Hide and Q ( episode ) Q returns to the " Enterprise " , testing Commander Riker by giving him the power of the Q . Summary . Teaser . Having dropped Troi ' s shuttlecraft off at Starbase G - 6 , the is fortunately close to the Sigma III system , when its Federation colony transmits an urgent call for medical help . An accidental explosion has devastated a mining operation there . There are 504 colonists at the site . En route to the mining colony at warp 9 . 1 , the " Enterprise " is once again trapped in Q ' s force field grid . Q appears as an Aldebaran serpent on the bridge of the " Enterprise " , and informs the bridge crew that the Q Continuum , after studying their recent contact with Human ity , are mostly impressed by them and wishes to discuss it . Picard urgently asks to wait until they ' ve completed their mission , but Q demands he abandon it . He then changes into a Starfleet Admiral . Act One . Picard again says that he will listen to Q ' s offer of the realization of their " impossible dreams " , but only following their rescue mission . Q , however , disagrees , and turns himself towards Riker , asking what he finds of Q ' s offer . Riker says that they do not have time for Q ' s " games , " which triggers Q ' s excitement . He transports Riker , Data , La Forge , Yar , and Worf off the bridge to a class M planetoid , appearing before them in the uniform of a Napoleonic marshal . Picard is left alone and unable to contact anyone in the ship . Q colorfully engages them in a Napoleonic - era campaign tent , declaring that the point of his game will be to stay alive . He promises a great future for Humankind if they win , but something " disastrous " if they lose . Furthermore , the game will be completely unfair , brushing off fairness as a Human concept . Yar protests , and Q transports her away into a " penalty box " , but , unbeknownst to the crew , she is really back on the " Enterprise " . He says , that if anyone else violates the rules of the game , he will be put in the penalty box , displacing Tasha into nothingness . Act Two . Q appears before Yar and Picard on the " Enterprise " bridge , saying Yar ' s penalty is now over . While seated in the captain ' s chair , he makes a Starlog entry for Picard , explaining that the real intent of his game is to test whether the ship ' s first officer is worthy of the greatest gift the can offer . They make a bet : Picard ' s command against Q ' s keeping out of Humanity ' s path forever . Q then promptly tells Picard that he has already lost as Riker will be offered something impossible to refuse . Picard then confronts Q in his ready room . Q sits in his chair , reading one of Shakespeare ' s works . Picard asks why Q is demonstrating a " need " for Humans through this confrontation , instead of providing a simple , direct explanation , a statement of what he seeks . Through Q ' s recitation , Picard understands that how Humans respond to a game tells him more about them . Q proposes to continue and quote some Hamlet for him . Picard refuses , and quotes him instead : " " What a piece of work is man ? How noble in reason ? How infinite in faculty , in form , in moving , how express and admirable . In action , how like an angel ; in apprehension , how like a god . . . " " Q stands up in objection from his chair , and responds that surely Picard doesn ' t see Humanity like that . Picard answers that he sees Humanity as one day becoming like that , and perhaps that is what the Q fear . Q , obviously irritated by Picard , throws the large Shakespeare book at him and then disappears . Meanwhile , down on the planetoid , Riker , Data , and La Forge discuss the situation while Worf gathers reconnaissance . Apparently , alien s dressed in 18th century French uniforms are heading their way , armed with ancient musket s . Data explains that muskets are inferior to their phaser s . The muskets , however , turn out to have phaser power . Q , appearing as Data before Riker , tells him that he now has the power of the , and is able to transport his crewmates back to the ship . He does so , and is amazed . Act Three . Back aboard " Enterprise " , all systems are again functioning , and the Q grid has disappeared . There is no sign anything happened , and no others noticed anything . Data , La Forge , and Worf appear back on the bridge , where Picard explains to them Q has shown some kind of interest in their first officer . On the planetoid , Riker and Q discuss the powers Q has granted Riker . Interestingly , the rank insignia that Q now carries on his uniform is that of a Starfleet commander , implying they are now equals . Riker asks what Q wants from him . Q replies that the Continuum has granted them a gift , beyond all other gifts . He explains that , before Farpoint Station , they saw Humanity as savages only . However , they discovered instead that Humans are unusual creatures , in their own limited ways . He also states that since Humans are constantly evolving , they may eventually become stronger than the Q one day . Riker rejects Q ' s powers , and Q disappears . Suddenly , the bridge crew , including Picard but also Wesley Crusher , appear on the planetoid ' s surface again , while they are approached by the soldier creatures Q created . Now unarmed , only Riker ' s powers can save the crew now . Worf is stabbed by a bayonet from one of the animal soldiers , and after Crusher runs to his rescue , the acting ensign is killed as well . Frustrated and angry , Riker uses his new - found powers to create a Q - style force field around the soldiers , and transports the crew back to the " Enterprise " , healing Worf and Crusher in the process . Picard is stunned . Act Four . The " Enterprise " , meanwhile , has arrived at the mining colony . In Picard ' s ready room , Riker guarantees Picard that he will be strong enough not to use the power of the Q . An away team beams down to the mining colony , and they find a small group of people seriously injured . They find a young child underneath some rocks . Dr . Crusher says it is too late , and that the child has died . Riker is faced with the dilemma of whether to bring the child back to life . He says that he is prevented from doing so by a promise . He shows his frustration to Picard on the Enterprise and surprisingly demands a meeting with the senior staff from him . The senior staff , including Wesley , meets on the bridge . Riker explains that even though he has been granted unusual powers , he is not a monster , that he is still the same William Riker they know . Picard reminds him that he has already changed , for example , by not addressing him as captain . Riker doubts that his decision not to save the child was right , comparing it to when he saved the " Enterprise " crew earlier , however , Picard reminds him that that was a fiction Q created . He tries to convince Riker that the Q do not admire Humans , but that they have muddled Riker ' s mind . Then , Q appears as a medieval monk on the bridge . Act Five . Picard furiously asks Q why he takes on so many guises , " " Have you no identity of your own ? " " Q retorts , " " I forgive your blasphemy " . " Riker asks to give each of the senior staff something they ' d most like . Dr . Crusher asks Wesley to leave with her . Riker , however , knowing that his young friend wishes he was older , turns Wesley into an adult , aging him ten years in an instant . He offers to make Data Human , but the android declines , saying that it will never feel real to him . Riker then walks to La Forge , granting him his vision . After taking in the view of Quadra Sigma III ( and taking a long look at Tasha Yar ' s " beautiful " face ) , La Forge also declines Riker ' s gift , telling the commander that " the price is too high " and he does not like who he has to thank . Riker then creates a Klingon female as a mate for Worf . Worf , however , says that there is no place for the female in his life . Wesley also asks Riker to make him young again . It isn ' t until Q says " " But it ' s easier , boy ! Listen to Riker ! " " that Riker realizes his mistake . He admits he feels like a fool , and Picard comforts him by confirming that he should . Picard then walks up to Q , pulls off his hood and tells him to uphold their wager . Q stomps around the bridge , recalling no wager . Picard replies that his fellow Q will remember that because he failed to turn Riker , he ' ll promise to stay out of Humanity ' s way forever . Thunder sounds on the " Enterprise " bridge , and Q is abruptly called back to the Continuum , screaming for a second chance . For the " Enterprise " crew , it is as if they had just returned from their rescue mission , like no time had passed in between . Data asks the captain how the Q can handle space and time so well , while they handle interactions with Humans so badly . Picard answers that they may one day learn that space and time are easier to handle than the Human equation . Memorable quotes . " " Those aren ' t muskets ! " " " " I feel like such an idiot . " " " " Quite right , so you should . " " " " Macrohead . . . with a microbrain ! " " " " You ' re no Starfleet admiral , Q ! " " " " Oh , your species is " always " suffering and dying . " " " " Q is nothing if not imaginative . " " " " No one has ever offered to turn me into a god before . " " " " Oh for shame , Worf . Fairness is such a Human concept , think imaginatively ! This game shall , in fact , be completely unfair ! " " " " You ' ve gone too far ! " " " " Game penalty ! " " " " I ' m offering you a bright future . " " " " Incredible , Worf ! You came out of nowhere . " " " " A warrior ' s reaction . " " " " There ' s a new ship ' s standing order : when one is in the penalty box , tears are permitted . " " " " A marshal of France . . . ridiculous ! " " " " Hear this , Picard , and reflect : ' All the galaxy ' s a stage . ' " " " " ' World ' , not ' galaxy ' ; ' all the world ' s a stage . ' " " " " Oh , you know that one . . . well , if he was living now , he would have said ' galaxy . ' " " " " Let us pray . . . for understanding and for compassion . " " " " Let us do no such damn thing ! " " " " Worf , is this your idea of sex ? " " " " This " is " sex . But I have no place for it in my life now ! " " " " ' No place for it ' , Microbrain ? What possesses you ! " " " " Oh , thank you very much I ' m glad you enjoyed it . Perhaps maybe a little . . . Hamlet ? " " " " No . I know Hamlet . And what he might say with irony I say with conviction . " What a piece of work is man ! How noble in reason ! How infinite in faculty . In form , in moving , how express and admirable . In action , how like an angel . In apprehension , how like a god . . . " " " " " Surely you don ' t see your species like that do you ? ! " " " " I see us one day becoming that , Q . Is it that which concerns you ? " " " " But it ' s what you ' ve always wanted Data , to become Human . " " " " Yes , sir . That is true . But I never wanted to compound one . . . illusion with another . It might be real to Q . . . perhaps even you , sir . But it would never be so to me . Was it not one of the captain ' s favorite authors who wrote , " This above all : to thine own self be true ? " Sorry , commander , I must decline . " " Background information . Remastered version . In the original episode , the desolate planet set was extended through use of video compositing , a difficult effect to recreate using the original components . CBS Digital created a new set extension using matte paintings for the episode ' s release as part of the TNG Season 1 Blu - ray collection . Links and references . References . 1790 ; 18th century ; 20th century ; Aldebaran serpent ; " All ' s Well That Ends Well " ; ; " As You Like It " ; bayonet ; Betazed ; blood ; bridge ; burn unit ; campfire ; candle ; cannon ; Cargo Bay 6 ; class M ; ; costume ; couch ; death ; dress uniform ; drum ; Earth ; Emergency Manual Override station ; eye ; Farpoint Station ; feather ; flags and banners ; force field ; force field grid ; France ; freckle ; French ; gas ; " " ; " Hamlet " ; ; Human history ; Human philosophy ; hypospray ; " kligat " ; Klingon ; Klingon mating rituals ; lemonade ; " Macbeth " ; " macrohead " ; marshal ; medical tricorder ; medkit ; methane ; ; Milky Way Galaxy ; model ; monk ; moon ; musket ; ; number one ; penalty box ; Q Continuum ; ; Qo ' noS ; Quadra Sigma III ; ready room ; red alert ; ring ; rosary ; schematic ; sex ; ; Sigma III system ; signal horn ; skant uniform ; Starbase G - 6 ; tear ; tent ; tricorder ; truism ; turbolift ; turbolift control ; " Twelfth Night , or What You Will " ; type I phaser ; type II phaser ; unnamed planets ; unnamed plants ; viewscreen ; VISOR