This is going to wind up being one of my favorite 'Next Generation' episodes. It has John de Lancie returning as one of the Enterprise's most unpredictable and infuriating guests, the immortal being Q. But this time, Q has been stripped of his powers by the Continuum for his outlandish behavior, granting him only one wish as to what to be and where to drop him off. He chooses human form in deference to Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the Enterprise crew, with his appearance taking a cue (Q?) from 1984's "The Terminator", i.e., arriving on the bridge of the vessel totally naked! It's not as revealing as the way I just made it sound, but when you see it, you get the idea.
Although Captain Picard is dealing with a dire situation of an asteroidal moon descending on the planet Bre'el IV, the rest of the show is hilarious as Q tries to convince the crew that he's helpless to get himself involved, while falling prey to human frailties like a wrenched back and inability to work with a group. He does take a shine to Data (Brent Spiner) however, due to the android's unsophistication with human attributes like laughing and crying. Their dialog is particularly funny, with Q also delivering some juicy rejoinders to Lieutenant Worf (Michael Dorn), Commander LaForge (LeVar Burton), and even Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden). Unable to come to terms with being human, Q decides to steal a shuttlecraft and do himself in, but even that proves to suggest an ulterior motive. With an alien race known as the Calamarain out to avenge themselves for Q's antics in the past, they have set Bre'el IV's moon on a destructive path in order to get his attention, now that he can't do anything about it.
Now if one Q weren't enough, another one appears in the form of Q2 (Corbin Bernsen), who by this time is disposed to grant Q his desire to regain his powers and be admitted back to the Continuum, but only because Q performed a selfless act in departing the Enterprise so the Calamarain would leave it alone. Having been so redeemed and for saving the planet from its potential destruction, Q is in high spirits, returning to the Enterprise with his own mariachi band! The Captain of course would have no patience for such nonsense, and bids Q a fond goodbye, but not before the quixotic alien offers Data a grand going away present. For that, you'll have to see the episode and laugh along at the result.
Although Captain Picard is dealing with a dire situation of an asteroidal moon descending on the planet Bre'el IV, the rest of the show is hilarious as Q tries to convince the crew that he's helpless to get himself involved, while falling prey to human frailties like a wrenched back and inability to work with a group. He does take a shine to Data (Brent Spiner) however, due to the android's unsophistication with human attributes like laughing and crying. Their dialog is particularly funny, with Q also delivering some juicy rejoinders to Lieutenant Worf (Michael Dorn), Commander LaForge (LeVar Burton), and even Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden). Unable to come to terms with being human, Q decides to steal a shuttlecraft and do himself in, but even that proves to suggest an ulterior motive. With an alien race known as the Calamarain out to avenge themselves for Q's antics in the past, they have set Bre'el IV's moon on a destructive path in order to get his attention, now that he can't do anything about it.
Now if one Q weren't enough, another one appears in the form of Q2 (Corbin Bernsen), who by this time is disposed to grant Q his desire to regain his powers and be admitted back to the Continuum, but only because Q performed a selfless act in departing the Enterprise so the Calamarain would leave it alone. Having been so redeemed and for saving the planet from its potential destruction, Q is in high spirits, returning to the Enterprise with his own mariachi band! The Captain of course would have no patience for such nonsense, and bids Q a fond goodbye, but not before the quixotic alien offers Data a grand going away present. For that, you'll have to see the episode and laugh along at the result.