John de Lancie’s Q popped up in every season ofStar Trek: The Next Generationto annoy Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), but he never appeared in any of theTNGfilms. Introduced in the feature-length premiere ofTNG,Q became one of the show’s most beloved recurring characters. Although Q initially took on an antagonistic role, he eventually became more of a nuisance forCaptain Picard and his USS Enterprise-D crew. John de Lancie and Patrick Stewart played magnificently off of one another, making all of their scenes incredibly fun to watch.
AfterStar Trek: The Next Generationcame to a close with its seventh season, Captain Picard and his crew jumped to the big screen. The fourTNGfilms not only passed the metaphorical baton from Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) to Captain Picard, but they also incorporated several elements that had been introduced on the show.Star Trek: First Contact,for example, focused on the Borgand explored the aftereffects of Picard’s assimilation into Loctus. EachTNGfilm had a main villain, butJohn de Lancie’s Qnever made an appearance, despite his popularity among fans.
The Reason Q Never Appeared In A Star Trek: TNG Movie
Q Didn’t Quite Fit With The Tone Of The TNG Movies
While no one involved in theStar Trekfilms has provided a direct answer as to why Q never made an appearance, there are numerous possibilities. WhileStar Trek: The Next Generationoften dealt with complex moral quandaries and characters who fell somewhere between good and evil,theTNGfilms had clearer good guys and bad guys.By the end ofTNG,Q had developed a certain fondness for Picard and even helped him out on a couple of occasions. Perhaps the minds behind theTNGmovies wanted to have clear villains, and Q did not quite fit into that dynamic.
In a 2020 virtual panel for GalaxyCon, Jonathan Frakes mentioned that he pitched a Q story after he was tapped to direct the secondTNGfilm.
TheStar Trekfilmsare also meant to appeal to a wider audience and hopefully attract new fans to the franchise. By focusing more on sci-fi action and battles of good versus evil,theStar Trekfilms can be enjoyed without having seen every episode of the series.It would have been difficult to incorporate Q into aTrekfilm without explaining who and what he was, as well as his past dealings with Picard and the Enterprise-D. While it would have been incredibly fun to see Q on the big screen,Star Trek: The Next Generationdid give Q a movie in its own way.
Q Got A Star Trek Movie: TNG’s Finale “All Good Things…”
TNG’s Feature-Length Finale Was A Better Movie That Star Trek Generations
Q may not have officially made the jump from television to film, but he did bookendStar Trek: The Next Generationwith significant roles in both the series premiere and finale. With its three interconnected stories and glimpse into the future, “All Good Things…” felt like a feature film in many ways.The story follows Captain Picard as he jumps through the past, present, and futureof the Enterprise-D. As Picard works to investigate a strange spacial anomaly that threatens to destroy the universe, Q helps push Picard in the right direction.
Every Star Trek Series Finale Ranked Worst To Best
All good things come to an end, so how do the endgames of every Star Trek series stack up against each other? And what do they leave behind?
“All Good Things…” is a perfect ending forTNG, and it feels like a better send-off for the characters than the finalTNGfilm,Star Trek: Nemesis. “All Good Things…” works as well as it does because of everything that came before, making it a particularly rewarding episode for those who have been around sinceTNGbegan. Q fits perfectly into the story, and everyStar Trek: The Next Generationcast member gets a chance to shine. John de Lancie returned to play Q inStar Trek: Picardseasons 2 and 3, but it remains to be seen whether he will ever appear in aStar Trekfeature film.
