See also
- Principle of double effect
- Sons of Mogh (Kurn unhappy, wants Worf to execute him)
- Ethics (Star Trek: The Next Generation) (Worf unhappy, wants to be executed after injury)
- Half a Life (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
| "Death Wish" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Voyager episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 2 Episode 18 |
| Directed by | James L. Conway |
| Story by | Shawn Piller |
| Teleplay by | Michael Piller |
| Featured music | Jay Chattaway |
| Production code | 130 |
| Original air date | February 19, 1996 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Death Wish" is the 18th episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager , the 34th episode overall. The episode originally aired on February 19, 1996. The episode features a new member of the Q Continuum named Quinn, and appearances by Star Trek: The Next Generation alumni William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) and Q (John de Lancie).
Voyager encounters a comet, inside which there is a single living being. It turns out to be a member of the Q Continuum (later designated as Quinn). Quinn thanks the Voyager crew for freeing him from his imprisonment, then tries to commit suicide. He is unsuccessful (see omnipotence paradox) and causes all the males on Voyager to vanish instead.
Q himself appears and accuses Quinn of sending humans to the Delta Quadrant where they did not belong yet, then realizes all the men are missing and returns them. Quinn requests Federation asylum from Janeway when Q wants to re-impose the Q Continuum's sentence of imprisonment. Q laughs at the request for asylum (the two Q even going as far as an extreme hide-and-seek chase) but Janeway decides to hold a hearing on Quinn's request. Q reluctantly agrees to make Quinn human if he is granted asylum. He attempts to bribe Janeway throughout the episode, claiming that if she rules against Quinn, he'll send Voyager home; it is also hinted that he is infatuated with her.
During the hearing, Q summons witnesses to testify against Quinn's suicide. Another Q defends the justice system of the continuum. Sir Isaac Newton claimed that he was sitting beside Quinn when the apple struck his head (after Quinn stood up to leave, he jostled the tree, causing the apple to fall). Another witness, Maury Ginsberg, claims that if Quinn had not offered a ride in his jeep, he would have never made it to Woodstock, got the sound system working, and met his future wife. Finally, William Riker of the USS Enterprise denies any claim to have known Quinn at all, until Q shows Riker that Quinn had helped his family in the past: as a soldier in the American Civil War, Quinn carried a wounded Union officer, Colonel Thaddeus Riker, back from the front lines to safety – ultimately ensuring Will Riker's existence in the future.
Quinn's argument involves a representation of the Q Continuum, which appears as a road stretching around the entire planet with one rest stop, a country gas station and store, and some bored Q standing around. Quinn describes immortality as dull, explaining that it is only possible to experience the universe so many times before it gets boring. Q tries to dismiss it and makes a poor attempt to show that the other members of the continuum are happy, but Quinn sees through it and confesses, to Q's surprise, that it was Q's earlier unrestrained behavior in an attempt to make his life fun (which led to the events in "Deja Q") that was the motivation for his own actions. He makes an impassioned speech comparing his eternal boredom to suffering from a terminal biological disease for which suicide is the only humane release, and that being forced to live for eternity against his will "cheapens and denigrates" his life, and indeed all life. Janeway is clearly moved by this and agrees to grant him asylum. Keeping his part of the bargain begrudgingly, Q makes him human. At this point, Quinn chooses his name.
While trying to decide where to assign Quinn so that he will not use his knowledge to evolve humanity overnight, Janeway and Chakotay receive a message from the Doctor that Quinn is dying after ingesting a rare poison, Nogatch hemlock. After they realize that the Doctor did not keep any of the poison on hand, and that the computer would not replicate it due to its harmful nature, Q then appears and admits that he was the one who gave Quinn the poison: he's taking up Quinn's rebellion against the staid order of the Q ("By demanding to end his life, he taught me a little something about my own. He was right when he said the Continuum scared me back in line. I didn't have his courage or his convictions. He called me irrepressible. This was a man who was truly irrepressible. I only hope I make a worthy student.").
In 2012, Den of Geek ranked this as an honorable mention as a candidate for their ranking of the top ten episodes of Star Trek: Voyager. [1] In 2017, Den of Geek ranked actor Gerrit Graham as the character featured in this episode, Quinn, as the best guest star on Star Trek: Voyager. [2]
Worf, son of Mogh is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise, portrayed by actor Michael Dorn. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), seasons four through seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) and the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard, as well as the feature films Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).
Q is a fictional character, as well as the name of a race, in Star Trek, appearing in the Next Generation, Deep Space Nine, Voyager, Lower Decks, and Picard series and in related media. The most familiar Q is portrayed by John de Lancie. He is an extra-dimensional being of unknown origin who possesses immeasurable power over time, space, the laws of physics, and reality itself, being capable of altering it to his whim. Despite his vast knowledge and experience spanning untold eons, he is not above practical jokes for his personal amusement, for a Machiavellian or manipulative purpose, or to prove a point. He is said to be almost completely omnipotent and he is continually evasive regarding his true motivations.
Star Trek: Voyager is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman, Michael Piller and Jeri Taylor. It originally aired from January 16, 1995, to May 23, 2001, on UPN, with 172 episodes over seven seasons. It is the fifth series in the Star Trek franchise. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, it follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager as it attempts to return home to the Alpha Quadrant after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant on the far side of the Milky Way galaxy.
William Thomas "Will" Riker is a fictional character in the Star Trek universe appearing primarily as a main character in Star Trek: The Next Generation, portrayed by Jonathan Frakes. Throughout the series and its accompanying films, he is the Enterprise's first officer, and briefly captain, until he accepts command of the USS Titan at the end of Star Trek: Nemesis. He is the husband of Deanna Troi.
"Hide and Q" is the tenth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and originally aired on November 23, 1987, in broadcast syndication. The story was originally written by Maurice Hurley but went under numerous re-writes by the show's creator Gene Roddenberry. The episode was directed by Cliff Bole, and saw the return of John de Lancie as Q.
"The Q and the Grey" is the 11th episode of the third season of Star Trek: Voyager, the 53rd episode overall. This is a science fiction television episode of the Star Trek franchise that aired on UPN in 1996, featuring John de Lancie as the alien Q.
"The Thaw" is the 39th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 23rd episode of the second season. In this science fiction television show, the crew of a spaceship discover aliens who are mentally connected to a computer. The spacecraft finds a planet that was destroyed by a solar flare, and the survivors are in hibernation pods.
"Counterpoint" is the 104th and tenth episode of the fifth season of Star Trek: Voyager. In this space science fiction television show, a spacecraft, the Federation's USS Voyager is stranded on the wrong side of the galaxy as it must slowly makes its way home to Earth. In this episode, Voyager and its crew encounter the Devore aliens, posing particularly difficult choices for the ship's captain, Starfleet Captain Kathryn Janeway.
"Ethics" is the 116th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. The 16th episode of the fifth season.
"Reunion" is the 81st episode of the syndicated American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. It is the seventh episode of the fourth season.
"Threshold" is the 31st episode of American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager and the 15th episode in its second season. It first aired on UPN on January 29, 1996.
"Eye of the Needle" is the seventh episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. The screenplay was written by Bill Dial and Jeri Taylor based on a story by Hilary Bader, and it was directed by Winrich Kolbe. It premiered on UPN on February 20, 1995.
"Frame of Mind" is the 147th episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: The Next Generation, and the 21st episode of the sixth season. Written by Brannon Braga and directed by James L. Conway, it first aired on May 3, 1993 and focuses on First Officer Riker as he grapples with conflicting realities. The episode incorporates elements of the Tom Stoppard play Every Good Boy Deserves Favour which had recently been performed by members of the cast.
"Workforce" is a two-part episode from the seventh and final season of the TV series Star Trek: Voyager. Part one was directed by Allan Kroeker, and part two by Roxann Dawson. The crew of the USS Voyager finds themselves working on a planet, but troubling memories are resurfacing.
"Q2" is the 19th episode of the seventh season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. It initially aired on the UPN network as the 165th episode of the series, and was directed by Star Trek: The Next Generation castmember LeVar Burton.
"Before and After" is the 63rd episode of the science-fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, and the 21st episode of the third season. It foreshadows events seen in a later episode, "Year of Hell". The episode debuted on UPN on April 9, 1997. This episode is focused on the alien and crew member Kes, played by actress Jennifer Lien, in a plot involving a complicated time travel paradox with the USS Voyager. In this science fiction show, the USS Voyager is a 24th century star ship stranded on the other side of the Galaxy as Earth, and must make its way back over what may be decades with motley collection of Starfleet, Maquis, and aliens as crew.
"Lifesigns" is the 35th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 19th episode of the second season. It has an average fan rating of 4.2/5 on the official Star Trek website as of September, 2009.
"Coda" is the 57th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 15th episode of the third season. This science fiction television show episode focuses on the characters Janeway and Chakotay of the Federation spacecraft USS Voyager. In the 24th century, a spaceship Captain and first officer are traveling by shuttlecraft back to USS Voyager when they have an incident.
"The Haunting of Deck Twelve" is the 145th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the penultimate episode of the sixth season. Neelix tells a story, while trapped with the ex-Borg children during a power outage aboard the USS Voyager, a Starfleet vessel stranded on the wrong side of the galaxy.
Several characters within the Star Trek franchise, primary and secondary, often made crossover appearances between one series and another. This included appearances of established characters on premiere episodes of new series, a few long-term transfers from one series to another, and even crossovers between Trek films and television. A few crossover appearances, such as that of Spock on The Next Generation and the time-travel of the crew of Deep Space Nine to the era of The Original Series were especially lauded by both fans and critics.
