Star Trek: Picard Season 2 was already a hotly anticipated season, but when it was revealed John de Lancie would reprise his role as the classic character Q, the hype really got real. Fans are excited for what Q will be up to in the upcoming season, and surprisingly, the actor has given fans some insight on what to expect. This included a tease about what will be different when Q returns, which may be surprising.
Q has existed largely unchanged in the Star Trek timeline over his many appearances, but that won't be the case in Star Trek: Picard. John de Lancie confirmed as much in some Cameos (via Trekmovie.com), and his revelation confirms changes both expected and unexpected.
[I’m] a little bit of a different Q this time. A little more age-appropriate, what can I say? It’s been a long time since I put on that hat as it were…It’s going to be a different Q as well as it should. It’s not quite octogenarian Q, but time has gone by. So, it will be a different Q. Other than I am still there to annoy Jean-Luc as much as I can. And I think I do it pretty well.
It's interesting for John de Lancie to say he'll be playing an "older" Q because the character is technically ageless. He's been around in Star Trek for billions of years, so the idea that he'd suddenly look decades older could be an intriguing story that Star Trek: Picard could touch on. Perhaps something has happened with Q's power that has caused him to age?
It's possible, but it's also possible Q intentionally aged himself up to mock Jean-Luc Picard. Q would have the power to do something like that, and doing something like that would likely piss Picard off as well. Of course, if he really wanted to get under Picard's skin, Q would turn himself into a Synth, seeing as Jean-Luc's consciousness is now in a Synth body. We really don't talk about that plot twist enough for how bizarre it is, but at least it got rid of the pesky TNG plot point.
Of course, the actual reason Q was aged up was due to the fact that John de Lancie is not capable of looking the same age. Star Trek: Picard did make efforts to try and make Brent Spiner look as ageless as Data in Season 1, but for some reason balked at the idea of trying that with de Lancie. Perhaps it was just easier to work in a narrative reason rather than fret over de-aging with makeup and CGI, which I can totally understand.
Star Trek: Picard Season 2 will feature the cast in unique and seemingly unfathomable positions, most likely due to Q. A trailer for the upcoming season teased scenarios that showed Cristobal back in Starfleet, and Seven of Nine no longer a Borg. I don't understand any of it just yet, but I can't wait to figure it all out when it finally premieres.
Star Trek: Picard Season 2 is set to premiere on Paramount+ in 2022. Season 2 should be a treat for fans when it arrives, even if some plans had to be changed along the way due to production shutdowns. For more on that, read up on our interview with Gates McFadden, in which she hinted Beverly Crusher could've made an appearance pre-COVID.
