VOY: Q2

         When I saw that there was one more Q episode left in VOY I wasn't exactly excited. But it does do a pretty good job of wrapping up the crisis in the continuum plot from several seasons earlier and introduces us to the son of Q. Of course they are always just called Q so I will steal from the episode title and refer to the boy as Q2. Q has always been obsessed with humanity so it is hardly surprising that when he has problems with his family he turns to he current Trek captain to solve them. And honestly this give Janeway an opportunity to show her leadership skills in a way she hasn't had much of a chance to the last few seasons. I admit it, I loved when Neelix lost his speech. Sure, he isn't as bad as the first few seasons, but it is nice to see them acknowledge that maybe they haven't done the best job of not making him super annoying. 
         We open with Icheb giving Janeway a presentation of Kirk and the early Federation for his on board academy training. When he leaves Janeway is surprised to see an annoying young man in her ready room making fun of what he just watched. It is Q2 and before long Q shows up. It seems Q2 has been brought to learn about humanity and before long Q disappears leaving them to deal with him. So Q2 starts rampaging around the ship causing problems every where until finally he gets them attacked by the Borg getting Q to step in. Janeway gives him some parenting tips, but Q isn't able to make it work so they agree to some consequences. Q2 is to be left on Voyager for a week as a human and if he can't prove his value he will be turned in an amoeba for the rest of eternity. At first he is still up to his old tricks, but Janeway calls him on it and he straightens up and even befriends Icheb. After five days Q shows up again to tell him he has failed so Q2 steals the Flyer with an unwilling Icheb but they encounter hostile aliens and Icheb is mortally wounded. Q2 returns to Voyager and demands that Q fix Icheb but instead he is sent along with Janeway to apologize to the hostile aliens. He give a heart felt applogy and we learn the alien was actually Q. This is enough for Q, but not for the continuum so we have a fake out where Q2 thinks he will have to stay a human the rest of his life. But Q returns with the good news that Q2 has been accepted back into the continuum. Q thanks Janeway and we actually deal with why Q doesn't just send them home, kinda.

         Review: I skipped over a lot of the Q2 antics because they weren't all that central to the plot, but overall this manages to balance itself pretty well into a good Q episode. Not nearly as goofy as they sometimes get and some actual lessons seem to have been learned.

6 out of 10