4.20 Qpid

Rating: 3.5

While orbiting Tagus 3 to deliver a speech to a symposium of archeologists, Picard is visited by Vash, Picard’s lover and adventure partner in the episode Captain’s Holiday. It is unclear whether she is there in search of love or artifacts. Meanwhile, Q visits as well, intent on repaying his supposed debt to Picard for saving his life in the episode Deja Q. He does this with a test of Picard’s love for Vash by forcing the Enterprise crew to take place in a very real recreation of the Robin Hood fable.

Comments

This is another lighthearted and lively Q episode, filled with funny lines.

It’s great seeing the crew out of character.

During the climatic swordfight, everyone fights with sword or staff except for Troi and Crusher, who break pottery over people’s heads. Unsupported trivia is that Marina Sirtis and Gates McFadden had fencing lessons sometime in their lives and were both disappointed when the director told them that they could not engage in the swordfight near the end of the episode because it would not have been "lady-like".

At the end, Vash and Q form a partnership. They return in the DS9 episode Q-Less.

Nits

When Sir Guy rides up on a horse, Worf rushes up and starts swordfighting with him. Sir Guy sits on the horse and Worf is on the ground. Tough angle…I’m surprised Worf didn’t wait for Sir Guy to dismount. Others have wondered why Worf didn’t stab the horse, but this is fairly standard procedure for Hollywood movies – the horses are never purposefully shot, but sometimes fall when the rider is shot.

Memorable Moments

•    Data’s double take when, changed into a Friar Tuck robe at the symposium, he goes to make a comment by raising his right hand, and finds he is holding a huge hunk of meat

•    Worf, shattering Geordi’s lute, then saying, "Sorry" (this is a homage to John Belushi, who broke someone’s guitar and then said, "Sorry" in the movie Animal House)

•    Troi shooting Data with an arrow

•    Picard, getting into the role of Robin by hopping around in a spritely manner

•    The Robin Hood music riff, worked nicely into the normal Trek ending music

Quotable Quotes

"Nice legs…for a human."
- Worf regarding Vash

"Jean Luc, it’s wonderful to see you again. How ‘bout a big hug!"
- Q’s greeting to Picard

Q: Without your assistance in our last encounter I would never have survived. I would have taken my own life but for you.
Picard: We all make mistakes.

"I knew there was something different about you. You seem tense, preoccupied, somewhat…smaller."
- Q to Picard (what makes this line so interesting is that it is preceeded by Q sneaking a look under Picard’s bed covers, and when Q says, ‘smaller’, his eyes subtledy dart in the general direction of Picard’s crotch again)

"Sir, I protest! I am not a merry man!"
- Worf, unhappy to be cast in the role of Will Scarlet (you’ve got to give a lot of credit to the person who wrote this line)

Sir Guy: I’ll have you know I am the greatest swordsman in all of Nottingham!
Picard: There’s something you should know.
Sir Guy: And what is that?
Picard: I’m not from Nottingham.