The Q and The Grey

DVD, Voyager S3 (The Q and The Grey)

It was a constant surprise that they could ever come up with a new Q episode, even as sporadic as they were. Such an event must have been difficult to concoct, after all, you can't just have Q return and cause a little more mischief. With 'TNG' it was slightly easier, being part of the fabric of the series, Q coming to check up on his human 'experiment' as it were (even if it had never been a grand plan and simply fell into place as a touchstone through the series). But after that, and Q's judgement of humanity, where can you go? The 'Voyager' writers expanded Q's role into learning more about his people and issues associated with them, and while the overarching events may have been too much for puny human minds to truly comprehend, the ideas were simple enough as causing change to the old guard. Q has taken Quinn's place as the voice of dissent. Though he may not have agreed with suicide, Q certainly believes in individuality, something he perhaps admires in humans, and one reason why he may be drawn to them.

Whatever Q does, I realised more in this episode than ever before that he's a vehicle for commenting on whatever series he appears in, just as aliens were used to comment on our lives in a common Trek trait. He didn't work in 'DS9' because it was too grounded, serious and complete, but he can hold up a mirror effectively with 'TNG' and 'DS9' because they are more 'pompous' series' in the way they're about boldly exploring, spreading their ideals. He can also point out the foibles and idiosyncrasies of the characters and their series, like nothing else can: to laugh at a serious universe. He calls Neelix 'bar rodent' and accuses him of bribing the Captain. He calls Chakotay, Chuckles because he's so serious most of the time (and calls up his 'jealousy,' another thing hinted at between him and Janeway, though Chakotay is protective, not jealous).  Whatever he does, we can never be sure we're getting to know the 'real' Q - he's of a race so advanced as to be able to do almost anything in our eyes, yet he plays the fool sometimes, insults, irritates, but always with a gleam and a smirk. He seems to love being around the 'little people.'

Despite claiming to be omnipotent, and maybe even omniscient and omnipresent, the Q are not. If they were any of those things they wouldn't need to think, ask questions and any fighting would be over immediately. No, the Q are far advanced, but not ultimate beings, they simply have an exceptional ability to brag and show off. That's what makes them fun, but because Q forces issues and puts them in places that challenge them, it makes the experience deeper than mere comic mischief-making could. It's difficult to even express what the Q are or what they mean, but fortunately the episode succeeded in bringing understanding to such a conundrum. The way Janeway gazes out of the window at the fires of war shows that oodles of special effects aren't needed to get the message and impact across. Just like in 'Star Trek: The Motion Picture' when Kirk is gazing at the Enterprise as he shuttles towards it, with the reflection on the window.

The story became more involving once Janeway gets past the annoyed stage (Q's visit couldn't have come at a worse time: when she was worn out), and enters into the spirit of what's happening. It could all have been an elaborate hoax by Q to get her to fall for him by nursing him and talking to him, and that may have crossed her mind. Alternatively this could have been the way to kill off Q, had the writers wished to. But can you really kill a Q? If they were using Q weapons presumably a Q could die. But would they stay dead? There are so many things that we'll probably never know, and in scarcity of detail there lies mystery, but there are plenty of things we do learn. The Q consider themselves to have always existed (more likely they just forgot, it was so long ago), Q feels 'lonely,' and has been associated with the Female Q for billions of years, though we've never heard tell of her before. Suzie Plakson made a great Q, it's just a shame her run of appearances in Trek, as various characters, never stretched to 'DS9' so she could have completed the Berman-era set.

I didn't buy Q's insistence that he required human DNA to make a baby that would bring peace to the Continuum. He's always been so dismissive of humans so why would he want to 'infect' his race with their essence? I also didn't get how the baby would bring peace - because it was a new event for the Q, or because he would grow up to lead the Q? But the Q don't need leaders, do they? Is there a structure? I always imagined they were like the Founder's Great Link, existing equally and able to make decisions as a mass, yet being separate at the same time. Since any Q stuff is over the humans' heads, and by proxy, ours, anything Q-related can be swept under the carpet. Such as the way the crew could use Q weapons - presumably because it was in a setting they could understand and everything was simplified.

Enough of the pieces worked that the episode could be accepted, and it gave Janeway the chance to eulogise the progress of future humanity in a way that would make Roddenberry smile in his grave. She also talks of how important passing on good things from parents to children is, and comes to an understanding with Q that no other person has really done. It's such a pleasant ending with Q dandling his baby on his knee, appointing Janeway Godmother, and saying "bye, bye," and while the follow-up, belated as it was, may not have lived up to the legacy of this and 'Death Wish,' I'm glad that things were done differently here and it wasn't 'just another Q episode'. I loved the moment with the puppy, but it could have had even more impact had it been Janeway's actual dogs and their puppies. It may have been just the one dog to keep things simple. Q's eyes are even more puppy dog when he's holding one, and John De Lancie had especially huge, bright ones that stood out more than ever before.

A throwaway line that Q utters added more mystery to an established race: he mentions the Romulan Empress, which is the first and only reference to a female leader of their race, as far as I know. Not everything had a reference though, as Kes and Neelix' situation wasn't covered at all and they're shown separately on the bridge, so it's still unclear how Kes has embarked on her 'new path' as mentioned at the end of the previous episode. We do get to see what appears to be the true Q (forgive the pun), when he pleads for Janeway's life, just as he selflessly saved the Enterprise in 'Deja Q', though we can never be sure that he didn't know things would turn out alright. The spectre of Q being able to take Voyager home at any time could have caused problems, but though it is brought up, Janeway makes it clear she's not going to dally around hoping for Q's assistance, but will remain obdurate in her determination to make it home on the strength of herself and her crew.

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