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

Written by John Edward Betancourt

If there is one irrefutable truth in regard to modern mankind, it would have to be that we are at the absolute top of the food chain on planet Earth. For there is no creature on this planet that we genuinely fear will take us down on a moment’s notice, because we are the apex predator and being able to decide the fate and the path of this world’s wildlife has given us unprecedented confidence to do as we please and it has also provided us with a stunning sense of security. For we really can sleep well at night knowing that we are in charge and the only thing that can cause us trouble in our down time, is either our own mistakes or our fellow man. 

Which really begs some important questions, in that… what would happen to us if by chance a creature emerged from the unknown that could in fact, challenge mankind? Would we band together and find a way to fight off this new threat? Or would we crumble at the possibility of being challenged by something quite powerful? Of course, one would hope that we would band together, creating our finest hour as a species, but we may never really know. For this planet has been conquered by mankind and likely, our greatest challenge lies amongst the stars. And it just so happens that the whole notion of dealing with beings that are stronger than humanity, came up in the next episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation, and that makes ‘Q Who’ an incredibly important story, one that would set the stage for some big moments down the line. 

For this particular tale saw the crew of Enterprise deal with the return of Q, who had been banned from the Continuum, for his continued attempts to make mankind his plaything. And it was his hope that perhaps Picard and his merry shipmates would accept a lonesome Q aboard the ship as their new guide. One that would help them navigate terrors unknown in the galaxy. A request that Picard was quick to deny, since he firmly believed that mankind was ready to handle anything the universe could send its way and also because… he’s not exactly a fan of Q. But that arrogant statement infuriated Q to no end and motivated him to put humanity in harm’s way by introducing the 1701-D to the apex predator of the galaxy and just like that… we met The Borg. A race of cybernetic beings that consume all things and well, this is an episode that holds up quite well after all these years.

In large part, because it plays out like a mystery, since we know little about the Borg and the slow reveal of how they function and what they want is downright terrifying for certain. But what matters more, is that the crew does meet their superior at last and seeing that happen on screen, when Starfleet has saved the day more times than we can count, is a chilling experience indeed. One that manages to outright frighten the crew and in turn the audience. Because the thought of humanity fighting a soulless and zombie-like foe that is relentless and powerful and seemingly invincible is a horrifying thought indeed and thankfully, rather than let fear infect their minds, the crew comes together to put up a valiant if not futile fight. But the finest part of this segment of the story, is that Picard shows great humility in order to end this awful battle and truly, that is likely what would be crucial to humanity surviving an encounter with a species stronger that is than us. Because knowing our limits would motivate us to take a new angle in the fight, something that doesn’t quite show up here simply because the series was saving that for later.

Mainly because the Borg would eventually become quite the foe for the Federation and their next encounter would be the stuff of legend since it would feature Starfleet’s ugliest loss in combat in ages, and of course, it would fundamentally change Jean-Luc Picard. But in the here and the now, this was simply a stunning tale. Because it ran the audience through a gauntlet of emotions and allowed for a fear of the unknown to appear in Trek for the first time in a long time. Which hands down makes this particular tale the finest that season two has to offer since it was so incredibly bold in telling its tale and truly, it leaves one eager to rush to the season three finale to revisit ‘The Best of Both Worlds’. But alas, all good things come to those who wait. So, for now, it is back to the adventures at hand, and good luck to the stories that have to follow this masterpiece. Until next time.

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