S3E13 - Deja Q

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dnaphil
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S3E13 - Deja Q

Post by dnaphil »

I selected this because it is another Q episode, and overall just a fun episode.

Overall, I really enjoy the episode. It has a solid science problem that mixes in the story about Q.
The pairing of Data and Q is a fascinating pairing, and Data's comment about Q becoming, in punishment, what Data aspires to be is such a strong line.

I really enjoy the ending of this episode, as we see Q in rare form, but also he takes a moment to give something meaningful and personal to Data.
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RobAbrazado
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Re: S3E13 - Deja Q

Post by RobAbrazado »

This is legit one of my absolute favorite episodes of the whole dang series -- enough that it gives "The Measure of a Man" a run for its money. And I don't think it's necessarily an overall thing...it may just be on the strength of a few key scenes. But one thing for sure...I consider the dialogue in this episode among the sharpest, funniest, and most engaging (heh) of any TNG writing. Phil said that Q is in rare form, which is totally true and saying something, too, considering Q's common form. :D But there is for sure a whole other level, or at least a different flavor, to his sass that I just enjoy the hell out of every time I see this episode. Not only that, but Worf...Worf!...has one of his best lines ever, and it's just a single word: "Die." The delivery is just...chef kiss. In fact, all the Q/Worf interactions were gold. "I would be eternally grateful. Which...doesn't mean as much as it used to, I admit..." "BE QUIET." :lol:

Anyway, let me just get to it. Let's talk about the Ten Forward scene. I could just watch that one scene over and over. It starts with Q and Data both trying to explore the human experience of food, and the whole "ten chocolate sundaes" bit floors me every fucking time. When Q explains his logic for ordering ten sundaes, both he and Data share this fraction of a second of agreement. "Hm," like..."yes, that logic is sound" and they are both just SO SATISFIED. God I love it. They are my good, good boys.

And from that beautiful shining moment, we transition IMMEDIATELY into Guinan rolling into the scene, and now we are off to the races. Guinan's smugness, Q's shattered bravado...there's this one moment where she is talking to him and just takes a step toward him to get in his space and he RECOILS. The dynamic there is just subtle and delicious. And stark contrast to just MOMENTS before when she just straight-up STABBED the guy. To me, this scene gives is SO much more emotional insight into their past than their first scene together in "Q Who."

I am also struck by the cinematography of that scene. EVERY TIME. So before when I mentioned the transition from the Data/Q conversation into the Guinan/Q confrontation. The camera work is ridiculous for that transition. We see the camera spin all the way around Q's head to change the perspective from his conversation with Data to Guinan entering the scene. It is SO RARE for TNG camera shots to be that dynamic, and it's just the perfect move from one conversation to the next and totally changes the texture of the scene. Then, much later, after the attack on Q is thwarted and he falls to the ground, helpless, with Guinan looking over him...

I mean just look at this shot.

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COME ON. What show is this?! We never see composition like that. Fucking amazing.

So, yeah. I love that scene. I love this whole episode.

There's also something Watch Club brought me a new perspective on. I've always thought in the past, like...I felt like everybody treated Q kind of extra-harshly. Well, except Data. And I expect it from Worf. But everyone else, was just so...snarky about it? I dunno, I mean it wasn't anything so bad that I was bumped, but it was just sort of always there in the back of my mind..."wow, everyone's being a real jerk about this." But for Watch Club, seeing this episode on the heels of "Q Who," I'm reminded OH YEAH! I guess this was the guy responsible for killing 18 crewmembers and also catapulting the Enterprise into contact with the Borg, thereby jumpstarting the obliteration of every Federation civilization, and for no reason at all except to shame Picard, so, yeah I GUESS THERE'S THAT. So, yeah...now I better understand them being kinda bitter at him. ;)
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GMGERRYMANDER
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Re: S3E13 - Deja Q

Post by GMGERRYMANDER »

I realize that TNG is all about diplomacy over violence. And that Picard is always trying to save all life whenever possible, which is Admirable.

And saving Q also meant that the problem with the moon solved itself. (Did Q cause that problem in the first place?)

But does Q come back? Would killing him here have avoided problems down the road?

I had no trouble with them treating Q harshly. He is an evil man.

But I like how they resolved this.
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JimLikesGames
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Re: S3E13 - Deja Q

Post by JimLikesGames »

I quite like this episode, especially, as noted, for the Guinan stuff.

One place where the entire thing always comes screeching to a halt for me is, and anyone younger than about 40, bear with me, is the ending where for some unknown, Godawful reason, a mugging, unfunny, ham-handed Corbin Bernsen makes an appearance.

Kids, you may not understand it, but at the time, this guy was a pretty big deal in the 90s, between TV and a star turn in the Charlie Sheen baseball movie Major League, and having him do a quick guest-shot on an episode of Star Trek was a big deal. Like, I remember reading about in Entertainment Weekly big. I was looking forward to it and can remember even decades later at how shocked I was that he sucked. Every time I see it again, it floods back to me. In my own petty head-canon, his career sputtered to a halt in part because he fucked up his shot at Trek immortality so badly.

Anyway. Fun, dynamic episode with genuine warmth and humor. Would rewatch many more times.

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RobAbrazado
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Re: S3E13 - Deja Q

Post by RobAbrazado »

That's so funny... In the back of my mind, my whole life I had always assumed Corbin Bernsen was on this particular episode because John de Lancie had been on L.A. Law, so it was just a funny bit of stunt casting. I didn't watch L.A. Law; I was just somehow aware of that factoid. It's only in far hindsight that I realize no one associates John de Lancie with L.A. Law. I have no idea what put that idea in my head, but somehow it took firm root. I mean, he was on the show, like, once, apparently, but if you say "John de Lancie," nobody says "Oh, that guy who was on L.A. Law. :D So now with that new perspective, I'm forced to re-evaluate my whole impression of that casting. Contemporaneously when this episode was new, I was...aware...of Corbin Bernsen, I know that, but I couldn't tell you why. I don't think I was exposed to him again until, like...Psych maybe?
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Jared Rascher
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Re: S3E13 - Deja Q

Post by Jared Rascher »

Almost got full Q Butt.

Is it weird that I'm really relieved to see the shoulder stripes gone? Those always bothered me for some reason. Although I noticed some of the non-bridge crew still have the lined ones, kind of like how the DS9 uniforms were hit or miss in Generations.

De Lancie is definitely more comfortable being over the top than Bernsen. I wonder if he would have looked less out of place with the surges of drama in the first season.

It interesting that the last Q episode we watched for the club was basically Q humbling Picard by showing him what he didn't know, and this one was humbling Q, in part with him seeing what the crew could actually do on their own.

. . . I might be able to eat ten sundaes.
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