of the series. Keith DeCandido for Tor.com thought that the plot was predictable, describing Riker being written as "so paint-by-numbers the color is practically dripping off the screen". He praised the relationship between Q and Picard, stating that de Lancie was having such "fun with the role that the episode itself is also fun despite its flaws". He gave "Hide and Q" a score of five out of ten. Zack Handlen re-watched the episode for The A.V. Club, and thought it was an example of where TNG avoided characterisation in favour of a morality play. He thought that the episode was a mess, with the highlights being Picard reciting Shakespeare and the Napoleonic monsters. He rated the episode as a C−. Star Trek: The Next Generation actor Wil Wheaton reviewed the episode for the Huffington Post after the end of the series, describing John de Lancie in his role of Q as "brilliant casting and masterful acting", and thought that overall the episode was reminiscent of the original series and had some good points. However he thought the script had the characters lecturing the viewer on occasion, based on the idea that ultimate power will lead to corruption. He gave the episode a score of B−. Home media release The first home media release of "Hide and Q" was on VHS cassette on July 1, 1992. The episode was later included in the Star Trek: The Next Generation season one DVD box set, released in March 2002, and in the Star Trek: Q DVD box set from the fan collection series of sets. It was released as part of the season one Blu-ray set on July 24, 2012. This episode was released in the "Q Continuum" collection of LaserDisc. The collection was released on July 30, 1997 and was published by Paramount Home Video; it retailed for 100 USD. The set included the 2-part "Encounter at Farpoint", "Hide & Q", "Q Who?", and "Deja Q" on 12 inch optical discs in NTSC format with a total runtime of 230 minutes. The collection came in a Tri-Fold jacket that also included a letter from actor Jon De Lancie. Notes References External links Star Trek: The Next Generation (season 1) episodes 1987 American television episodes Television episodes directed by Cliff Bole Television episodes written by Gene Roddenberry