For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here
Overview – The crew of Voyager accidentally free a
member of the Q Continuum from a unique comet that the rest of the Continuum
had imprisoned him over three centuries ago. When Q, known to have caused much
mischief to Picard on the Enterprise, arrives, Janeway becomes the arbiter for
a hearing to determine if the newly released Q will be imprisoned again or be
allowed his one true desire: death.
Dueling Qs |
Score: 9/10 – I really think that this episode is one
of the strongest from Voyager’s second season. Since Voyager started, fans have
been wanting the ever-popular Q to make an appearance. The issue at stake here
was how to do so with a story that was worthy of this monumental occurrence.
“Death Wish” gives us that. Creator Michael Piller was given the idea from his
son, Shawn, and it provided a way for Q to come to voyager in a way that was
not so contrived. By introducing Quinn (which is how I will refer to the
suicidal Q from this point on), we are given a reason for Q (played once more
with brilliance and wickedly impishness John de Lancie) to appear in the Delta
Quadrant. Quinn is fascinating to me as a character. Played by Gerrit Graham
(whom we saw previously in DS9’s first season episode “Captive Pursuit”), he is
able to grab onto the mischievous quality common to most Q, but brought a bit
down to Earth by his weariness with an immortal existence. Most of all, what
works best in this episode is the superb on-screen chemistry between Q and
Janeway. This is the third captain that Q has tangled with. Picard set the
standard and his relationship with Q was always entertaining. Sisko only got
one shot, and while he hadnled Q well, from a story point the fire just wasn’t
there. With Janeway, Q takes things to a different place. The banter is there,
but it is different. This refreshes the character of Q, and the theme of the
story being the place of euthanasia in society gives Q an opportunity to
change. While much of the rest of the cast is relegated to the background, we
get some great scenes for Tuvok and Janeway.
Q(uinn) attempts to end his life...and causes all the men on the ship to vanish |
Relevance – 2 points. One point for setting the stage
for the rest of the Q-centered episodes that will follow on Voyager. Because of
Quinn’s death, Q rethinks his attitude towards the Continuum, and causes him to
go back to his rebel ways. Another point is scored for a quick list of Q’s
previous antics (most notably introducing the Federation to the Borg).
The game of hide and seek continues |
Continuity – 3 points. Story wise this works well. It
would make sense that when Janeway hears that “Q” is on the ship, she declares
red alert and braces herself for a tough go. Universe continuity also works
well, and we get a rare glimpse as to what life in the Q continuum is like.
Character continuity is good as well. I thought even Q was true to himself
throughout the episode, despite the growth and change he underwent.
Everyone has been the scarecrow |
Character Development – 2 points. Q gets the most
treatment and growth here, and while he is not a main character on the show, he
is a beloved character that now spans three series. While this may not score
points in this category, it does deserve a mention. I also feel that Janeway
gets some significant development and lays the foundation for what will be an
entertaining rivalry between her and Q. Much of the main cast becomes glorified
extras here, but Tuvok does get to tangle his logic as he advocates for Quinn.
Best double-face-palm in Trek. Vulcans. |
Social Commentary – 3 points. Even today many
governments in the world are conflicted by the debate around a person’s right
to die. As much as we would like to think that all lives are important, what
happens when one is overcome by the pains of life to the point that they want to
end it? Does Quinn have a lot to contribute? Of course he does. He would have
been invaluable to the Voyager crew. And yet he would have been miserable and therefor chose to end his life. Is this right? That is a hard question to answer and
evokes much emotion, but that is what makes the social commentary so relevant.
While we continue to grapple with this issue, this episode gives us a lot to
consider and helps us better understand both sides of the argument.
The Q Continuum |
Cool Stuff – 3 points. Of course we score a point for
Q. The show is almost always a bit more special when this omnipotent rascal
blips onto the screen. John de Lancie is true form and pulls off one of his
better outings as Q. I enjoyed the exploration of the Q Continuum itself, with
its whimsical portrayal of the long highway, with various Q playing the
different parts, from the dog to the scarecrow. I also award a point for the
appearance of Q’s witnesses. Issac Newton appears again (this time as a
non-holographic entity) and we get to see William T. Riker again (it’s always
nice to see Johnathan Frakes), but I love how the second witness, the hippy
responsible for saving Woodstock, is named after the actor that plays him. The
story goes that the character had a different name, but upon meeting actor Maury
Ginsberg, the Michael Piller loved his name so much that they changed it in the
script. This makes him the second character to share the same name as the
character, but the first person to have that honor for a character that was not
himself (Stephan Hawking played himself in a TNG episode). That’s a bit of
obscure trivia for your day!
The witnesses are called |
Rank – Admiral (22
points). This
is definitely a must watch and shows some of the strength in Voyager. Q was
such a popular character on TNG that fans had been clamoring for his return in
every follow-up series. While his appearance on Deep Space Nine was not
terrible, it was only decent at best. On Voyager, however, they were able to
bring him into the show in a way that was more than just another Q running
a muck episode. This episode is Star Trek at its best.
The comet where Quinn was found |
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