This is another episode that fits into the, "could be TOS or TNG," category. What makes this a TNG episode is that instead of being a god of the week it features the god of the series, Q. This is a followup episode to the pilot where Q noticed Riker was much more interested in Q than Picard was. It is nice to see the characters growing a bit, especially Worf who has had a pretty rough start. Wesley once again manages to avoid destroying the episode which is certainly nice.
We begin with the Enterprise on its way to help a colony that has suffered a mining collapse or something. But suddenly the Q grid blocks their path and Q appears first as some sort of three headed snake thing and then as an Admiral. He tells them he has some games in mind and takes all the bridge crew down to some planet leaving Picard alone on the bridge. Now Q is a Napoleonic Marshall and he tells them he has a deadly game in mind after relaxing with some lemonade with Riker. Tasha is sent to a penalty box for refusing to participate and the rest are told she will be killed if they don't. They find themselves alone and Worf goes miles ahead alone for some reason while Geordi keeps an eye, err visor, on him. Worf finds a camp of animal men with what appear to be muskets.
Back on the bridge Tasha is suddenly when the captain and when he starts consoling her Q gets mad and sends her back to the planet. Q and Picard fight about Shakespeare for a bit and we learn Q thinks humans may learn to be like the Q someday and that may be why they are so interested. Picard bets Q that if Riker beats Q at his game Q will leave them alone forever. Back to the planet the animal men attack and muskets are phasers or something. Q tells Riker to send them away with his powers and Riker uses his Q powers to send them back to the Enterprise. Riker and Q discuss things and it appears Riker is being given a trial period with his powers. Riker rejects Q's offer of powers and suddenly he and the other bridge crew plus Wesley are on the planet, and unarmed. The animal men kill Worf and Wesley before Riker uses Q power to save them all and bring them back to the ship.
The Enterprise arrives at the colony by Riker promised Picard not to use his powers so a little girl dies. Riker calls a meeting of the bridge crew and has clearly decided to become a Q. He calls the captain by first name and then Q appears, this time as a monk. Riker offers them all one wish and Picard tells them all to go for it. Wesley gets aged to be a man, Geordi is given sight, and Worf a bride. But they all reject the offer and Riker realizes he was wrong. Picard points out he has won the bet and Q is painfully dragged back to the Q Continuum.
Review: Not the most epic of episodes, but not a terrible piece of storytelling either. We have seen Geordi enough to enjoy seeing him with his sight restored, if only for a little while. Q's promise to never appear again was clearly too good to be true, but it gives the episode a nice bit of closure feeling.
7 out of 10
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