What you just point about about Sisko, Janeway and Picard and how they each handled Q differently. This truly shows the mulitplicious nature of the human species, and that is what frightens Q and other species (like even the Vulcans). Humans can deal with their problems in ways that are not predictable by others. We can be deeply introspective and secure within our selves (Picard method); we can outwit our opponents by thinking outside the box (Janeway method); at worst, we can be stubborn, obstinate and violent all WHILE by smart (Sisko method).
This is why I disliked Discovery. It doesn't "feel like" a Star Trek because the only thing it has in common with these series' is the name. I don't watch TNG for action: nobody does. I watch it because it's beautifully thought-provoking in both its plots and its resolutions and that conflict does not require physical force to cause or overcome. Aliens won't GTFO of your planet because of their crazy laws? Beat them with those crazy laws.
@@Kirealta A very strange Frenchman who prizes the' rosbif' Shakespeare over his own country's literature! Of course, by the 24th century we're supposed to be over that petty nonsense. 😎
The best part of this is how Picard fully acknowledges he’s misreading Hamlet by taking that passage literally instead of with the irony it was intended to have. And by doing that, he’s reinforcing the theme of the whole show: that no one person has a monopoly on what it means to be human. What it means to be human is instead about the way we choose to tell and interpret our stories, both the stories of our past and (even more importantly) of our future. Q thinks humanity means one thing; Picard knows it means every thing.
Then Q gave the Federation it's early warning of the Borg. And Picard suffered unspeakable in the conflict that followed. And that trauma, later Picard saw by his own example what the original interpretation meant.
"What he might say with irony, I say with conviction" I feel like that is an underrated portion of this little conversation, because it is something that Q misunderstands. Knowledge is not about being able to repeat the words of another, exactly as they are intended, but in applying those words and ideas to our lives and aspirations, to believe that we can one day make the words that we make our creed a reality.
Great analysis. Also from a technical point of view this is very good writing. It would have been easy for the line to be for Picard to quote it straight without the comparison between Hamlets irony and his sincerity. It's not often episodic scifi also slips in some literary analysis.
It's neat to think of the entire series of TNG as the continuum's test of humanity. And that Q, despite all the grief he caused, was humanity's biggest advocate.
Indeed, and I am a bit disheartened that it wasn't brought up by picaard in the trail for Data's personhood. Q wasn't accusing them for crimes in the past; he was talking about the federation's failures in the show's present date.
Sometimes the harshest critic only does so because they believe the thing is able to be better than it presently is. There's shades of this idea in Sisko grilling Nog on his Starfleet aspirations.
Ahh yes despite the blatant lie of heliocentric functionality which is so clearly the devils forked tongue at play. There is more hope in the truth than this outdated and dusty reel of film.
"Is it that which concerns you." 01:30 Q throws a beautiful copy of "The Complete Works of Shakespeare" at Picard with anger. Q yells in his mind, "YES!"
@@BossyGuyMike I think picard ruined Q's game, and see right through the charade. That picard jumped straight to the end, he likes toying with people who don't know whats going on.
@@blawson3603 when did he say that though? I mean we know the Q is beyond time and the Q definitely are aware of something humbling them about humanity in the future
@@unowno123 I think humanity is the Q continuum of an extremely distant future. Also perhaps the fact that he targeted Picard is somewhat akin to a time travelled going back to a significant historical figure. Like if we went back in time to Martin Luther King and toyed with him to see every possible facet of his personality
1:32 Easily the most nailed Q has ever been. And perhaps the most telling moment of Star trek. Encapsulated in that scene, which I believe to be probably the single best moment in Star Trek. Is the very essence that was Roddenberry's ideal for Star Trek. And in a sense, humanity.
I seem to remember Q instilling them some humility not to long after this by dropping them in front of a Borg Cube. It's good to want to better yourself. It's dangerous, however, to be arrogant about it.
I appreciate dystopian sci-fi as much as the next guy but this optimistic lens Star Trek uses to look at the future is really what sets it apart. It makes me very happy to see this and believe there is a future where we actually figure things out, a future that is truly bright.
'What a piece of work is a man! How noble in reason, how infinite in faculty! In form and moving how express and admirable! In action how like an Angel! in apprehension how like a god!
This was when Picard earned my full respect and became MY captain. People dismiss the first season, but there is some real depth in there. Looking at you RLM...
Picard is not arrogant, he is an optimist, sees what Mankind can be on the far future and Q is afraid of that. One of the most satisfying star trek scenes
Sixtus Magicus No, he's arrogant. The crew of the Enterprise-D were all incredibly arrogant (except Geordi and Data, to be honest) before Q decided to introduce them to the Borg. I mean, they acted like some pompous ass who just became a vegan and being all smug and thinking they are so morally superior to all us meat eaters.
"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."-Theodore Roosevelt
This is more than an exercise for trek or even shakespeare. This is a piece of greatness that made TNG more than entertainment. It's what Roddenberry intended. Introspection for us all.
I like to think that QQ getting punched by Sisko, was more about Q testing Sisko, not as a man, but as one of the wormhole aliens. And that it was the power of being one of those aliens, that allowed him to deck Q.
The internetians have a phrase for this very type of situation: GET REKT, SCRUB! Which translated into human tongue means: "You have fallen before an indescribably mighty foe."
I like to think it is scenes like this that kept Q going to Picard, in him, Q saw the true potential of humanity even if like this scene Picard pushed his buttons just right, I think it was this scene that would help in the final episodes of Star Trek TNG where Q saw this big test and was like, if we must pick a human, I pick Picard.
Both Patrick Stewart and John De Lancie knew Shakespeare so well - both are stage actors, who had immense experience in theater. They both knew Shakespeare's work so well, this is why this scene was written between Picard and Q
Good thing he's only almost omnipotent and not omniscient. Q fears that humans would one day evolve to be Gods. Imagine, humans being not only omnipotent but omniscient and omnipresent. The true representation of a complete God. Now where would that place the continuum?
@@Genkuro After all the whole plot of one voyager episode was how the continium had stagnated, they had seen all to be seen. Which is quite ironic because I highly doubt they've gone to alternate realities and they have to know Kirk did it. They saw humanity already surpass them by accident and hate it
Just got done watching this episode. Season 1 may have had it's issues and a clunky start, but it definitely had its fair share of good episodes and even better writing in scenes like this.
“Life's but a walking shadow, a poor player, That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, And then is heard no more. It is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing.” ― William Shakespeare, Macbeth
John de Lancie is also a Shakespearean actor and acquits himself well here; Avery Brooks is another with an amazing voice who is no stranger to the Bard’s plays.
I love how the first two seasons of TNG have all this human arrogance about them, and all Q does is introduce them to the Borg to teach them some humility.
Then several years later (and three centuries earlier), while Picard is screaming how he will make the Borg pay, Q is out there somewhere, smiling and reciting that same quote with all of the intended irony.
I guess Q was a sore loser and wanted to punish Picard for defeating him in this episode. Problem is, 18 innocent people who had nothing to do with the Picard vs Q feud died at the hands of the Borg just so Q could get his revenge on Picard. It shows how despite all of his powers, Q at times acts like a petty child who can't stand losing to anyone.
Revenge? Did you watch the series. There was no revenge from Q. Q was testing humanity. Q's sending them to the Borg gave the Federation a heads up of what was coming their way. Everything Q did can be seen as helping humanity in some way.
Man, the use of Q in this series was beyond brilliant, it was sheer perfection! Let’s put aside for a second the pure awesomeness of Q and Picard going toe to toe, but the entire arc from Farpoint, to Q, Who, All Good Things, and everything in between, was just on another level! They really needed to continue this arc in Picard. But they won’t.
Hmm, good one. I like it. Humanity has an appetite for the universe to measure itself against and learn. The Q have already experienced the entire universe and in so lost all appetite to become more because they can no longer even imagine more.
No its about change, not growth. Growth is a matter of addition. Change is a matter of altering. Think about it: For thoushands of years many of us thought the future was literally written in the stars. Nowadays we know light takes time to reach us across huge distances so when we look at lights in the sky what we are actually seeing is how things USED to be. We used to believe that nothing travels faster than light, but now most astronomers concur that space itself is expanding faster than light. We used to believe that we were the centre of the Solar system, now obviously we know differently. Star Trek itself has changed in so many ways and to such extents that really not even the makers can be bothered to keep track. Star Trek isn't really about us "one day becoming that". We can never be like "that" or like Q and we really wouldn't want to it'd be maddeningly boring. No, its about adventure, and change is absolutely an ingredient for adventure.
It's quite heartening to see people disparage the new Star Trek. I was never a huge fan but moments like this made it clear it was clearly more sophisticated than just some sci-fi TV show. It's a shame the new writers don't seem to grasp that.
Fascinating scene. Interpreting humanity through Shakespeare. I have no doubt those in theater cheered at this magnificent way to argue humanity's essence and potential.
I like to think that Q's rage at the end is not that Picard outwitted him or figured out his schemes, but rather that Picard came so close to the point but then let his own human limitations draw an incorrect conclusion. The Continuum knows what humanity is capable of becoming. They do not fear it, rather, they welcome it, and are concerned about humans undermining their own future by relying on base emotions and backwards thought. For Picard to realize that humanity was becoming something more, but then to draw the conclusion that Q must be having a negative base emotional response to that reality, must feel like - to Q - one step forward, a thousand steps back.
When picard was spewing at Q with hamlet I really REALLY got the feeling that Q had heard those things being said about humanity before (he gave a very home hitting reaction), yet somehow he refuses to believe them. And desperately tries to prove it right every time in TNG. I gues what picard said is true and that is exacly what frustrates Q, and the fact picard reminding him of his frustration for humanity being seen as perfect gods in the future. Naturally Q always tries to prove that humans were not born angels and constantly tries to prove it to picard, who will never back down from that mindset.
It's been said here already, but Picard's application of the Hamlet quote here, making sure to acknowledge the irony, is by far one of my all time favourite Picard speeches in a show chock full of them. Maybe my favourite. It is so good. Picard in TNG is such a great character, regardless of what any of the later stuff did with him (none of which was as good, I'll fully admit)
I don't see anybody commenting on the storyline here. Q eventually told Picard that this was the destiny of humankind. But at this point in the series, the Q character was still frightened of the idea. And still well into testing Picard. It shows how well the writers projected into the future and kept a congruous Q storyline.
And _The Inner Light,_ almost universally agreed to be the best episode of the series, and a fair competitor to _City on The Edge of Forever_ for the best episode of any _Star Trek_ series.
Q is a enigma of science and theology. He reminds me of what Neil deGrasse Tyson said about the possibilities of alien life. The simian genome as we know it today is only a 1% difference between an Ape to a Human. That 1% difference is astronomical in scale if we ever discover alien life that is as much difference between Human to Alien. Would we be able to even communicate with that life let alone acknowledge it's existence and vice versa. Q always seemed to talk down to Picard and his crew, because he literally has to talk down to them in order for them to understand him. Then there's the question of Q's powers. If there is a God, how does Q compare to Him?
one of my favorite scenes - and the best part, as far as I'm concerned, is the versatility - picard/stewart says it himself - what hamlet might say with irony, I say with conviction - to take Shakespeare's own words, use them out of context to say something entirely opposed to their original meaning AND MAKE IT WORK!...star trek at it's best, and again, as far as I'm concerned, Patrick stewart at his best
The implication is that the Q fear what Humanity might represent and be capable of when it evolves to the level of the Q. And you would think, 'the Q are omnipotent, so they must already know,' but that's demonstrably not true. The one thing the Q have consistently failed to demonstrate is the capacity to predict the future. And in this one moment, Picard affirms the Continuum's greatest fear regarding Humanity. And since the Continuum cannot predict the future, they have to settle for the next best thing - they have to ensure that Humanity is prepared to face the horrors of existence beyond what it's already encountered. So they hand Q powers to a Human and said Human predictably confirms that the species isn't ready to simply be handed that level of power and responsibility: the Q have to play the long game instead. Humanity demonstrates a staggering amount of arrogance up to and including this episode, so Q throws them at the Borg. Picard's willingness to admit that they're unprepared and beg Q for help is the next test passed. Each subsequent appearance of Q plays out a different aspect of not-so-much 'testing' Humanity as 'prodding' Humanity in the right directions. And so the Federation narrowly manages to survive repeated assimilation attempts by the Collective as well as surviving the wood chipper taken to their idealism in the form of the Dominion War. However STP and STD play out and further mangle the stations of canon, the overarching implication is that the Continuum is expecting Humanity to one day rise to their level of existence and recognize all the interference the Continuum ran back in those days as beneficial to guaranteeing Humanity's survival and eventual ascension. The Continuum would prefer to rig that eventual outcome in their favor, especially as the Continuum isn't the only such race to have taken such notice of Humanity.
What aspirations I had when I was in academia. I don't know if I was thinking about what I would become or the energy from around me with which I would proceed forward. But when I got into the field and found out what the realer world was like, notions like these were left to stories. But oh, how we can aspire.
I would have loved for Picard to quote hamlet again, when Q would appear Picard rises and shouts "Stand and unfold yourself!" Q's reaction would be gold.
You know things are serious on the Enterprise when the Captain is quoting Shakespeare. I’m sure the crew must have some shorthand for “Shakespeare Alert”.
