Star Trek: The Next Generation 3.26

The Best of Both Worlds

The Enterprise arrives at Jouret IV after receiving a distress call from the colony located on the planet. Commander Riker beams down with Lieutenant Commander La Forge, Lieutenant Commander Data, and Lieutenant Worf only to discover that the Starfleet colony is gone.

Lieutenant Commander Shelby, an expert in the Borg, joins the investigation into what happened. She settles in on the Enterprise and takes part in a poker game hosted by Commander Riker. The next day she gets on Riker’s nerves when she and Data beam down to Jouret IV without telling Riker. She and Data find evidence that confirms that the Borg have been on Jouret IV.

Lieutenant Commander Shelby works with La Forge to come up with a plan for how to deal with the Borg. The next day the Enterprise receives word that the Borg have struck again, this time destroying a starship. Less than two hours later the Enterprise encounters a Borg cube.

The Enterprise clashes with the Borg cube. Lieutenant Commander Shelby's thinks fast and comes up with a tactic that allows them to break free of the Borg cube's tractor beam. The Enterprise flees into the Paulson Nebula where it is difficult for the Borg to detect the Starfleet vessel. Lieutenant Commander Shelby comes up with a new plan to help them deal with the Borg but Riker doesn’t approve of it. She goes over his head, directly to Picard, which angers Riker.

The Enterprise leaves the Paulson Nebula. The Borg cube chases the Enterprise. Once the cube gets close enough the Borg transport three troopers aboard the Enterprise and kidnap Picard. The Borg explain to him that they plan to make him their spokesman after which they stop chasing the Enterprise and head for Earth with the Enterprise in hot pursuit.

Lieutenant Commander Shelby leads a rescue team that attempts to bring back Captain Picard. Shelby, Worf, Data, and Doctor Crusher beam aboard the Borg cube and start looking for Captain Picard. Doctor Crusher comes up with a plan to get the Borg Cube to slow down. It works but when they find Picard he has been retrofitted and is now Locutus, one of the Borg. The away team beams back. The Borg hail the Enterprise and orders them to surrender. 

Thoughts

I've seen this episode more than a few times before but it has been about 12 years since I last watched it.

All of the regular cast members get little spotlight moments in this episode. The only episode in which the Borg appeared prior to this one was 2.16 Q Who.

One thing that I chose not to mention in my summary is that Riker has been offered command of another ship, the Melbourne. Shelby is hoping that he will take that job and she can become the Enterprise's new first officer. She makes no bones about it and is very open with her hope to replace Riker.

This is the final episode of Season 3. This is the first season of TNG to end on a cliffhanger. The next three seasons of this show also end on cliffhangers. 

I enjoyed watching this episode again, despite knowing how it would end. I love the conflict between Riker and Shelby. I love how the Borg push the Enterprise and make the crew look like rank amateurs although the Borg do seem at times to be too powerful. This is an excellent episode. I'm not sure that I like the next one as much as this one, or at least that's my recollection of how the first episode of the fourth season struck me when I last watched it.