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Star Trek - The Next Generation, Episode 132: True Q [VHS]

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Unknown to her, a young girl's parents are Q who have denounced the ways of the continuum for lives of mortals. Of course, for the Q, this is a crime against nature. After the arranged death of the girl's parents, Q comes to call to collect their offspring and bring her "home". Will she go? Will she continue onboard the Enterprise, working under Dr. Crusher? Watch and see!

Of my 3 favorite episodes, this is number three. ("Remember Me" and "The Game" are the other two.)

In this one, a young lady from the academy wins the chance to spend time on board the Enterprise and work in various parts of the ship. This is some sort of program where the best get the feel of hands-on action in several different jobs aboard, to help him/her decide what they most want to train for. This lady seems to be torn between lab/medical and engineering.

However, recently she has found out that she is different. She has the powers of the race known as "The Q." Her real parents had been killed when she was little, so she had no way of understanding what was going on.

Q shows up to teach her. She believes she has the choice of (1)staying as a human or (2) going to join the Q race. But that is not true. Q is under orders to test her powers. If she proves to be a true Q, she is to be brought back to be with her own kind, whether she wants to or not. If she does not prove to be fully Q, she is to be eliminated!

Reminded me a bit of the shows "Bewitched" and "Sabrina, The Teenage Witch". I feel as though age teens through mid-twenties will like this episode most. Hmmm, I'm in my early thirties. Wonder what my excuse is. :)

Amanda Rogers (Olivia d'Abo), an orphan, joins the Enterprise as an intern. The young honor student looks like a normal human, but she soon evinces supernatural powers, saving the ship from destruction by containing an explosion in the engine room. When Picard calls a meeting of the senior staff to discuss the amazing young woman, Q pops up and provides the explanation: Amanda is a Q, born of parents who pretended to be human. When they had a child the Continuum destroyed them. Q insists it is time for Amanda to return home to the Continuum, but she refuses. Finally, Q gives her a choice: return to the Continuum or never use her powers again and remain a human. It looks like Q is not the only Q that finds the life of mere human beings to be interesting. Never mind that in "Encounter at Farpoint" (Episodes 1 & 2), Q acted like this was the first encounter between humans and the Continuum. "True Q" is something of a counterpart to "Hide and Q" (Episode 11) where Q tempted Riker with the powers of the Q. This is a below average episode with Q (John de Lancie), mainly because Picard and the crew of the Enterprise are more spectators his endeavors this time around.

This is an interesting little tale, somewhat let down by a few flaws.
Eighteen year-old Amanda has won an internship to study on the Enterprise, so that she has some idea which field she wants to specialise in when she joins Starfleet. But her life is turned upside down when she learns that she is one of the omnipotent Q. Now she has the choice of renouncing her powers and remaing human, or joining the Q continuum - and her assessor and advisor in this vital choice is the Q who has visited the Enterprise in the past.
Olivia D'Abo was a good choice for the role of Amanda. She is appealing, and conveys Amanda's adolescent confusion well. John de Lancie puts in his usual strong performance as Q. The ending is no real surprise, but that isn't the point - it's how Amanda comes to make her decision that counts.
I do think the writers chose a less than satisfactory character set-up for "True Q", though. As it stands, Amanda bonded with Crusher and developed a crush on Riker. Yet Riker would have been the perfect choice for her to bond with; after all, he would know exactly what she's going through, because he's been in the same situation himself. The crush on Riker could then have been replaced with a crush on some junior crewman or medical technician, and we would have been spared the unedifying sight of an eighteen year-old trying to seduce a man twice her age.
Amanda's age is a problem in its own right. Would an eighteen year-old who hasn't even been to university have such narrow specialities (and so many of them) and be given such a position? The crew of the Enterprise are busy people after all, and in a dangerous business. It makes about as much sense as eight year-old Harry in "When the Bough Breaks" complaining about having to learn calculus; or someone who's just graduated from high school being posted on an aircraft carrier to make up their mind what they want to do with their lives.
Picard is perhaps the greatest problem in this episode. His instinctive rejection of everything Q says is becoming very tired by this point, and one could truly believe that he is a bigot. He honestly seems to think that humans are superior to every other life-form in existence.
Watch this episode for another perspective on the Q and be moved by Amanda's troubles. Just try to ignore the captain of the Enterprise.