6.06 True Q

Rating: 2.5

A young human woman, gifted in the sciences, boards the Enterprise to learn about various systems on the ship. It is soon apparent that she is also gifted in telekinesis. Soon, Q arrives, claiming the young woman is a Q and must join the Continuum.

Comments

Olivia D’abo plays Amanda, the Q girl. She is (dare I say it) very Qute. J She has maintained a successful career in movies and television, with perhaps her most noted role being that of ‘Karen’ in the television series, ‘The Wonder Years’.

When Picard finds out that Amanda’s parents were killed (on Earth) by a tornado, he expresses surprise that the tornado was not neutralized by something called the ‘Weather Modification Net’.

Although this episode is not awarded a star for being above average, it still deserves a slight mention, as it contains many clever Q lines.

Nits

Where is Counselor Troi in this episode? It seems that she would be ideally suited to speak to Amanda about her worries, and yet, for some reason, Crusher takes on the role of counselor. In fact, it very much appears as if Crusher’s dialogue was originally written for Troi.

Memorable Moments

•    At one point, Q turns Crusher into an Irish Setter. This is a strange coincidence, as I used this very same dog breed to insult her acting abilities just a few episodes ago (in The Next Phase).

•    Picard and Q’s scenes are always well written and well-acted. Although I didn’t write it up in quotes, there’s a wonderful scene where Picard makes one of his impassioned speeches railing against something that Q is planning to do, and at the end, Q says something like, "Picard…sometimes I think the only reason I come here is to listen to your wonderful speeches." And I have to agree; it’s one of the main reasons I watch. Patrick Stewart has beautiful diction and a lovely way of giving meaning to even the most trivial and poorly written dialogue. And when he gets some well-written lines…look out!

Quotable Quotes

"Crusher gets more shrill with each passing year."
- Q to Picard

Picard: Very well, I will introduce her to you, but we cannot argue in front of her like this, we must appear to be-
Q: (Putting arm around Picard) Pals?
Picard: Civil.

"Well, if it isn’t Number Two."
- Q to Riker