Summary
- Data & Q should have been paired more - their dynamic is compelling.
- Characters Data and Q have fascinating conversations in their limited interactions.
- Data taught Q about selflessness.
I wish Star Trek: The Next Generation had teamed up two of my favorite characters more often than they did. Following the adventures of Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and the USS Enterprise-D, Star Trek:TNG's cast of characters was one of the franchise's most beloved. When I first watched TNG, the android Lt. Commander Data (Brent Spiner) quickly became my favorite character. With his childlike curiosity and desire to be human, Data was always observing and learning from the people around him.
In Star Trek: The Next Generation season 3, episode 13, "Deja Q," John de Lancie's Q is dumped on the Enterprise after being stripped of his powers. As the Enterprise works to save a nearby planet from its falling moon, Picard has bigger things to worry about than Q's troubles. Although Picard initially throws Q in the brig, he later allows Q to help the engineering team work on a way to save the planet. To keep Q from getting into trouble, Picard assigns Data to watch him. Q and Data have an incredibly compelling dynamic, leaving me wishing TNG had paired the two up more often.
Star Trek: TNG Should Have Brought Data & Q Together More Than Once
Data Was The Perfect Person To Give Q A Lesson In Humanity
Upon being assigned to basically babysit Q, Data comments on the irony of achieving "in disgrace" what Data has "always aspired to be." Q does not understand Data's fascination with humanity, remarking that humans are "commonplace little creatures." Still, throughout "Deja Q," Q learns a lot from Data about what it means to be human, proving that Data has always understood humanity better than most. I love the dynamic between Data and Q, and they have some fascinating conversations that offer insight into both characters.
Brent Spiner and John de Lancie are both strong actors who understand their respective characters well, and every scene with the two of them works.
Data treats Q the same way he treats everyone else and has endless patience for Q's complaints about being human. When Q is attacked by one of his many enemies, Data risks his own life to save him. Q has difficulty understanding why Data would do this, and he eventually comes to the surprisingly self-aware conclusion that he does not have what it takes to be human. Q then decides to risk his own life with the hope of saving the Enterprise, which so impresses the Q Continuum that they restore his powers.
I Really Hope Future Star Trek Projects Revisit Data & Q's Dynamic
Q Should Reach Out To The Newly Upgraded Data
Throughout his eight appearances on Star Trek: The Next Generation, Q was most often paired with Captain Picard, as John de Lancie and Patrick Stewart played off of one another particularly well. In Star Trek: Picard season 2, Q reunited with Picard, sending his old friend/enemy into the past to confront his childhood trauma. When Q believed he was dying, he and Jean-Luc shared a heartfelt goodbye, but despite Q's "death," he popped back up at the end of Picard season 3. Of course, Q does not experience time linearly, so he could appear in any future Star Trek project.
Data finally received the ultimate upgrade in Picard season 3, becoming as close to human as he could ever hope to be. I hope Star Trek continues to explore Data's journey in some way, and that he gets the chance to reunite with Q. At the end of "Deja Q," Q grants Data the gift of laughter, and it would be a nice callback for Q to meet a version of Data who can laugh on his own.
Data taught Q how to be selfless, ultimately helping him regain his powers, which seems like something even Q would not forget. As the characters had such a fun dynamic on Star Trek: The Next Generation, I would love to see Q check up on the newly upgraded version of Data.
