The Best of Both Worlds Part II

Ostensibly, they didn't show the Wolf 359 battle was it would have been way too expensive. Maybe, but I think not showing it is far more effective anyway. It makes it seems far more ominous even before they reach the starship graveyard of Wolf 359. We know no more than the Enterprise does, so it really feels like we are on the ship too. And an ultimately loan ship struggling to even engage the Borg.

The intensity level of this episode makes one feel they are watching a feature film. With Picard infested with a Borg assimilation, the Enterprise must fight the Borg in general and the Borg with Picard's personality and strategic knowledge. Riker must make decisions that are original and unpredictable to counter the intelligence and adaptability of the Borg. It stretches the entire crew because the mind of Picard is such a private thing; he is a complex being with amazing adaptability as his career with the flagship Enterprise is obvious to the world. The Borg are approaching Earth and the future of the seminal planet of the Federation is at stake. Many of the Federation ships were destroyed in the huge battle where Picard was captured (the Enterprise survived by coming late to the dance). The conclusion to this episode is excellent. It creates a set of possibilities for future conflicts with the Borg as they bully their way. We also have the unanswered questions about what will become of Picard. Set aside time to watch the two episodes together. Excellent television.

With Picard now assimilated into the Borg collective, Riker and the Enterprise crew must find a way to defeat their former captain who now goes by the name Locutus. With the Federation armada in tatters, it would appear that the situation is hopeless until Riker decides on a bold and unconventional course of action.

Continuing the excellent story from the first part, this conclusion benefits again from improved visual effects and a surprisingly solid performance from Frakes. The only thing that spoils it is the ending which felt a little too sugar-coated and implausible for my liking. But this is still first-class stuff from the TNG crew and essential for any Trek fan.

I can't watch the second half of "The Best of Both worlds" without thinking of the long-term effects of Captain Picard's enslavement by the Bog (i.e. "First Contact") and that final scene bears far more emotional weight . His scars from those implants run terribly deep, and the Locutus scenes are actually more heartbreaking than they are shocking.

As a whole, given that this is the payoff of a months-long cliffhanger ending, I think the writers did a tremendous job. Starfleet's under attack, Picard's life hangs in the balance, and the stakes are sky-high. Despite the big action and the images of adrift starships, this is a surprisingly low-key way to finish the story. But far from boring.

8/10

Man that was incredible watching the conclusion of The Best of Both Worlds. When Majel Barrett-Roddenberry gives that statement "And Now, the Conclusion" I literally got chills!

Everything about it is just so Serendipitous and Well-Done. My only wish is that Elizabeth Dennehy could have found a permanent place on The Next Generation or as the Captain on "Star Trek Voyager" because her Portrayal of Commander Shelby was just BRILLIANT!