The Best of Both Worlds isn’t just the height of Star Trek. It is, simply, one of the finest hours of science fiction. This is it. This is the moment Star Trek: The Next Generation broke out of its cocoon and rewrote the standard for drama, science fiction and episodic television. Considering individual taste, fans might actually find an episode or two that they like better than this one. But no one can deny the power, craft, and impact that The Best of Both Worlds had on not only TNG, but pop culture as well.

The Borg. If our first introduction to them in Q Who? was ominous, then their sudden reappearance in The Best of Both Worlds was nothing short of apocalyptic. For a year and a half we, like the the Federation itself, had been anticipating this moment. And from the initial hints and confirmation of the Borg presence, the storm builds with tension, drama, and a clear understanding that no one has any idea how to defeat the Borg and save their civilization from ruin. At last the storm breaks, the Borg make their introduction and Picard utters the first of many lines to be indelibly imprinted on us: “We have engaged the Borg.”

And then all hell breaks loose.

The Borg are even more powerful and determined than before. They are sinister. They are purposeful. And they have a new target: Captain Jean-Luc Picard himself. After brief, fierce, mismatched confrontation resulting in heavy casualties, Picard runs and the Enterprise takes refuge within a nebula. It’s a moment for us to catch our breath, a moment for Picard to make his rounds before the inevitable, fateful confrontation, a moment for Guinan to reassure Picard, and us, that no matter how devastating the unfolding events may be, humanity will survive. Picard isn’t so sure. In a discussion evoking the sacrifice of Admiral Lord Nelson, commander of the HMS Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar, and the fall of the Roman Empire, Picard contemplates his own end and the end of everything he holds dear, asking: “Will this be the end of our civilization? Turn the page.”

And so we do.

After being flushed out of the nebula pursued by the Borg, the helpless Enterpriseis quickly overtaken. The ensuing battle serves one purpose only: the abduction of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. Once Picard has been taken, the Borg immediately set course for a new target. The very heart of Starfleet, the center of the United Federation of Planets: Earth. And just when we think things cannot get any worse. They do.

Riker, now in command of the Enterprise, gives pursuit in the hopes of utilizing a superweapon devised by LaForge and Wesley. They have one chance at using it, and the ship will be crippled afterwards. But desperate times call for desperate measures. Riker sends an away team over to the Borg ship in the hopes of doing enough damage to get it to drop out of warp long enough for the Enterprise to use its doomsday weapon. The away team succeeds, but during the firefight we get a glimpse of what has happened to Picard. The reveal is chilling, horrifying, and downright shocking to anyone who, in 1990, didn’t know it was coming: Jean-Luc Picard, captain of the U.S.S. Enterprise has been assimilated.

Unable to rescue Picard, the away team returns to the Enterprise. Riker is then faced with a difficult decision. Attempt to rescue Picard? Or fire the superweapon, destroying the Borg, and Picard in the process. Intruding upon Riker’s thoughts is a communication from the Borg ship, from Picard himself. But he is Picard no more. Instead, we are introduced to Locutus of Borg. Earlier in the episode, after his abduction, Picard openly defied his abductors telling them he will resist with every fiber of his being. Their response? “Resistance is futile.”

And now, seeing a once proud man reduced to being an agent of the enemy, telling his former Number One, just as he was told, that resistance is futile, we sense the urgency and tragedy of what must happen next. Picard has been lost. If the Borg return to warp speed, Earth could be destroyed. Riker knows it. We know it. It is now or never for their superweapon. The Borg must be destroyed, along with whatever is left of Captain Picard.

The camera centers on Riker. He glares at the screen. We hold our breath for what seems like forever. And then we hear him give the order: “Mr. Worf … fire.”

Fade to black … To be continued …

And we gasp. That’s it? That’s the end of the episode?

It’s a brilliantly devised cliff hangar, even trumping that of The Empire Strikes Back. The events of The Best of Both Worlds bring us to the very brink of the end of TNG. It is an epic, cinematic episode that completely transformed the series from a safe, albeit at times provocative, formula and threw everything into jeopardy. The sense of danger and catastrophe is palpable. The pacing, the camera, the music are all exceptional. And the actors all realize that this is the moment to shine — and so their characters shine as well.

What truly propels The Best of Both Worlds to greatness isn’t just its science-fiction Good vs. Evil drama, but also its character. In this episode Riker, like the series itself, transforms into a mature, wise, purposeful character. The foil for Riker’s transformation, Lt. Cmdr. Shelby is the weakest aspect of the episode. Her character is just a little too annoying. But, she does provide a catalyst for Riker’s ascendancy to the Captain’s chair so she serves a purpose.

The lasting effects of this episode are still being felt. The catchphrase “Resistance is futile” has become part of the pop culture lexicon. And the cliff hangar season-ending episode is now common among episodic television shows. But more immediately, and more importantly for the series, The Best of Both Worlds took TNG to a level of entertainment that transcended the Star Trek mythos and, ultimately, legitimized the series. After this episode, nothing would ever be the same again. And for those of us who first saw it on Monday, June 18, 1990, we would have to wait three months to see how those changes would affect the series.

The Best of Both Worlds is TNG’s finest, most triumphant moment. It truly doesn’t get any better than this. Any minor flaws can be easily overlooked in favor of its profound influence on the series and beyond.

Topics: Borg
Filed under: TNG Reviews