Q and Guinan

[Terra Pryme]

I was watching "Q-Who?" earlier tonight and remembered Q and Guinan had a history together. They certainly had the animosity toward each other and it seemed Guinan had some magical abilities as it looked like she was about to do some major mojo on Q, who tells Picard she's really a troll (or a Troll-like species if that's more accurate). Other than Guinan getting the chance to stab a powerless Q's hand in "Deja Q", there was really no followup to their so-called history. Speaking of which, were there any comics or novels that explains the origins of Q and Guinan's first encounter and their eventual building hatred toward each other? I'm sure this would have been a very interesting read.

 

[DrPiano]

It's not exactly what you're looking for but the novel Vendetta by Peter David is a great book and explores the El Aurians a little more. I think the main relationship in that one is the El Aurians' relationship with the borg, but it definitely explains more about Guinan and her relationship with Picard.

I was looking at Memory Beta and there doesn't seem to be any novels or comics about Q and Guinan. It might be an interesting story for someone to write sometime

 

[JM1776]

...it seemed Guinan had some magical abilities as it looked like she was about to do some major mojo on Q...

It's extremely doubtful that Guinan could have defended herself for a nanosecond against Q if he really wished her harm, let alone successfully assaulted him—else it's unlikely the Borg would have so easily defeated the El Aurians.

I always assumed that she possesses some form of telekinetic power she finds easier to wield by employing gestures, and thus raised her hands reflexively when threatened—for all the good it would have done her.

 

[BarryWaddle]

It might be an interesting story for someone to write sometime

I've been trying to come up with an idea for a fanfic on this very topic, oddly enough...Got nothing yet. Will keep you all posted.

 

[Gkar]

I was watching "Q-Who?" earlier tonight and remembered Q and Guinan had a history together. They certainly had the animosity toward each other and it seemed Guinan had some magical abilities as it looked like she was about to do some major mojo on Q, who tells Picard she's really a troll (or a Troll-like species if that's more accurate). Other than Guinan getting the chance to stab a powerless Q's hand in "Deja Q", there was really no followup to their so-called history. Speaking of which, were there any comics or novels that explains the origins of Q and Guinan's first encounter and their eventual building hatred toward each other? I'm sure this would have been a very interesting read.

It's a good thing that Q and Dr Tolian Soran never teamed up otherwise her goose would've been cooked!

 

[RAMA]

I'd forgotten how confrontational that scene was. I agree that Guinan would have lasted about a second, though the implication MAY BE that she only looks El Aurian, as Q calls her an "imp". An alternative explanation would be that El Aurian's took human form but may be something different all together.

RAMA

 

[highlander]

I always kinda wondered if Q introduced the El Aurians to the Borg in a similar way as he did with Humans. Guinan's people were exploring the Universe on a large scale, and perhaps Q was fascinated by them as well. Their introduction to the Borg may have been a warning as well. "You are not ready". I don't know just a thought.

 

[DanCPA]

I think that Q rarely does any real damage to the universe, so given that Guinan is a very old space faring creature, perhaps they have met... Like Picard, Guinan considers Q to be a nuisance...

 

[Nimravus]

It's a shame they never elaborated on the relationship. First time I saw it, I was expecting a later episode to go deeper into the relationship. I guess that was the plan, but nobody ever wrote the script.

I always figured that they'd met at some point and had not gotten along at all. The El Aurians would not have been destroyed by the Borg if they had Q-like powers. I thought the hissing claw-finger move she pulled was either the way El Aurians respond to attacks when unarmed or that she had some kind of minro defensive powers.

 

[JM1776]

I agree that Guinan would have lasted about a second, though the implication MAY BE that she only looks El Aurian, as Q calls her an "imp."

That's an intriguing speculation, RAMA. Nice bit of thinking, there.

 

[Gkar]

I agree that Guinan would have lasted about a second, though the implication MAY BE that she only looks El Aurian, as Q calls her an "imp."

That's an intriguing speculation, RAMA. Nice bit of thinking, there.

I had always assumed that there was some kind of immunity that El-Aurians had to the Q Continuum. If not immunity then perhaps something that sets them apart from carbon based life forms (besides their powers that have already been touched on).
Maybe there is something the El-Aurians possess that the Q do not???

 

[erastus25]

I agree that Guinan would have lasted about a second, though the implication MAY BE that she only looks El Aurian, as Q calls her an "imp."

That's an intriguing speculation, RAMA. Nice bit of thinking, there.

I had always assumed that there was some kind of immunity that El-Aurians had to the Q Continuum. If not immunity then perhaps something that sets them apart from carbon based life forms (besides their powers that have already been touched on).
Maybe there is something the El-Aurians possess that the Q do not???

I agree with the poster above that Guinan couldn't have stood up to an omnipotent being for a second. However, your immunity theory could be close to the truth. It's possible that some time in the past Q tormented the El Aurians to the point that the rest of the continuum told him to cut it out or he'd be excommunicated. Perhaps Guinan's gesture is just a dare to Q reminding him that if he attacks he loses his powers. The crime against the El Aurians could be introducing them to the Borg, but I don't really like that as it seems out of character for Q.

 

[Jack Bauer]

Of course when they wrote this episode they really had no idea of Guinan's background other than her homeworld being destroyed. They didn't even know what her race was. For all we know she could've pt a major hurt on Q.

 

[Aramis]

Slightly OT question - Q (or de Lancie) seems to have bluish lips in quite a few episodes, but I didn't see this affliction on other Q. So, what gives? Was he just enjoying a blue popsicle or something or is this part of the Qs' physiognomy?

 

[Newspaper Taxi]

No idea about the bluish lips.

I kind of wonder if Guinan traveled with Q for awhile. There for awhile Q and Vash were out exploring the galaxy together until Vash decided to go solo again. Maybe Q thought Guinan would be a fun co-traveler? Guinan is pretty slick, after all. But then perhaps after traveling together for awhile -- or a long while -- they split ways and stayed bitter towards each other.

Another idea is that maybe Q and Guinan encountered each other during Guinan's time in the Nexus? Q can go anywhere he pleases so he could probably enter and leave the Nexus without any problem. Heck, maybe that's why Guinan left -- to get away from an annoying Q.

 

[RAMA]

I noticed in Time's Arrow that THAT was the closest explanation we got of the Picard-Guinan dynamic. Apparently Guinan saved Picard's life somehow and that mirrored the situation in the episode.

RAMA

 

[Danoz]

Remember that Guinan was unable to prevent Q from hurling them into Borg space, though she did appear to have some degree of defensive capability against him-- which always intrigued me as well. Q made a direct reference to her, as if she threatened him in some way... if she wasn't a threat, it would have been more in Q's character to laugh her off or belittle her-- he didn't do either of those things.

I wonder what the writers had in mind here. Maybe they were just trying to give her character even more of a mystical existance than she already had. I think it's probably the that, I'm not sure they had any real history in mind-- other than the fact that they wanted to make her as mysterious as possible.

This would be a great novel, though. I'd love to read a story about Guinan and her past. Has anything like this been done?

 

[matthunter]

It wouldn't have been apparent to the writers at the time, but Guinan seems to have some unusual abilities that may be related to the fact that part of her still resides in the Nexus. She seems to instinctively know that history has been altered in Yesterday's Enterprise, suggesting that her connection to her "shadow" in the Nexus grants her some protection from changes to the timeline... which might also enable her to prevent being transformed or translocated by Q, assuming the Nexus is something the Q cannot affect (for whatever reason).

Interestingly, if this is the case, then Picard might be capable of the same thing - albeit he might need Guinan to show him how.

 

[Danoz]

It wouldn't have been apparent to the writers at the time, but Guinan seems to have some unusual abilities that may be related to the fact that part of her still resides in the Nexus. She seems to instinctively know that history has been altered in Yesterday's Enterprise, suggesting that her connection to her "shadow" in the Nexus grants her some protection from changes to the timeline... which might also enable her to prevent being transformed or translocated by Q, assuming the Nexus is something the Q cannot affect (for whatever reason).

Interestingly, if this is the case, then Picard might be capable of the same thing - albeit he might need Guinan to show him how.

Love it.

 

[gastrof]

I think that Q rarely does any real damage to the universe, so given that Guinan is a very old space faring creature, perhaps they have met... Like Picard, Guinan considers Q to be a nuisance...

And this explains her STABBING HIM IN THE HAND when he'd been made human?