“Déjà Q” is episode thirteen of season three of Star Trek: The Next Generation.
The Enterprise is in orbit around Bre’el IV whose asteroidal moon is descending. It will come down soon and there’s no explanation as to why. The asteroid won’t disintegrate due to tidal forces and Riker’s suggestion of blowing it to pieces will just mean the same mass hits the planet, just over a wider area. If it impacts, it will be bad.
Captain Picard asks Geordi if they can coax the moon back into orbit. He can divert warp power to the tractor beam, but it will exceed the impulse engine’s specs significantly. There’s a slim chance it will work. Which is better than none, so it’s attempted. It doesn’t work and a whining noise fills the ship. Then a naked Q appears in the air in the bridge and falls to the floor.
Q’s arrival suggests a reason for the problem. Geordi needs more time or power to move the moon, neither of which they have. Q doesn’t like the outfit he’s wearing. He doesn’t know anything about the moon; there’s a more serious problem. He’s no longer a member of the Continuum. His superiors are punishing him, saying he’s spreading chaos through the universe and he’s been stripped of his powers. This is not believed.
Troi asks if Q was made human as part of his punishment. No; that was at his request. He had a fraction of a second to choose, and chose human and being here. Captain Picard is the closest thing Q has to a friend in the universe. Leading to the most common version of the Captain Picard facepalm meme. Data reads Q as human and Troi as him being terrified. Q wants sanctuary. He’s asked to return the moon to orbit. He can’t; he has no powers. What must he do to convince them? Die, is Worf’s suggestion.
The captain asks if Q wants to be treated as human. He does. Picard orders Worf to take him to the brig. Q spends the time in the turbolift whining. Worf has no sympathy. Q asks if he’d let them lock him away if he had no powers. Q has lied too often.
Riker and Picard are in the captain’s ready room, trying to work out what Q is up to. The captain says that Q may have nothing to do with the moon; they have no choice but to proceed as if he has no powers. Geordi is not optimistic. Then a bright light suffuses the ship; some sort of probe Data speculates. It settles in the brig.
The captain heads to see Q. Q whines some more. He didn’t notice the probe, being otherwise preoccupied. A frightening experience, and recounts it. Translation: Q fell asleep. Q claims to be an expert on moons. He may not have any powers but he still has knowledge. The captain summons Data and drops Q’s forcefield. Q will have to work hard to earn their trust. Q is not worried. Picard merely dislikes him. There are others in the universe who truly despise him. Data escorts Q to engineering; they talk about humans, and Data’s desire to be one, on the way.
In engineering, Geordi explains his plan. It has problems. Q has other concerns; he’s hurt his back and can’t straighten up. Besides, they need to examine the cause, not the symptoms. The moon was probably disturbed by a large celestial object, probably a black hole, passing through. They can simply change the gravitational constant of the universe to get it back. No, they can’t. Dr Crusher arrives and diagnoses Q with a muscle spasm. Q does not appreciate her bedside manner. Geordi realises that, though they can’t change the gravitational constant of the universe, they might be able to change the asteroid. Q has another problem. This time with his stomach. It’s making noises. The doctor diagnoses hunger.
Data escorts Q to Ten Forward. Q doesn’t know what to eat. What Data sometimes consumed is not suitable. But food choice is often influenced by a person’s mood. Q’s is dreadful. Counsellor Troi often consumes chocolate in such a situation. Such as a chocolate sundae. Q orders ten. He’s in a really bad mood and has never eaten, so he must be hungry. Then he spots Guinan. She decides to test to see if he’s human. By stabbing him in the hand with a fork. Guinan takes pleasure in Q’s condition.
Q was telling the truth about something else; there are others in the universe who dislike him a lot more than the Enterprise‘s crew. And they know where he is. Overall, one of the lighter episodes.