Spoilers How in the Name of Q?

[Mudd]

For an entertainment property that's so overbearing in its repeated proclamations to be "commenting on the human condition" and "reflecting on our society," Star Trek long, long ago discarded all but the occasional pretense of acknowledging the essential reality of our existence - that our time is limited. "For death is the destiny of every man; the living should take this to heart."

But no, Trek is escapist fantasy. In the heyday of Marvel comics we used to laugh about how brief and conditional death always was in that "universe." But hey, it was comic books stuff written to entertain children and tweens.

Death comes even to sitcom characters, but not Star Trek heroes. Kirk is in a bottle on Section 31's shelf, awaiting the second coming of Matalas.

 

[Cube1701]

Q didn't even know for certain that he was dying. Something was happening to him and he just presumed it was death.

 

[donners22]

I love Q, but I'm disappointed he was brought back. He had a fine ending. For that matter, so did Data in S1, and he was brought back too. Data was at least for the TNG reunion, but Q feels like part of Matalas' pitch for the new series. It's jarring, and self-indulgent.

 

[arch101]

It was completely appropriate. Q appears in the first 60 seconds of TNG, and he's in the final, final scene of TNG. Perfect symmetry.

 

[aeverett]

With the power Q has basically anything could happen. He seems to be able to experience all timelines. His appearance in anyone could be both real to him and just one of many copies at the same time. He could have just decided he wanted to die, experienced that death and was still there once it was over because he was there all along. Or he just did that to end his relationship with Picard.

I am kind of irked by the people who call it stupid or lazy. It is neither. It's consistent with what Q always was.

But if he cos played death, it wouldn't have irked him as much as it did. He was genuinely shook up about.

And dying for Picard, then showing up to meet Jack, would be poor planning on Q's part as all Jack needs to do is send a message back to La Barre 'Hey Dad, guess who I met.' So Q wouldn't be dead for Jean Luc either.

Is there some weird, Q-ish way he could do it, die and not die, probably. However, we've seen death can destroy Q's in True Q, Death Wish, and The Q and the Grey. Q's death just being an attempt at experiencing something doesn't fit and if it was about dying for Picard, he should have stayed out of Jack's life while Picard was still alive.

 

[Airmandan]

I was fine with them bring Q back, but I don't know how well he would work against Jack. Q was a Picard foil, and it feels kinda forced to have him sparring with Jack. We shall see what the future holds though.

 

[Racefuel]

I don't think Q is "back".

I do think his end point was Picard Season 2. That was indeed Q's final moment on this plane or existence betore moving on.

What we're seeing is what he was up too between his flash ins and outs in Picard S2

 

[aeverett]

I don't think Q is "back".

I do think his end point was Picard Season 2. That was indeed Q's final moment on this plane or existence betore moving on.

What we're seeing is what he was up too between his flash ins and outs in Picard S2

That makes sense and really fixes things for me. Thank you.

 

[NCC-73515]

He died at some far future timepoint, let's say 3 million AD, and that's where he time traveled back from in S2

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

Whilst Q actually dying is mostly implied, and this version of him is younger than the one in S2, I have an alternative possible theory:

Q and the continuum came about by far future humans "ascending" like in thay episode of lower decks. Q himself is a direct descendant of Jack, and he knew he needed to nudge Picard toward accepting his past properly, otherwise future events would play out differently, and he would cease to exist. For instance, the Titan might not have made it out of the nebula, or he might not have been able to locate the Enterprise communicator in time to be able to help Beverley.

 

[CaptainWacky]

He should have looked directly into the camera, said "fuck season two, am I right!" and dabbed.

 

[Skyshadow]

That makes sense and really fixes things for me. Thank you.

This was my take on it as well, just before he is in the 2020s in season 2 and his powers go, he could have jumped forward to see Jack. Keep in mind his powers work just fine in the end credits scene, he could have jumped back then and realised he is screwed.

Or for all we know season 2 takes place 10,000 years into Q's life and for his final jolly he jumps back to Picard's twilight years. In the same way you might watch Skin Of Evil and know that Tasha Yar is long dead since 1988, but today in 2023 you are jumping back and experiencing that point by watching the episode.

We may see more of Q but know he has a finite number of times can reappear.

 

[gweeps]

Seriously, that little add on at the end of 'The Last Generation' where Q meets Jack really threw me. I know Q mentions Jack thinking linearly, but it felt cheap.

This is probably why Q was absent for most of Season 2. While he had enough strength, he went to the future to help Picard's son. Notice he looked the same as he did after "catching up" to Picard's age?

 

[gweeps]

Q can separate himself into different versions of himself. Perhaps one version died and others didn't.

Yeah. He did so in Voyager's 'Death Wish'.

 

[gweeps]

Non linear life forms are quite confusing.

Like he told Jack when he was asked if he was Q. "A simple name for a complicated being."

 

[Jayson1]

I'm glad Q is back because they never explained how he died or could even die. As for the idea of Q being multiple versions and still all be him I am think it's possible that when that Q dies it wold be like a single cell in our body dying. The rest of us is still complete. We also forget that if their is things called ghosts. Granted I don't know if ghost are real maybe they can always be real in fiction. We also don't even know it's the same Q. It could be another Q who happens to know everything our Q does because the Q know everything and thus they must know each other on a intimate level no other species could understand. Not even the Changlings with The Link.

 

[Tuskin38]

I'm glad Q is back because they never explained how he died or could even die.

Not sure why it's needed. He's just dying, it happens.

 

[SpocksOddSocks]

We also forget that if their is things called ghosts. Granted I don't know if ghost are real maybe they can always be real in fiction.

We could ask Doctor Crusher...

 

[TRON JA307020]

I love Q, but I'm disappointed he was brought back. He had a fine ending. For that matter, so did Data in S1, and he was brought back too. Data was at least for the TNG reunion, but Q feels like part of Matalas' pitch for the new series. It's jarring, and self-indulgent.

I think his ending sucked. He hardly got any screening, it was a terrible storyline, he was overly cruel and the end was anti climatic. Im glad he's back. He's an omnipotent being that is millenia old. He can come back as anything he wants. The supposed death made no sense.

 

[fireproof78]

Not sure why it's needed. He's just dying, it happens.

Indeed. They're not immortal. It's ok for them to die in service to a story.