Do you agree with the concept of the Q?

Discussion in 'General Trek Discussion' started by indolover, Dec 20, 2012.

  1. indolover

    indolover Fleet Captain

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    Whilst it was a good concept and Q is cool as a character, I can't help it a bit pretentious.

    So humans are so great, we'll become Gods in the distant future? :lol:
     
  2. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    I said out, dammit!
    My main reaction is "why is this superior being trying to have conversations with ants? Why does he care about the ant colony?"

    later, I was annoyed at the writers' lack of courage and imagination. The Q are omnipotent beings that could wipe out the Federation with a thought. The most dangerous beings in the cosmos. So let's make Q comedy relief, a prancing boob worthy only of our derision, so we don't have to deal with the fact that he could wipe out existence at a wrong word from us.
     
  3. JarodRussell

    JarodRussell Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Well, he wasn't allowed to do that.
     
  4. Romulan_spy

    Romulan_spy Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I saw Q more as playing with the ant colony rather than trying to talk to it. The ep "Hide and Q" is a classic example. Q's game where he puts the crew in a mock Napoleonic battle with humanoid pig-like creatures was Q's way of playing with us like a kid would put ants in a glass of water to see what they do.
     
  5. sonak

    sonak Vice Admiral Admiral

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    in a figment of a mediocre mind's imagination

    yeah, I agree that makes more sense than the whole "the Q are afraid of Human potential" nonsense we got at other points. If they just stuck with the idea that Q was just having fun toying with them it would make more sense AND would be scarier, because who wants to think of superpowerful beings with sadistic streaks?:eek:
     
  6. Gary7

    Gary7 Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I enjoyed De Lancie's performance. He was hilarious. But I wish his character had been something else. "Q" didn't make sense to me at all. The comparing the Q's perception of us akin to how we perceive ants doesn't fit (ants don't have much to say at all, whereas we've got plenty), because we could be seen as being within the upper percentile of the evolutionary scale. Certainly "Q" would be curious to a degree and be well equipped to communicate with us (ants are near the bottom of the food chain and don't demonstrate communication outside of primary life concerns--food, shelter, enemies).

    But I fully believe that an omnipotent race like the "Q" would either seek out to police the universe or dominate it. They don't seem to do either. And then you have this anomaly with one individual where it likes to tease and taunt people with no productive or scientific aims (e.g. study). The "Q" being we meet has many human qualities... and I seriously don't think that fits at all.
     
  7. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    I thought there were several worthwhile Q episodes that explored the potential of the character...

    Encounter at Farpoint
    Hide and Q
    Q Who?
    Deja Q
    All Good Things...
    Death Wish


    The rest were garbage.
     
  8. The Overlord

    The Overlord Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    What about Tapestry?
     
  9. The Wormhole

    The Wormhole Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    To be fair, this idea didn't really start with Q, a few of the omnipotent energy being in TOS were like that, such as the Metrons.
     
  10. C.E. Evans

    C.E. Evans Admiral Admiral

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    To some primitive civilizations, humans already are with their magical "skyships," transporters, phasers, and medicines that can cheat death itself.
     
  11. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Premium Member

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    Never got the fuss over this episode.
     
  12. Drago-Kazov

    Drago-Kazov Fleet Captain

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    It would be fun if some species wold only be omnipotent in certain areas of space.
     
  13. Greg Cox

    Greg Cox Admiral Premium Member

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    That's one to look it at it. You can also see it from the opposite perspective: that the Q (and other transcendent entities) keep our all-too-human heroes humble by reminding them that the universe is full of lifeforms that are a lot more evolved than we are . . . .
     
  14. KamenRiderBlade

    KamenRiderBlade Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I treat 'Q' more like the Greek Gods.

    They just go about doing as they feel and messing with people.
     
  15. JirinPanthosa

    JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

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    Yeah, it does seem a bit odd that in Trek, the next evolutionary step after human is 'Omnipotent energy being'. Like in Transfigurations or with Kes.

    I like the analogy Data made, Q doesn't want to talk to humanity on equal terms, humanity is Q's favorite pet. He likes taking out his laser pointer and watching us chase it around. His favorite humans are the ones who bark back, that's why he's so fond of Picard.'

    The Q do dominate the universe. You think they don't? They don't have any reason to wipe out or police humans any more than humans have a reason to police all the lions for killing gazelles.
     
  16. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

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    There were both great and bad Q episodes, but De Lancie's performance was always entertaining even if the episode he was in wasn't that good. I did like the fact that the character had his own arc and changed and grew to respect humans by the end of this time in TNG. His conversations with "Jean-Luc" were always fun.
     
  17. R. Star

    R. Star Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I could have done without Voyager turning the Q Continuum into a disgruntled sitcom family.
     
  18. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I would love to be Vash.
     
  19. Forbin

    Forbin Admiral Admiral

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    I said out, dammit!
    Part of my problem was taking John DeLancie seriously - he'd been on Days of Our Lives previously (What? My mom watched it! I swear!) and he played a goofy, comedic "nutty professor" type of guy. I know you're not supposed to let actors' other roles infiltrate your mind when watching them, but I just couldn't help seeing that goofball bow-tie-wearing (before they cool) scientist every time DeLancie showed up.
     
  20. A'Tun-Te

    A'Tun-Te Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    Imho: Q was created as a safetyvalve VS the Borg.
    They wanted to add the Borg, but were afraid, and thinking the original Borg were simply unbeatable, Q could intervene at any later episode if the Borg became to uber.
    On the other hand, despite Q being awkward in many a case, there is a certain logic behind the species.
    Perhaps they were trying to figure out how they were before their 'enlightenment'?
    Or were they looking into a "how would we be without our God status?"
    People did things for lesser fun.
    Think of the Nazi's: How would a person being frozen to a corpse-icle act, think, react?
    What on Earth can we learn from such things?
    However, mister Mengele (AKA The Angel of Death) seem to figure otherwise, even if it only was for his own sadistic satisfaction.
    Sometimes we do not get a 'Why is this', while it still happens.
    Why... who knows...
    Ask the Q? :P