Q Who 

Q tries to prove that Picard needs him as part of their crew by hurling the Enterprise 7,000 light years away where they encounter the Borg for the first time.

Director:

Rob Bowman

Writers:

Gene Roddenberry (created by), Maurice Hurley

Stars:

Patrick Stewart, Jonathan Frakes, LeVar Burton

Cast

Episode complete credited cast:
Patrick Stewart	...	Capt. Jean-Luc Picard
Jonathan Frakes	...	Cmdr. William Riker
LeVar Burton	...	Lt. Geordi La Forge
Michael Dorn	...	Lt. Worf
Marina Sirtis	...	Counselor Deanna Troi
Brent Spiner	...	Lt. Commander Data
Wil Wheaton	...	Wesley Crusher
John de Lancie	...	Q (as John deLancie)
Lycia Naff	...	Ensign Sonya Gomez
Colm Meaney	...	Chief Miles O'Brien
Whoopi Goldberg	...	Guinan

Storyline

Q pays the Enterprise another visit, much to Captain Picard's disapproval. He wants Q to keep his part of their earlier bargain and stay away. Q insists that Picard needs him on his side and to prove his point, hurls the Enterprise far into the galaxy. There, the Enterprise crew meet the Borg and their strange, cube-like space craft. The Borg are a race that is part biological and part machine that exists within a collective consciousness. They are also a formidable foe that can out power, out run and out fight the Enterprise. With their shields weakened, it's left to Picard to decide if they really do need Q's help.

---

Plot Keywords:

hot chocolate | bartender | shuttlecraft interior | returning character | cup of hot chocolate | 

---

Genres:

Action | Adventure | Mystery | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

TV-PG

Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 May 1989 (USA)

Filming Locations:

Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Paramount Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

46 min

Sound Mix:

Stereo

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

In the last scene, Guinan suggests that it might be possible someday to sit down and talk with the Borg. In Star Trek: The Next Generation: I Borg (1992), this idea comes to fruition.

---

Goofs

When Picard has hot chocolate spilled on him, he doesn't show any pain from the hot liquid.

---

Quotes

Ensign Sonya Gomez: [horrified that she spilled hot chocolate on Captain Picard] First impressions, right? Isn't that what they say? First impressions are the most important?
Lieutenant Geordi La Forge: I'll give you this - it's a meeting the captain won't soon forget.

---

Crazy Credits

The episode's credits begin a full minute after the theme music.

---

Connections

Referenced in Franklin & Bash: Pilot (2011)

---

Soundtracks

Star Trek: The Next Generation End Credits
Composed by Jerry Goldsmith and Alexander Courage

User Reviews

A New "Borg"inning

While "Q" drives me crazy (because of his omnipotence stealing free will from the Enterprise), this episode is still quite startling. John Delancy's character shows up demanding to be made part of the crew. Picard can see nothing positive about this. He rejects the great one's offer and the next thing we know, the ship is sent 700 light years from there, into another quadrant that should not have been explored for years. Q continues to taunt the crew and Picard holds firm. It's probably that he sees the reality that if he relents, there is no purpose any more. The sad thing is that the Enterprise now meets the Borg, one of the most creative entities produced in fiction. They, of course, are a bee-like culture where there is a collective rather than individuals. They act in concert rather than alone. They are also a humorless juggernaut, beyond reason, whose sole purpose is to absorb other species and add this information to their collective. When attacked and damaged, they move quickly to repair and move on their insidious journey. Unfortunately, in the process of investigating this thing, a number of crew members are killed. Picard is largely responsible and must look inward to see if his ego was central to this loss of life. This is a pivotal episode, setting up an amazing series of encounters that will take place along the way.