The Best of Both Worlds Part II

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!

Riker and the Enterprise continue to battle Locutus and the Borg.

This is a strong conclusion to the story with more great character moments.

Part 2 of 'The Best Of Both Worlds' has a fairly straightforward resolution to all the drama and suspense that was built in the first part, but it unfolds in an enjoyable way.

There is a continued focus on Riker's command arc which is pretty compelling. It's not just his relationship with Shelby that's that works well, but also his exchanges with Locutus and leadership challenges without Picard.

The Locutus scenes are my favourites, particularly the transformation sequences and the dialogues where he refers to Riker by his informal nickname.

Much like part 1, the visuals are iconic and still have the desired effect. One scene involving a tear rolling down a character's face is for me the most memorable.

Patrick Stewart and Jonathan Frakes are excellent, and receive great support from the likes of Elizabeth Dennehy, Caryn Johnson, Brent Spiner, Marina Sirtis, Gates McFadden and Michael Dorn.

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.

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

I was on the edge of my seat the whole episode.. Even if the first part was a very good one, this is one for the age. The best episode since the start ( tie with Measure of a man) i guess.

Captain Riker proved the World he is one baddas mother fu*ker The first 25 minutes you really dont know if Picard was really gonna ho away, Patrick Stewart could have call it a day.

My rating 9.7/10.