Curious

[Whizkid]

EWR, Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr., the creator of Star Trek, was always suspicious of religion in the distant future.

Yet, at the last moment, he created the character of Q - one of the most important characters after Spock and Data - just before Encounter at Farpoint. A "God." It was not a Deus ex Machina at all. Q is a... character. Why?

What, according to you Trekkies, was he thinking?

 

[Bad Thoughts]

Q seems like a decent vehicle for critiquing religion by present a deity who is random, precocious and uncaring, thus unworthy of being worshipped.

 

[Imaus]

EWR, Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr., the creator of Star Trek, was always suspicious of religion in the distant future.

Yet, at the last moment, he created the character of Q - one of the most important characters after Spock and Data - just before Encounter at Farpoint. A "God." It was not a Deus ex Machina at all. Q is a... character. Why?

What, according to you Trekkies, was he thinking?

There seems to be some weird implication, even from TOS days, that eventually a species will evolve into being agents of pure energy with immense personal control of local space time. Organians, Thasians, Metrons, Apollo's ilk, and to a lesser extent the First Federation and Andromenda aliens seems to be a sort of transitory polity - above the Federation but not local God like.

This was due to Scifi's forced marriage with stuff like ESP, Telekinesis, and all that magic-wrapped-up-in-the-wrapper-of-science stuff at the time too...

But basically, it seems like he was thinking that eventually, humanity could in time (didn't the First Federation or so basically say thousands of years) integrate and adapt themselves to become energy and control time and all that, and then the politics of such a species becomes esoteric with its own rules. The Q self-regulate, but a lot of these god beings also just stay out of normal mortal affairs even though they easily couldn't, leading me to suspect there's some sort of UberUN Council of Gods that smacks down anyone who interferes too much with threats of MAD or oblivion or devolution....

 

[Oddish]

There were a number of godlike beings in the original series, including one of the Greek pantheon. Q was just a variation on a theme.

 

[at Quark's]

Q fit into that mold of 'god-like powers but capricious or egocentric' class of beings we had seen before. I would have been more surprised had he introduced god-like beings that were actually trustworthy, even if not always comprehensible, such as the DS9 Prophets.

 

[The Wormhole]

What, according to you Trekkies, was he thinking?

"How do I extend Farpoint into the two hour telemovie the studio wants? Maybe pad it out with the energy being testing the crew trope..."

 

[Whizkid]

"How do I extend Farpoint into the two hour telemovie the studio wants? Maybe pad it out with the energy being testing the crew trope..."

Nope.

I prefer Imaus' answer. I think the Twilight Zone had something to do with ST during its inception.

It's just strange that it would have been carried forward to TNG.

 

[Ragitsu]

George.

 

[M'rk son of Mogh]

"Mankind has no need for gods. We find the one quite adequate."
- James T Kirk

 

[Tosk]

Nope.

I prefer Imaus' answer. I think the Twilight Zone had something to do with ST during its inception.

It's just strange that it would have been carried forward to TNG.

You can absolutely prefer that answer, but The Wormhole's answer is pretty much what actually happened.

 

[Whizkid]

You can absolutely prefer that answer, but The Wormhole's answer is pretty much what actually happened.

Hmm. No I thank him for responding. The thing is, I'm not so sure it was just about hours.
Wouldn't that be too... cynical?

(Although I'm exactly that)

 

[Tosk]

Hmm. No I thank him for responding. The thing is, I'm not so sure it was just about hours.
Wouldn't that be too... cynical?

(Although I'm exactly that)

There was a lot of back and forth over the running time of the episode. D.C. Fontana wrote a ninety minute episode, and when it was ultimately decided they wanted a two-hour ep Roddenberry did the re-write and added the Q stuff. (And by all accounts, screwing over Fontana for the bonus she'd have otherwise gotten. Hardly a surprise though. )

 

[Whizkid]

There was a lot of back and forth over the running time of the episode. D.C. Fontana wrote a ninety minute episode, and when it was ultimately decided they wanted a two-hour ep Roddenberry did the re-write and added the Q stuff. (And by all accounts, screwing over Fontana for the bonus she'd have otherwise gotten. Hardly a surprise though. )

Exactly. Why Q?

 

[Arpy]

The night before the final script was due, EWR, Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr., the creator of Star Trek, was visited by three spirits that lead him to a last-minute but devout conversion to Orthodox Christianity. He had to include God in some abstract way that would get around fan expectations into the property that he’d always used to mock the idea. This is also why when EWR Sr. died, he was often seen as a transparent glowing blue Force Ghost at the annual Paramount Christmas bonfire. (Oh sure, that’s the problematic part of this.)

 

[Whizkid]

Haha

The night before the final script was due, EWR, Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr., the creator of Star Trek, was visited by three spirits that lead him to a last-minute but devout conversion to Orthodox Christianity. He had to include God in some abstract way that would get around fan expectations into the property that he’d always used to mock the idea. This is also why when EWR Sr. died, he was often seen as a transparent glowing blue Force Ghost at the annual Paramount Christmas bonfire. (Oh sure, that’s the problematic part of this.)

Hahahahaha

 

[BillJ]

"How do I extend Farpoint into the two hour telemovie the studio wants? Maybe pad it out with the energy being testing the crew trope..."

IIRC, it was DC Fontana that added Q after the studio wanted "...Farpoint" extended to a two-hour block.

 

[Whizkid]

If it is not too much to ask,

guys/gals,

Everything nothwithstanding I still don't have a decent answer.

But what do I know. I'm Third World.

Nice of you to play.

 

[Birb-of-Prey]

Q is just one of many "superior" beings created for the franchise, like Trelane, the Thasians, the Metrons, and more.

 

[Arpy]

If it is not too much to ask,

guys/gals,

Everything nothwithstanding I still don't have a decent answer.

But what do I know. I'm Third World.

Nice of you to play.

You already got your answer. What more is there to say? His original script did not include Q and was shorter. The studio did want a longer pilot so he went with something reliable — a super-being trope. The trope is a trope because it’s a good one that you can get a lot out of. I don’t place Q near Spock or Data, both regulars. Why do you think he included Q?

 

[The Wormhole]

IIRC, it was DC Fontana that added Q after the studio wanted "...Farpoint" extended to a two-hour block.

In that case, shouldn't the OP be asking what was Fontana thinking creating Q instead of Roddenberry?