The Best of Both Worlds, Part II
- FIRST SHOWN (US)
- 24 September 1990
- ON
- First-run syndication
- STARDATE
- 44001.4
- DIRECTED BY
- Cliff Bole
- PRODUCTION NO.
- 175
WRITTEN BYWritten by Michael Piller
With Picard in the hands of the Borg and Earth in their path, newly promoted Captain Riker must outthink an enemy that knows everything his old captain knew.
Red alert: the full plot, ending included. Haven't watched yet?REVEAL SYNOPSIS
Riker survives the failed attack and is given command of the Enterprise, choosing Shelby as his first officer. Starfleet gathers a fleet at Wolf 359 to stop the cube, but Locutus knows every tactic Picard knew and the fleet is wiped out, the Melbourne among the lost. Guinan reminds Riker that he must let go of Picard to beat him. Riker separates the Enterprise, distracting the Borg while Data and Worf snatch Locutus in a shuttle, though the cube continues on to Earth. In sickbay, Data links his own mind to Locutus and searches the Borg network for a weakness. A trace of Picard surfaces and points him to the word sleep. Data orders the collective to rest, a feedback loop destroys the cube, and Picard is freed. Riker remains first officer, but Picard, staring from his window, is clearly not the same man.
- 01The wrecked fleet at Wolf 359 was assembled from toy ships and model kits, modified by the effects staff in a “kit bash” session.
- 02The quiet final scene, of Picard alone at his window, points to the trauma that the next episode, “Family”, explores further.
- 03Budget limits meant the Battle of Wolf 359 was never shown in full. Parts of it were later seen in the Deep Space Nine pilot “Emissary”.