This is an excerpt from a show which frames "QAnon" as a membership of people who want to start killing people.
THE ROOKIE
SEASON 4 EPISODE 16 (3/13/22)
LOPEZ
Mrs. Thorsen, this is serious. Morris Mackey was murdered in your house. Your son is still a suspect.
YVONNE
Just like the police to only focus on what's in front of their nose. Morris Mackey didn't just appear out of thin air when he started working for me. Honey, the man had enemies.
[ Crowd chanting "We are Q! We are Q!" ]
QANON WOMAN
They're the crazy ones! We're the sane ones! You're the cult! You're sheep!
LOPEZ
Prior to working with the Thorsen family, Morris had been hired by a bunch of QAnon conspiracy theorists. Apparently, they didn't like the negative publicity they were getting, and they wanted to show their side. Try to control the narrative.
INTERVIEWER
So what happened?
WESLEY
Morris was allowed into the inner sanctum. Conducted dozens of interviews with founders and followers. But he didn't make a propaganda film, he told the truth.
QANON MEMBER
[ Modulated voice ] We're in a war. Every one of us is prepared to start killing for our freedom.
LOPEZ
Morris may have won an Emmy, but he also pissed off a lot of unhinged and hyper-violent people.
QANON MEMBER
The storm is coming. There will be retribution.
INTERVIEWER
I've heard rumors that you have insight into the QAnon angle on this case.
SMITTY
Have you ever tried to put toothpaste back in the tube? Look, I know it's an expression, but have you actually tried to do it? I have. It's basically impossible.
INTERVIEWER
And what do you think Q is trying to tell people with his Q-Drops, these cryptic messages?
SMITTY
I was just typing, and maybe I got a little carried away.
INTERVIEWER
Wait. What did you say?
SMITTY
Well, I guess now is as good a time as any to reveal it. I'm Q.
NOLAN
Smitty is Q?
GREY
Lord, give me strength.
CHEN
What?
SMITTY
A lot of writers use pseudonyms. Q is my first initial, so… Hey, is my name down there?
CHEN
But it was an accident? He – He didn't start it on purpose?
INTERVIEWER
That's what he said.
BRADFORD
Yeah, sounds like Smitty.
SMITTY
I was trying to start the fan-fiction club for "This Is Us," and things just got out of hand.
INTERVIEWER
What the hell does "This is Us" fanfic have to do with a cult?
SMITTY
I mistakenly mixed cough syrup with diet pills when I was writing this satanic, alien story line for Jack and Rebecca. I woke up the next morning and read it – none of it made sense. But, overnight, I'd gotten so many followers, I just went with it. You can't put the toothpaste back in the tube.
HARPER
Morris had received threats from hundreds of QAnon followers, but when we started investigating them, one immediately stood out.
INTERVIEWER
Tell me about Connor Hart. What about him got your attention?
LOPEZ
Well, he was working as a cameraman on the reality show, so – that.
BRADFORD
Connor, thanks for coming down.
CONNOR
I'm not in trouble, am I?
BRADFORD
No. We just need to clear a few things up.
CONNOR
I told you everything I know. I was getting a battery, and he was just lying there.
CHEN
I'm not sure if you're aware, but it's common to run background checks on witnesses. And when we looked into you, we discovered that you're a member of QAnon.
CONNOR
No, no, no, I – I may have gone to a political rally or two, but I'm really not into that. I swear.
QANON MEMBER
Every one of us is prepared to start killing for our freedom. The storm is coming. There will be retribution.
BRADFORD
So, clearly, you are a follower of Q. Why would you work for Morris?
CONNOR
Honestly? I realized Morris was the best thing that could have happened to the movement.
BRADFORD
That makes no sense.
CONNOR
But it does. Morris's documentary exposed who was a true believer. And who wasn't. He never admitted it, but I think Morris was working for Q. That's why I followed him to the next gig.
CHEN
Do you still consider yourself a believer of Q?
CONNOR
Well, some stuff didn't come true. The London bombing, the Pope's arrest, Zuckerberg still has a job. January 20th came and went, March 4th came and went. I'm starting to think Kennedy is still dead. Both of them.
CHEN
Mm. So you don't believe in Q anymore?
CONNOR
Oh, I believe every word.