. Even though Q is an obnoxious prankster, he's never been nearly as malevolent as he could be, and he did get stripped of his powers for a while for abusing them.
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Star Trek: Who Was Amanda Rodgers?

What is the story of this strange one off character, and what did her existence signify for the Q?

Of all the amazing characters to come out of the Star Trek franchise, there is none perhaps more divisive among fans than that of the Q. A nefarious race of godlike beings , their arrogance and self-importance often makes them a villain of each episode they appear in. However, they often straddle the line between friend and foe .

The main Q to appear across the franchise is the one played by John de Lancie, popping up in The Next Generation , Voyager, Deep Space 9 ( rather memorably ) and even Lower Decks. But he is not the only Q to pop up across the shows. One of the more unique Q’s was Amanda Rodgers, a one-off character who subverted a lot of what is known about the still mysterious Q. Just who was she, and how is she important to the Star Trek universe?

RELATED: Star Trek: What Would Happen If The Borg Could Assimilate A Q?

Rodgers, played by Olivia d’Abo, was, at least to her knowledge, a human born on Earth in 2351. She was born to what everyone thought were two normal humans, and was orphaned when they were killed in a freak tornado accident when Amanda was a baby. Taken into foster care, she was raised by two Starfleet officers, marine biologists, and grew up in a fairly normal way. Unbeknownst to her, however, her biological parents were in fact two Q’s who had assumed human form to escape the Continuum. Together as humans they conceived Amanda, the first Q known to be born in such a manner. The Continuum, being the near-omnipotent beings they are, found out, and executed them both under the pretense of a tornado.

Amanda's upbringing was that of a normal, fairly well-off, Starfleet family . The only difference was that Amanda occasionally experiences weird moments of Q-related power. She did not know of her true nature, assuming she was human like everyone else, but sometimes she found she was able to conjure up objects out of nowhere. Perhaps as this was something that happened infrequently while growing up she never really questioned this, and never had it fully addressed by anyone, so she grew up never really thinking about it. Her occasional blips of Q power brought her to the attention of the Continuum, who were concerned but saw her as no real threat yet, wondering if it would be best to bring her into the fold or kill her.

At this point in Amanda's life, they had not made a decision, so they decided to sit back and see what she did. She followed in her adopted parents' footsteps and joined Starfleet, until she was soon selected as one of the few interns about the iconic USS Enterprise . Thus, she was thrust onto the TNG small screen. She worked with Dr. Beverly Crusher , and everything was going well until about 6 months in to her time aboard, when more and more of her Q related powers started to emerge. Amanda managed to keep it fairly quiet, but the ever-vigilant Continuum decided it was time to send in their ‘humanity expert’ to see what was going on and test her. This was, of course, none other than the familiar face of John de Lancie’s Q.

The familiar Q wasted no time secretly setting up different scenarios to test Amanda, aiming see the full extent of her powers and ability to control them. He first observed her magicking up a litter of puppies in her quarters, confirming not only her power, but the fact that she was still unable to fully harness them. He sest a trap, and makes a large container fall on Riker, a character whom that Amanda has a crush on . She manages to secretly prevent him from being injured, followed by her containing and reversing a warp core breach.

Always the showman, and believing he had gathered enough information, Q decides to provoke his favorite Captain some more. He goes to Picard, telling him and Amanda all about her true identity. Knowing all of this, she decided she still wanted to stay on the ship instead of join the Continuum. Amanda wants to not only balance being a good Starfleet officer, but also to develop her Q powers, which de Lancie’s Q would help her with. This worked for a while, but as Q had told her at the start, she would not be able to balance them both. Amanda is unable to fully control her power safely while focused on her humanity.

While this was going on, detective Picard went about learning as much as he could about Amanda's biological parents and their death, discovering the truth about the tornado. Confronting him with this new knowledge, Q comes clean and gives Amanda an ultimatum. She can either join him in the Continuum, or remain a human without Q powers. She accepts the latter, which works until a distress call comes from Commander Riker. A reactor is overloading, spelling disaster not only for the planet he was on, but for him too. There was nothing anyone could do — except Amanda, who steps up and uses her powers to save the day. Having finally accepted her true nature, she tells Q that she is ready to leave with him, but first she wanted to see her adoptive parents once more, and explain to them the situation.

Amanda only appeared for one episode, but opened up a lot of questions about the Q race. They were already a culture steeped heavily in mystery. How they came to be and how their powers worked were never truly fleshed out, but with Amanda's conception a new question arises about whether new Q’s could be made. Despite the episode ending with Amanda asking Dr. Crusher if she might be allowed to return one day to check in, this was the last time she appeared, her story never being complete. This said, with Picard season 3 coming up , it’s possible they might choose to bring her back. But until the show is released new year audiences will just have to keep guessing.

MORE: Star Trek: Who Was The Worst Starfleet Captain?

An archive of Star Trek News

Retro Review: True Q

• Star Trek: TNG

A promising intern learns that she has exceptional powers because her parents were members of the Q Continuum.

Plot Summary: Amanda Rogers arrives aboard the Enterprise after being selected out of many applicants to become an intern. She will be working primarily with Dr. Crusher, though her background in biology and eco-regeneration make her an ideal choice at the moment when the ship is trying to save the ecosystem of Tagra IV, which is so polluted that the planet depends on aging filters to keep its environment safe for its population. Rogers does not mention to her new crewmates that she has latent mental powers, which lately have been granting all her wishes; the crew learns the truth, though, when she stops a warp core explosion while Data and LaForge stare. Soon after, Q appears to tell the crew that Rogers, who was orphaned as a child, is actually the child of two Q who had taken human form to study on Earth. He says that he caused the warp core breach to test her powers, and now he must bring her to the Q Continuum to spare her further corruption by humans. Picard insists that Rogers has the right to choose whether she wants to live among humans or the Continuum, but agrees to allow Q to visit with her. Q helps Rogers to visualize her biological parents. She asks Crusher whether Crusher would bring back her dead husband given the opportunity. Crusher says she can’t really relate to the girl’s extraordinary abilities, but she is displeased when Rogers uses her powers for a shortcut in an experiment whose entire point was to measure different metabolic rates in vaccine samples. Rogers discovers that she can stand on the hull of the Enterprise and whisk Riker away for a romantic encounter, though when she tries to force him to love her, she discovers that it feels as artificial for herself as for him. Meanwhile Picard learns that the tornado in which Rogers’ parents died seems to have been artificial, and Q admits that the Continuum executed them – which they will do to the girl as well if she is not a full Q, which is what he is there to decide. Picard makes a furious speech about morality that Q brushes aside. He says that he has already decided Rogers will live, but she must choose whether to accompany him to the Q Continuum or renounce her powers completely. Rogers chooses to remain among humans, but when the atmosphere of Tagra IV begins to deteriorate, she cleans the deadly atmosphere of all its pollutants. Acknowledging that she can’t help using her powers, she agrees to go with Q to the Continuum once she has said goodbye to the parents who raised her.

Analysis: I think any review of “True Q” must begin by praising Olivia d’Abo, the actress who plays Amanda Rogers. This is because, by all rights, Amanda should be intolerable, yet she comes across instead as charming, sweet, and easy to like. Amanda is what what would be known in fan fiction circles as a Mary Sue – a fantasy-projection who is so perfect, no one can possibly take her seriously. The hallmarks of a Mary Sue are that she serves on the ship (or in the village, in the army, etc., depending on the fictional universe), yet secretly is as out of place there as she always felt in her hometown (school, previous job, etc.); she is immediately loved by everyone who meets her, who can’t help responding to her hidden charms and cleverness; she has the near-magical ability to attract whichever love interest she chooses; and she has some great talent that ends up saving lives. Usually characters who are too good to be true seem at best unbelievable and at worst intolerable – a lot of the hatred directed at Wesley Crusher is because he’s the male equivalent, a Gary Stu, wise beyond his years and saving the ship to grateful praise – so it would be reasonable for anyone to despise Amanda as a matter of principle. After all, how many of us can relate to someone who’s top of her class in three subject areas, can make puppies appear just by wishing for them, and happens to be beautiful and bubbly as well? That d’Abo keeps her grounded, even awkward at times, is a credit to her as well as director Marvin Rush.

Whether or not one enjoys “True Q” probably depends on whether one appreciates d’Abo’s performance and John de Lancie’s always reliable wit, because there’s not a lot here, otherwise – a vague allegory about not polluting, a few seconds of gratuitous ship-in-danger and later planet-in-danger. There’s no drama in the big threats because we know the warp core isn’t going to breach and kill everyone, and it’s pretty unlikely that an entire planet’s population is going to die in the final minutes of an episode, particularly since there are Enterprise crewmembers down there assisting. Plus we’re shown so little about the Tagrans that we don’t have a lot invested in their culture beyond not wanting everyone to die. This story is all about the mysterious Q Continuum and how its members interact with humans – specifically, the Enterprise crew, who are sometimes nearly as super-human as Mary Sues (like Crusher, who wants to heal the sick more than she wants anything for herself). We learn that the Q can be as ruthless to their own as our beloved Q has been to inferior species like us; he may have been suspended once, but he never indicated that execution was a possibility. The fact that a pair of Q conceived a child and got attached to it as humans is spoken of with revulsion by Q (score one for us); the fact that they proved as inadequate as humans as they had been as Q and were therefore executed is spoken of without revulsion by Q (score another one for us). This isn’t one of the wacky, fun Q episodes like playing cupid or giving Riker super-powers; this is serious business, where a girl’s life and the fate of a planet hang in the balance.

Amanda may have super-powers, but she’s been raised as a human, and her values nearly the same as those in Starfleet. When Q tells her that she can do anything, the only thing she really wants is to see her parents. She hasn’t worked her way up to thinking, or admitting, that she might like to bring them back in a way that would allow her to interact with them, though later when she talks to Crusher, she’s apparently considering it. Most of her wishes are relatively harmless; the puppies don’t chew the carpet before she sends them back, her experiment with the vaccines doesn’t ruin any one-of-a-kind samples. She doesn’t even kiss Riker properly before she realizes that it’s wrong to force his affections. In fact, despite being attractive and smart, she seems pretty lonely and typically adolescent even before discovering she’s a Q; she has no peers on the ship, she talks to Crusher about wishing she’d known her real parents, she can’t figure out what she wants to be when she grows up. To his credit, Q doesn’t take advantage of these weaknesses, though he doesn’t particularly try to feed her strengths, either. It’s not clear whether he really intends to sentence her to death if he believes that’s what the Continuum would want, though I can’t help wondering if he had something to do with her winning the internship aboard the Enterprise precisely so Picard will be around when the Voice of the Continuum gets on Q’s case. There’s no doubt that Picard will argue for Amanda’s autonomy even knowing what he knows about the capabilities of the Q.

I like that Amanda bonds with Beverly over scientific experiments, though it’s odd that Troi is so distant and so ineffectual talking to a girl whom I would think might really need a counselor. I suppose that if Harry Potter didn’t grow up stark raving bonkers, then Amanda ought to be fine. I’m a little surprised, too, that Amanda doesn’t ask the other crewmembers about their previous encounters with Q, since she knows they’ve met before and it’s obvious that Picard has misgivings both about the Q in general and about this Q in particular. I love when she sends him flying across the room – Q being Q, of course that makes him respect her rather than making him angry. And of course he pretends to want her to best him so that he can say she’s passing his tests, though there’s never any sense that he wants her destroyed. As always, Q seems determined to impress Picard, even as he’s insulting him and his species. Did he have to plead with the Continuum to be sent as their “expert in humanity” to evaluate Amanda, or did he only become interested when he realized that Amanda was headed toward his favorite starship?

Rewatching this series, I’m less and less comfortable with the writers’ certainty that human values and human morality are so exceptional, but it’s kind of like Winston Churchill’s quote about democracy being the worst form of government except all the others that have been tried. I’d rather be human than Q…though it would be nice to be able to make puppies appear out of thin air and have Riker flirt with me.

About The Author

Michelle Erica Green

Writer, mother, reader, traveler, teacher, partner, photographer, activist, friend, fangirl, student, critic, citizen, environmentalist, feminist, vegetarian, enthusiast. TrekToday staffer for many years, former news reporter, current retro reviewer.

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Olivia d’abo as Amanda Rogers in Star Trek: The Next Generation pre-order on Blu-ray

• 10 years ago

Olivia d’Abo guest starred in the role of Amanda Rogers in Star Trek: The Next Generation’s “ True Q ” episode / Season 6 which aired on Fox in 1992.  The full season will be released June 3, 2014 on Blu-ray, which includes rare deleted scenes. Pre-Order Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 6 on Blu-ray at Amazon .

True Q episode details: The Federation starship Enterprise brings aboard a young Starfleet intern, Amanda Rogers (Olivia d’Abo), who plans to study biological sciences under Dr. Crusher. The crew soon finds that Amanda has unusual abilities such as redirecting a falling cargo crate to avoid injury to Commander Riker, and the ability to contain an explosion in the warp core. Q appears and admits that Amanda is actually a member of the Q Continuum, having been conceived by two other Q when they opted to take on human forms and forfeited their Q-enabled abilities. Q has arrived to teach Amanda how to harness her powers, as well as to decide whether to return to the Q Continuum, or remain living a normal human life.

Captain Picard, suspicious of Q’s motives, orders Lt. Commander Data to investigate Amanda’s parents. He finds that they died from a freak tornado in their Kansas home, something that would be nearly impossible with Earth’s weather modification network. Picard asks Q about this, and Q reveals that the Continuum, having seen Amanda’s parents as a threat, killed them while they were mortal. Picard forces Q to reveal his true intentions: to determine if Amanda is truly a Q, or if she is a Q-human hybrid, in which case he has orders to destroy her. Picard argues with Q, and eventually Q agrees to give Amanda the choice of joining the Q or remaining human and voluntarily resisting using her powers.

As Amanda contemplates her choice, the ship receives a distress call from a nearby planet where their ionic anti-pollution systems are failing rapidly, which would flood the atmosphere and block out the sun. The Enterprise crew races to help but cannot keep up with the failures. Q taunts Amanda that should she not join the Continuum, it would be difficult to resist using her powers in cases such as this. Amanda makes her choice and uses her abilities to restore the pollution systems to normal, saving the planet. Q prepares to take Amanda to the Q Continuum, but she requests time to say goodbye to the crew, fearing that she will not see them again—particularly Dr. Crusher, who reminds her that as a Q, she can do anything she wants.

• View history

Q was 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
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

Screen Rant

Star trek: voyager & ds9 crossed over in the mirror universe.

Despite being stuck in the Delta Quadrant, a Star Trek: Voyager crew member briefly crossed over into the Mirror Universe to join the DS9 cast.

• Star Trek: Voyager and Deep Space Nine crossed over within the Mirror Universe, bringing the shows together across vast cosmic distances.
• The crossovers featuring characters like Tuvok and Doctor Zimmerman added depth to the interconnected Star Trek universe.
• Despite differing tones, Voyager and DS9 remain beloved shows, delighting audiences through streaming platforms today.

Despite being separated by thousands of light years, Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine crossed over inside the Mirror Universe. Voyager and Deep Space Nine were very different in tone, due to the differing approaches of the shows' respective producers, Brannon Braga and Ira Steven Behr. Where DS9 was a serialized drama that tackled huge themes, Voyager embraced a traditional episodic approach that could sometimes feel disposable and regressive . Despite their differences in tone, DS9 and Voyager are two beloved Star Trek TV shows that still delight audiences to this day via streaming, which is a testament to the versatility and timelessness of the franchise.

As the USS Voyager was stranded in the Delta Quadrant, it was hard, but not impossible, for Star Trek: Voyager to cross over into Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 's Alpha and Gamma Quadrant settings. In fact, there was a surprising number of Star Trek characters who guested on Voyager from Captain Hikaru Sulu (George Takei) to Commander William T. Riker (Jonathan Frakes). Creative approaches such as intervention by Q (John de Lancie), glimpses of Starfleet's attempts to locate the missing USS Voyager, and even the Mirror Universe allowed Star Trek: Voyager to crossover with its 1990s contemporaries, including Star Trek: Deep Space Nine .

Every 1990s Era Star Trek Crossover

Star trek: voyager’s tuvok crossed over with ds9’s mirror universe, star trek: deep space nine, season 3, episode 19, "through the looking glass".

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 19, "Through the Looking Glass", Commander Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks) is captured and taken to the Mirror Universe by "Smiley" O'Brien (Colm Meaney). The Rebellion in the Mirror Universe wanted Prime Sisko to convince the ex-wife of his Terran counterpart to join the resistance against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance . As Sisko is taken to the Terran Rebellion's enclave, he meets the Mirror Universe variants of his DS9 crew mates. In the same scene Sisko also meets the Mirror Universe version of Star Trek: Voyager 's Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ), leading a more logic-driven faction of the Rebellion.

Mirror Tuvok is the only Mirror Universe variant of a Star Trek: Voyager character that has appeared on TV.

Tuvok was included in "Through the Looking Glass" at the request of Rick Berman , who presumably wanted to strengthen the links between Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager . DS9 season 3 and Voyager season 1 aired concurrently with each other, and "Through the Looking Glass" aired on April 17, 1995, a week when there was no new episode of Voyager . In this gap between "State of Flux" and "Heroes and Demons", therefore, a brief crossover between Voyager and DS9 was a good way to keep the fledgling Star Trek show in the minds of the audience.

Every Voyager & DS9 Star Trek Crossover

"Through the Looking Glass" isn't the only crossover between Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . The Voyager pilot "Caretaker" features the USS Voyager depart from Deep Space Nine to search for the missing Tuvok and the Maquis ship, the Valjean in the Badlands. As with McCoy and Picard in the previous Star Trek pilots, DS9 's Quark (Armin Shimerman) appeared in "Caretaker" to pass the baton to Voyager . In a scene that demonstrated how green the young Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) was, he almost falls for one of Quark's latest scams, until he's rescued by Lt. Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill).

Gul Evek (Richard Poe) and Morn (Mark Allen Shepherd) are the two other Star Trek: Deep Space Nine characters that appear in the Star Trek: Voyager pilot.

A version of Star Trek: Voyager 's Doctor (Robert Picardo) appeared in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 5, episode 16, "Doctor Bashir, I Presume" alongside his creator Dr. Lewis Zimmerman (also Picardo). Technically, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine marks the first real appearance by the EMH's creator, who had previously appeared in Voyager as a holographic replica. The real Zimmerman would later appear in Star Trek: Voyager season 6, episode 24, "Life Line", which also featured Lt. Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) and Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) further strengthening the bonds between different corners of the Star Trek universe.

All episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Star Trek: Voyager are available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, also known as DS9, is the fourth series in the long-running Sci-Fi franchise, Star Trek. DS9 was created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller, and stars Avery Brooks, René Auberjonois, Terry Farrell, and Cirroc Lofton. This particular series follows a group of individuals in a space station near a planet called Bajor.

Star Trek: Voyager

The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before.