What was the nature of Picard's experience in Tapestry and what were Q's intentions?

[at Quark's]

Inspired by http://www.trekbbs.com/threads/tapestry-ending-insults-ordinary-people.285823/

One of the good things of the Tapestry episode, in my mind, is its ambiguity about what it really was Picard experienced here. Did he really meet Q in this episode, or was it just happening within in his own mind as part of a natural near death experience (as many people claim happens to people that nearly die and visit 'heaven' and 'Jesus' or some such locations and persons)?

Assuming that Q really was there, what were his intentions? Did he create the experience just for his own fun, pestering Picard -as Riker supposes at the end of the episode-, or was it honestly for Picard's benefit (to make him contemplate his choices in life)?

Vote and discuss

 

[marsh8472]

There is some evidence that Picard in the beginning of the episode was in a different timeline than where Picard ended up at the end of the episode. A near death timeline in the beginning then a timeline where the injury that was not life threatening at the end of the episode. That would suggest Q was involved.

In the beginning of the episode Picard is near death in cardiac arrest with cortical stimulators on his forehead being zapped. At the end of the episode Crusher is just scanning him saying his vital signs are normal, then says he was injured but she thinks he'll be alright.

Worf and Riker were next to Picard in the same manner as they were in the beginning and end of the episode. Riker still had the cut on his forehead. It doesn't look like much time elapsed between the beginning and end of the episode. In the episodes I've been looking at they don't remove the cortical stimulators while they're in the middle of treating a patient.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Oh, man, I'm going to think about an episode I haven't seen if probably over fifteen years.


Okay, so going on my loose memory of the episode, I think Picard's experience was nothing more than to remind himself of his choices in life and how they've made him who he was. Why he needed that reminder, I don't know.

As for Q's intentions, I can't imagine. One could argue Q wanted Picard to consider this, consider that, do this, do that, but when has Q ever shown an interest in the mundane aspects of the day-to-day decision making on each crew member? The only time seemed remotely interested was when he was wanting an answer from Riker on becoming a Q.

Q seemed to be looking at a larger picture, so I cna't iamgine what this was for Q. Or maybe I'm overanalyzing it and Q simply decided to screw around with Picard while he was dead, for shits and giggles, as Q is known to do.

 

[JesterFace]

Or maybe I'm overanalyzing it and Q simply decided to screw around with Picard while he was dead, for shits and giggles, as Q is known to do.

Maybe this little game was a small part of the ongoing trial of humanity, Q wanted to see what would happen if Picard relived his young life with his experiences.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Seems like a pretty shitty game, since everybody would react in their own ways that would not reflect partially or at all the way Picard handlked it, human or otherwise. The trial of humanity would be quite limited as at the whim of the one person unknowingly on trial.

 

[JesterFace]

Seems like a pretty shitty game, since everybody would react in their own ways that would not reflect partially or at all the way Picard handlked it, human or otherwise. The trial of humanity would be quite limited as at the whim of the one person unknowingly on trial.

Maybe Picard's "game" would not be the only one. Maybe he was one of many (?hundreds, thousands?) used in this way and perhaps the only one from the Enterprise.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Assuming that Q really was there, what were his intentions? Did he create the experience just for his own fun, pestering Picard -as Riker supposes at the end of the episode-, or was it honestly for Picard's benefit (to make him contemplate his choices in life)?

Probably both.

 

[Mojochi]

Probably both.

Agreed. It smacks similarly of the "lesson" in All Good Things... Almost like a warm-up round, where only his own life is at stake, compared to that of the whole human race