I will admit that this one was a bit tough to follow for me at first, because Q plays games of a different nature simultaneously with both Riker and Picard. He tells Riker that if they survive his game, he will be given a gift. But then he wagers with Picard (his career versus Q's butting out) as to whether or not Riker will accept the gift. The first "game" is irrelevant, as Q gives Riker the prize in order to win it, which makes no sense.
I've said before that as a kid watching TNG I hated Q, and hated Q episodes. He is a mean man that wants to hurt our heroes, and therefore his presence made me uncomfortable. As an adult, I realize the genius behind the character that creates these emotions. Mostly, this genius comes from the acting skills of John de Lancie, who so perfectly mocks, smirks, and puts down anything that we feel is important by a mere sneer. In Star Trek, when they're on a mission to save a colony, it's fricken intense and important. But in Q's eyes, who gives a shit? The dissonance is so harsh that we can't help but to hate Q. Especially early, first season Q. Later he becomes more of a joke, and unfortunately even more likable. But this Q, that repeatedly mocks Picard "Seized my vessel, seized my vessel!" is just fantastic.
Allow me to summarize the whole of what's going on here in a much simpler manner. Q, both singular and plural, is concerned that mankind's lust for growth as a species will lead them to become even more powerful than the Q some day. Since they are immortal, they will be around to see this turn of events, and therefore would like to prevent it by finding out what makes people tick, and perhaps adapting this growth to their own evolution. Q thinks that Riker would be a good choice to tempt into joining them, and so he sets up a series of events to make this happen. Riker actually at first laughs at the idea of joining Q, and then vows to never use his powers. But after watching a child die that he could have saved, tries to make an argument that he could use them responsibly. Q has Riker for a moment, but then everyone helps him to see that having omnipotent powers is not worth it. Even if he could grant everyone that he cares for their greatest wish, they would be better off without his help.Of course, Wesley is terrible in this episode, but at least we get to see him die. Worf is hilarious, as he is presented here as some super-human hunter that traverses great distances quickly and jumps out of nowhere. When he is presented with a sexual partner by Riker, he refuses her not because of the source, but because sex does not have a place in his life. That sucks for you, Worf. There's a couple weird moments with Tasha as well. One where she basically says that if Picard wasn't her superior she would jump his bones. And then, when Geordi is temporarily granted sight, the first thing he does is give her the old look up and down and mention that she's as big a knock-out as he'd imagined. It was said as if they had some kind of relationship going, but that's not the case, so it is so creepy. Also I laughed my ass off when Crusher said she was ready to take on FIVE HUNDRED AND FOUR colonists, when as far as we've ever seen there's only like three people on staff in sick bay. Oh and, Picard HATES it when his first officer calls him by his first name!
There's plenty of clever banter here between Q and Picard and even Q and Riker, but it falls short of being compelling. Also those animal costumes are the worst props in Trek since the white-horned gorilla in A Private Little War. As much as I would like to give this a fantastic rating, because it is a big episode with important themes, it is only just Good. I think the biggest problem is the believability of Riker's reactions to the situation. He goes from hysterical laughter, to smugness, to EXTREME SMUGNESS, to jackass, to obedient, and then back to aww shucks in about twelve minutes. What could have been a deep character dive into Riker becomes a story that is somehow about anything but him. And the episode fails to deliver a single coherent message. There's just a lot going on here, but few conclusions. However, it still makes for an enjoyable and unpredictable hour of television. Even though it seems like I've done nothing but pick it apart, somehow together it all works. There is a missed opportunity here for sure, but as presented I promise you will enjoy what they made.
Published September 14, 2019
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