John de Lancie calls Q mad and dangerous in Star Trek: Picard season 2

John de Lancie returns as Q in season two of Star Trek: Picard.

Q, played by John de Lancie, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, Voyager, and Deep Space Nine, was always considered to be obnoxious and more than a little petulant, like an overgrown child who hadn’t gotten his way. Though he’d caused some ripples in Captain Picard’s adventures, he hadn’t really been that dangerous to Captain Janeway or Commander Sisko. He had a mission with Janeway and was there just to irritate Sisko. This time, though, when he re-enters Admiral Picard’s world, he isn’t the same Q we’ve met.

According to an interview de Lancie gave press [via Trekmovie], the Q Picard encounters this time is a lot darker and dangerous to know. For some reason which will be revealed in the series, he’s “mad, bad, and dangerous to know.”  Q doesn’t come back for fun. He has a purpose, and that purpose requires Picard.

Q is, according to John de Lancie, not the puppet master this time.

Whatever is taking place in season two fo the series, Q is affected, too, according to de Lancie.

"“That’s why I’m saying is that it’s just not me doing this [as] the puppet master affecting the puppet. I’m affected by this as well. The character is affected by this as well. And that’s why there’s an urgency in all of this.”"

The actor went on to say that Q and Picard are connected, surprisingly because Q has a “genuine love” for the admiral, and he believes Picard has the same love Q. Whatever is happening in this second season, it’s really important, and Q needs him to do something for him, but there is little time to waste. Or as Q would say…

"‘We got to do this, and we got to do this now, and you, in particular, have to do this now, because you don’t have much time, old man. You don’t have much time.’"

Star Trek: Picard returns to Paramount+ on March 3, 2022.