Wanting DS9 creators to let go of TNG

Rhonda’s Take on Episode 6: “Q-Less”

I know Deep Space Nine was the stepchild to first born The Next Generation and I know Q is a fan-favorite character, but I really wish we could let go of propping up DS9 with direct connections to TNG! I enjoyed O’Brien’s reference to TNG episode, “Q-Pid,” “I believe they met in the Sherwood Forest. It was a little trick Q played on the Enterprise crew.” Sisko’s line “I’m not laughing” is irresistibly reminiscent of Worf’s “I am not a merry man” from the earlier episode. The fact that O’Brien recognizes Vash and Q, but both of them were oblivious to him on the Enterprise only serves to highlight how underused the character was on TNG. Q goes so far as to say, “Oh, that’s right, one of the little people!” Yes, Q is arrogant and most humans are “the little people,” but he repeatedly points out how much he misses Captain Picard and I doubt any of the bridge crew from the Enterprise would’ve been so summarily dismissed.

Jennifer Hetrick is delightful in the role of Vash, but I wasn’t missing the character. Vash’s flirtation with Picard, or rather “Jean Luc” as she calls him causing O’Brien to pause, was entertaining in TNG, but seems unnecessary here. These characters are clearly shoe-horned in by the powers that be to link the two shows. Some of you might say that her return from the Gamma Quadrant was a chance to learn about this new frontier, but, alas, we don’t hear her debrief at the Daystrom Institute. Instead, we see a handful of trinkets that look like ancient terran artifacts being auctioned off by Quark, who cuts off Vash’s attempt of providing a bit of context for the first item. The energy creature that emerges from a gem that looks like the Prophet’s Tear from the first episode piques curiosity, but isn’t given any investigation by our characters so we are no wiser to the Gamma Quadrant.

Another disappointing #MeToo series of moments…His threats focus on taking away her beauty

In fact, I felt disappointed to be spending so much time listening to Q threaten Vash if she leaves him and her trying to spurn his advances. Another disappointing #MeToo series of moments as she says, “I can take care of myself,” and he says, “We’ll see about that!” When she is taking her Gamma goods to Quark’s, Q stops her and reminds her that without him she would’ve died in the Gamma Quadrant. His threats though focus on taking away her health, but, more importantly, her beauty. Can we say abusive relationship? I found their interactions disturbing, rather than humorous. On the sexism note, I can’t decide if I’m glad that chivalry exists in the 23rd century or if I’m annoyed that the men (Sisko & O’Brien) carry Vash’s bag for her in two separate scenes.

This pair are much more entertaining in separate sequences: Vash taming Quark with Oo-mox (“You’re very, very good!”) or being the object of Bashir’s flirtations (“I have no reason to keep you here”). The Q and Sisko fight scene is priceless for Q’s mustache alone, let alone for their exchange: “Picard never hit me!” “I am not Picard.” “You’re easier to provoke.” 

 Thematically, there’s some good material about self-agency from Q’s manipulation of Vash and his toying with Sisko and unwillingness to help the station. Vash and Quark highlight a capitalistic nature not often seen in Star Trek. Her bold statement, “When choosing between science and profit, I’ll choose profit every time,” sets us up to believe she’ll skip out of reporting to the Daystrom Institute for an adventure suggested by the Ferengi. Before starting the auction, Quark extolls the bidders: “Bid high. Bid often!” During this scene, Q gives a lovely speech about the “thrilling avarice” of humanoids. Odo, yet again, is given the opportunity to analyze the behavior of humanoids who spend their lifetimes accumulating items that are sold by their children who simply restart the cycle of accumulation.

The writers have fallen into a nice pattern of final moments. In this episode, Bashir, who’s been asleep most of the episode after Q suggested he was tired, reappears and delivers the line, “I feel as though I’ve been asleep for days. What? Did I miss something?” Dax was already smirking at Quark and Vash sauntering off together, but she gives Julian a bemused eye roll and strolls off camera grinning.

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