Star Trek: How John De Lancie's Q 'Broke' The Fourth Wall

For all his grand schemes and plots against the Enterprise, John de Lancie's Q from "Star Trek: The Next Generation" is as iconic as the rest of the crew. Q is introduced in the 1st episode of the series as a god-like trickster with ambiguous morals, and there is no other character more apt to break the fourth wall. A technique used more and more in popular culture these days, breaking the fourth wall shatters the illusion that the piece of media the audience is watching is separate from the audience itself. "Fleabag" and "Deadpool" have utilized this by showing their characters address the audience directly.

In "Star Trek: Picard," Q does this by making a meta-reference to the series itself. In the series finale, "The Last Generation," Q shows up after his seeming demise in Season 2. When Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers) points out that he should be dead, Q responds, "Here I was hoping the next generation wouldn't think so linearly." With a not-so-subtle wink at the audience, Q is the one character to refer to the title of the series where Picard and his crew first debuted. Though "The Next Generation" may be over, the end of "Picard" seems to be setting up more stories with the remaining characters.

The ending of "Star Trek: Picard" is the final farewell these familiar characters deserve, but it also signals the beginning of something new. After Picard saves his son, Jack, from the Borg assimilation — like father, like son — the latter gets assigned to the Enterprise. This monumental moment wasn't lost on Ed Speleers, who was aware of the legendary John de Lancie when he shot their scene together. Though it was a short scene, this was a significant moment for the younger actor.

"I was intimidated by him at first, but in a good way," Speleers shared with Collider. "I was like, 'Oh my God, this guy's the real deal.' He's tall and he's eloquent and he's no-nonsense, and he just looks at you, and it's a warm look, but it's intense, which I love. I relished doing this scene with him...He's great." If this is the end, then there is no better way to put a cap on the story. Q has been a part of the Star Trek legacy for decades, and passing the torch to Picard's son is a thoughtful and satisfying way to say goodbye. But Paramount+ is also the central hub that all Star Trek series call home, and this could be the beginning of another adventure.

In just about every sci-fi franchise, the ability to achieve light-speed capabilities makes the story possible. In the case of the Star Trek universe, Zefram Cochrane is the one who invented the Warp Drive and made first contact with Vulcans. After first appearing in "Star Trek: The Original Series" briefly, Cochrane is explored in more depth in "Star Trek: First Contact." Portrayed by James Cromwell, the character is far from the mythical legend that the Federation has propped him up to be. However, he does join Q in breaking the fourth wall of the franchise.

The crew of the Enterprise time travels to the day of first contact to stop the Borg from destroying the Federation. When they reveal themselves to Cochrane, he notes that they seem to be astronauts on "some sort of star trek." This is a significant line not just because of its meta nature but because saying the title of the series has been done on only one other occasion. 

Interestingly enough, Q is the other character to mention the series by name. In the series finale of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Q announces his intention to "put an end to your trek through the stars." The character has always been a fickle one, and giving him such a line was one of the best ways to put the show to rest — at least for a time.