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| Hugh of Borg (Jonathan Del Arco) |
The Enterprise is exploring an uncharted system when it receives a repeating signal from a Class M moon. The crew investigates and finds a crashed ship with a single survivor: a Borg!
The lone Borg (Jonathan Del Arco) is beamed up to the ship on Dr. Crusher's insistence. She stabilizes him, and he quickly recovers. Guinan is appalled that Picard would beam a Borg on board, but the captain has a plan. They will implant a virus in him, then return him to the Collective. The virus will spread, and the Borg will be destroyed from within.
It's a sound plan. Atypically ruthless for Picard, but effective and within their abilities to achieve. But as Geordi works with the Borg, whom he and Dr. Crusher dub "Hugh," he starts seeing hints of individuality and personality. And he begins to wonder if they are truly doing the right thing...
CHARACTERS
Capt. Picard: The instant Riker says the word "Borg" over the intercom, Picard's entire bearing changes. He doesn't become overtly angry. Instead, he grows brittle and distant. He settles on a course of action that will destroy the Borg and shuts out alternatives. In short, he becomes a lot like the alternate Picard of Yesterday's Enterprise. His actual rage only flares up when Guinan confronts him with the individual Borg also being a person, something Picard is desperate to avoid facing.
Geordi: Initially approaches his work with the Borg as an engineering problem. But as the Borg becomes "Hugh," and Geordi sees hints of the vulnerable individual buried inside the programming, his innate compassion emerges. He doesn't stop the work, but he does express his doubts. At the end, when Hugh is returned to the collective, Geordi insists on staying with him right up to the moment he is beamed away, so that his friend won't have to be alone while he is re-assimilated.
Dr. Crusher: While Geordi's compassion feels genuine and makes him more likable, Dr. Crusher's reaction feels false and strident. If her resistance started after Hugh began showing signs of individuality, then she would come across better. But because she is arguing against treating the Borg as an enemy from the very first, she just comes across as stubborn and self-righteous.
Worf: "Kill it and make it look like it died in the crash!" I applaud the episode for allowing one of our heroic regulars give voice to this cold-blooded yet obvious solution to finding the Borg. Worf is very much in the background this episode, but his constant vigilance is worth noting. He is extremely careful when letting Geordi into the Borg cell, watching the prisoner's movements like a hawk. He waits until Geordi has left the cell before following, and backs out so that he never takes his eyes off the Borg.
Guinan: Writer Rene Echevarria remembers that Guinan's people were all but destroyed by the Borg, and mines that to good dramatic effect. Her hard, brittle anger is compelling, becoming the center of every scene she's in. Whoopi Goldberg's scenes opposite Patrick Stewart are wonderful, two first-rate performers soaring through some good, meaty dialogue.
THOUGHTS
After several subpar throwaways, TNG returns to form with one of the best episodes this season. The idea of revisiting the Borg in the form of a lone unit, cut off from the hive, was a terrific one. If they had just done another "Borg attack" episode, they couldn't possibly have topped the excitement of The Best of Both Worlds, and the threat of the Borg would have been undermined by their inevitable defeat. By taking a completely different approach, I, Borg sidesteps comparisons to Best of Both Worlds even as it builds upon its foundations.
Following up on the experiences of Picard and Guinan gives real dramatic heft to the story. We usually see Picard as thoughtful, able to look at every side of an issue as a matter of course. Guinan listens attentively, and responds to anything put to her with patience, compassion, and humor.
With the Borg, that's turned on its head. Picard was kidnapped, assaulted, made helpless and turned into a weapon by the Borg. Guinan watched as her people were all but exterminated by the Borg. The word "Borg" is itself enough to drive them both to rage. Guinan doesn't even listen to Geordi as he talks about the Borg "like it's some lost child." She lashes out at Picard for bringing it on board, and at Geordi for showing it compassion.
Picard's anger is even more interesting. First because his anger manifests in a way that fits so well with his character. He turns his fine, analytical mind to how the problem of this lone Borg can be used to Starfleet's (and his own) advantage. But even more interesting is how neatly his plan parallels what was done to him. The Borg took him and turned him into a weapon against his own people by assimilating him. Now he has taken a lone Borg, and he plans to turn it into a weapon against the Borg Collective through use of a virus. His revenge is, in effect, to do to the Borg exactly what was done to him.
This is also a good-looking episode. The shots of the Enterprise flying through this uncharted region of space are eye-catching, and the planet sets are well above the series' average. Director Robert Lederman uses close-ups to good effect in the scenes between Picard and Guinan, Geordi and Hugh, and especially Picard and Hugh. He also sometimes allows lines to play off-camera, focusing on the reactions of the person listening rather than on the speaker. This enhances the impact of this thoughtful script, making us really notice how the characters react to what they hear.
An excellent episode overall. Almost enough to wash away the bad taste left by the previous three installments.
Overall Rating: 9/10.
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