YOUTUBE VIDEO - First Time Watching ALL of Star Trek - Episode 168: Deja Q (TNG S3E13)

I love watching Trek with you guys! It’s pretty much my favorite thing. 😂

The "A" plot turned into the "B" plot really fast. Also this episode definitely didn't drag in the time used. Felt very short.

Nice to see the Corbin Bernsen role as the second Q. Back in 1990 he was probably the biggest actor on screen after Whoopi Goldberg, for his main role on L.A. Law and movies like Major League. Good job for only a minute or two of work and making him feel like a Q, considering we’ve only had one other Q to base things on.

The Q who gave "our" Q his powers back was played by Corbin Bernsen, who was one of the main cast of "L.A. Law", a hugely popular drama about lawyers that was on at the same time as TNG. Bernsen's divorce lawyer character, Arnie Becker, was the breakout star of that show: a charming rogue and womanizer without much in the way of ethics who was endlessly fun to watch. Perfect casting for a Q!

Seems to me the plot is intentionally secondary to the character arcs. The whole point of the episode is exploring humanity through Q and Data. Typically, good Star Trek.

I don't think we're supposed to believe that Q didn't know what eating or sleeping is. When Picard said "you fell asleep," he wasn't confused by the concept. He immediately displayed shock at the notion we have to go through that experience on a daily basis. Its the difference between knowledge and experience for him. He might know that humans eat, but he doesn't understand the sensation of being hungry, nor does he possess the instincts to eat. From his perspective, his body just feels strange and he lacks the experience to connect those feelings to specific actions.

The 10 chocolate sundaes line reminds me of the 1987 episode of Night Court where the old lady in the nursing home is arrested for prostitution... Mrs. Smith: (about her prostitution) Sometimes I do it for pudding. Dan Fielding: Sometimes I do it *in* pudding. (Then Dan's hot sex plans fall apart at the very end of the episode.) Food Vendor: Hey pal, did I get your order? Dan Fielding: (Very frustrated.) Give me 10 puddings. [episode closing line]

I think the helmsman ensign was Ensign Bennett played by Timothy "Spike" McCormack (1948–2022). He was a regular background actor and was also the main stand-in for Data's actor Brent Spiner.

I think this is one of my very favorite episodes. (Q and the holodeck immersive episodes were often my favorite or favorite FUN episodes.) I remember where I was when I watched this episode the first time, and I watched it with other people. This episode probably works a better when you watch it with other Star Trek fans. I remember that there was an episode around season 4 that one so crazy that I had to stop watching for awhile; this is at least one of my favorite episodes before that point.