S3E26 - S4E1 - Best of Both Worlds (Part 1 and 2)
Posted: Thu Jun 25, 2020 4:02 pm
I selected this pair of episodes because it is one of the most important Picard stories in the series.
This 2-part episode also brings back the Borg, who we will encounter a few more times in this series, but have a much larger role in Voyager.
This episode has a lot going on in it. I will touch on some of the things that stand out to me.
First, Riker's promotion. We learn that Riker has turned down the Captain's chair a few times. For obvious reasons, to keep the show together, Riker has to remain the First Officer. From the writer's perspective, they have to explain that in the show, as Riker has not found a commission he wants, or he is holding out for the Enterprise. Even Riker is not sure what has happened, as his ambitions have slowed down.
This is made worse by the arrival of Commander Shelby. Shelby is a younger Riker, and he knows it. It enhances the struggle about him taking the captain's chair. At one point Shelby calls Riker out for not being able to make the hard command decisions. Riker calls Shelby out for being brash and impulsive.
I use to not like Shelby, but upon rewatch, I think that is misplaced. My dislike for her was largely being protective of Riker as a show character, and not looking at Riker or Shelby as people in a universe. Shelby is smart and on the fast track. She makes some mistakes, like jumping the chain of command, but that is her youth over experience. In the end, I think Shelby was a perfect foil for Riker, and she made a great first officer.
Picard being transformed by the Borg is a terrifying moment. For Picard, it is an assault both physically and mentally. When asked at the end of the episode what he remembers, and he says everything, you know that the damage done to him was far more than just implants.
Locutus/Picard's involvement at Wolf 359 was a massive blow to the Federation and to Starfleet. But we will see in the future, that there were other profound consequences of that engagement. But that will wait for another series.
I really like how the Borg were defeated. In true Star Trek style, the solution was not in blowing things up, but rather it was science. In this case, Data and Picard's hack of the Borg network. That is something I have always loved about Star Trek, it highlights that science, logic, diplomacy can overcome even the hardest problems.
All in all, I really enjoyed this episode.
This 2-part episode also brings back the Borg, who we will encounter a few more times in this series, but have a much larger role in Voyager.
This episode has a lot going on in it. I will touch on some of the things that stand out to me.
First, Riker's promotion. We learn that Riker has turned down the Captain's chair a few times. For obvious reasons, to keep the show together, Riker has to remain the First Officer. From the writer's perspective, they have to explain that in the show, as Riker has not found a commission he wants, or he is holding out for the Enterprise. Even Riker is not sure what has happened, as his ambitions have slowed down.
This is made worse by the arrival of Commander Shelby. Shelby is a younger Riker, and he knows it. It enhances the struggle about him taking the captain's chair. At one point Shelby calls Riker out for not being able to make the hard command decisions. Riker calls Shelby out for being brash and impulsive.
I use to not like Shelby, but upon rewatch, I think that is misplaced. My dislike for her was largely being protective of Riker as a show character, and not looking at Riker or Shelby as people in a universe. Shelby is smart and on the fast track. She makes some mistakes, like jumping the chain of command, but that is her youth over experience. In the end, I think Shelby was a perfect foil for Riker, and she made a great first officer.
Picard being transformed by the Borg is a terrifying moment. For Picard, it is an assault both physically and mentally. When asked at the end of the episode what he remembers, and he says everything, you know that the damage done to him was far more than just implants.
Locutus/Picard's involvement at Wolf 359 was a massive blow to the Federation and to Starfleet. But we will see in the future, that there were other profound consequences of that engagement. But that will wait for another series.
I really like how the Borg were defeated. In true Star Trek style, the solution was not in blowing things up, but rather it was science. In this case, Data and Picard's hack of the Borg network. That is something I have always loved about Star Trek, it highlights that science, logic, diplomacy can overcome even the hardest problems.
All in all, I really enjoyed this episode.