Object

Captain's Log (Supplemental)

A concise supplemental captain's log entry voiced by Captain Picard and delivered as an in-ship voiceover. Presented via the Enterprise's computer as an official recorded report, it sounds controlled, formal, and urgent—summarizing mission status, noting Q's arrival and status, and punctuating the bridge's escalating moral and tactical crisis. The log functions as an audible record the crew references indirectly; its tone and timing direct audience focus and authorize Picard's perspective on unfolding decisions.

4 appearances

Purpose

To record mission status and provide an authoritative narrative framing/expository voiceover that summarizes events (notably Q's arrival and condition) for the crew and audience.

Significance

Acts as a narrative anchor and legitimizing device: it brackets action, clarifies stakes, and amplifies the moral rupture when Q is rendered mortal and confined. The supplemental log reinforces Picard's command responsibility, heightens urgency, and channels the ship's official record into dramatic momentum.

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments

S3E13 · Deja Q

Tractor Beam Failure — Q's Desperate Plea

The supplemental Captain's Log functions as a narrative framing device in voiceover, summarizing mission status, noting Q's arrival, and highlighting the deteriorating orbit — it compresses exposition and authorizes Picard's perspective on the ethical dilemma.

Before: Queued in the ship's computer for voiceover recording; metadata reflects mission context.

After: Plays as an in‑scene device to communicate stakes and command perspective; remains archived in ship records.

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S3E13 · Deja Q

Q's Fall: A Mortal Plea and Picard's Command

Picard's supplemental captain's log frames the scene and provides narrative context about the deteriorating orbit and Q's arrival; the log is invoked as an expository device anchoring the bridge's urgency and the stakes that shape Picard's decision.

Before: Recorded as a ship log segment and queued for narration; the content is being delivered as voiceover.

After: Serves as archived exposition that underscores mission context; remains in ship records.

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S3E13 · Deja Q

Q Stripped of Power and Confined

Picard's supplemental captain's log frames the scene as a formal, archival record and opens the sequence; the voiceover contextualizes the stakes and signals the official, procedural weight behind decisions made on the bridge.

Before: Stored in ship's computer as a recordable log entry; queued and then played as V.O.

After: Played and now part of the Enterprise's official mission archive for this incident.

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S3E13 · Deja Q

Reluctant Escort: Picard's Tactical Mercy

The supplemental Captain's Log is voiced at scene start and frames the crisis; it functions as narrative context that authorizes Picard's perspective and underlines the stakes shaping the bridge debate.

Before: Recorded and queued as the supplemental log; playing as voice-over at scene opening.

After: Remains in the ship's archives as a record of the mission status; provides narrative documentation for later reference.

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