Is the pacing deliberately slow in the first half of Q who ?

[at Quark's]

Most Borg Collective-centered episodes (in TNG or elsewhere) are high-octane content, action-oriented from the first second. Which is not surprising as the Borg are an ideal, scary enemy (at least, before VOY made them perhaps too accessible). Not so the very TNG episode that introduces them, Q who. In fact, not that much is happening in the first 15 minutes of the ep, and it takes almost 20 minutes before they even meet their first Cube... and they only discover they are way "out of their league " (as Q puts it) in the last minutes of their encounter.

Now I understand that this episode needs some setup, but I'm sure that it could have been done a lot quicker, just Q showing up, claiming that humans need to learn a lesson in humility and that they're not ready to face the galaxy, and zipping them to J-25 to illustrate, all in 5 minutes or so, after which they have the entire episode to discover just what threat the Borg represent.

Mind you, I'm not complaining about this, as I like this episode and the atmosphere in it very much, but I'm just wondering whether this initial slow pacing is intentional ? To evoke an sense of onimousness that only gradually shifts into focus, and to make the threat (when it finally manifests) felt the stronger?

 

[Kor]

Yes. Everything in a professionally produced TV show or movie is intentional.

Kor

 

[MacLeod]

True, but sometimes how it is executed doesn't work well. The early part of "Q Who" was ramping up the tension, but music can also play a part in that

 

[Shikarnov]

I'm sure that it could have been done a lot quicker, just Q showing up, claiming that humans need to learn a lesson in humility and that they're not ready to face the galaxy, and zipping them to J-25 to illustrate, all in 5 minutes or so

I don't think that would have been true to the show in general or to Q's character specifically. TNG is generally a slower show, and Q always had a game to play. It would have made no sense at all if he just dropped in and says "You guys are so arrogant. Let's bring you down a bit."

Moreover, I don't think the final lesson would have been nearly as potent without the early setup of Q's desire to join the Enterprise crew as a guide and Picard's subsequent rejection.

Picard: "You wanted to frighten us -- we're frightened. You wanted to show that we are inadequate -- for the moment I will grant that. You want me to say that I need you. Right now -- I need you."

This is like redemption for Q.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I'm glad they took their time, it allowed the episode to have better payoff than it would have if they just rushed right into the action.