The legendary Star Trek villain (and sometimes ally) Q will be returning for the second season of Picard.
Unlike the newcomer Loki, Q was first introduced to the small screen in the 1980s. During the series premiere of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the crew encountered the otherworldly and mischievous entity. Q is presented as something of a trickster god who was capable of moving through time and space to play elaborate cosmic pranks on the crew of the Enterprise.
John de Lancie’s portrayal of the character made him an instant fan favorite, and much like Tom Hiddleston’s beloved Loki, the mischievous deity has made many return appearances throughout the years. Q also played the vital role of introducing the Federation to the Borg, one of Star Trek’s most terrifying and enduring villains. As such, fans are very excited to hear that the character will be returning to the small screen.
Q Set to Return
Recently, de Lancie teased that he’d be back to reprise the role of Q in the second season of the Paramount+ show Picard. However, the character isn’t quite the same as audiences remember him in his appearances on TNG, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine. Speaking during appearances on the app Cameo, de Lancie teased that this version of the character would be a bit different.
“I’m on Picard right now,” de Lancie stated during one Cameo. “As a matter of fact on Tuesday, I finish up my last scene for season two. It’s a different Q, but hey, it’s 34 years so I am a different John.”
In another appearance, he reiterated, “I am going to be on Picard. A VERY different Q this time. We will see how everyone feels about it. I think it’s pretty good, though.”
Picard and Q
The long-serving Captain Picard and the otherworldly Q have a bizarre relationship. On occasion, they’re bitter enemies, with Q terrorizing the Enterprise’s crew and teleporting them to alternate dimensions just to test them. Other times, Q has called on Picard and the rest of the crew to help him when he’s caught in tough spots, like when the Q Continuum stripped him of all of his powers.
The two have a relationship that is accurately summed up by the phrase “it’s complicated.” As such, fans are excited to see the sparks fly again in the second season of Picard’s new show. Notably, some fans are a bit irked about the character’s return for a pretty big reason: They don’t want an all-powerful entity showing up and ruining things for the protagonists.
This complaint has been registered by a small but vocal minority of fans since Q’s first appearance. Some feel as though he’s too fantastical of a character for the otherwise science-based world of Star Trek.
Biggest Questions
I want to know how the writers explain that Q looks visibly aged, considering that he’s an immortal being who would presumably be immune to the passing of time. The character is likely to explain this as part of what’s “changed” about him in the intervening years since Picard last saw him.
Perhaps the Continuum stripped Q of his powers once and for all, and now he’s living out the life of a normal mortal? We’ll have to find out when Picard Season 2 begins streaming in 2022.
If Paramount+ has any chance of standing up to the titan that is Disney+ and its hit show, Loki, de Lancie will need to bring his full bag of tricks to bear as the mischievous Q.
