John de Lancie returned to Star Trek despite hating a key aspect of Picard

John de Lancie returned to Star Trek despite hating a key aspect of Picard

As a seasoned Star Trek gamer with over three decades of warping through the galaxy, I must say that John de Lancie‘s portrayal of Q is nothing short of legendary. The man can capture an audience with just a twitch of his omnipotent eyebrows! However, it seems the writers of Star Trek: Picard have been struggling to find the right balance for this iconic character, making him more of a disappointment than a delight in recent seasons.


In the annals of Star Trek, hardly any character has made such a significant impact in so few screen appearances as John de Lancie. His presence on-screen captivates audiences, making them hang onto every spoken word and gesture he delivers, which might lead one to believe that he’s appeared in numerous episodes. However, this assumption would be incorrect.

He hasn’t even been in a whole season’s worth of shows. In fact, in his entire history, across five shows, de Lancie’s Q has only been in 22 episodes. Nine of which were in Star Trek: Picard, the show that holds the distinction of having the most apperances by the famed character. Whether that’s a note you want to celebrate is entirely up to you.

We don’t intend to criticize Star Trek: Picard excessively, but it seems to have left more viewers dissatisfied than pleased. Each season tends to disintegrate in a unique and unexpected manner. It consistently leaves fans feeling let down. The second season was particularly disappointing due to the mishandling of the Q character. This character is one of the highlights from The Next Generation’s overall narrative. He’s known for his playful, light-hearted nature, delivering grand statements and challenges that were once perceived as impossible.

1) He possesses godlike abilities but behaves like a youngster. This has led to some intriguing interactions, as there’s not much one can do with Q except placate him in some way. However, it doesn’t imply that he lacks compassion; indeed, Q had alerted Jean-Luc Picard about the impending Borg threat. Despite nearly causing the entire crew harm or assimilation, such an incident was a testament to his warning.

Initially, at Picard’s location, he appeared as a grave and somber individual. Stripped of the quirks that defined Q’s distinct personality. However, it was not this change in character that troubled de Lancie most about reprising his role; instead, it was the fact that Q seemed to be dying.

de Lancie hated that idea, telling ScreenRant;

Well, I wasn’t happy about the dying part because I just kept saying, “You know, this is Star Trek.” Star Trek deals with big issues. If you’re going to have me die, which is fine, we need to delve into that. And quite frankly, death is perhaps the biggest human issue that there is. And we need to delve into it. And they didn’t delve into it.

As an ardent fan, I can’t help but express my disappointment in the decision to reintroduce de Lancie and Q in Picard. In retrospect, it seems like a creative blunder that significantly marred the show, leaving an impact that felt irreversible. The team behind Picard demonstrated time and again their mastery over Star Trek, but this move only served to cast doubt on their abilities. It’s ironic that de Lancie himself had to highlight the flaws in this approach.

I eagerly anticipate the possibility of seeing Q and de Lancie again, this time in a series that aligns much better with what fans have been yearning for.

Read More

2024-09-29 01:23

Previous post Dylan O’Brien’s new movie confirms UK release date