A New Q? | TNG 6.6, "True Q" | T7R #362 - The 7th Rule -- A Star Trek Podcast with DS9's Cirroc Lofton

Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Jordi LaForge can't use transporters for all the ionization and
the Tagrin atmosphere. Two Q created a child in vulgar
human fashion, and Amanda Rogers only has one outfit. Hello, everybody,
and welcome to the Seventh Rule. Was Sarrak lofton Hello. Hello,
my name is Ryan t. Huskin. Today we're doing a

(00:21):
review of Star Trek the Next Generation Season six, episode six,
entitled True Q, written by Renee Etcheveria, based on materials
by Matthew Corey. More on that in a moment directed
by Robert Shearer. This was October twenty fourth, nineteen ninety two.

(00:44):
Where were you and Sarraq? How are you doing today?

Speaker 2 (00:48):
Oh? Great, nineteen ninety two. I didn't see that based
on materials stuff, so we got to get into that.

Speaker 1 (00:56):
Yeah, what's up with that? Am I right? Like what
I've never seen based upon materials by somebody. Everybody. Please
make sure you like this video, subscribe to the channel,
hit the bell icon for notifications if you're listening in.
Give us a five star rating and a nice review.
We'd really appreciate that, but especially go visit us on
Patreon dot com. Slash the Seventh Rule become a part

(01:19):
of the team, a part of the family, a part
of the community. We really appreciate it, and you can
support the show, all right, sarac I've seen this episode before,
long long time ago, barely remembered it actually, but you've
never seen this before. I couldn't help but think, is

(01:40):
Sarroc weirded out by this episode? Like? What's going on
with the queue here? Is this episode weird? Or was
it fun? What'd you think of it?

Speaker 2 (01:47):
Who? Okay, So I don't know, but I kind of
have the Cisco feeling about you. The way Captain Cisco
or Commander Cisco felt about Q is the same way
I feel about Q. I don't like him. I'm not

(02:10):
I'm just not a fan of Q because there's just
this It's just arrogance, this superiority complex, all of the
things that you know, black people have been fighting and
struggling against for hundreds of years.

Speaker 1 (02:26):
You're gonna say all the things I don't like about you, Ryan,
I was like, oh, I hear it.

Speaker 2 (02:30):
Come no, not you. I'm talking about black people for
hundreds of years been fighting against the same kind of
arrogance and superiority complex, and you know, it's it's part
of what drives civilization, and you know and and and
what has driven wars and conquerors and you know all
of this stuff, and so I look at it as

(02:52):
the root of it's a flawed character. It's a character
flaw when you have that level of bravado, that much
self confidence, that much feeling of superiority. Regardless if you
are superior, it's the way you carry it. I guess

(03:15):
with that level of brash, that that attitude, it lowers,
It takes away from the greatness that you could be.
And so that's where I'll automatically kind of start with
Q from that point of view, because it's just it
rubs me the wrong way, the sense of entitlement that

(03:35):
he has. And I wish that he had more of
an understanding because you would think an omnipotent, omnipresent kind
of being would have more understanding of nuances of species,
of civilizations, of history. But he seems really rudimentary and

(03:58):
his evaluation of human kind and you know, and other
species in the universe. And so I feel like that
automatically makes puts them in a position where I dislike him.
So I feel the same way that Cisco felt when
he first had to deal with him, you know, and
here is my other you know, piggybacking off of that. Now,

(04:24):
the real issue I have with Q episodes in general
is that they are labeled such, and I wish that
Q episodes would not label themselves as Q episodes because
then the mystery for me would be a lot better. So, Yeah,

(04:45):
they literally give away the surprise in the title. It's
like saying, Hey, I got you a cool, crazy like
secret bike for your birthday. Guess what it is.

Speaker 1 (05:00):
It's like it's like writing a movie called The Butler.
Did it right?

Speaker 2 (05:04):
Right?

Speaker 1 (05:05):
Yes, totally.

Speaker 2 (05:06):
You're giving it away. You're wrapping the gift in the
paper that actually tells you what the gift is. Yeah,
And and that's where I feel like, give me some mystery.
Let me sit down and watch the opening of this episode,
the opening sequence and say, oh, who is this girl?
What's going on? I don't know, I don't know who's

(05:27):
you know? And then then Q pops up and like, oh, right,
it's a cute thing. I get it, and then I
can start to like piece it together. But they're literally
giving you the answer to the crossword puzzle before the
before the question, and I just don't like it. Right
every episode is cupid Q liss que who true que

(05:49):
who true cue. It's it's too much, you know.

Speaker 1 (05:53):
I I uh bingo. I thought the same thing, and
what it is is And I love the writers of TNG.
I love the writers of Star Trek, but I feel
like it's the writers being a little too cute or
too cute because they're like, hey, we should do a

(06:13):
play on words every time with Q. Like there's also
an episode coming up called fuh Q, and there's one
called thing Q. So it's a lot of you know,
the first one's kind of rude, the second one's nice.
But I felt this way about a movie, one of
my favorite movies ever. I think it was maybe late

(06:36):
nineties or something in early two thousands. The writer was
so interested in having the perfect tongue in cheek title
that work. That is a brilliant title, but it gives
away the movie. And that movie is called The Devil's Advocate.
I don't know if you've seen that movie with Keanu

(06:57):
Reeves movie, and I get that it's a play on words,
the Devil's Advocate, because we have that saying, you know,
to play the Devil's Advocate and all that, But that
really cute, cool, interesting name sacrificed the biggest twist in

(07:18):
the movie when we find out way later on spoiler
what is actually going on, And it's like this big, beautiful,
mind blowing, amazing moment. But we already kind of knew
it going into the movie because of the freaking title.
And this is exactly what you're saying with Q, and
I completely agree. I thought the same thing. Why are

(07:41):
you even creating a mystery if the title is going
to give away the mystery. Maybe they don't think the
mystery is that important. Maybe they go it doesn't matter.
They people love Q. They want to know a Q
episode's coming. Maybe they know better than I do. But
this was my strong opinion, and it feels like this
is your strong opinion too, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (08:00):
Because it's it's like given away, And like I already
know this is a Q episode before before I watch it,
and so I'm like, then I know. So once I
know it's a Q episode, right then I already know
that it's all going to wrap up in a bowl
because Q has the ability to wrap everything back in
the bow, put everything back to its original starting point

(08:23):
time doesn't matter. Whoever dies doesn't matter. And so then
now I'm I don't even feel the weight of any
emminent danger because I now I'm like, oh, well, Q's
going to fix that. It doesn't matter. Yeah, but if
this episode begins, and for example, that crate falls on

(08:46):
Riker and and and he's in a critical condition, we
might lose him. And I'm like, dude, this is crazier.
What are they going to kill Riker? In season six?
Like now, there's like some some things where I don't
know what's about to happen, you know, are there's something
there where I just I'm not sure. But if now,
knowing this is a que episode, that thing falls on Riker.

Speaker 1 (09:12):
He's gonna say He's gonna say, oh fine, you puny
mortals and snapping the Riker's back up going like oh
I got a splitting headache, you know, written by whatever?

Speaker 2 (09:24):
Right, And so they just they make it, They make it.
They take away the mystery. There's too much of a
playfulness with him, with how you know the character is played.
It's not played in a way that is I feel
a serious threat. I feel I almost feel like it's playful.

(09:45):
So like, let's dress up like Pirates and oh, let's
dress up like Robin Hood. Oh I'll take it to
an inquisition court and and grill you, you know, put
humanity on trial. It just becomes all of this like
it's a tool, writing tool to definitely be able to
zap yourself anywhere you want. I get it. It's good

(10:06):
for writing because hey, this is a character that could
just transport me to any anywhere I want to be
at any time, and so it's it's very fun for that.
But the level of playfulness, the level of seriousness. I
don't feel threat I don't feel like, you know, there's
something that could happen. Let's say if Q actually in

(10:29):
his first appearance disappeared Tasha Yar for like three episodes
and you just didn't see her.

Speaker 1 (10:35):
Every fun like like a few episodes.

Speaker 2 (10:39):
Yes, yeah, yes, And then he comes back four episodes
later and he just like, you know what, I'm done
with her. She's you know, you can have her back.
And then then we know that it won't end in
one episode and wrap up in a tiny little bow.
Then we know that his threats may hold some weight.

(11:00):
He could actually disappear somebody for a significant period of
diyme and we don't you know, and we don't know
what's going to happen.

Speaker 1 (11:08):
And then also it sets up something that would be
really fun, which is, what about twice a season when
the crew of the Enterprise is facing some unsolvable mystery,
like how did this happen? What's going on? Picard would
be like, queue, is that you Q?

Speaker 2 (11:29):
Right?

Speaker 1 (11:30):
And we start thinking, oh, yeah, is it cute? But
now but now we'll know it's not cute because there's
no que in the title. But how funny would it
be if a dozen times through through the series Picard
yells out cute cue, And so it becomes almost like
a running gag, like at least once or twice a season,
Picard starts thinking something is cue and then Jordie's like, uh,

(11:51):
it's not Q. We just have too many Cravaton beams,
you know, And then we got to reverse the hilarity.
It's just the Nanites are getting a little overheated, relaxed,
bro exactly. That'd be good.

Speaker 2 (12:07):
So so, so that's what I mean about the stakes
and and and them and not knowing whether it's real,
it's fake, it's it's you know what I mean. It's
like then he you get to play him more like
a poker hand, like's like, is he bluffing? Is he
all in? Does he really have aces? Now? We know,
but he's always bluffing. Q is always bluffing essentially, basically,

(12:34):
That's what it is. It's like playing a poker with
a guy who's gonna always say I'm all in, but
you know, he doesn't. He's not holding the cards. And
I feel like that's how Q is and it should
be a level of well, he does hold some cards,
and he does have a certain heartlessness to him that

(12:56):
he doesn't care to some degree or he won't and
you know, wrap everything up into a nice little bow
at the end. I do like his back and forth
with Picard because they have a good back and forth together.
That that I like. So I'm not gonna, you know,

(13:16):
discredit their their interactions. I think it works well. The
way the card is irritated by him, the way the
way Q was trying to I think Q actually likes
Picard and yeah, you know, he wants to win over
his affection or his admiration in some way, and so

(13:39):
he's trying to always win the cards approval and I
get and that that I like the dynamic of that.
I like, for example, when the scene came up and
Picard says, you know, you know, we're gonna go talk
to Amanda, but we can't go in there like this.
We have to like where and then you know, we

(14:03):
have to appear to be And then Q grabs him
and says, pals and he's like, that was funny.

Speaker 1 (14:11):
That was that was such a good line. When he
said civil He's like no, no, no no no no
no no no no no no, yeah, And it is true.
It's like Q loves Picard. I think they've even said
on the show where he loves Picard the way a
cat likes playing with the mouse, Like at any point

(14:33):
the cat can eat the mouse and move on and
not even think about it ever again. Uh, and the
mouse is like, you want to play with me, but
I know at any point you could literally just kill me.
You don't value my life, you don't respect me, you
don't care. You know, I'm just a living toy to you.
That's how That's how Q looks at the card. And

(14:55):
of course Picard doesn't want to live that life. He
doesn't want to just this guy's toy that he can
turn into a king or kill or do whatever he
wants to him. But Picard and the others are in
this position to where it's like what can you do
about it? So you do have to kind of be

(15:16):
civil to him because he can kill you. So you
do have to kind of I don't want to say
play along, but you can't just sit here and just
cuss him out and punch him and kick him and well,
unless you're Cisco, and do whatever you want, because at
any point you'd be like, oh, you guys have grown tiresome,
and just kill him. And there was a very interesting

(15:38):
thing that John Delancy as Q said in this episode.
He said something the effect of the jury is still out,
by the way, when when Piccard was like, you put
all of all of humanity on trial and morality, you're
such a dummy, and he's like, hey, hey, easy, the
jury's still out. You're not You're not off that trial

(15:58):
right now. So it's a remind that humanity is still
on trial. It wasn't just a one episode thing. He's
checking in and at any point he could say no,
humanity sucks, you're all dead, or he could say all right, fine,
good enough.

Speaker 2 (16:16):
Yeah, you know, actually I had to rewind this episode
just for the scene where they first were. Q first
pops into the conference room there where they're all meeting
having a discussion about the warp core breach, right, and
he kind of pops in with his feet up and

(16:37):
he's like, hey, and so if you listen to what
Q says in those opening lines, he actually says what
he ends up doing, and that is doctor Doctor Crusher says,
you can't just come in here and take her back
with you, back to the que continuum, and he says,

(17:00):
I assure you, I can't.

Speaker 1 (17:02):
I loved that line so good because of the delivery.
He's like, Hi, I assure you, Like, honey, I could
do whatever the guy want, whether you or Picard or
any of you mortals are fighting me, I assure you,
I'll do whatever I want.

Speaker 2 (17:18):
Yeah, but if you, if you look back on the
episode he does so he's like, I'm just going to
take her back to continue and she's like, you could
just come in here and do that. He's like, I
assure you, I can't, and he does. So he's right
on that count. And then the other thing is she says,
you know, she wants to be a scientist, and she
wants to get married and do this. And Q's response was,

(17:42):
I'm rescuing her from that miserable existence, and and he.

Speaker 1 (17:49):
Did, and he means it, yeah, I will.

Speaker 2 (17:52):
Well she chose, she actually chooses that that existence is
not worthy for her at this point, once you realize
her own abilities, right, so it becomes miserable to her,
to even her. She doesn't want to try to figure
out how to make Riker love her in this you know,

(18:12):
back and forth game of chivalry and stuff. She wants
things to be snapped into wishing into existence the way
she has the power to. And so it is kind
of a miserable when you look at it from the
queue's the lens of the queue. Who has the ability
to do all this? It looks kind of limited and miserable,

(18:33):
like I have to sit here and watch a planet
full of people die while I can just do something
about it. It's kind of like you guys are so weak,
you know. It's like it's kind of miserable if you were.
It's almost like having a disability. It's like disabled, right,
it's having a disability. You're not able to fully do
everything you want to do. So he's true in his

(18:55):
first statements to the people right when he meets the crew.

Speaker 1 (18:59):
Especially from his his point of view, I mean, our
point of view is we are mortals, we are limited,
so we're used to it, so it's a question whether
we would give this up to become a cue. But
from his point of view, he's like, why would I
go from this to basically being a slug or whatever?
He looks at us like, I mean, ay, if somebody

(19:21):
faced me with that decision, I'd be like, I'll take
que every day. Are you kidding me? Eating chocolate cake
every day? Warriors win every game. I know that takes
away the drama, but that's okay. I'll survive. You know.
Cats are everywhere, They're so puppy, everything, all every all
of the things. And then when I need to sleep,

(19:43):
they all disappear except for a couple at the foot
of the bed purring. It's like, and every day is
a beautiful day. Come on, I'll take it. Every day.
We could go travel the universe and look at all
these aliens and not worry about if they're gonna eat
us or if I can breed their atmosphere. We can go,
we can go and tell archaeologists actually bro uh you

(20:06):
know the licolotopus. That's actually uh, it was actually a
thing that came No, it was not furry. It was
actually actually feathered. I saw it. I know what it
was like. You know, it'd be really fun see you
could see everything.

Speaker 2 (20:22):
I mean, so you would. I mean from his perspective,
it is a limited life. You know, it is not
the same life of a que So I thought that
it was interesting that when he came in it sounded brash,
it sounded crazy. I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna take
it with me. I'm gonna, you know, rescue her from
this very miserable existence. And all those things actually ended

(20:44):
up becoming true, which is which was funny to me.
But you know, there's a lot of there's there's some
things in this episode that had me rolling my eyes
a few a few things, but you know, I thought
up that. For example, when Q first sees Amanda, he

(21:06):
seems real predatory, the way he walks up on right,
I was turned off.

Speaker 1 (21:11):
By, Yeah, he does. There was there was definitely a
creepy I think he grabbed her.

Speaker 2 (21:15):
By the he grabbed her by the arm. It looked
like he grabbed her by the arm. It was like,
let me have a look at you, and he was
looking at her like examining her.

Speaker 1 (21:23):
It was and I wonder if it was directing or
an actor's choice. But I had to remind myself that
this is also how he talks to Picard, Like when
he came up right on her face, I was like,
is he gonna kiss her? Is he gonna like lick her?
What's going on here? But then I had to remind
myself he did the same thing with Picard. You know,

(21:43):
there's like he comes up right on Picard's face and
pokes his face and and says some things, or he
wakes up in bed next to him, like Q is
the ultimate and not knowing personal space. He loves to
invade personal space. He loves to go too far and
make people feel uncomfortable because he knows they can't do

(22:05):
anything about it. It's a total it's like a power trip.
It's a control freak thing, and it's gross and people
hate that in real life, and it's got to be infuriating,
even more so when it's an omnipotent being that you
can't even like push away or do anything about it.
He's just like, yeah, that's right, I got my hot
breath on your ear right now, there's nothing you could

(22:26):
do about it. What a creep.

Speaker 2 (22:28):
Yeah, he looked like such a predator to me, the
way he like walked up on her, grabbed her by
the arm, literally grabbed her by her arm was up
like you know, like like how a police officer grabs
you when he snatches you up. He's it was like,
what the hell was he doing? Then he's looking gigging
into your eye, like inspecting.

Speaker 1 (22:43):
Her way too close. Yeah, it just was like.

Speaker 2 (22:48):
That would have been worthy of a phone call to.

Speaker 1 (22:51):
HR right there, to QHR, Yeah, QHR exactly. Hey, so
we got to jump to our break in just a
second here, But there's a lot more to talk about
on the other side, like, for example, this guy Matthew
Corey based on materials by and a bunch of other things.

(23:13):
There are a lot of things to discuss in this episode,
surprisingly because it wasn't like an episode with a lot
going on. But there's a lot to discuss about it.
So we will be right back on the seventh rule. Hey, everybody,
welcome back to the seventh Roull with Sarak Lofton. Hello,
he was eating strawberries earlier. They looked really good, really juicy. Okay,

(23:39):
so let's see trivioids of the week. Here they come
fast and furious. Amanda Rogers was selected for an internship
on the Enterprise. Amanda Rodgers wants to bring her zoo
to the Enterprise. Jordi can't use the transporters for all
the ionization in the Taggern atmosphere. Two Q created a

(23:59):
child in vulgar human fashion, I mean vulgar's you know,
it's fine. A crusher gets more shrill with each passing year.
Amanda Rodgers has only one outfit. You can't make someone
love you, or can you? Amanda Rodgers makes Riker make
out with her neck, and Earth has a weather modification

(24:20):
net that's interesting, at least in the future it does.
So let's look at this guy, right, we've never heard
of Based upon Materials by Matthew Corey, my first thought
was what materials? Did he help write the Bible? Did
he write a novel? Did he write a comic book
that they just said, Oh, I really like this, We're

(24:41):
going to take this story idea. You know, maybe it
was like a pitch, or maybe he didn't even pitch it.
Maybe it was just a sanctioned Star Trek novel or
Star Trek comic book or something that they said, Great,
we like this, we're gonna pluck it. But let's give
the guy credit for coming up with the idea. So
I did a search on him. Nothing. I went into

(25:04):
even Memory Alpha and it says he is a writer
who wrote the original material for Star Trek Next Generation
Season six episode true Q. That's it. I mean. It
also says he was born in West Germany and one
of the youngest writers in Trek history. I mean when
this episode came out, he was what twenty eight, I

(25:28):
was pretty young there, actually twenty seven. But nothing. I
don't know what those materials are.

Speaker 2 (25:37):
No, it does no writing credits or any other things.

Speaker 1 (25:40):
I think that's a question for Jason Oakin and Alison
Leech high.

Speaker 2 (25:44):
No.

Speaker 1 (25:45):
I checked his writing credits. That was the only one,
and he had two acting credits.

Speaker 2 (25:49):
That was it, all right?

Speaker 1 (25:52):
So I asked you, sirak, have you ever heard of
such a thing, because I don't know what based on
materials means, specifically.

Speaker 2 (26:00):
Based on materials. That's crazy. Yeah, I have no idea. Yeah,
what also is crazy to me is that you already existed.
So it couldn't have been anything that he created. As
far as cue, I guess the only concept he could

(26:22):
may have come up with is that Q this other
person is a queue, or maybe that this person was
half Cuman c uh. But yeah, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (26:40):
Cuman is seasoning. Yeah, it's not how I thought it
was pronounced when I first saw it when I was
a kid. But it's Cuman. Also, there was a Tracy
Coco siding in there, and we got the return of
Ensign Gates. Remember when they they the the lady who
who is at the front on the helm next to Data,

(27:04):
and then they replaced her with another girl like Ensign
Rager and she got all these lines and then now
ends and Gates is back. I'm like, that is so messed.

Speaker 2 (27:11):
Up too, with no line.

Speaker 1 (27:13):
Yeah, she's right back to no lines. They gave a
whole bunch of lines to this one lady and then
they went right back to her, thinking we wouldn't notice
that you did ens and Gates wrong, But we did notice.
So Ornlote had good, good makeup on him.

Speaker 2 (27:31):
I thought it was good light too, but they barely
used him. I know. I wondered if they cut his
scenes or not. I wasn't even sure about that spot line.
They didn't really I didn't know what the heck was
going on. I didn't know what the hell was going
with they. When he started.

Speaker 1 (27:48):
Coughing, I was like, Oh, Okay, we're gonna get a
little more plot developed. Nope, that was it. I don't
I guess it wasn't really anything.

Speaker 2 (27:54):
I didn't know what the hell was going on. Were
they the planet was was dying or something and doctor
Rushers samples were what was going to save it? Is
that what?

Speaker 1 (28:05):
Right? Yeah, we're used to Riker's samples, but this time
it was Crusher's samples that were going to save it
or they're going to figure something out based on that.
But then, of course, uh Amanda Rogers saved the day
by doing this thing. Actually she didn't she she didn't
do anything that the camera had a really cool move

(28:27):
around her. She didn't do any hand gestures or snapping
or blinking, and it was actually really cool that like
it kind of swooped around her and then zoomed in
on her, and I thought she was a great actress.
Obviously she's had an amazing career since then. That is
Olivia d'Abo or probably just pronounced dabo. But we've seen
her a bunch of times and a ton of things.

Speaker 3 (28:49):
I knew her.

Speaker 1 (28:51):
I knew her best and very fondly. As the older
sister in the Wonder Years. If you ever watched The
Under Years with Kevin Arnold and what's his name Fred Savage,
she played the older sister, it wasn't she didn't get
a lot of screen time. Usually the older brother got.

(29:13):
It was mostly the older brother going hey, butt head,
you're a butt head, you know that guy?

Speaker 2 (29:18):
But yeah, she was Winnie Cooper, was it Winny?

Speaker 1 (29:22):
Yeah, Whennie got all the love and Paul got all
the love, the best friend. But yeah, she was definitely
seen the least out of that cast. I think, well, she.

Speaker 2 (29:33):
Did a fantastic job in this episode. I was glad
when she kind of stood up to que and backed
him up with that you know blast.

Speaker 1 (29:43):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (29:44):
But you know, you have to say though, that John Delancy,
he does have a lot. It seems like he has
the most fun than anybody. Yeah, just playing this part,
so I imagine he enjoys it a lot. But you know,
when he did that whole invulgar human fashion, they decided

(30:06):
to could see the child and he looks over at
doctor Crusher and gets her one of those winks, and
I thought, oh god, this guy's so creepy. Right, and
she does one of these like oh god, and you
can see Ryker in the background looking like what the
hell's wrong with this guy, you know, kind of looking
over at Picard, And then he does another line when

(30:28):
he he's like, Picard, you and I need to talk alone,
and he and he zaps them into Picard's uh, you know,
sweet and he says, oh, Crusher gets more shrill with
each passing year. I was like, this guy is such
He actually made me laugh with that one, because even
though I don't think she gets more shrill, I do

(30:49):
think that was a funny.

Speaker 1 (30:50):
You know, yeah, we know that that is such a
cute thing to say, Like he just he thinks everybody
is like gross, like he just God, everything is so great.
They should have made him French because that is such
a French attitude. Everything's just like so you should smoke
a cigarette and be like eugh, hu Manza disgusting is

(31:11):
a but yeah, this was another case for me where
I thought, isn't isn't this a Deanna Troy episode? Like
I thought Beverly Crusher was great, you know, and I

(31:31):
understand why they made that decision to make it about
Beverly and her, But I mean, initially they chose Beverly
to show her around, to you know, acclimate her, to
kind of mentor her. And I'm like, isn't that literally
Deanna Troy? Like Deanna Troy only has one job and

(31:55):
they keep giving it to someone else. It's like if
there's a guard on the ship and they keep making
Riker Enjoyed to cut the trees down. It's like, what
do you There's a freaking gardener right here. This is
his one job. Let him cut it.

Speaker 2 (32:12):
I thought the same thing. I thought the same thing,
And I thought, I mean, wouldn't the doctor be there
for you know, physiological physiological things, you know, something wrong
with her makeup, she has an injury, whatever, But anything
psychological or emotional should should automatically fall in Troy's wheelhouse.

Speaker 1 (32:33):
Right and or you know, I get that she had
to do the samples fine, so she could also be
mentored by Beverly. But half of those scenes, the first
half of that when it was just like, hey, how
you doing, I'll take you under my wing, I'll show
you around this that is literally Troy's job. Why couldn't
it have been a Troy and Beverly? What two women

(32:54):
leading an episode is too much for you guys, like
you know, like it's okay, yeah, let them run the
show for an epples, I thought I couldn't help, but
think I wonder if Marina Sertis was sick that week
and they just gave all of her lines to Gates.
It could happen. It's possible, but like, I hope that
was the case personally, because his poor troll.

Speaker 2 (33:14):
If that's the case, she's been sick for six seasons
now because they have not given her anything.

Speaker 1 (33:20):
Or maybe just everybody hated her on set. They're like,
just she Tuesday is the one day she comes in
for the week.

Speaker 2 (33:27):
Man.

Speaker 1 (33:27):
But I don't know what the problem was.

Speaker 4 (33:29):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (33:30):
And again, that's nothing to take away from the writers.
It's nothing to take away from Gates, who I thought
performed very well. It was just another situation, just like
every week where we think this is a job for Troy.
Oh wait, no someone else.

Speaker 2 (33:45):
Yeah. And speaking of a job, I mean Riiker, I
mean they found a way to give Ker again, even
when he's like I'm not even focused on that. They're like, no, no, no.

Speaker 1 (34:02):
Even when he said another time, ladies, I got in
my own and it wasn't like you said, I'm too
busy with work. I can't I wish it is like
he was just saying the only reason he said no
was because he was going to another lady.

Speaker 2 (34:12):
Yes. And the way he straddled over that chair he did,
he did the walk over the back of the chair
move where he sat into it.

Speaker 1 (34:19):
That's the Riker maneuver right there. Man, that's his opening
pickup line right there.

Speaker 2 (34:25):
Yeah it worked. I saw it. And then of all people,
he says to Amanda, he says he can't just snatch
people and put them in your fantasies and expect them
to respond, uh, you did that, and.

Speaker 1 (34:41):
Then his whole m o right there. That's where he
does like seventy percent of the time on the show,
and the rest of the time he goes rud alert.

Speaker 2 (34:50):
Oh like the pot calling the show what he.

Speaker 1 (34:56):
Oh? So yeah, I was just like or maybe maybe
it was just like Riker was like, whoa, whoa, whoa.
You can't treat people like a piece of meat. Excuse me.
It's like, well, maybe you can get a little perspective.
Suddenly the shoe was in the other mouth all of
a sudden.

Speaker 2 (35:17):
It oh, yeah, it's funny because I thought she was like,
you don't like this place, and I saw him kind
of looking around like, actually, you know, he didn't even
need her convincing he was he was he already forgot
about the girl at ten four. It oh yeah, he
was like, yeah, this is not bad. Actually nobody's around,

(35:37):
it's just me and you.

Speaker 1 (35:39):
It was a nice setting too. He was wearing a
ridiculous hat though. He'd be like, all right, can I
if I can lose the hat? You got a deal?

Speaker 2 (35:46):
Yeah, she's got Uh. You know, when I put people
in a fantasy scenario, they're not wearing a three piece
suit with underalls.

Speaker 5 (35:53):
You know.

Speaker 1 (35:54):
Yeah, that was not.

Speaker 2 (35:59):
You gotta you got you gotta figure out how fantasize better.
But but I did like the scene though. When I
liked the moment when they played hide and Hide and
go Seek, you know, their version of it. I thought
that was interesting because, you know, seeing him pop out

(36:20):
of the warp corps like and then shot behind you.
I thought that was fun. And watching them stand on
the hull of the ship was actually something I enjoyed
a lot, you know, and I could have actually used
more scenes in that space because it's it's actually a
good place to like have a private conversation.

Speaker 1 (36:43):
Right and those There were a couple things too that
I noted. When she was gonna go eat and Q says,
you don't have to eat. That's a nasty human habit
you can easily live without. My first immediate thought was,
WHOA so spooping, Like that's pretty cool. Imagine if you don't,
you don't have to poop or pee or seze or eat.

(37:05):
I mean, I would think I would still eat anyway.
Although that's really confusing, Like it's not like she ever
chose as a cue to duplicate human poop or excrements
of any kind, you know what I mean. Like, it's
not like she made a conscious decision to mimic that,

(37:27):
so that the whole thing is just really confusing. But
I will say, do you know you.

Speaker 2 (37:31):
Could alter the smell of it though, You could be like,
you know, my parts don't smell, and you'd be like,
you know what, they don't.

Speaker 1 (37:37):
They're actually nice great work. There was really good lighting
in one scene when Picard was talking with Q, and
he was saying he's going to kill her, and Picard says,
you would be so despicable, and Q says, don't be

(37:58):
so naive. I noticed those really good like harsh lighting there,
and that harsh lighting is usually used in like horror
movies or tense situations. And so I thought that the
DP did a really good job because there were some
good camera angles. There was that swooping camera movement, there

(38:19):
was the lighting. You know. Again that could be the director,
but it might have been the DP, the director of
photography too. But I actually really liked you know, and
this is an episode that needs something like that because
it's a slow burn episode. It's not like an exciting,
action packed adventure. It's a slow burn. So it gives
a director and a camera person and a DP the

(38:41):
opportunity to color it up, to add some things, to
make some shots more interesting, to add something to add
their personal flare. And I thought that they did a
great job.

Speaker 2 (38:55):
Yeah. I mean just this episode has small moments that
you know, doesn't have anything big. There's nothing grandee else
about it. It's really about a person's right to choose
to be what they want to be. I think ultimately,
that's what we kind of deduce it down to, and

(39:17):
that's why they kept asking what her choice was. It
was all about her choice, you know, ultimately, do you
choose this? Do you choose to go with him back
to the continuum? Do you choose you know, even at
the end when Q said all right, you know, she
basically had you know, confessed that living on as a
human wouldn't you know, be right for her anymore? And

(39:39):
she couldn't you know, withstand not using her powers, especially
to do good, and she kind of resolved that she
would go back with Q, and Q at the end says,
all right, then let's go. We'll go back right now,
and she's like, wait, first, I'm going to go see
my parents. Uh. She was like, she was like, no,

(40:02):
you're not going to rush me to do whatever you
need to do. Again, back to this choice element where
you see, it's not like where she doesn't have a choice.
She is choosing to be with the queue. She's choosing
to also go on her terms and see her parents
first and take her time with the you know the
process of integrating back with the queue or meeting them.

(40:23):
So I think that this episode primarily focused around a person,
a being an entity, right to choose for themselves, you know,
what it is that they feel is best for themselves.
Crusher was arguing for that, Troy was arguing advocating for

(40:46):
that at some point, and obviously Picard was obviously advocating
for that the whole time as well. So you know
that's the when you boil it all down, I agree
with that principle. She came to her own conclusion about
what she was best for her life going forward. And
you know, that's that's basically what they were protecting, the

(41:08):
right to choose.

Speaker 1 (41:11):
And the other thing that they kind of ended on was,
at least what they leave us with is if we
had the choice too, you know, become omnipotent, omniscient and

(41:31):
give up the life, would we do it? Because already
kind of jumped on it right away and said yes
I would. But then at the same time, you know,
in all seriousness, if you think, hey, I'll make my
favorite team win the championship every single year, I'll just
bet you you'd stop watching. It wouldn't be interesting anymore.

(41:54):
If you know you're gonna win, it suddenly loses all
value and all meaning. It's like like if somebody tells
you the ending of a movie, you know before you
watch it, Okay, well, and so there is something to that.
I'm sure you know. That's the point of them saying, well,
would you really, because obviously everybody says, yeah, I would.

(42:17):
But then when you think about it, I feel like
most people wouldn't, or if they did, they would go
back to the human life because suddenly there are no stakes,
there's nothing interesting, there's nothing to work towards, you know.

Speaker 2 (42:32):
Spells back to like a fundamental principle love are our
democracy and democracy Western democracy in general, and that is
the freedom of liberty. Right. You have this life, liberty
and pursuit of happiness, which is protected in these documents,

(42:54):
but ultimately liberty being the the thing that allows you
to choose right. And the one caveat to liberty is
that it can't infringe on somebody else's liberty, So me
choosing whatever it is for myself can't affect you choosing

(43:18):
whatever it is for yourself.

Speaker 1 (43:20):
Right.

Speaker 2 (43:21):
And what ends up happening with this power that you're describing,
which is the big temptation and the responsibility of it.
If I wanted my favorite sports team to win or
if I wanted the sun it to be sunny every
day and never rain, I'm depriving other people of their also,

(43:46):
their choices, their freedoms as well, because now I'm changing
the outcomes of games. And so it doesn't it's not
based on their skill or their luck or the circumstances.
It's based on me. I've taken away their freedom of choice,
their freedom of liberty, and it just keeps trickling down

(44:07):
that way. And now you're going to be, you know,
micromanaging everything because now that you want it to be
sunny every day, Well, the crops don't grow because they
need rain. You know, Now I have to fix that,
So let me fix the rain part. Yeah, but then
the bugs needed the you know, they eat it, they
ate the crops.

Speaker 1 (44:23):
And you know, there's there's a whole cycle to it all.

Speaker 2 (44:26):
It's a whole cycle to it. And so once you
step on that liberty, once you infringe and you start
to insert yourself into the natural order of events, you
actually begin a string a sequence of chaos as well.

Speaker 1 (44:44):
It's kind of like your freedom to swing a shovel
around ends at my face, right, swing the shovel as
much as you want the second of his my face.
Now you're infringing upon my rights, you know, and that's
that's where the problem lies. We're just about out of time.
So I got the home run baseball back. It was

(45:06):
over there somewhere here. It is the home run of
the episode. So Rock lofton, who gets the home run
of today's episode?

Speaker 2 (45:21):
I will have to go and say that the home
run actually probably best belongs to John Delancy. He does
irritate me, he does get out of my skin, but
he also provides those spices that keeps a very otherwise

(45:41):
flat line episode interesting. He propels, He's done a lot
of these you know, storyline moving into plot forward, his
interactions with Picard, his interactions with Amanda, and he did
a lot of things that I thought were very great.

(46:01):
You know, the hand movement, he's like, why don't you
just come with me? And you know, just like very
like predatory almost, and then you can see him changing
and altering, you know, like for example, when he went
through the door originally and then he said, well let
me just ring the bell. Little things like that. Performance wise,

(46:22):
I thought he really layers his performance with so much
spice that it's it's interesting to watch and it makes
a rather dull story more you know, exciting to watch.
It's you know, just better. So I'm gonna give it
to John Delancy.

Speaker 1 (46:44):
Yeah, he really does add something every time. I'm gonna
go with Olivia Dabo the guest star, and I love
Dabo girls. Yeah, Olivia Dabo Dabo. You know, she kind
of came as I wouldn't say, like a shrinking violet,
but you know, she didn't assert herself at first. She

(47:09):
sat there, she was sweet, she was prim, she was proper,
she didn't add too much. And then she kind of grew.
You know, she kind of had a character arc to
the point where she started to have strength and certainty
and confidence, and you know, it just grew and the
performance showed that, and so I thought she did a

(47:32):
great job. So she gets the home run of today's episode.
Other home run hitters special thanks to doctor Annery Siegel,
even Lynn out in Wales. You've had Black Men, Tom
t J. Jackson, Bey out in Missouri, Titus Muller, doctor
Mohammed Nora and yell Ouh Palatte, Joe Bucearadi, Mike Gou,
doctor Stephanie Baker, Carrie Schwent, Faith Howell the map Boardman,
Chris McGee, Jake Barrett, Henry Hunger, Allison leech Hide, Julie Menosphi,

(47:56):
Jed Thompson, doctor, Susan B. Gruner, Glenn Iverson, Dave Gray,
A Greek, Chris stern It, Greg k Wickstrom, Cassandra Gerard, Sorry,
that's Cassandra g chuck A, Chris Garris, and of course
Jason m oaken like Thorn Oakenshield. All right, everybody stick around.
We've got the Free for All coming up next. We'll

(48:17):
be right back on the Seventh Rule. Hi, everybody, welcome
back to the Seventh Rule with Sarak Lofton. This is
the free for All with Melissa Longo in one of
her creations. She's wearing Oh yes, but you can get
it Walkin' art made by Melissa. Also, Jason m Oakin

(48:38):
is here if you can believe that. Hi, everybody, Cassandra
g is cool and Redlisa. Oh there it is. It's
another Melissa creation. Subtle Lady in Red.

Speaker 2 (48:51):
Susan V.

Speaker 1 (48:52):
Gruner has returned the return of the Jedi. There she is.
Faith Howl is on the bridge of the Enterprise. D
Oh yeah, she does, m thank you. Faith is here.
Chris Garris, what's up? Chris is hanging out and I'm
floating out there in space. Oh that was a cool scene.
We don't even talk about that. Carrie Schwent is here.

(49:15):
What fools these mortals be? Chuck A has a seventh
Rules shirt? And of course Chris McGee has got a
is that a walking art? Too?

Speaker 2 (49:28):
Well? Kind?

Speaker 1 (49:29):
It's like a cousin republics nice. Jake Cisco guesses the
IMDb score.

Speaker 2 (49:39):
Oh, I think this is probably seven point three. We're
around there.

Speaker 1 (49:47):
Anybody else have any guesses?

Speaker 6 (49:49):
Six point eight?

Speaker 7 (49:51):
I'm going to say seven point eight?

Speaker 2 (49:54):
Seven? Oh m?

Speaker 1 (50:00):
You know I had a I predicted. I was like,
I bet you, Siraka is going to get it spot
on today. And I was wrong, but I was close.
But Chuck A was spot on seven point four. That's
the mark Eaton number. Everybody knows seven point four.

Speaker 8 (50:17):
Uh.

Speaker 1 (50:18):
I got one non appearance mentioned? That was Jack Crush?
Or were there any others?

Speaker 2 (50:23):
Nurse Sogawa, yep, all.

Speaker 1 (50:25):
Right, I put I wrote that in. That's right because
she didn't show it. Man three, how do we miss that?
You're right? Nurse oh Goa?

Speaker 5 (50:40):
Uh?

Speaker 1 (50:41):
Any some kinds of or some sorts of we.

Speaker 3 (50:44):
Got one Q saying but if you are some kind
of hybrid neither human nor.

Speaker 1 (50:49):
Q dot dot dot. Thanks very much, Chris McGee, all right,
Melissa a long will you please get us started off
on the right track by telling us what you thought
of this particular episode.

Speaker 9 (51:04):
Well, they had me at puppies.

Speaker 5 (51:11):
That is so freaking cute as puppies. Aside, I enjoyed
this episode actually, and before I looked at the IMDb score,
I would have I was gonna guess at seven point seven,
so a little bit higher than the IMDb rating. But yeah,

(51:36):
A few things I liked about it is that it
asks typical star Trek's esque questions that are difficult to answer.
I liked the questions Amanda asked Beverly about if she
could do anything that she wanted, what would she do?

(51:59):
And I like that it was difficult for Beverly to
answer that question. And I also liked the question of
would you bring your husband back?

Speaker 10 (52:12):
And that.

Speaker 9 (52:14):
Was a difficult question for her as well.

Speaker 5 (52:16):
Because it seems like it would be an easy answer,
but there's a lot that goes into that question and.

Speaker 9 (52:26):
That answer, so it's a difficult one to answer. What
else did I like.

Speaker 5 (52:35):
I thought the woman who played Amanda was very good.
She was very believable in learning that she has these abilities.
It's like she hits puberty or she hits a certain
age and her cue power is coming to life and
learning how to control that.

Speaker 9 (52:59):
Is believed it.

Speaker 5 (53:01):
And I liked her little hand waves when she was
doing something magical because it felt like something that was
a part of her, whether unconsciously or not. Overall, I
enjoyed this episode. Is it a perfect episode? Which episodes are?

Speaker 9 (53:23):
But yeah, and I enjoyed it.

Speaker 1 (53:28):
Thank you very much, Melissa Longo. Everybody in the comments
below let us know which episodes are perfect episodes. I
bet we have some answers for those some people do,
Thanks very much, Melissa. Jason m oaken could answer that
question too, but instead, what do you think of this episode?

Speaker 2 (53:45):
Well?

Speaker 6 (53:46):
Interesting enough. I think I used to enjoy it a
lot more when I was younger, and it's not one
of those that aged all that well for me. I
think anything that John Delancey is in is just fantastic
because he does so much with what he's given. I mean,
if you've descripted it sometimes frankly reads very flat and
he brings it to life. I mean there's something about
his performance a s Q that elevates the material. And

(54:09):
this time around, I did watch Olivia Diabo's performance, and
I think it's a very nuanced, wonderful performance. I think
the problem I'm having with this episode is the tone.
The tone is very uneven. It goes from something very
very serious, as Melissa just said, would you bring your
husband back? Which is, you know, a very serious topic,
to some frankly, you know the dog gag, you know
when Carsha gets turned into a dog. I mean, you know,

(54:31):
as a as a teenager, it may have been funny.
I don't think it's all that funny. I think it's
you know what I found funnier, frankly, was you know,
the choices that John Delancey made, you know, spontaneous combustion
of somebody you don't like, and he gives you know,
Picard that look, and that is probably his choice is
certainly not in the script. It's it's something that he

(54:53):
decided to do. So I think this, Yeah, there certainly
entertainment here. I think for me it's kind of uneven
and somewhat I don't want to call it an immaturist.
It's just slightly underbaked. I think if a little bit
more sort of work was put into this to even
out the tone a little bit with you know, obviously
in some humor, it would have been better. I'm not
sure it. I think the direction is somewhat flat to

(55:16):
It seemed a little staticky to me. I mean, there
were a few spots where you know, you get these
push ends, but they're kind of cliche push ends when
certain emotions happened. I mean, at one point, Amanda's character
is sort of bearing her soul in the camera sort
of says focused on, you know, on Gates in the background.
I mean, Gates had a lot to do here, which
is wonderful, but the focus should have been on the

(55:37):
Amanda character, not on Crusher when this was happening. So again,
you know, they lost a little bit in terms of
cutting of the episode. There were a couple of scenes
were cut. Frankly, they probably it was a good thing
that we're not on the screen and we can talk
about sound that later. But overall, I think it's enjoyable,
is it. You know, it's Frankly, if you look at
all the Q episodes, it's near the bottom of the list.

Speaker 1 (55:59):
For me, there are only like six episodes in total.
I think something like that. It's few.

Speaker 6 (56:06):
Yeah, there's another one coming up the season. What you
said and shoreless above this one.

Speaker 1 (56:09):
Oh boy, I bet there's the word Q in the
name too. Thank you very much, Jason m Oaken. Cassandra
g is here. She doesn't have Q in her name.
But what do you think of this episode?

Speaker 11 (56:23):
I thought it was fun. Like I said, it's not. No,
it's not the best episode, but it is a nice
fun episode. And I think depending on which episodes are
before and after, it might be like that nice little
break that you need sometimes. So for me personally, I
like the fact that I'm going off my notes here.
I like the fact that she's understanding her roots and

(56:46):
where she really came from. But I do also understand
the Q continuums point where they need to check uncontrolled power.
The way that they go about doing it not so
much much, but they do need to. They do have
their own rule book. They've been around for centuries or
even before that, you know, before time began, and so

(57:08):
they need to make sure that whoever has access to
this power knows how to use it. And she clearly
does not, and especially you know, she asked she doesn't
want to be treated differently. But once again, what Melissa mentioned,
you know, she's asking question what would what would you do?

Speaker 1 (57:23):
Would you change the past?

Speaker 11 (57:24):
Just even asking a question like that, you clearly don't
have the proper understanding of what it's like to use
that that type of power and being authorized to use
it and then not necessarily you know how to abuse it.
And there is an episode and I don't believe it's
it's not a next generation one of the other series
where Q is basically like once again, asked to be

(57:45):
like the Q police and go after a rogue Q
who's abusing their power for whatever reason. And I so
one of one of the things as well, too, is
that when she was riker away and takes some on
her own like fairy Tale, it shows, you know, it
shows her innocence, and it does show her immaturity, and

(58:06):
something like that can definitely lead to a catastrophic event.
So once again I understand where the continuum is coming
from killing her parents. No, not so much again, right,
but but you do see why certain powers like that
do need to be checked. What I thought was funny
was that when Q had mentioned mawkish humans, and so

(58:27):
I was like, you know, I want to look this up.
Even had a feeling what it meant. But so it
means excessively sentimental or so sappy that it's sickening, in
case anyone was wondering. And uh and for me at
the end when Q says to Picard, the jury is
still out on that one. Picard, make no mistake, which

(58:47):
in season seven we get to see what he meant
by all of that. So that was my take on it.
I did think it was fun. Tracy Coco is in this.
David Keith Anderson is also in this, and he's an
ensign Armstrong for twenty three season of TNG, quite a
few Trek movies, Voyager for seven episodes, Enterprise for four episodes,

(59:08):
and Dexter for one season.

Speaker 1 (59:11):
Wow, that dude gets around. Thanks very much, Cassandra g
great stuff. As always, Doctor Susan V. Grunner has returned.
We love always looking.

Speaker 9 (59:21):
I should be leave now, I don't know.

Speaker 1 (59:23):
Oh no, it is with it get edgy. Well.

Speaker 12 (59:27):
First of I'll tell you a little information about the
Dabbo girl. For the actress that played her, she dated
Julian Lennon.

Speaker 8 (59:36):
Which I thought was pretty cool.

Speaker 10 (59:37):
Oh I am.

Speaker 1 (59:40):
The song jud was written for him?

Speaker 8 (59:43):
It was right, Yes it was.

Speaker 12 (59:46):
I am not a Q fan at.

Speaker 8 (59:47):
All, And one of.

Speaker 12 (59:50):
The reasons I haven't been doing the shows is because
I don't want to be negative about every single episode.
But I I just if it's a cute episode, I
have a hard time watching them. I just don't get
it at all. And I realize that he's very very
popular character. But for me, well, there are little hand
movements and everything. All I could think of is that

(01:00:12):
Elizabeth Montgomery of Bewitched is rolling in her grave. I
just think that Q does not belong in the Star
Trek realm the way it is. But the good things
I liked about it where I thought it really the
flowers go to Gatesman fad and I thought her talk with.

Speaker 10 (01:00:35):
Amanda was her.

Speaker 12 (01:00:36):
Their acting was great there and everything else I would say,
I think it's too negative.

Speaker 8 (01:00:44):
Read the cue. They can do anything they want. Why
would they pick on an insignificant little starship with humans
when they could cure diseases and all those other things?
And every time I watch an episode with Q, I
think about that, Why is he picking on Benjamin Cisco
or Jean Luke Picard. Makes no sense to me when
there's a million other things that you could do.

Speaker 1 (01:01:07):
But I like the puppies, all right, everybody loves puppies,
I hope, Thank you very much, doctor Susan Faye Grooner.
Not at all. That's what we're here for. We got
to be edgy. It's boring. If everybody loves an episode,
thank you very much, Susan V. Grooner. Like Faith Howell

(01:01:28):
here hates it? What do you think, Faith?

Speaker 2 (01:01:30):
Do you see?

Speaker 13 (01:01:33):
I really enjoy this one. I mean first time I
watched it as a little girl. You know, there's this
female character who is sort of the center of the story.
She is younger, so you know, you can definitely you
see yourself in her. I didn't get a chance. We're

(01:01:54):
running like crazy people right now, trying to get ready
for school, so I did not have a chance to
review the episode today. But from what I remember, I
remember really liking some of them messaging in like when
she does she fiddles with the experiment and you know,
jumps ahead. I always remember that and and took that

(01:02:15):
to heart. As you know, you can't cut corners. You
have to do things the right way to make sure
that it comes out right. And so that's that's something
that I remember from a very young age. I also
really liked the conversation about could you have this power
and not use it? But now thinking about it as

(01:02:36):
an adult, I feel like that also reflects really really
negative on negatively on the CUE because they go out
of their way not to help anyone ever, and so
they have this power and they're actively not using it
to help anyone, so, you know, a way to accidentally

(01:02:59):
make the Q look that much more villainous without even trying.
But but overall, I think it's a really fun episode.
I love the puppies. I love them being out on
the ship and getting to see the ship from those angles.
It definitely I did feel like had an I dream
of Genie kind of vibe to her, but in a
positive way. You know. At the time, I know that

(01:03:21):
was in you know, recent history, and so you know,
probably easily came to mind for a lot of yours.
So all around, I think it's yeah.

Speaker 1 (01:03:37):
Mm hmm, thanks very much, Faith Howell. All right, Yeah,
I love seeing them outside of that ship. It remind
me of first contact so bad. Thank you very much.
Faith All right, Carrie Schwent aka Crafty Bear, what a
fool believes? Who sings that song? Hall and Oates? That's
what I think when I see that shirt? What do
you think of this episode?

Speaker 10 (01:04:00):
I enjoy this episode. You all know how much I
endored to you.

Speaker 4 (01:04:04):
I think I had to bring out my little tiny
Cue because he is just he's cute, like.

Speaker 10 (01:04:11):
His big counter Park. He is very very cute.

Speaker 4 (01:04:14):
But no, the shirt is from A Midsummer Night's Dream
and the quote on it just absolutely seemed like like
something something you would say, so it seemed very appropriate
to wear for this particular free for all. Yeah, aside
from the way Q is in the que and the
Gray On Voyager, this is probably my other favorite Q episode,

(01:04:38):
just because I enjoy how he is in the episode
the whole like parental style vibes, Like in the conversations
with Picard about Amanda and the.

Speaker 10 (01:04:48):
Conversations with Beverly about Amanda.

Speaker 4 (01:04:50):
It seemed very much like parents arguing in front of
their their their child sort.

Speaker 10 (01:04:54):
Of vibes and just very much amused me.

Speaker 4 (01:04:58):
I really do enjoy the The guest star Olivia Dabo.
I haven't watched it in years, but I remember loving
her character.

Speaker 10 (01:05:06):
On The Wonder Years.

Speaker 4 (01:05:08):
She was Frin Savage's older sister, like the hippie kick.
I loved her outfits every single episode she was in.
Her passion was always fantastic. But what I love her
more in is an even earlier role, and she was
in the second of the two Arnold Schwarzenegger Conan movies.
She was in Conan The Destroyer in nineteen eighty four.

(01:05:30):
She was about fifteen. My husband I just watched The
Last Last Night I Have Last Night for the first
time in ages, and it's.

Speaker 10 (01:05:38):
A delightful movie. If you want to see young Arnold
all buff and being slightly cheesy, and Wilt.

Speaker 4 (01:05:45):
Chamberlain with really really long hair, right like they had
to go to like to Spain to find a horse
big enough for him to sit on where his feet
work works, creeping the ground, the poor guy. But she
is fantastic and in that episode and the background behind Me,
she's also a fantastic singer. The album art behind Me

(01:06:07):
is from Bon Jovi's fun take on a on a
on a Greatest Hits album called This Left Feels Right.

Speaker 10 (01:06:15):
They take a bunch of their hits and they do them.

Speaker 4 (01:06:18):
They slow them down kind of jazzy, sort of coffeehouse
vibes to him and Olivia Dabo does guest vocals on
living living on a prayer as a do it with
with with John bon Jovi. Her voice is beautiful. I
how do you recommend, recommend looking.

Speaker 10 (01:06:35):
Looking it up?

Speaker 4 (01:06:38):
Yeah, like everybody else, I love how much how Beverly
was in such mom mode with Amanda. The two of
them bond bonded very easily. I was okay for probably
the first time how little Troy was in the episode,
just because of how well Amanda was bonding bonding with Beverly,

(01:06:58):
and Beverly was at going going to going to bat
for Amanda with Q at at every every every opportunity.

Speaker 10 (01:07:08):
And I can't help it, but I did.

Speaker 4 (01:07:10):
I did laugh when when Q turns Beverly into an
Irish cutter. And I didn't notice until the second, the
second time watching it this morning, that Amanda isn't when
the changes are back. It's one of those kind of
blinking you miss at things. I I enjoy her arm movements.
I like the more subtle just with just the hand

(01:07:32):
motions as opposed to the double arm thing thing that
she does that just makes my arms and my shoulders tired.
I really prefer the just the just the simple hand,
the simple hand motions. I do have a couple of
thoughts about Riker and and the and the brief Jane
Alston scene, but I'll say that for things so John said,

(01:07:52):
it's not what you think, but of course for the
for the for the episode, or for the limericks of
the of the episode. I was actually inspired by a
comment from the mission Log podcast boys. Something they said
sparked the sparked the idea for it, and I will
finish with that. I know now why my wishes came true.

(01:08:18):
I have just been told that I am a que
Now that I have all the facts, it's clear I
cannot go back.

Speaker 10 (01:08:25):
It would be hard to leave.

Speaker 2 (01:08:26):
All that I knew.

Speaker 1 (01:08:29):
Awesome, Thank you very much. Carrie Schwent aka Crafty Bear,
all right, chuck A, he's our other AKATNG fanatic. What'd
you think of this one?

Speaker 2 (01:08:40):
Well?

Speaker 14 (01:08:41):
I was really I hadn't seen it in a few
years that I was really happy way the episode went.
I thought John Delancey's performance was excellent. Olivia de Abo
was really really good in this role. She was trying

(01:09:02):
not to use her powers and of course Q gave
her some tests that she had to and her scenes
with bever Beverly were just fantastic. Gates McFadden acting was
really good. I thought it was really the way the
episode progressed. I was surprised in a way that you know,

(01:09:26):
she decided she wanted to stay, but then of course
she went ahead and left. When when they had the
incident on the planet. I thought that John Delancey's humor
was spot on. Uh, he really has that character down

(01:09:48):
pat and we get no spoiler, but we get to
see him a second time in this season.

Speaker 2 (01:09:53):
Uh.

Speaker 14 (01:09:54):
He really really did a great job. And I thought
the scene with Riker and uh, hoy, what do you
call that?

Speaker 2 (01:10:06):
What?

Speaker 14 (01:10:07):
I know where they were, you know, in that scene
where she takes them to that there's a term they
use for that scene. But I thought she made him
like I wanted him to like her, and then of
course she wound up.

Speaker 2 (01:10:23):
Leaving the scene. I wish I could remember that term.

Speaker 14 (01:10:26):
But there was like that little house that he came
out of. But I thought the episode itself was really good.
Like I said, I hadn't seen it in a few years,
and I enjoyed it quite a bit gazebo. Thank you,
couldn't think of it was bothering me, But I really
liked the episode. It was a great episode for Q

(01:10:50):
and Doctor Crusher and uh and Olivia Diabo's character.

Speaker 2 (01:10:55):
She was wonderful in it.

Speaker 1 (01:10:59):
She was and she still has an incredible career going on. Unbelievable.
Thank you very much. Chuck A A k A T
n G fanatic Chris Garris in the Heart of Southeast Texas,
what did you think of this episode?

Speaker 7 (01:11:15):
So it's been a little bit since I've seen this one.
I mean I've seen it several times and kind of,
like I think Jason said, your opinion of it does change.
For me, it has changed some. I mean not too
terribly bad, because I mean it has its good. You know,
it's got it's definitely got some comedy in it. You know,
it's funny with the way Q is always messing with

(01:11:36):
the card. But this is one of the scenes that
really kind of stuck out to me, was when the
two of them are in his ready room and you know,
he's basically telling the car like, if she doesn't do
what we that continue in what we do, We're going
to kill her. And I'm just like that just seems
so wrong for them to And I know we've talked

(01:11:59):
about other people saying you know, and he says as well,
you know, you've got to keep that type of power
in check. But I mean, just take the power away,
because we know they can do that. They have done
that before to him. Q himself has had his power
taken away. So you know, why did we have why

(01:12:20):
do they have to have you know, it's extreme. You
either do it or you don't, you know. And then
why do they have to kill her parents again? Because
once again they went against the continuum. So you know,
I'm definitely not nagive against the episode. I still enjoyed it.
I mean, this scene right here that I've got behind
me is such a freaking cool scene. I mean, who
I would be awesome to be able to stand on

(01:12:41):
the outside of the ship like that. I'd just be
so cool. And then you know, again Gates and you know,
she had shed had a lot of you know, she
had a lot of good scenes in this episode. And yes,
like when she did kind of scold her for you know,
skipping ahead because she tried to use her powers to
just you know, get through the experiments. So make me
move on, and you know, and she had a vout point.

(01:13:02):
You know, you basically made the experiment in Nolan void
because we needed to see what happened. So she was
that mother figure to her.

Speaker 2 (01:13:11):
But just.

Speaker 7 (01:13:14):
You know, we don't even I like the queue, but
sometimes when they're getting to the whole, it's either distant,
We're going to kill you. That's just not very I
just don't don't care if I don't care for that anymore,
which is so crazy because I never even thought about
that back when I saw this in nineteen ninety two,
I think when it came out. Of course, I also

(01:13:34):
remember when I first saw I saw her. Oh, I
was like, that's a sister from Wonder Years when when
I saw this episode back then, because that was such
a great series and Wonder Yours. But overall, it's still
a good episode. I enjoyed it. I won't. It's not
it's not an automatic skip by any means. It's just.

Speaker 2 (01:13:54):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:13:55):
I sometimes I think Malisa made a comment or some
of that. You know, the que can be hypocrite, and
they they really are, because I mean, they locked another series,
but they locked a queue up in an Asteroid just
because they didn't. He didn't want to do what the
continue wanted him to do. So again, if you can,

(01:14:15):
if you could take the powerways, take the dang powers away,
and then let them live their a human life. But
I guess they just think that is so beneath a
que to live as a human that they'd just rather
get rid of you. So that's my two cents on
this episode.

Speaker 1 (01:14:33):
That sounded like at least thirty cents. That was great stuff.
Thank you very much, Chris. That that was really good,
Thank you so much. All Right, dark lord Chris McGee
is here. What do you think of this one?

Speaker 3 (01:14:44):
Chris, Like with all of the reviews we do, I
appreciate hearing everyone's view of the episode here and opening
my eyes to the aspects of it that I otherwise
wouldn't have recognized, And now that I see them, I
find myself agree with most of them too. Whenever John
Delancey and his razor sharp wit show up, that instantly

(01:15:05):
raises my estimation of the episode considerably. I think this
is a good episode, even though it isn't my favorite
among the Q centric ones. Back and forth between Picard
and Q is delightful, delightful, and even better than before,
and I like that the story itself gives us further
glimpses into the Q mythos. I think Olivia Daboot did

(01:15:27):
a fantastic job as Amanda. She's about twenty three when
this episode was filmed, and I just recently discovered as
Carrie mentioned that she starred as Princess Jenna and codin
The Destroyer when she was only fifteen. I appreciate that
Q's tests to ensure that Amanda is a Q shows that,

(01:15:48):
despite how much most of us enjoy his appearances in
the community he often brings, he's still a ruthless being
that ultimately doesn't care what happens to humans.

Speaker 1 (01:16:00):
Huh.

Speaker 3 (01:16:01):
The single tear that Ada Amanda shed's after she saves
the planet at the end is a nice touch, portraying
that she now knows that she would never be able
to resist using her powers, even if it's to help others.

Speaker 1 (01:16:18):
That's about all I.

Speaker 3 (01:16:19):
Can really say about this for now, save my nitpick
for things left unset and can go to my memorable quote,
which is the card saying the wonderful line, we must
at least appear to be civil.

Speaker 1 (01:16:36):
Yeah, Yeah, that was awesome. Wow. Chris McGee only one
nit pick for things left unsaid. You're holding back all right? Uh?
Jake's final take Strock. Any final thoughts on this one?

Speaker 2 (01:16:51):
Yeah, I think Melissa made a better title for this episode.
It would have been better if called cuberty. Yeah, because
that's what she was basically hitting for her own life.
I like that one, so I'm gonna credit that for Melissa, although.

Speaker 1 (01:17:12):
You did coin a good one. You said Cuman, which
would be a good episode humanity, right.

Speaker 2 (01:17:17):
Right, Yeah, but yeah, I did like she was kind
of hitting her cuberty in this moment, and you know
it was pretty good. Uh. The line that I liked
John Delancey when he said, uh, how do you stand
all that hair on his face? I kind of laughed
when I heard him say that. Especially interesting that when

(01:17:41):
you see Delancey now, he has a lot of hair
on his face. You know it's the irony there.

Speaker 1 (01:17:46):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (01:17:47):
I w with the rest of it. I'm with my
dad on this. I just we don't like Cues. So
chalking up to the Cisco's don't like Cues, I'm not
a big Q fan. I don't like his episode that much.
And not to say that John Delancy is not fantastic
and playing the queue role. I just don't like the

(01:18:07):
character itself. I think it's too arrogant, too much Bravado,
too Bradh, too superior complex for me to ever think
that this is a supreme entity. Like, I don't know
why a supreme entity would give off those really kind

(01:18:28):
of abrasive vibes, And it just doesn't seem to me
a sign of supremacy. And so that's why I'm not
really the biggest mystery of me sitting down and watching
an episode. I like to know, I want to unwrap
a present not knowing what's inside, and they're always telling
me what's inside when I read the title, So I

(01:18:49):
just don't understand the logic in that. Another line that
I really enjoyed Delancey's delivery is when he said, well,
if it isn't number two, And I think, you know
we've all said that one time or another, right Ryan.

Speaker 1 (01:19:07):
Because Riker's the ship, Yeah, exactly, exactly exactly.

Speaker 2 (01:19:15):
So. And then lastly, I will oh, you know, I
wasn't really comfortable with the way Q was Like it
felt like he was like he was too close to her, yes,
grabbed her by the arm. And when he first saw
her and literally grabbed her by the arm and like

(01:19:38):
turned her like let me get a look at you.
And I'm like, that's like an aggressive police officer move,
and it's like two hands on from me. And then
there was another moment when she was working with the
the test dishes or whatever, and he was behind her
and he kind of spread out right behind her, not

(01:19:58):
giving her any space. And it's just like, it's creepy
to me. And I don't understand why he has to
be sexually creepy in a moment where he doesn't even
view that as part of you know, he looks down
on the vulgarity of human creation, So why would he
then be oozing off this kind of creepy sexual vibe

(01:20:24):
that I just thought was uncomfortable for me. He was
two hands on, too touchy feeling for me. He could
have you know, made his argument with his with his
mouth and his debate, you know, with his arguments. I
just didn't. I just felt like he was like all
over her and I was like, yih her some freaking space,
you know, like just wasn't wasn't good for me. And

(01:20:47):
then lastly, I'm going to say, oh, not lastly, I
loved Rikers straddling that chair at ten forward. What a
great maneuver. This is one of his better maneuvers. He
came right up over it. And then number My last
point is, I agree with Picard. I'll take the human

(01:21:12):
morality over at Que any day. I feel like Picard
has won almost every debate he's had with Q as
far as an intellectual debate about morality. It seems like
Picard has a better handle on it than Q, and
he's argued it and won the argument, in my opinion,
several times over now, so I will agree with him.

(01:21:35):
And then you know what I was thinking about when
he kept saying, you need to come back to the continuum,
We need to come back to the continuum. I was
thinking about the Founders asking Odo to come back to
the you know, to the pool, the Founder's Lake or
whatever it is like, to come get reacclimated with your

(01:22:00):
cuctral beings and you know, get the approval of the group.
And when you think about these alien races that they
have created, there's only a few that have this collectiveness
of an identity like that. The Borg, the Founders, and

(01:22:20):
the Continuum, I feel are all variations of a collective
groupthink type of mentality, and I'm not necessarily sure I
like that as well. I do like the liberties and
freedoms of individuals making their choices. And so that's my

(01:22:41):
final take on this episode.

Speaker 1 (01:22:45):
Great stuff, you know real quick. Star Trek has humanized
all three of those horrible races in subsequent episodes and
series the Founders, the Borg and Picard and and Q
also in Picard and others. Anyway, that's it for us.
Thank you too, Chris McGee, Chris Garris, Chuck A, Carrie Schwent,

(01:23:09):
Faith Howe, Susan V. Gruner in Stormy Florida. Same with
Cassandra G. Jason m Ok, and Melissa A longo for myself, Siac, Melissa,
and mister Aaron Eisberg. Thank you all very much for
hanging out with us. We will see you next time.
Stick around for the things left unsaid. If you're a patron,
if not, become one, We'll see you next time. On

(01:23:32):
the seventh rule,

All Episodes

A New Q? | TNG 6.6, "True Q" | T7R #362

Episode Transcript

Popular Podcasts

Las Culturistas with Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang

Crime Junkie

The Brothers Ortiz

.css-15opob5{left:0;position:absolute;top:0.8rem;} All Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}A New Q? | TNG 6.6, "True Q" | T7R #362