Q, the Captain

[AlxxlA]

I finally got around to watching Encounter at Farpoint, and during the sequence where Q first appears, I noticed that when he switched to the Marine uniform, he was wearing captain's bars, which would be equivalent to the naval (and Starfleet) rank of lieutenant. Every other time he appears, he's wearing a Starfleet uniform with captain's pips. Therefore, he should have had colonel's insignia.

Does this seem strange to anyone, given Q's massive ego, that he would demote himself?

 

[DanCPA]

Maybe he just liked the title of "Captain" and chose to be a Marine Captain

 

[Red Ranger]

I finally got around to watching Encounter at Farpoint, and during the sequence where Q first appears, I noticed that when he switched to the Marine uniform, he was wearing captain's bars, which would be equivalent to the naval (and Starfleet) rank of lieutenant. Every other time he appears, he's wearing a Starfleet uniform with captain's pips. Therefore, he should have had colonel's insignia.

Does this seem strange to anyone, given Q's massive ego, that he would demote himself?

If you look carefully at all his incarnations in the beginning of the ep, although it's only implied, he is portraying different kinds of captains over the years -- a 15th/16th century sailing captain, a Marine Corps captain/company commander, a post-atomic horror enslaved soldier, possibly also a company commander/captain. And in his next appearance in Hide & Q, he first appears as a Starfleet admiral then as a marshal of France, which outranks even an admiral. -- RR

 

[WillsBabe]

I wonder if they shied away from giving him colonel's insignia because that would make him too close to Oliver North for comfort, which is reputedly the image they were trying to portray with that Q personification.

 

[Red Ranger]

I wonder if they shied away from giving him colonel's insignia because that would make him too close to Oliver North for comfort, which is reputedly the image they were trying to portray with that Q personification.

You may have a point, WillsBabe! Although, wouldn't it have to have been lt. col.'s bars, as that was North's rank? But there is another dig at Reagan in the lines surrounding that uniform. Picard says to Q, "But even when humans wore . . . costumes like that, we had begun to make rapid progress!" Reagan himself used to refer to military uniforms as costumes, as if he were presiding over one big ole MGM studio rather than the U.S. -- RR

 

[DanCPA]

I doubt it was a jab at Reagan.

I think it's more of a jab at 20th century humans... In early TNG, we see plenty of references to how "barbaric" and horrible late 20th century humans are

 

[Red Ranger]

I doubt it was a jab at Reagan.

I think it's more of a jab at 20th century humans... In early TNG, we see plenty of references to how "barbaric" and horrible late 20th century humans are

It is a jab at all 20th century humans, yes. But the use of the word "costumes" wasn't accidental. It's a comment Reagan made that his detractors used to paint him as a bit deluded and living his presidency as if it were a big movie. Let's not forget that despite his stature as a transformative political figure, like all of us, he had his flaws, including basing too many of his decisions on his horoscope. Like Hitler, only not as disastrous. -- RR

 

[DanCPA]

But the use of the word "costumes" wasn't accidental.

Eh... I still think of it as a jab at our entire society, rather than simply Reagan.
But it's nice to know that the Great Communicator is still an influence, even in the 24th century

 

[Red Ranger]

But the use of the word "costumes" wasn't accidental.

Eh... I still think of it as a jab at our entire society, rather than simply Reagan.
But it's nice to know that the Great Communicator is still an influence, even in the 24th century

Well, we know Nixon is still a historical figure from Spock's line in TUC about why Kirk has to lead the peace mission to Q'onos: "Only Nixon could go to China." -- RR

 

[DanCPA]

And remembered as a great diplomat! GO TRICKY DICK!

 

[Red Ranger]

Also, back to the OP, Q has appeared as plenty of things in his history with Picard and company. In his next appearance, he appeared as an Aldebaran three-headed serpent, a Starfleet admiral, a marshal of France, and briefly, he took on Data's appearance, then later assumed the form of a Franciscan friar. So as you can see, there's really no pattern to his various identities. The superficial pattern in EAF was he assumed the form of differnt kinds of captains over the centuries. -- RR