VOY: The Q and the Grey

         I have always had mixed feelings about Q episodes. And it isn't that I dislike John de Lancie, but what they do with him varies greatly in terms of storytelling. I thought the previous episode about a suicidal Q was an interesting look at the morality of immortality, but their decision to render the continuum as a boring metaphor only gets more boring in this episode. The idea of a Q war is fascinating, but the idea that they would go at it with muskets in something inspired by the Earth civil war is just silly. I know that it is supposed to be something grander made comprehensible for us primates, but the fact that humans and the like can be handed the guns and turn into actual threats to the Q seems downright absurd. 
         We open with the crew watching a supernova followed by Janeway heading to her quarters for bed only to discover that Q has decided to seduce her. He wants to mate with her and spends the next bit of time convincing her to sleep with him unsuccessfully. Back on the bridge there are more supernova and Q admits he has something to do with it. His apparently ex-lover shows up upset and he and Janeway disappear into the continuum as a shockwave hits the ship. They are in a version of the American civil war and under attack from the other side. Q explains that this is an actual civil war and the supernovae are a side effect of it. He gets hit and eventually Janeway has to rescue him to his camp somehow off camera. Back on the ship Lady Q has lost her powers but they have a plan to get into the continuum anyway, fly the ship into an exploding star. Janeway sneaks off to try and negotiate peace but is captured along with Q and the two face execution. But somehow the crew of Voyager show up and save the day with guns blazing. Lady Q and Q have a baby by touching fingers and Janeway agrees to be the godparent.

         Review: Waaaay too much messing around in this episode for my taste. Could have been an episode of the animated series for all the actual content. I really hope Q gets more interesting in Voyager.

3 out of 10