Q, Vash, and True Q

[tim0122]

Just watched True Q again from season six. Ignoring the problems with that episode, I can't help but think it should've aired later in the season. Why? Because where the hell is Vash? The last time we saw her in season four, Q was taking her to see the universe. Strange that Picard doesn't even ask where she is given his emotional connection to her and that Q swore to protect her. It wouldn't have been difficult to explain that she was off having fun alone until Q's business with Amanda concluded. Instead, her story is included in DS9 of all places. And that DS9 episode makes no mention of this TNG incident either. Very strange.

Was there an idea of this originally airing later AFTER the DS9 episode? Otherwise, it seems an oversight by the writer or intentionally unmentioned because I'm assuming Patrick Stewart's relationship with Jennifer Hetrick had ended at that point and it might've still been a sensitive subject.

I just found it surprising since I didn't think Q showed up again on TNG until after DS9 and he and Vash had parted ways.

 

[Qonundrum]

Possibly not for all the same reason(s) that Moriarty returned 4 years later and, despite being a perfectly programmed simulation with memory of the last 4 years in alleged nothingness, completely forgot about Dr Pulaski. Seasons 5-7 often dropped the ball on reasonable character detail and even continuity they had been building up on earlier. And, yep, for both these adventures there was some fun behind-the-scenes kerfuffle going on too.

 

[Uncle Sock]

My headcanon is that Q, an omnipotent being who has control over time and space, can absolutely be with Vash in the Gamma Quadrant and on the Enterprise at the same time.

But, yeah, it was probably a production oversight.

 

[AntonyF]

I think much like real life and real relationships it doesn't mean that the person has to be glued to the other person 100% of the time.

But the truth and not so exciting reason is that TNG didn't want a Vash story, which is why she didn't appear; the story was done. Which is also why they don't bring it up, they don't want to drag down the new story with exposition for past events. Or they just didn't want to decide what happened to her then and there as it wasn't' relevant. It can also be assumed it happened off screen.

And a DS9 guest writer decided to do a Vash story. It was only later that the more senior writers decided to fold in Q to the story. But that came later than TNG.

 

[suarezguy]

Yeah, it was weird and offputting that there was no reference when the appearances/arc so far/otherwise had been a quite good even though loose arc. Maybe the writer of "True Q" thought the ending of "Qpid" was a little weird or forced and/or that it was pretty obvious that the relationship wouldn't have/didn't work out but there should have at least been a reference. I also didn't like that there was also no reference or indication to that Q had previously offered Q powers to a crew member, Riker, and it was declined and then everyone thought it was good that it was declined.

And then "Tapestry" didn't make direct references to either "Qpid" or "True Q" but still worked as part of loose arc because it worked well with the general character relationships and was just a much stronger and focused story that it worked being mostly self-contained but part of loose arc. I do think "True Q" despite its flaws almost works as being second-to-last Q episode but prefer "Tapestry" actually being that.

 

[carcinoGeneticist]

I figure that Vash doesn't need to be constantly protected, so she could be off doing some of her exploring while Q is dealing with the whole True Q situation, and he could go back to whatever he was doing with her after the True Q stuff was done.

 

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

Maybe she met another Q.

 

[Qonundrum]

Maybe she met another Q.

Qorbin Bernsen?

 

[AntonyF]

I figure that Vash doesn't need to be constantly protected

Given the disease she got and the legal issues, evidence might point otherwise.

 

[The Wormhole]

Possibly not for all the same reason(s) that Moriarty returned 4 years later and, despite being a perfectly programmed simulation with memory of the last 4 years in alleged nothingness, completely forgot about Dr Pulaski.

Moriarty did make a reference to Pulaski, though he just referred to her as "the hostage."

 

[Crewman6]

Possibly not for all the same reason(s) that Moriarty returned 4 years later and, despite being a perfectly programmed simulation with memory of the last 4 years in alleged nothingness, completely forgot about Dr Pulaski. Seasons 5-7 often dropped the ball on reasonable character detail and even continuity they had been building up on earlier. And, yep, for both these adventures there was some fun behind-the-scenes kerfuffle going on too.

Dropped the ball on what? It was an episodic series, there were very few story threads that carried over between episodes. However, there were plenty of references to past events and "character detail" when it was appropriate.

Picard's "Inner Light" experience was referenced in "Lessons." The events of "I, Borg" were mentioned in "Descent." And so on...

And, as was pointed out, Moriarty didn't "forget" Pulaski, but there was no reason to talk about her except in passing.

There was simply no need to mention Vash. The show (and many, many other TV shows) would seldom stop a story in its tracks to make a reference to prior events if those events had no effect on the current story. It just muddies the waters for no reason. There was simply no compelling narrative reason to mention Vash in True Q.

 

[AntonyF]

Moriarty did make a reference to Pulaski, though he just referred to her as "the hostage."

I'd never really clocked that he mentioned her obliquely.

 

[Qonundrum]

Moriarty did make a reference to Pulaski, though he just referred to her as "the hostage."

Fair point and I definitely didn't pick up on it as being Pulaski at the time. It still seems to be a slight as most fans of the time decided "seasons 1 and 2 are icky, eww". (on the plus side, and sorry for the aside, the season 5 escapade "Ethics" also had some fans wondering if Pulaski was going to be the guest doctor that week. Ironically, I'm glad she wasn't, the guest doctor was a token cartoon character in that episode that was designed to prop up Beverly the same way the bridge crew were all oversimplified and dumbed down to make Wesley look better... )

Of course, maybe Moriarty was faking it with the charm and smarm in still wanting to fill Pulaski with crumpets no matter how old she got, hence "his" referring to her as "the hostage" so callously. Which in turn goes against the grain of the original dramatic scene from "Elementary Dear Data" but is not impossible (yet in so doing, this now robs this version of Moriarty of some complexity in the process. Moriarty was just a computer-generated holographic program in the end, and come to think of it, he didn't care about "the Countess" to bring her up at that time. Moriarty is likely so evil he doesn't give a rat's holo-heiney over anyone except "himself". )

I'd never really clocked that he mentioned her obliquely.

Same here. Makes it easier to gloss over and, in a way, bypasses the need to inform new fans of the show about every detail that's technically not important to the show anymore, even if there's some potential continuity. Hmm, maybe the computer found the file and it was corrupted, patching up missing data about Pulaski with "the hostage" as it was still just a generated program story. Then again, informing Barclay that the file had a damaged byte or two that was patched and to check it for problems is usually what might happen. Or would if Scandisk detected and patched up the faulty disk sector contents or whatever equivalent is being used 400 years from now.

It still would have been nice if she was mentioned by name and the season 2 story ("Elementary, Dear Data") really does make it seem as if Moriarty was genuine in "his" interest in the good doctor, or as much as the computer generating the hologram was allowing it to be. But the story had a new bit of crumpet to focus on instead. Or steppingstone, whatever "Moriarty" was thinking as he seemed just as enthralled with "the countess" as "he" was with Pulaski. Another patched up disk sector, perhaps?