Star Trek: TNG’s Classic Borg 2-Parter Is Even Better If You Know Its Secret

Star Trek: The Next Generation

Summary

Star Trek : The Next Generation ’s iconic " Best of Both Worlds " two - parter remains a highlighting of theStar Trekfranchise , but it ’s even good when you know the behind - the - vista details . TNGseason 3 cease withStar Trek’sfirst major cliffhanger , the words"to be continued"appearing on screen for the first of what would become many sentence . Even today,“The Best of Both Worlds , Part I " is one of television ’s best cliffhangersand it works for several reason . But the setting of what was last on behind the scenes make the winner of the two - parter even more telling .

When the USS Enterprise - Dgoes to look into a possible Borg attack , they find themselves front off against a Borg third power . Proclaiming"resistance is futile,“the Borg enamour Captain Jean - Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ) and assimilates him . As the newfangled mouthpiece for the Borg , Picard as Locutus lead a annihilative attack against the Federationatthe Battle of Wolf 359 . As " The Best of Both Worlds , Part 1 " ends , Commander William Riker ( Jonathan Frakes ) set up the Enterprise to fire on the Borg third power , with Captain Picard on base .

So many edition of the Borg Collective exist in Star Trek , from TNG ’s original cybernetic villains to Voyager ’s offshoot and Picard ’s revitalisation .

Star Trek: TNG’s “The Best Of Both Worlds” Is Even Better If You Know Its Secret

Even The Writers & Actors Didn’t Know How The Cliffhanger Would Resolve.

When theStar Trek : The Next Generationwriters were working on " The near of Both Worlds , Part 1 , " they had no estimation how the story would terminate . Executive manufacturer Michael Piller wantedTNGseason 3 to end on a cliffhanger , which wassomethingStar Trekhad never done before . Piller himself was considering leaving the writing staff and contract bridge negotiations were still on-going with some of the cast member , including Patrick Stewart . With so much up in the air , neither the writer nor the actors knew how the 2nd one-half of the taradiddle would play out .

The cliffhanger made the postponement over the summertime of 1990 for the resolution even more tense forStar Trekfans . At the time , rumors eddy that Patrick Stewart was leaving the cast , and the episode left room for that hypothesis . Thankfully , Stewart stuck around , as did Michael Piller , although much of the writing faculty was new . While " The Best of Both Worlds , Part II " may not be quite as spectacular as Part I , it add the story to a satisfying conclusion , an telling exploit in and of itself considering the precariousness behind the prospect .

Why Star Trek Fans Love TNG’s “The Best Of Both Worlds”

The TNG Two-Parter Incorporates Everything Great About Star Trek.

With a strong tale and cool , sci - fi set pieces , " The Best of Both Worlds " mostly crop on its own , even for those who have not seen every previous episode ofStar Trek : The Next contemporaries . The cliffhanger closing of Part I and the waiting for the finale of the level are also a with child part of the draw poker . advanced television shows end season with cliffhanger all the prison term , butthis was not as common in the early 1990s . And the uncertainty behind the scene meant the firmness of purpose of the tale was anything but a foregone ending .

Battlestar Galacticacreator Ronald D. Moore join theTNGwriting faculty for time of year 4 , and he wrote the instalment immediately following " The Best of Both world , " entitled " Family . "

" The good of Both Worlds " incorporates horror elements into its sci - fi dramatic play , presentingStar Trek ’s Borgat their most frightening and yield every main cast fellow member a moment to shine . For fans both raw and sometime , the chronicle was a compelling one , made even more so by the fact thatCaptain Picard ’s life was in existent danger for the first time in the serial . While Picard had been in peril before , he always had the patch armor of being the show ’s tether , but with Riker congeal up as the new Captain of the Enterprise - D , Picard ’s life was left hanging in the Libra .

Custom image by Simone Ashmoore

Star Trek: TNG’s “The Best Of Both Worlds” Got 3 Sequels

TNG’s “Family,” Star Trek: First Contact, & Star Trek: Picard Season 3

Throughout most ofStar Trek : The Next Generation’srun , each episode ( or two - parter ) tell a self - hold tale that wrap up by the remainder of the hour . Captain Picard and his crew members sound through many potentially traumatic experience , but the episode survey " The full of Both Worlds , Part II " was the first clock time the show come up to this trauma . InTNGseason 4 , episode 2 , " Family,“Jean - Luc visits his comrade Robert ( Jeremy Kemp ) on Earthand contemplates go away Starfleet . He breaks down , let on how much the Borg assimilation truly affected him .

InStar Trek : Picard , Jean - Luc learns that his clip as Locutus left residuary Borg DNA in his mastermind that he inadvertently passed on to his Word , Jack Crusher ( Ed Speleers ) .

Several eld afterward , Star Trek : First Contactpicks up on this thread , as Picard extend to deal with his experience with the Borg . By the clip ofStar Trek : Picardseason 3,Jean - Luc ultimately confront his past psychic trauma with the Borg , help his boy Jack escape the clutch of the dyingBorg Queen ( Alice Krige ) . Not only does " The good of Both Worlds " continue to impactStar Trekstories today , but it also help cementStar Trek : The Next Generationas one of the not bad science fiction shows of all metre .