(explosive intro music) (gentle music) - Your answers are not in the stars, and they never have been. - [Shane] The "Star Trek" universe is filled with many memorable characters. Some we know a lot about, and others we know very little. And then, there are others
that we've seen frequently, but are still a mystery
wrapped into an enigma, and no character fits this
description better than Guinan. The wise bartender who ran 10 Forward onboard the USS Enterprise-D
seems equally adept at advising Geordi La Forge after a date, out shooting Worf on the phaser range, or advising Captain Picard on the Borg. These things alone might have had fans
raising their eyebrows, but Guinan's already mysterious backstory became true "Star Trek" puzzle during the episode Q Who in "Star Trek:
Enterprise"'s second season. Guinan is able to sense Q's presence, even though he isn't aboard the ship. Then, it is revealed to us that she knows our troublemaking Q. And on top of that, he seems to fear her, which is very un-Q-like,
considering his God-like abilities. We would learn more
about Guinan over time, but unfortunately we were
never given the backstory between these two characters
before the show ended. Guinan always seemed to know things. But, what secret powers does she hold that would trouble a Q? Speculation fueled by
the fandom would suggest that Guinan was perhaps a Q
herself, or was at one time. Some suggested she was Q's mother, although we aren't sure even Q would call his mother
an imp or a creature. Others suggested she was a
shape-shifting founder, like Odo, although there is no
proof of this whatsoever. But, with her return to
the "Star Trek" universe for "Picard" season two,
the mystery is back again. And with Q in the mix as well, fans are more eager than ever
to learn who Guinan really is, and what power she must
hold to frustrate Q. We believe the upcoming season of "Picard" will reveal the mystery we've spent years trying to figure out. And thanks to a lot of research and clues from the most
recent "Picard" trailer, we believe we have figured out exactly why Q doesn't like her. It was right under our
nose the whole time. So, you don't wanna miss this episode. Also, make sure you stay
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Q, The Trial Never Ends graphic design, from the amazing
artists at MixedTees.com. - Also, I can kill you with my brain. - Guinan was seen in 29 episodes of "Star Trek: The Next Generation," as well as the "Star
Trek: The Next Generation" and "Nemesis" movies. Whoopi Goldberg, who plays Guinan, paved her own way into the franchise. Coming off a huge role
in "The Color Purple," and the lead in "Jumping Jack Flash," Whoopi had become a household name. When Tasha Yar was killed off in the first season of
"The Next Generation," she thought there would be a vacancy for a female actress on the series. Goldberg reached out to
her friend Levar Burton, who was playing Geordi La Forge. She asked him to tell Gene Roddenberry that she wanted to be on the show. But, the producers thought she was joking and didn't take the request seriously. Once they realized she really
did wanna be on the show, but wouldn't be able to commit to appearing as a permanent
member of the cast, Roddenberry and Rick Berman created the character of Guinan for her, and she became a mystic,
Yoda-like bartender of the newly created 10 Forward. Roddenberry envisioned the
character as extremely old, leading Goldberg to suggest
she could be the ancestor of some of the other
characters on the series. Whoopi once said during
a standup comedy routine that she was going to be the great, great, great, great,
great grandmother to Picard. But after Gene died, the
episode never got made. Whatever the original plan
for Guinan was going to be, it's obvious that her character changed throughout the series and movies. After nearly 30 years to
consider her relationship with Q, Picard, and her innate ability to sense the fabric of time around her, we are finally going to
understand her purpose. Something everyone needs to realize is that what he didn't
request a cameo on "Picard." Patrick Stewart invited
her to be on the show in January, 2020. Not Worf, Geordi, Beverly,
or Will, it was Guinan, and that is because they had a plan. - Want to invite you
into the second season. - Oh! - [Shane] The announcement
that John de Lancie was reprising his role as
Q on "Picard" didn't come for more than a year after
Goldberg's invitation. The fact that they are
both on the show now is not a coincidence. Guinan is critical in a storyline where Q is turning the world upside down. What does "Picard" say in the most recent season two trailer? There is a divergence, and I know someone who can help us understand
the change in time. Of course, Picard is talking about Guinan. And in the clip, we see her joking that she needs Earl Grey tea, hot. Joke as much as she wants, but Guinan is exactly who Picard
needs in Q-altered reality. The interesting part of Guinan's story really begins in the episode Q Who. Q throws the Enterprise across space and in the path of the Borg. At the beginning of this episode, there are several lingering scenes with Guinan looking troubled. It's a buildup for something. And when Q and Picard suddenly
show up in 10 Forward, Guinan comes at Q with a purpose and says, "I knew it was you." Here's a question for you, what happened to all
the people in 10 Forward who were there only moments before? Why were they gone, but
Guinan was still there? Hold on to that thought for a moment. When Q recognizes her, he is surprised, appalled, dismissive, and most importantly, a little scared. This is one of two times we
ever see Q fear another being. And the second time is once again Guinan, during the episode, Deja Q, when she stabs him in
the hand with a fork. During Q Who, Guinan throws up her hands as if she is going to use
some power she possesses against Q. What results is a standoff, as we are sidetracked by Riker showing up. A few moments later, after
Picard refuses Q's help, Q decides to teach him a lesson. And just before he snaps his fingers, Guinan says, "Q, don't." This shows us that Guinan
knows what Q is about to do. She is extraordinarily familiar with him. And this episode
establishes the relationship between Guinan and Q as
familiar and adversarial. (Guinan scoffing loudly) (gentle intriguing music continues) Guinan also admits that
she's known many Qs, because unlike the Q they're
currently dealing with, some of them are actually respectable. We have no idea what happened
between these two previously, but we know it didn't work out for Q. And what do we know about Q? The only thing that we've
seen that frustrates him is when he doesn't get what he wants. What can Guinan do that keeps Q from getting what he wants? We went over and over this, trying to figure out what it could be, and then we found a connection. But before we show you that link, let me quickly tell you why
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launch your passion project. Make sure you visit
squarespace.com for a free trial. And when you're ready to launch, go to squarespace.com/thepopcast to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain name. Check them out today. - (laughing) Impossible. - [Guinan] You never know till you try. - [Shane] The connection for us came while watching the season three episode, Yesterday's Enterprise. In it, the Enterprise-C passes through a rift into the future, where instantaneously the
Enterprise-D is transformed from a ship of exploration
to a ship of war. And the only person who is
aware of the change is Guinan. She doesn't know specifics, but she knows what's
happening isn't right. And she knows there are
people like Tasha Yar who are suddenly on the
Enterprise and shouldn't be there. Even though she had never met Tasha, she knew she should be dead. Now, Guinan wasn't immune
to the timeline change, but some ability inside her
allowed her to be aware of it. Remember how she was also
aware that Q was nearby when he wasn't even on the ship? When Jean Luc tells his
crew, in the trailer, that he knows who can help him, he knows Guinan is aware
of false realities. - It's not right. - [Shane] And what does Q do
when he is toying with people, whether it is Picard,
Janeway, or whomever? He is altering their realities. He is changing the fabric of
their existence to play out whatever scenario he wants
to see them struggle with. So, if Guinan can see through
or recognize false realities, and that's what Q does best, than Guinan could be a
huge pain in Q's butt. While we don't know exactly what happened to make Q and Guinan
hate each other so much, we believe Q tried to do something to her and she was able to see
through what he was doing, so much so that it actually
kept him from accomplishing what he wanted to do, and he was somehow powerless
to do anything about it. This is why he is so frustrated by her. This is why he calls her an imp. An imp is a small, mischievous devil. Who could possibly be mischievous to Q? Someone who can stop him
from doing what he wants. So, what is Guinan? Guinan is Q's kryptonite. Remember when we said earlier, Q made everyone in 10 Forward
vanish, except for Guinan? We believe it's because
he can't get rid of her. Or if he can, she has the power to make
him pay for it somehow. So, what exactly does this
have to do with Guinan in "Picard" season two, and where did these powers
come from in the first place? Let's start with her powers. Much to the disappointment
of a lot of fans, we don't believe Guinan is an outcast Q or some other outlandish being. She is very old. She'll be right around 620-years-old during "Picard" season two. She's an El-Aurian. We didn't actually know
the name of her race until the movie "Generations." We know the race is long-living because Guinan's parents
are still alive and well in the 2360's. We do get to see Guinan in 1893, when she is about 100-years-old, during the two-part episode, Time's Arrow. In these episodes, she doesn't display any of the awareness of her older counterpart. She isn't aware that
Data is out of his time, and she isn't aware that an alien race is time-traveling right under her feet, in ancient San Francisco. So, if she's not born with her ability, she must have gained it along the way. In fact, Guinan can thank her
special powers to the Nexus, or more appropriately, Enterprise-B beaming
her away from the Nexus at a critical moment that
brought her physical body back, but left behind her echo. This is the echo that helps Picard realize his reality is not real
while he's in the Nexus. In an early version of the
"Star Trek: Generation" script, Guinan explains that her experience with the Nexus and Enterprise-B are responsible for her sixth sense. This would end up not making
it into the final script, but Ronald D. Moore confirmed this during a 1997 AOL chat session. So, let's put this together. The Nexus is an extra-dimensional,
heaven-like realm, where one's thoughts and
desires shape their reality. Inside the Nexus, time
and space have no meaning, allowing one to visit any time and space that one could imagine. But, the Nexus is
ultimately a false reality, and recognizing false realities
would be Guinan's superpower for the rest of her life. So, how will she use her super
power in "Picard" season two? We believe she will once
again play Q's foil, by spilling the beans to Picard,
and helping him understand the nature of the false reality
timeline he is stuck in. And she will tell him
exactly what he needs to do to get home. Of course, she'll do
it through some example that Picard won't understand
without an embarrassing lesson. So in the end, Guinan is just an alien
who lives a long time, and has a special ability to help Picard whenever he's in trouble, and frustrate Q whenever she shows up. We find it impossible to believe
they will not find a moment to put Q and Guinan together this season. We expect Q to reveal that
her Nexus-given abilities are the source of his frustration. And we expect all will
eventually turn out well for Picard and his crew,
thanks to a little help from our favorite 10
Forward bartending mystic. What do you think? Are you excited to see Guinan
in "Picard" season two? Do you think she'll get more than a cameo? Do you wanna see her
and Q get into a brawl, or makeup after all these years? Let's talk about it in the comments below. Also, check out this awesome "Star Trek" Q, The Trial
Never Ends graphic design from the amazing artists at mixedtees.com. Get 20% off your purchase by
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