Star Trek: The Next Generation: Q Who

"You can't outrun them. You can't destroy them. If you damage them, the essence of what they are remains – they regenerate and keep coming... eventually you will weaken – your reserves will be gone... they are relentless."

- Q

"Q Who" is the sixteenth episode of season two of the syndicated sci-fi television Star Trek: The Next Generation and the 41st episode of the series overall. Directed by Rob Bowman and written by Maurice Hurley, it first aired in syndication on Monday, May 6th, 1989. This episode introduces the Borg, a race of cybernetic aliens who become one of the greatest, and most popular threats to the Federation ever. The episode also brings back the character of Q who, offended by Captain Picard's perceived arrogance regarding his vocation, decides to humble him by shunting the Enterprise 7,000 light years away where they encounter a threat unlike anything they could have imagined.

Synopsis
An ambitious, young academy graduate named Sonya Gomez is assigned to the engineering department aboard the USS Enterprise. She is grateful to be part of such a magnificent crew, but her eagerness and perky personality gives even Geordi La Forge a moment's pause. As she turns to leave however, she bumps into Captain Picard, accidentally spilling her hot chocolate all over him. She apologizes profusely and Picard maintains his composure. He leaves engineering to return to this ready room to clean up, but as he exits the turbolift, he finds that he has been instantly transported to shuttlecraft-6. His abductor is none other than his most frustrating of adversaries - Q.

On the bridge, Deanna Troi tells Commander Riker and the others that she cannot perceive Captain Picard's mind. They run a scan and find that both Picard and a shuttle from shuttle bay 2 are missing from the Enterprise. Riker orders the crew to search the nearby sector for any signs of the captain.

On the shuttlecraft, Picard demands to know why Q has taken him, but as per his custom, Q prefers to torment Picard with his seemingly petty games. He finally gives in however and the two pop back up on the Enterprise inside Ten Forward. From behind the bar, Guinan emerges and both Q and she recognize and despise one another. They take up defensive postures and Q warns Picard against placing his trust in such a being.

Commander Riker and Lieutenant Worf enter the lounge and Q couldn't be more pleased to see them. He even taunts Worf with his favorite pet name for him, "Micro-Brain". While Picard motions to Worf to stay still, Q reveals that he wants to become a part of the crew. The others scoff at the proposal, but Q insists that as a guide, he can provide them with the information they need in order to face the various threats that await them. Picard has no intention of letting Q join his crew and tells him that they are more than prepared to deal with anything the galaxy may throw at them. Q takes issues with the captain's apparent self-righteous reply and decides to put his confidence to the test. With a snap of his fingers, he shunts the Enterprise 7,000 light years away into an a sector of space near the J-25 System. He then leaves them to their own devices and disappears.

While exploring the area, the crew encounters a strange cube-shaped ship that begins scanning them. Picard has Data run active sensors on the cube, but cannot detect any weapons systems, shields or life signs. Picard asks Guinan about the ship and she tells him that it belongs to a race called the Borg. She warns him to be careful, stating that the Borg nearly wiped her people out over a century ago.

Suddenly, a Borg drone instantly appears in Engineering. Geordi contacts the bridge and Picard, Worf and two security officers go there to investigate. Q materializes beside them and sheds some light on the nature of the intruder. The silent drone ignores their presence and begins analyzing the ship's technology. Picard orders Worf to neutralize the Borg and the Klingon stuns him with his phaser. The Borg falls over incapacitated, but moments later, a second Borg appears on the ship and collects circuitry components from his fallen comrade. Afterward, both Borg disappear and transport back to the cube. Captain Picard holds a conference with the bridge crew and Guinan to discuss the Borg. Guinan provides additional insight into the nature of this race and Deanna supports her assertion by explaining how the Borg share a collective consciousness. Worf suddenly informs Picard that the Borg have locked a tractor beam on the Enterprise.

Picard and Riker return to the bridge and they begin to take the offensive. The Borg strikes first, using a laser to cut a section out of the saucer section of the ship like a scalpel. The Enterprise returns fire, shearing off sections of the cube. Damage reports come in and Worf reports eighteen casualties. The Borg temporarily cease their attack and Picard calls for another conference. He decides that the only way they can learn more about this new adversary is by sending an away team over to the ship to investigate. Q appears again and Picard asks him if this whole experience is just another of his twisted illusions. Q assures him that what is happening now is as "real as your so-called life gets".

Riker, Data and Worf beam over to the Borg cube. They find dozens of inactive Borg plugged into separate housing compartments on every level of the ship. A few drones busy about the ship attending to various duties, but pay no heed to the intruders. Either they do not notice them, or do not consider them a threat. The away team then comes upon a Borg nursery. Riker examines an incubation unit containing a human infant implanted with Borg technology.

Picard then discovers that the Borg are concentrating their efforts on effecting repairs on their ship. He calls the away team back to the Enterprise and orders the ship to leave the area at Warp 8. The Borg pursues them and matches their speed even as the ship continues to reconstitute itself. Riker orders Worf to fire photon torpedoes to slow the ship down, but they have no effect. Q appears on the bridge and continues to torment Jean-Luc, telling him that they are powerless to defeat Borg. Eventually, they will destroy the Enterprise. He rhetorically asks him, "Do you still profess to be prepared for what awaits you?" Examining the situation, Picard realizes that they have no chance against the Borg and their weaponry. Picard humbles himself before Q and admits that in the face of this particular assailant, they are scared and woefully inadequate to deal with the situation. Q waits until he hears Picard speak the words that he has been longing to hear. "I need you". With that, he snaps his fingers and the Enterprise is sped back towards the Alpha Quadrant. Q leaves Picard with a few parting jibes before returning to the Continuum. He tells him that if he wishes to tackle the wonders that the universe holds, he better be more prepared and more willing to deal with the consequences of his actions.

Notes & Trivia

 * Stardate: 42761.3-42761.9


 * Production code number: 402.


 * The events from this episode take place in the year 2365.


 * Whoopi Goldberg is credited as "Special Guest Star".


 * First appearance of the Borg. First appearance of the Borg Cube. Both appear next in the season three season finale "The Best of Both Worlds (Part 1)". Chronologically, this is actually the second appearance of the Borg. They appeared in the season one episode of Star Trek: Enterprise entitled "Regeneration".


 * This is the third appearance of John de Lancie as Q. Q appeared last in the season one episode "Hide and Q". He appears next in "Déjà Q".


 * First appearance of Ensign Sonya Gomez. She appears next in "The Samaritan Snare".


 * Chief Miles O'Brien appeared last in "Pen Pals". He appears next in "Up the Long Ladder".


 * It is revealed in this episode that Q has been asked to leave the Q Continuum.


 * Reference is made in this episode to when Q placed the crew of the Enterprise on trial for crimes against humanity. This took place in the pilot episode, "Encounter at Farpoint". Another reference is made to when Q offered Commander William T. Riker the opportunity to join the Q. This took place in the season one episode "Hide and Q".


 * Director Rob Bowman and writer Maurice Hurley provide the voices for the Borg.

Bloopers

 * The volume of hot chocolate that Ensign Sonya Gomez spills on Captain Picard is not sufficient to produce the stains that are seen on both of their uniforms.