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Do You Consider Q a Villain?
- Thread starter indycar
- Start date
It's hard to see how Q could be an outright villain, given that if he intended our heroes harm he could just kill them with impunity. To me it becomes more telling when we see how he interacts with other q beings.
His trickster antics get some perspective in that they are shown as a form of political activism, a rejection of the continuums isolationist philosophy that seems to assume there is nothing left to learn. In that regard he becomes almost the opposite argument to the prime directive, an endorsement of active involvement over isolationism.
Whereas the q continuum have taken non involvement to the ultimate extreme he subverts this with outright mischief.
He may come across as arrogant but arrogance in truth is an unrealistic assumption of superiority. Q assumes nothing, his superiority is genuine, rather he refuses to let that superiority render his existence meaningless by withdrawing from the universe.
Where he is perceived as a threat the problem is more in his failure to correctly assess and understand humanity, which after all is the very failing he is admitting by trying to learn in the first place.
His trickster antics get some perspective in that they are shown as a form of political activism, a rejection of the continuums isolationist philosophy that seems to assume there is nothing left to learn. In that regard he becomes almost the opposite argument to the prime directive, an endorsement of active involvement over isolationism.
Whereas the q continuum have taken non involvement to the ultimate extreme he subverts this with outright mischief.
He may come across as arrogant but arrogance in truth is an unrealistic assumption of superiority. Q assumes nothing, his superiority is genuine, rather he refuses to let that superiority render his existence meaningless by withdrawing from the universe.
Where he is perceived as a threat the problem is more in his failure to correctly assess and understand humanity, which after all is the very failing he is admitting by trying to learn in the first place.
Only in his early appearances.
I think Q definitely was a villain when he first encountered the Enterprise, but that didn't last long. He went from threatening Humanity's existence (or at least the Enterprise crew's) in "Encounter At Farpoint" to giving Humanity a chance to save itself in "All Good Things..."
From the very first - Q was NEVER a villan he opened the doors and said "IF you walk through that Door you might not like what you find..... " He taught the Federation lessons that while they might have lost a few people from - when measured against the Billions or Trillions in the Federation who would die if the lessons hadn't been given the price was fair.....
The federation up to Encounter at Far point was blindly flying into the unknown self-confident tha they could beat anything that went against them. Q pointed out tha 'out there' were things undreampt of Horatio.......
The federation up to Encounter at Far point was blindly flying into the unknown self-confident tha they could beat anything that went against them. Q pointed out tha 'out there' were things undreampt of Horatio.......
>do you consider Q a villain?
Before my answering, are you a calamarain?
Before my answering, are you a calamarain?
I'd say he was beyond good and evil but more like a child in nature! A naughty one perhaps...
JB
JB
I'd say he was closer to being a Mentor archetype or possibly an anti-hero, albeit a twisted and mischievous one. He was a lot like several of the Greek gods in the old plays and epics, just he didn't hide who he was and was more upfront with what he was doing.
But then, he's pretty much Trek's version of Mr. Myxlplyx from the Superman mythos. So whatever you consider Mxy to be, Q is, too.
But then, he's pretty much Trek's version of Mr. Myxlplyx from the Superman mythos. So whatever you consider Mxy to be, Q is, too.
I see Q as someone who makes our heroes/humanity to look at ourselves and to think that are the things we're doing the right things or might there be a better way...
I don't think he's a villian, nor ever was. I think he's kind of adopted humanity as his own and cares -- for whatever his reasons may be -- about what happens to us.
Sure, he's a bit eccentric and overplays his role, but I think he means well. As a new parent (my oldest is almost 3 years old), I've learned that sometimes you have to deliberately challenge children in order to help them grow. Sometimes I push, sometimes I restrain, sometimes I infuse important lessons into games, and more. Sometimes you even have to let them get hurt so they learn. And often they really hate when I interfere with their desires or decisions and resent me mightily for doing so -- just like the crew resents Q for his "interference" in spite of the fact that he's saved their bacon more than once.
I wonder if any of them realized, however belatedly, that Q literally saved humanity in Q-Who. The Borg were already in Federation space, attacking outposts, accumulating information and resources. If not for Q, The Best of Both Worlds would have been titled The End.
I'll bet nobody thanked him either. But such is the life of a parent.
Sure, he's a bit eccentric and overplays his role, but I think he means well. As a new parent (my oldest is almost 3 years old), I've learned that sometimes you have to deliberately challenge children in order to help them grow. Sometimes I push, sometimes I restrain, sometimes I infuse important lessons into games, and more. Sometimes you even have to let them get hurt so they learn. And often they really hate when I interfere with their desires or decisions and resent me mightily for doing so -- just like the crew resents Q for his "interference" in spite of the fact that he's saved their bacon more than once.
I wonder if any of them realized, however belatedly, that Q literally saved humanity in Q-Who. The Borg were already in Federation space, attacking outposts, accumulating information and resources. If not for Q, The Best of Both Worlds would have been titled The End.
I'll bet nobody thanked him either. But such is the life of a parent.
Well, I think even that is debatable.
Q was heavy handed and scared the shit out of the Enterprise crew in Encounter at Farpoint, sure, but he didn't kill anyone. The only time Enterprise crew die as a result of Q's visit, is Q Who, and even then, it was actually the Borg that did it, and Q actually did humanity a favor in the long run, by introducing them to the Borg, so that they could be prepared. Had Q not done what he did, the Borg may have conquered and assimilated the Feds.
In fact, from a certain point of view, he actually helped Picard discover the "mystery" of Farpoint station, and prevent the Feds from making a treaty with Zorn and his people, who were actually exploiting the creature for personal gain.
Rewatch the last 10 minutes, Q is basically just sitting back, watching everyone on the crew come to their own conclusions, and he seems to be smirking, but almost in a way where he is smiling to himself, that these humans actually do get it.
At first we didn't know Q's motives in that episode, but later on I think Q proves to be somewhat of a Prometheus firgure, more than a Loki figure, and in that light, I think even in EAF, Q is actually helping humanity in the same way he does in AGT: giving a nudge, but letting humanity discover things on their own. He just acts as the foil to Picard, because that is what gets Picard out of his comfort zone.
We don't know what exactly happened between Q and the Calamarain, whom he'd supposedly tormented, or for that matter, between Q and Guinan. So Q definitely could have not only a mischievous, but even a nasty side.
However, just considering what we see him do on screen, I can't really see him as a villain. Putting the crew in difficult situations (even causing some deaths), yes, or playing some unfathomable game, but in the end he genuinely seems interested that these puny mortals learn something from the experience.
However, just considering what we see him do on screen, I can't really see him as a villain. Putting the crew in difficult situations (even causing some deaths), yes, or playing some unfathomable game, but in the end he genuinely seems interested that these puny mortals learn something from the experience.
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How do we know the Calamarain didn't deserve to be tormented
Q is obnoxious and annoying, kind of like the Jar Jar Binks of Star Trek. But I don't consider him an unambiguous malevolent villain.
He is more like a spoiled brat; the product of bad parenting, which is how I believe that other members of the Q Continuum.
If anyone ever deserved to be assimilated by the Borg, it's him.
He is more like a spoiled brat; the product of bad parenting, which is how I believe that other members of the Q Continuum.
If anyone ever deserved to be assimilated by the Borg, it's him.
I can't edit yet, so a correction to an incomplete sentence from my previous post:
I believe that other members of the Q Continuum see him as a spoiled brat.
Boy, will I be glad to get that editing feature when I cease being a "newbie".
I believe that other members of the Q Continuum see him as a spoiled brat.
Boy, will I be glad to get that editing feature when I cease being a "newbie".
I love Q, and I find him highly, highly amusing. When I watch his episodes, I can't help but ponder on him and the continuum in general.
Q is definitly not a villain. He never was. I would go as far as to say he is an intelligent, mischievous, good-guy. Most of what he does actually benefits the crew [while annoying them in the process]. Yes I think he derives much entertainment from annoying them but beyond his impish facade I think is a very intelligent being who, for reasons we can only speculate on, seems to be indirectly helping the crew of the Enterprise and humanity in general.
For all of his threats, for all of his posturing...he never actually harms anyone. I find it amusing so many here think he was a villain. On the surface he seems to be but if you look deeper you will see a far more complex character who is at most 'good' or at worst an 'anti-hero'.
For me, the true question regarding Q is why is he helping all the time? I have a few personal theories on this but thats for another thread.
Q is definitly not a villain. He never was. I would go as far as to say he is an intelligent, mischievous, good-guy. Most of what he does actually benefits the crew [while annoying them in the process]. Yes I think he derives much entertainment from annoying them but beyond his impish facade I think is a very intelligent being who, for reasons we can only speculate on, seems to be indirectly helping the crew of the Enterprise and humanity in general.
For all of his threats, for all of his posturing...he never actually harms anyone. I find it amusing so many here think he was a villain. On the surface he seems to be but if you look deeper you will see a far more complex character who is at most 'good' or at worst an 'anti-hero'.
For me, the true question regarding Q is why is he helping all the time? I have a few personal theories on this but thats for another thread.
Yes. No. Maybe. Yes. Erm, No.
mmmmmmmmmmm.
mmmmmmmmmmm.
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