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The Best of Both Worlds, Part II (episode)

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"The Best of Both Worlds, Part II"
TNG, Episode 4x01
Production number: 40274-175
First aired: 24 September 1990
← 74th of 176 produced in TNG →
← 74th of 176 released in TNG →
  {{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered  
← 181st of 727 released in all →
Written By
Michael Piller

Directed By
Cliff Bole
44001.4 (2367)
← Arc: The Best of Both Worlds (2 of 3) →
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With Captain Picard assimilated by the Borg, the enemy is able to totally vanquish a Starfleet/Klingon armada at Wolf 359, leaving Riker in command of the Enterprise and forced to go one on one with his former captain. (Season Premiere)

Contents

[edit] Summary

[edit] Teaser

Hopes are dashed when the Enterprise's jury-rigged deflector dish-weapon fails to stop the Borg, who have kidnapped Captain Picard and transformed him into Locutus. Shelby is stunned. Commander Riker orders to cease fire on the weapon, and wonders how they were able to adapt so quickly. Locutus then informs the crew that Picard's knowledge was added to the Borg's, and that they were thus prepared for all courses of action that the Enterprise was preparing to take. He then notes a chilling reminder that their resistance is hopeless, while addressing Riker as "Number One".

[edit] Act One

The Borg then set course for Earth with the Enterprise unable to follow due to damage resulting from using the deflector weapon. Admiral Hanson informs that their engagement has bought them time to assemble a fleet of forty starships at Wolf 359. The Klingons are sending ships to assist, and Hanson thought of communicating with the Romulans. Shelby informs Hanson that the Borg would be ready, but Hanson rejects her warning. He officially awards Riker a field promotion to captain. At the same time, the Borg have tapped into Picard's knowledge of Starfleet defenses and Human nature. A single tear is his only reaction to the DNA rewrites and bio-implants that are assimilating his body.

Meanwhile, Worf and newly promoted Captain Riker discuss how to deal with the Borg's ability to adapt to their hand phasers, as Ensign Crusher suggested creating a chip for the phasers that will automatically retune them with every discharge. They both agree that they too can adapt just as well as the Borg, but are left with a severe disadvantage since the Borg have Picard and now know everything they knew, even more than the crew know themselves.

Frustration mounts in engineering as Shelby cannot get the shields working again. She reports to Riker that the main deflector dish is operational now and that they're testing it now. She and La Forge agree they should be underway in two to three hours. Riker then praises her for her effort on the Borg Ship. She concedes that she didn't get Picard but the time allowed the Enterprise to give them a shot, and admits while neither of them have to like each other, but asks Shelby to keep him on his toes. Shelby admits that she may not be the right choice for first officer for Riker, which is now vacant; she reminds him that he needs her as she knows how to get things done, and her knowledge of the Borg. Riker interrupts her that she has a lot to learn, just like he did when he was selected as first officer to Picard, and even admits what a pain in the neck she is. Just then, the Enterprise receives word from the Starfleet armada at Wolf 359, that they have engaged the Borg. Riker quickly heads to the bridge, as Admiral Hanson is relaying news that "the fight does not go well," and are trying to regroup. The signal is abruptly cut off, leaving Riker to wonder what happened.

[edit] Act Two

As the Enterprise completes repairs and heads for Wolf 359, Captain Riker "reluctantly" promotes Shelby to first officer, as Riker cannot afford to move the current staff and needs everyone where they are. The crew discuss several possible methods for fighting the Borg, including heavy graviton beams, nanites, and phaser upgrades, but all possibilities appear to be long shots at best. Riker's pessimism can be heard even in his encouragements that "our efforts in the coming battle will justify Captain Picard's faith in all of us."

Riker then withdraws to his Ready Room, questioning his own command ability. Guinan, realizing that Riker's attitude is filtering down through the crew, visits him and insists that the only way to beat Locutus and save Picard is for Riker to let go of Picard and throw away everything the captain would have done. She goes on to remind him that there can only be one captain and points to the chair and tells him that is now his. As she leaves and Riker ponders his new role as captain, the Enterprise arrives at Wolf 359. Riker takes the ship to the battle coordinates. Data picks up several ships, which Riker asks if it is the fleet. All the ships are reading no subspace communications and nil power readings. When asked about life signs, Data responds with a no. At visual range, Riker orders on screen, and discovers a horror beyond imagination.

Destroyed Federation starships litter lifeless at Wolf 359, which stuns the whole bridge crew. Shelby identifies three starships, as the Tolstoy, the Kyushu, and the Melbourne, the same ship Riker had been offered. Riker's heavy heart grows heavier with the notion that tens of thousands of Starfleet men and women have been killed in a matter of minutes.


[edit] Act Three

With the knowledge that Locutus possesses Picard's tactical genius, and not reflecting on the slaughter at Wolf 359, Riker devises a strategy to retrieve Picard from the Borg cube. By separating the Enterprise, Riker anticipates that the Borg will completely ignore the saucer section and instead concentrate on destroying the more heavily-armed secondary hull, and he's counting on it. Riker, now on the Battle Bridge, stalls for time with fake negotiations with Locutus. Locutus realizes that their delay would not be successful and they would be destroyed if they intervened. Riker throws down the gauntlet telling Locutus to take their best shot, and orders to separate. After separation, both ships fire at the cube, which does nothing. The Borg then fire their tractor beam, but Riker evades the attack. Just as Riker predicted, the saucer section was being completely ignored. The primary hull fires an antimatter spread, masking the engine signature from a shuttlecraft carrying Data and Worf. The shuttle however leaves an ion trail which Lieutenant Gleason speculates that the Borg may have picked it up, after the tractor beam moved towards the spread. Riker orders the shuttle to go in unpowered. This shuttle is able to penetrate the Borg electromagnetic field, allowing Data and Worf to beam to the cube. They locate Locutus, but come under attack by the drones. Neutralizing four, they race to Locutus while Worf restrains him. Data shoots another drone and incapacitates Locutus. Using their emergency transporter armbands, they transport back to the shuttle and steer clear of the electromagnetic field, allowing O'Brien to bring them back to the Enterprise, before the shuttle itself is blown away.

[edit] Act Four

Rather than fight the now-vulnerable saucer section, and the stardrive section, the Borg resume their course toward Earth. On the Enterprise, Locutus is revived despite Doctor Crusher's request to study the assimilation process; and chastises Riker for putting a whole ship at risk to save just one person, and that the abduction will have no impact on their mission of conquest. Raising his cybernetic arm, which drew a reaction from Worf by pointing his phaser at him, Locutus then reassures him he intends no harm, and will continue to serve the Borg on board the Enterprise.

Data discovers that a series of subspace signals form the basis of the Borg Collective, emanating between Locutus and the Borg ship. Crusher states that she is able to perform surgery to restore Picard back to his human form, but hesitates because cutting the link to the collective could be fatal. Data postulates that he could access the machine portion of Locutus and quite possibly, the collective.

Locutus surveys his surroundings for people and technology to assimilate. He coldly advises Worf that the Klingons will also be assimilated, to which Worf replies that they will never yield. Locutus blasts Worf's defiant tone stating that all would become one with the Borg, rendering Data obsolete. Crusher quickly incapacitates Locutus with a hypospray and with Data, takes him to her lab. Riker then gets word that the Borg have entered Sector 001.

[edit] Act Five

The Borg cube self-destructs

As the Borg cube breaks through the Mars Defense Perimeter and is heading to Earth, too far ahead for the Enterprise to intercept in time, Data begins to interface with Locutus. After establishing several neural links, Data manages to establish a connection with Picard. At this point, the Borg ship halts its approach to Earth, and the Enterprise crew discovers what they believe to be the Borg's Achilles' heel: their interdependency. Data attempts to implant commands into the collective consciousness to disarm the ship but is unsuccessful. The Borg attacks the ship in a final battle with the intent to finish the Enterprise off. Just as Riker is about to give up hope and ram the Borg ship, Picard fights through to give Data one simple Borg network command: "Sleep". Data successfully implants a command that causes the Borg cube to activate its regenerative cycle and power down.

Shelby leads an away team to the cube to investigate, and they discover that it is experiencing power feedback – either a deliberate self-destruct sequence to prevent Data from gaining further access, or an accidental result from regenerating when unnecessary. As the away team returns and the Enterprise moves away, the power feedback destroys the Borg cube, saving humanity from the Borg.

Free from the Borg's control, a shaky Picard begins his rehabilitation, thankful for his escape but deeply troubled by his experiences. With the Enterprise preparing for refits at Earth Station McKinley and its captain safely returned, Shelby returns to Starfleet to help in the rebuilding effort and Riker resumes his post as First Officer, noting now that he has a few options on the table for his next job, reminding both Picard and Shelby that his career plans are his own business. Finally alone in his ready room, Picard stands at his window and looks out at Earth, in the dark sea of space, forever changed, wondering how close he had come to being the instrument of Humanity's demise.

[edit] Memorable quotes

"The Borg have neither honor nor courage. That is our greatest advantage."

- Worf

"The knowledge and experience... of the Human... Picard... is part of us now. It has prepared us... for all possible courses of action. Your resistance is hopeless... Number One."

- Locutus of Borg


"You realize, admiral, that with the assistance of Captain Picard, the Borg will be ready for your defenses."
"Lieutenant, a few years ago, I watched a freshman cadet pass four upperclassmen on the last hill of the forty-kilometer run at Danula II; the damnedest thing I ever saw; the only freshman to ever win the Academy Marathon. I made it my business to get to know that young fellow, and I got to know him very, very well. And I'll tell you something: I never met anyone with more drive, determination or more courage than Jean-Luc Picard. And there is no way in hell that he would assist the Borg. I want that clear.
 (Contritely) "Of course, admiral."

- Commander Shelby and Admiral Hanson, after Picard's abduction and assimilation


"The fight does not go well, Enterprise. We're attempting to withdraw and regroup. Rendezvous with fleet..."

- Hanson during the battle of Wolf 359


"What would you do?"

- Riker addressing Picard's empty chair in the ready room


"You must let him go, Riker. It's the only way to beat him. The only way to save him."

- Guinan


"Locutus of Borg. This is Captain William T. Riker of the USS Enterprise."
 "You may speak."
"We wish to end the hostility."
"Then you must unconditionally surrender."
"We are prepared to meet to discuss your terms."
"It is unlikely that you are prepared to discuss terms. It is more likely that this is an attempt at deception."
"Come now, Locutus. If Picard's knowledge and experience is part of you, then you know I'd never lie to him. You should also implicitly trust me. Is that not so?"
"Picard implicitly trusted you."
"Then trust me now. Meet to discuss your terms."
"Discussion is irrelevant. There are no terms. You will disarm all your weapons and escort us to sector zero-zero-one where we will begin assimilating your culture and technology."

- Riker and Locutus


"We would like time to prepare our people for assimilation."
"Preparation is irrelevant. Your people will be assimilated as easily as Picard has been. Your attempt at a delay will not be successful, Number One. We will proceed to Earth. And if you attempt to intervene, we will destroy you."
"Then take your best shot, Locutus, because we are about to intervene."

- Riker and Locutus


"We have to find a way to reach him - we must know what he knows..."
"Without these interactive signals, it would only be a matter of microsurgery - I could do it! But as long as these Borg implants are functioning, there's no way I can separate the man from the machine."
"Then, perhaps, there is a way I can access the machine."

- Riker, Dr. Crusher, and Data, trying to figure out how to use Picard/Locutus's knowledge of the Borg against them


"Worf, Klingon species - a warrior race. You too will be assimilated."
"The Klingon Empire will never yield!"
"Why do you resist? We only wish to raise quality of life for all species."
"I like my 'species' the way it is!"
"A narrow vision. You will become one with the Borg. You will all become one with the Borg. The android, Data. Primitive artificial organism. You will be obsolete in the new order."

- Locutus of Borg and Worf


"At what point should I shut it down if there's a problem?"
"I do not know. I have never done this before."

- Chief O'Brien and Data just before establishing the neural links


"Data, I'm picking up increased neural activity in Captain Picard, localized in the pre-frontal and parietal lobes."
"The Borg might be trying to terminate their link with him..."
"Negative - the subspace signal configuration is unchanged. What is caused the increased neural activity is...unclear..."
"No, it's not - it's him! It's Picard!"

- Dr. Crusher, Chief O'Brien, Data and Troi, as Picard fights through Locutus


"It is clear the Borg are either unable or unwilling to terminate their subspace links. "
"That...may be their Achilles Heel, Captain - their interdependency."
"What do you mean, Doctor?"
"He's part of their collective conciousness now...cutting him off would be like asking one of us to disconnect an arm or a foot - we can't do it."
"The operate as a single mind."
"One of them jumps off a cliff, they all jump off?" (Shelby nods in agreement) Data, is it possible to plant a command into the Borg collective conciousness?"
"It is conceivable, sir."

- Data, Dr. Crusher, Riker, and Shelby, realizing how they might defeat the Borg


"Sleep... sleep... sleep, Data."

- Picard breaking through the Borg consciousness


"He's exhausted."
"Yes, Doctor, but if I may make a supposition, I do not believe his message was intended to express fatigue...but to suggest a course of action."

- Dr. Crusher and Data, speculating what Picard meant


"Mr. Data, what the hell happened?"
"I successfully planted a command into the Borg collective consciousness; it misdirected them to believe it was time to regenerate. In effect, I put them all to sleep."

- Riker and Data, after the Borg cube shuts down


"Commander Shelby, take an away team and confirm that the Borg are...asleep."
"Delighted, sir."

- Riker and Shelby, after scans confirm Data's claim


"What do you remember?"
"Everything...including some brilliantly unorthodox strategy by a...former...first officer of mine."

- Riker and the newly-restored Picard

[edit] Background Information

  • Prior to the filming of "The Best of Both Worlds, Part II", LeVar Burton had surgery and his scenes were carefully filmed after the majority of production was concluded; this is why he only appears in close-ups and not in shots with any of the other main characters. Several of his major lines were rewritten for Colm Meaney, which is why Chief O'Brien was one of the main characters working to restore Captain Picard.
  • Piller himself did not expect to return to TNG and therefore found himself working on the final details of the plot just days before filming began - more specifically, using the Borg's interdependency against them. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
  • Whereas Part I originated the quote "Resistance is futile," Part II originated the quote "You will be assimilated." This in turn creates the popular quote, "We are the Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." It's been used in various episodes of Star Trek: Voyager.
  • The film Star Trek: First Contact is a sequel to this two-part episode, and ignores the episodes "I Borg", "Descent", and "Descent, Part II". This is because when Rick Berman, Brannon Braga, and Ronald D. Moore wrote the script to First Contact, they knew they wanted to use the Borg Collective once again, since those three episodes dealt with individual Borg drones. It's especially noticeable when Data says to the Queen, "The Borg have a collective consciousness. There are no individuals." Braga and Moore discuss it in the commentary for the special edition DVD.
  • This episode reuses footage from Part I when Worf and Data neutralize approaching drones on the Borg vessel and when the Borg make their final attack on the Enterprise.
  • Apparently, the 39 ships comprised of both Federation and Klingon ships, but no Klingon ships were seen in the wreckage.
  • The trailer for this episode featured the voice of Don LaFontaine, who provided voice overs for "The Wounded" and onward.
    (citation needed • edit)

[edit] Sets

  • While the episodes took place roughly within the same few days, production of "The Best of Both Worlds" and Part II were actually separated by the summer hiatus, during which time subtle changes were made to sets and costumes. Thus, when the second episode begins, minute details seem to have miraculously changed in the blink of an eye – most noticeably different are the lighting on the main bridge and Beverly Crusher's hair and uniform.
  • Additionally, the blue tinge to the transporter "shimmer" effect has gone, leaving a white/silver color and smaller more refined "particles".
  • In order to show Picard being turned ghostly white by the Borg probe, the color scheme was turned off, making the film black and white. Picard's upper garment and mechanical implants are all black in order to disguise the loss of color in the picture. The beam, probe, and probe light are later edited to make their color seem to remain constant.
  • This is the last TNG episode to feature the saucer separation sequence and the Enterprise battle bridge, heavily remodeled since its last appearance in season one's "The Arsenal of Freedom". The saucer separation sequence would appear one last time in Star Trek Generations.

[edit] Firsts

[edit] Models

[edit] Continuity

  • While the Battle of Wolf 359 went unseen (except for its aftermath) due to budgetary reasons, portions of the battle were recreated two and a half years later for the DS9 pilot "Emissary".
  • In the Star Trek: Deep Space Nine pilot episode, "Emissary", the USS Saratoga was lost at the battle at Wolf 359, as Benjamin Sisko escaped with his son but lost his wife.
  • In a later episode, "The Drumhead", Admiral Norah Satie stated the loss at Wolf 359 as 39 starships and nearly 11,000 lives, while Shelby had said the fleet would be back up in "less than a year"; Starfleet continued to prove shorthanded all the way through Season 5's "Redemption II".
  • Worf and Miles O'Brien recall the events of this episode in Deep Space Nine's own fourth season premiere, "The Way of the Warrior". O'Brien tells Worf that he thought that they would all end up assimilated like Picard.
  • While the Borg force during this episode appeared to be only one cube, later episodes of Voyager including "Unity" and "Unimatrix Zero, Part II", indicate that Humans were not only assimilated at Wolf 359, but also taken back to Borg space (see Riley Frazier and Laura).
  • At the end of the episode, a conversation is held between Shelby and Riker about the future careers of both officers with Shelby stating that Riker could soon have his choice of any ship in the fleet to captain. Riker did not in fact become a captain for nearly a decade later, in Star Trek Nemesis. Shelby however is referenced as a captain in DS9: "You Are Cordially Invited", meaning that she became a captain before Riker did.
  • While not technically a sequel to this episode, the following episode to air, "Family", dealt with the repercussions of the events seen here, including the repairs to the Enterprise and Picard's personal trauma; though, as seen in First Contact, Picard never fully recovered.

[edit] Reaction

  • While several science fiction publications have voted "The Best of Both Worlds" Star Trek's finest and even in some cases one of science-fiction television's finest pieces, writer Michael Piller and director Cliff Bole have both stated that they felt Part II was a letdown after the strong build up of Part I. (Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion)
  • On the other hand, Empire magazine cited Part II as the best episode of The Next Generation when they ranked the series #37 on their list of The 50 Greatest TV Shows of All Time. [1]

[edit] Awards and honors

  • This episode won two Emmy Awards. Only four other episodes of Trek have won this many. It was nominated for four, a distinction it shares with only three other episodes. It won for Outstanding Sound Editing for a Series and Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Drama Series and was also nominated for Outstanding Art Direction for a Series and Outstanding Achievement in Special Visual Effects.
  • This episode was featured in the Star Trek: The Next Generation Viewers Choice Marathon.
  • Entertainment Weekly ranked this episode (combined with Part I) #2 on their list of "The Top 10 Episodes" to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Star Trek: The Next Generation. [2]

[edit] Video and DVD releases

[edit] Apocrypha

[edit] Links and references

[edit] Guest stars

[edit] Uncredited co-star

[edit] References

2367; Ahwahnee, USS; android; antimatter spread; assimilation; assimilation chamber; Barclay, Reginald; battle bridge; Battle of Wolf 359; battle section; biobed; Borg; Borg Collective; Borg cube; Buran, USS; Challenger-class; Chekov, USS; Cheyenne-class; cutting beam; Danula II; deflector dish; DNA; docking latch; Earth; Earth Station McKinley; electromagnetic field; emergency transporter armband; Enterprise, USS (NCC-1701-D); Federation history; Firebrand, USS; Freedom-class; Jupiter Outpost 92; Kotoi; Kyushu, USS; Liberator, USS; Mars; Mars Defense Perimeter; Melbourne, USS; microcircuit fiber implant; multimodal reflection sorting; nanites; nanotechnology; Nebula-class; neuroendocrine; New Orleans-class; New Providence; Niagara-class; Number one; phaser; plasma coolant; Princeton, USS; reaction chamber; Saturn; saucer section; saucer separation; Sector 001; self-destruct; Sherman; shields; Springfield-class; Starfleet Academy marathon; starships at Wolf 359; Tolstoy, USS; tractor beam; transporter; type-7 shuttlecraft; United Federation of Planets; warp core; Wolf 359; Wolf system


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