He is played by John de Lancie, who does arrogant and self centred so very, very well.
Q is an omnipotent being from a race of other omnipotent beings also called the Q. When we first meet him he had taken members of the Enterprise crew hostage to use them as examples to judge humanity and to decide if he should banish them back to their little worlds.
He uses Farpoint station and what is going on there as a test. When Picard and his crew pass this test Q is not very happy, but he does abide by their agreement and leave them alone.
Of course he can't stay away forever. He had decided humanity is interesting, not so good for humanity, and decided to induct a human into the Q. He chooses Riker, first officer of the Enterprise, and if goes about as well as can be expected. He introduces Starfleet to the Borg, possibly speeding up the Borg's journey towards their sector of space. He is exiled and stripped of his powers and causes havoc on the Enterprise.
Over his exposure to humans he becomes less and less antagonistic to them, but he is always trouble. He even gets Captain Janeway and the crew of Voyage in the middle of a Q civil war, before ending the war by producing a new Q with a female Q and making Janeway his godmother.
I love Q. He started out a nasty, arrogant antagonist and grew into such a wonderful character. Somehow he maintained that arrogance without being a total and complete dick all the time.
Sources: My brain | Wikipedia
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Yay!! A character I know! I had seen Star Trek Next Generation a few times prior to the past year, but somehow the husband got on a Netflix kick with it and I've now seen around 100 episodes. I love to hate Q. You are correct in that he is played superbly. He's a well-written but amazingly aggravating character. Elle @ Erratic Project Junkie
ReplyDeleteHe is isn't he - so, so, so aggravating and yet occasionally endearing :)
DeleteQ is the perfect villain, one you grow to love. The characterization is something all of us writers should study. Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteIndeed - totally with you on that.
DeleteI've only seen a handful of Star Trek Next Generation episodes, but I'm starting to think I've missed something worth watching. I love shows that allow their characters to grow and change.
ReplyDeleteNext Gen is great Trek- well worth watching. I really got into Trek via Next Gen - it started showing in the UK when I was a teenager :)
DeleteNever heard of him (I'm not a Star Trek fan, as you may have guessed), bu he sounds interesting. I like characters who evolve :-)
ReplyDeleteHe really is a great example of evolution.
DeleteHi Tasha - I haven't known about Q .. but am not a Star Trek Fan .. however your description here makes me want to see at least one episode with him in .. cheers to your Q - Hilary
ReplyDeleteHe's a lot of fun - well worth checking out an ep :)
DeleteQ is an awesome character to describe here. I've watched most of the movies and shows, but can't pinpoint one more than others. I do prefer the ones with the Borges.
ReplyDeleteHe is brilliant isn't he :)
DeleteQ is one of those characters like Loki, we are suppose to hate and we just cannot... in real life he is a very nice person to meet.
ReplyDeleteYep - that's Q in a nutshell :) I don't think I've met JDeL, but I have met his son, who was lovely, but when he's drunk too much Red Bull has been known to jump over tables ;)
DeleteHe sounds like an interesting character!
ReplyDeleteHe is :)
DeleteI enjoy a character who starts out the villain but changes over time. Maybe not completely, but enough to warrant our sympathies:)
ReplyDeleteMe too :) They make for such interesting additions to a story.
DeleteI'm much much of a Star Trex fan, although I love the recent remakes for the movies, so I don't anything about Q.
ReplyDeleteThat's supposed to say...I'm not much of a Star Trek fan...I need to go back to bed! LOL!!
DeleteLOL - all I can think of now is an Enterprise made out of dairy free baking supplies :) Fingers love to betray us when typing! :D
DeleteI'm much much of a Star Trex fan, although I love the recent remakes for the movies, so I don't anything about Q.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love Q! Even when he is a dick! His arrogance is one of my favourite things, but I do enjoy his evolution as a character. Great choice :-D
ReplyDeleteThank you - he is a great character isn't he. :)
DeleteI've been a Star Trek fan off and on during the years. LOL I'm old enough to have watched the original one with William Shatner. That favorite one of mine was Trouble with Tribbles. I don't think I am familiar with Q which means of course he was during the time I wasn't following Star Trek as closely. Seems like a fascinating character!
ReplyDeletebetty
I remember seeing the original in repeats as a child, but it was Next Gen that got me into Trek heavily :). I love Trouble with Tribbles - have you seen Trials and Tribble-ations - the DS9 ep where they go back in time and interact with the episode (brilliant CGI).
DeleteNetflix has Star Trek, The Next Generation, and hubby and I watched the first episode. Q was a great character.
ReplyDeleteYep and he only gets better with the more episodes he's in. No less annoying, but that's part of his charm. In Encounter at Farpoint he has much less depth than later on.
DeleteOne of my favourite character tropes. Arrogant dick "villain" who you love to hate and hate to love, but eventually becomes endearing despite (because of?) his flaws.
ReplyDeleteIt is indeed a wonderful trope. So often you want to slap them, but you still like them anyway! :)
DeleteI was hoping your Q post would be Q. He's a great character, and played by a brilliant actor.
ReplyDeleteAnnalisa, writing A-Z vignettes, at Wake Up, Eat, Write, Sleep
True and true :) Who else could I pick? ;)
DeleteI had the same reaction to Q. An irresistible jerk!
ReplyDeleteExactly - an irresistible, amazingly powerful jerk!
DeleteI love Q! He makes me think of a galactic cat of sorts, playing with his ahem, prey, and not realizing/caring of the damage he is causing hehe. But you're right, he does change a bit in the series, while maintaining his charming arrogance. :D
ReplyDeleteI think that is exactly it - he was a bored cat to begin with, once he got over his racism of the first ep :)
DeleteAnother interesting character!!
ReplyDeletePrecious Monsters
He's such fun :)
DeleteWas that his name, did not really like him
ReplyDeleteAh, but you don't have to like him, just appreciate him :)
DeleteA very good choice for the letter "Q"...
ReplyDeleteThank you :)
DeleteThis is more than I know from all the time I watched Star Trek. Wasn't a very big fan and my memory is now fuzzy.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad I could remind you then ;)
DeleteI loved Q. He was interesting and sometimes like a big child with a butterfly as he discovered and experimented. He had a good sense of humor. I liked his character arc--especially learning empathy. He didn't master the quality but he did have his moments of, ah-ha. I liked the episode with Picard's archeologist/toom raider sort of girlfriend. There were a few others I liked too.
ReplyDeleteSia McKye Over Coffee
I think one of my favs (even though I love him in Next Gen) was in Voyager, when the Q were having a civil war. His interaction with Vash were always great as well though :)
DeleteI really need to watch more Star Trek... Or any Star Trek, really :D
ReplyDelete@TarkabarkaHolgy from
Multicolored Diary - Epics from A to Z
MopDog - 26 Ways to Die in Medieval Hungary
It's always fun ;)
DeleteWho doesn't love Q? No one I can think of! I'm certainly a big Q fan!
ReplyDeleteOne commenter from above doesn't like Q, but so far, everyone who knows about him other than that seem to agree ;)
DeletePossibly my favorite of your mythical beings yet :)
ReplyDeleteYay! :D
DeleteQ is such a fun character. I think the incarnations of Star Trek I've seen the most episodes of are The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine.
ReplyDeleteAnd he does like to pop up to annoy people in those ;)
DeleteQ was one of the highlights of that entire series!
ReplyDeleteHe was indeed :)
DeleteLOVE Q! He is my absolute favorite character from stng. I die laughing when Q and the female Q create the kid together and and Janeway's face. I mean after he tried so hard to get Janeway to have the kid.
ReplyDeleteI know - it's absolutely brilliant isn't it :)
DeleteHe was a lot of fun. Star Trek is a lot more funny in general than some people give it credit for!
ReplyDeleteI know! It has some wonderful playful moments :)
DeleteSounds like he deserves and has earned a one letter name 'Q' recognizable by all Star Trek fans. Your commenters seem to be fans. I'll have to watch at least one of the episodes.
ReplyDeleteSue at CollectInTexas Gal
AtoZ 2015 Challenge
Minion for AJ's wHooligans
He's in the very first Next Gen ep, so that makes for a good intro ;)
DeleteQ was one of those creatures one loves to hate, and, they didn't run him into the ground. Great choice! Lisa, co-host AtoZ 2015, @ http://www.lisabuiecollard.com
ReplyDeleteThey did very well with his character, always coming up with slightly new angles on him. I thought the episode with the Q who wanted to die was particularly superb.
DeleteQ is one of my favorite villains. Whenever he showed up, you just knew you were in for a fun ride. He outshone the cast at times!
ReplyDeleteHe did, didn't he :) Such a superb baddie, who wasn't always all bad.
DeleteQ and John de Lancie's acting make every episode that involves his trickster behavior, shenanigans that are definitely - as has been said already - in the Loki mold.
ReplyDeleteQ is so awesome! Loved the character on TNG!
ReplyDelete--
Tim Brannan, The Other Side Blog
2015 A to Z of Vampires
http://theotherside.timsbrannan.com/
This is a character I know and love so well, as I'm a huge Next Gen fan. John De Lancie was perfect for this role. ☺
ReplyDeleteI really need to rewatch this series. I loved it as a kid. It was my introduction to story telling.
ReplyDeleteQ is awesome! One of my favourite episodes ever is the one where Q becomes human. John de Lancie did such a fantastic job with this character, where there was still something to love even when he was being rotten!
ReplyDelete