John de Lancie Hints At A Grim Fate For Q In Star Trek: Picard

John de Lancie may have let slip that something terrible is coming for Q in Star Trek: Picard.

By Faith McKay | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

john de lancie

John de Lancie is having a great time working on Picard season two if his online posts are anything to go by. He’s happily sharing his experiences on Cameo, where fans can pay to have him send personal messages. Many of these videos include updates where the actor who plays Q appears to let slip behind-the-scenes information. Previously, he’s said many short things that have raised a long list of plot questions for the Star Trek series. The latest has us wondering what grim possibilities could possibly befall Q on the series. In a recent video, John de Lancie said, “You are going to be seeing me soon on Picard. I come back – not in a walker, but close to it. It’s my final carryings on with Jean-Luc Picard.”

The keyword in this quote from John de Lancie is “final”. Why is it his final time with Jean-Luc Picard? It could be that the actor simply views it as his final time because it’s all his contract has on it and the actor simply considers this to likely be his last time in the character. However, the season two trailer of Picard focuses heavily on Q’s character. With so much focus on Q, it may make sense for him to die… if he was anyone else. But he’s Q. He’s supposed to be immortal. While John de Lancie as a human actor has aged, Q is always presenting himself in a human form comfortable to Jean-Luc Picard, so it’s reasonable to believe that Q is appearing older to match Jean-Luc. Still, Q shouldn’t be passing away of old age.

q john de lancie star trek picard

The season is focusing on time travel. Is it possible for Q to get lost? Will he vow to never bother Jean-Luc Picard again, because he’s gotten tired of it? That doesn’t seem possible. As a Star Trek actor for so many years, who knows this franchise endures all things, it seems like John de Lancie wouldn’t consider this to be his character’s final time bothering Jean-Luc unless he felt sure of his character’s end, particularly since there are so many more Star Trek projects in the works these days. It doesn’t feel like the comment was off-hand. Though that may simply be the case, it feels less likely. The comment definitely has people wondering if it’s possible that Q may be facing a grim fate.

It’s important to note that while we have heard that John de Lancie is in six episodes of Picard, we also know from the actor himself that the show is shooting seasons two and three back to back. We don’t know if the six episodes featuring Q are all in season two or if they extend into season three. So, if Q is facing a grim fate on Picard, it may not happen until season three. We’ll have a better idea of that once it’s revealed which episodes the actor is appearing in.

Could it really be possible that Q’s story with Jean-Luc Picard is over? John de Lancie’s character has had so much fun irritating the uptight captain over the years. If there is an end to that relationship, hopefully, the Star Trek series will find a way to make that feel fitting after all the time we’ve spent watching the pair on screen.