Plot Synopsis: Q graces the Enterprise with a visit, claiming that a young intern aboard is really a Q. A planet is also suffering a pollution crisis, but nobody cares.
Plot A and B Analysis: The teaser gives us a clue about the episode. The Enterprise crew are loading relief supplies to take to a planet and a young, brilliant intern is aboard the ship (yawn). She magically makes puppies appear in her quarters, and then makes them disappear. Plot A is about Amanda, a distant plot B is about the planet’s pollution problems. In less than 10 minutes she magically saves Riker’s life and reverses a warp core breach. Q appears and admits he arranged those accidents to see if she was really a Q herself, like her parents. Amanda undergoes her training, which we later learn will result in her death if she is not successful. There is a planet in trouble, but it’s an afterthought. The big plot point is, is Amanda really a Q, if she is will she join the Continuum? We move along at a reasonable pace, with a somewhat predictable ending. I mean, come on, who wouldn’t be a Q if they could?
Favorite Scenes: The training sequences are pretty cool and Picard does have a decent speech around the 38th minute. Turning Beverly into a dog is the funniest moment, stopping the warp core breach is cool and standing outside the ship is the best shot, giving use a brief sense of wonder.
Use of Cast/Characters: Patrick Stewart does his usual good job of acting. Watch his reaction at 10:24 when Q says Amanda’s parents (who were also Q) died “in an accident.” It’s a subtle indication of Picard’s antennae going up. His only misstep is in the teaser where I don’t think he does a great job with the couple of lines he’s given, talking to Amanda. He and Beverly have the most to do this episode, she assuming a mentor role, which is more than Beverly usually gets. Riker is in third place as Amanda has a crush on him, Troi has a little less. Geordi and Data contribute slightly to the plot, and Worf comes in last as he has about one line in the episode. Olivia D’Abo gives a fairly convincing performance. John deLancie does his usual great job as Q. There’s a little foreshadowing here that I don’t think people catch. Picard reminds Q about putting them on trial for the crimes of humanity back in Encounter at Farpoint, and Q responds, “the jury is still out on that, Picard. Make no mistake.” What a great oblique referral to the plot of the series finale! It’s possible the writers had started developing it, because they could have ended the series in season six when all of the actors’ contracts were up. Still, this episode is all about the guest star and none of the regular cast get any development.
Blu Ray Version: There is a deleted scene which takes place right after Amanda saves Riker’s life in the cargo bay. It’s about 90 seconds of wasting your time, with Troi bringing a puppy for Amanda to care for, then they talk about how she can’t make up her mind what she wants to do. I’m glad they left it out, skip it.
Nitpicks: The mini-meeting in the 37th minute is odd. It’s the shortest meeting ever, at less than 60 seconds and it’s only with Crusher and Troi to discuss an important new development in a ship-wide threat. Shouldn’t it with be with all his senior officers? Either make it a full-fledged scene or delete it. Later, when Amanda cures the entire planet, wouldn’t she have to fix all the residents’ lungs too? We saw a man have to breathe polluted air on the ship because he wasn’t used to clean air.
Overall Impression: The bad news: this is the weakest Q episode since Hide and Q, back in season one. The good news: this is the last weak Q episode! It has a great concept–training someone to be a god, with a looming death threat–but the execution isn’t so great. There are some good moments in this episode; overall, though, it’s a forgettable episode that recycles elements from previous ones, including the ‘planet in danger’ bit from Deja Q, and the ‘I promise not to use the power of Q’ bit from Hide and Q. At least Riker held out for a while, Amanda didn’t last two minutes! Instead of ending in a memorable fashion, the episode ends with a sigh. I rate this episode 2.5 out of 5 stars.
Behind the Scenes/Trivia: You may recognize Olivia D’Abo as Karen Arnold from The Wonder Years. This is the last episode where the rest of the crew see Q! From here on he will only appear to Picard. John deLancie was busy this year, appearing in two episodes TNG and once in DS9. For those few of you wondering what happens to Amanda Rogers, read the Voyager novel The Eternal Tide. The title True Q actually makes sense, and I think it’s better than the working title for this episode, “Q Me?” Pardon me while I vomit.
Missable/Unmissable? This is a missable Q episode, which I don’t say often. Compared to the next piece of donkey crap, however, this one is Shakespeare.