‘Star Trek: The Next Generation’ Retro Recap – ‘Hide and Q’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

At some point or another in our lives, we’ve all wondered what life would be like, if we had the power to control the universe. Which is something people tend to ponder upon for vastly different reasons. But one connecting thread that makes this thought a shared experience, is the outright frustration we experience somewhere along the line, over the fact that we cannot control the chaos that surrounds us. And the thought of being able to grab hold of it and bend it to our will, gives us comfort and pause and oddly helps us to cope with the situation at hand so we can heal and move on. Which is why fiction is so supremely important to all of us, since it allows for thoughts such as these to be properly explored in dynamic and relatable fashion and as fate would it have it, this exact fantasy plays out in the next episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation.

For ‘Hide and Q’ sees the return of the titular and omnipotent character that we first met in ‘Encounter at Farpoint’, at the most inopportune time of course. Because the crew of the Enterprise is racing toward a mining colony that has suffered casualties from a horrific accident. But none of that matters to Q. For he has quite the gift to offer Commander William Riker; the power of the Q. Something that Riker doesn’t seem all that interested in using at first because it doesn’t make any sense for the Q to offer up a gift that powerful, to a species that they deemed as savage not that long ago. But Q is happy to let Riker know that the crew’s handling of the Farpoint mission has the Q Continuum wondering if perhaps humanity is capable of quite more, and the only way to truly learn if that is the case, is by having Riker join the Q corps. Something that still fails to pique Will’s interest.

But leave it to Q to find new ways to motivate individuals, and in order to get Riker to take advantage of the sheer wonder of this power, he puts Will’s shipmates in quite the perilous situation, one where lives are nearly lost so that Riker will be motivated to use the power of Q in order to save them all. Which of course he does, since they are quickly becoming his surrogate family, and he’s a good man. But this act prompts Picard to ask Will to avoid using that power any further, so that it doesn’t corrupt Will’s mind in the slightest, and that promise is what brings about a sense of relatability to the story. Because once the crew arrives at the colony in question and sees the devastation and loss of life, Riker struggles with the gift he has been given. For he could have saved the dead from their unexpected fate, and having the ability to preserve life, and not being able to use it, doesn’t sit well with him. Just as it wouldn’t with any of the rest of us.

Which prompts Riker to embrace his power and express to the crew how it will be used for good going forward. An announcement that provides Captain Picard with the perfect anthesis to Q and Riker’s pride over these powers. For he encourages Will’s desire to offer wonders untold to the crew, the kind that would allow for their dreams to come true as well, and that ends in sour, sour fashion. For the gifts that Riker gives everyone are rejected at every turn, simply because they are aware, they didn’t earn it, it isn’t real, or it comes at the cost of giving Q thanks. Something that makes Riker realize that this power will bring him no joy or wonder, since the response will likely be the same everywhere he goes and that prompts will to surrender it back to Q, who now has to abide by a little wager that he and Picard made earlier in the tale. Wherein Q must now leave mankind alone… forever.

If anything, while this story is a pretty by the numbers morality tale, and fairly predictable in nature as well, it’s still a lot of fun to watch. Mostly because we get more John de Lancie as Q, who lets loose in the role as only he can, and his manic and twisted interpretation of a Demi God without the restrictions of a packed pilot episode is simply delightful, and it set the stage for more unique encounters with this alien down the line. Plus, it is rather entertaining to watch the crew face some wild scenarios, the kind that are surprisingly dark in nature since we watch Worf and Wesley ‘die’ violently in this tale. But all of that aside, this is an episode that really brings the crew together, something that is paramount to the future. Plus, their quandary here allows for everyone’s unique talents to shine, both story wise and acting wise and it really is quite lovely to see back-to-back quality episodes, and it leaves one hopeful that season one will continue this hot streak as we continue our journey through the stars, with a new crew and a new Enterprise. Until next time.

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