🖖Star Trek: The Next Generation 4x1 The Best of Both Worlds Part 2 REACTION

[@jenmurrayxo]

We're near the end of Season 4 on Patreon! www.patreon.com/jenmurray TNG Playlist: kzbin.info/aero/PLQHhQlj8i5dqskzLNqeSNyMGa1rBWe3h1

[@darthken815]

The Battle of Wolf 359 (or massacre as I call it) is infamous in Star Trek lore. Starfleet sent 40 ships to stop the Borg. 39 were destroyed. The lone surviving (and heavily damaged) ship picked up escape pods from the others, then got the hell out of Dodge. Starfleet lost 11,000 people that day.

[@jacksonconley5117]

Now that you’re watched the Best of Both Worlds, I think you deserve a promotion Jen.

[@stormcrow7838]

Jen, I think you would agree along with everyone else that we need to improve the Mars Defense Perimeter.

[@e.d.2096]

@@jenmurrayxo Jean Luc Picard...in a metal speedo! I'll bet no one saw that coming!🤯

[@drvannozzun]

I love “the Nth Degree”, such a cool episode.

[@Dillpicks95]

“Is he ok?” No. He is definitely not ok.

[@Iymarra]

VERY much not ok. He was forcibly indoctrinated and subsumed into a hivemind yet retained some semblance of self and all of his memories. He was in control of the cube, He-as-Locutus absolutely annihilated 11 thousand fellow starfleet (and possibly klingons)

[@blechtic]

He's pretty fucking far from okay.

[@mastrtonberry2]

@@TroyConvers5000 With some pliers and a blowtorch

[@YezaOutcast]

if you watch the 8th startrek movie you'll see how not okay he is.

[@3Rayfire]

@@YezaOutcast Hell, just the next episode.

[@VME-Brad]

The Battle of Wolf 359, which we barely see here, is a formative moment for all of Trek going forward.

[@jeremygilbert7989]

Battle is a generous term, more like The Massacre of Wolf 359... but yeah, this marks a huge turning point for the Federation and the entire Alpha Quadrant going forward.

[@DarthTach]

@@jeremygilbert7989 There's a theory that Q initiated the contact with the Borg because he knew that Starfleet needed to militarize itself in order to survive the Borg and later the . And if they didn't then Humanity (and eventually the Milky Way) would lose it's chance to eventually ascend.

[@chrisd4228]

@@DarthTach I can get behind that. Q was always a rascal.

[@stormcrow7838]

@@DarthTach Yes, Q warned us. Remember at the end of season 1 when the Romulan and Federation outposts along the Neutral Zone were destroyed. The Borg did that, so they knew about us already.

[@stormcrow7838]

@@Renegade2786 hehe You're right. I hate time travel!! It gets so confusing.

[@otakuwolf4ever985]

The fact Picard remembers everything. . .that sort of trauma leaves some heavy mental scars.

[@Bluesrockguy]

Season 4 episode 1 (Family?) will touch on this trauma.

[@benn454]

@@Bluesrockguy This is episode 1. Family is Episode 2.

[@Bluesrockguy]

@@benn454 facepalm! Of course you're right, thanks.

[@alvarolozano711]

Picard will have mental disorders until the battle of sector 001 versus the borg.(FIRST CONTACT MOVIE)

[@jonadabtheunsightly]

Yes, that comes up in the future. Not least in ST:FC.

[@stormcrow7838]

Wolf 359 is an actual star about 8 light years from Earth. The battle resulted in the loss of 39 starships and 11,000 lives.

[@enterprise1701e]

This humbling battle, and overwhelming loss, transformed Starfleet in many ways. Q did the right thing for the wrong reasons, and Starfleet ended up with tragically more than a bloody nose. It demonstrated the raw power of the Borg, where one cube took out a hastily assembled Starfleet armada.

[@guaposneeze]

Wolf 359 was an inside job!

[@dallassukerkin6878]

And I don't think there is a Star Trek fan who also plays ELITE who has not flown there :) "Send this message, all channels, all frequencies ... we have engaged the Thargoid!" :chuckles:

[@bobbolondz2701]

This would have been the ideal time for the Romulans to invade.

[@Choalith_Ikanthe]

I don't actually think Q did "the right thing for the wrong reasons". I think Q knew very well what he was doing. Especially knowing the future results of this event. We've glimpsed what could happen, if this had unfolded any other way. Q ultimately does things for the best, even if it's behind the facade of a petty trickster. In the end... he cares.

[@mastervodo6840]

For those who were complaining on having to wait a whole WEEK to watch this with Jen---- Waaaaaaaaaaah! Poor you! We had to wait 4 MONTHS in-between cliffhangers! Shut up and hit that like button!

[@kevinlewallen4778]

Well said.

[@pureblood1966firehorse]

Yeh Like every major series we had to watch did that !!!

[@kerry-j4m]

Yeah,I remember,that was indeed a long wait,but,the conclusion was worth it.

[@TheNeonParadox]

Hear, hear!

[@mikemazza1988]

We just had to wait a mere week when this was originally shown in the UK on the BBC 🇬🇧(albeit 2 years after the initial broadcast) but then a 2 year hiatus till "Family" was shown !!!

[@yellowblanka6058]

The scene where they Borgify Picard and the closeup shows a single tear running down his cheek is such a great scene and so powerful.

[@TheStammzilla]

Jen, when you said, "It must have changed him somehow...", you have no idea. Though the producers tried to mitigate it, there was no "putting the toys back in the toy box" nice and perfectly neat after this.

[@alvarolozano711]

i agree, picard will have mental consequences until the battle of sector 001

[@3Rayfire]

@@alvarolozano711 And beyond.

[@goldentalon]

Elizabeth Shelby’s emphasis on The Melbourne is key to understanding Will Riker’s introspection. Had he accepted the captaincy of The Melbourne, Will would have died with her and her crew at Wolf 359.

[@dm121984]

Dammmmn, I never picked up on that. Wow, that's a subtle deep cut.

[@djsanchez718]

This was a key part of the show I felt. That Riker had made the right choice for everyone.

[@goldentalon]

@@djsanchez718 Kudos.

[@LuminairPrime]

I agree with Jen that the subtle PTSD moment at the end was incredibly powerful, and my favorite moment of the episode. Picard saw some shit. Thank you for watching TNG with us, Jen!!!

[@nicks.5552]

Those were some Jen’s most intense “COMMERCIAL BREAKS!” I’ll never get tired of that. It’s a tradition, now.

[@davidareeves]

When this first aired, we almost threw the TV out the window on each commercial break, great memories with a heap of family and friends crammed into the lounge

[@davidhart6291]

The fact that this episode actually coaxed a full on “holy shit!” from our Jen, who would usually restrain herself to an “Oh, frig” tells you how caught up in the tension she was! 😄😜

[@colormedubious4747]

So un-Canadian of her. 🤣

[@LightBluePhoenix]

Oh I can't wait until she gets to First Contact seeing her reaction here.

[@peterdorrfuss2680]

@@colormedubious4747really?, haven’t you watched trailer park boys..😂

[@colormedubious4747]

@@peterdorrfuss2680 Nope. I don't live in Canadia.

[@peterdorrfuss2680]

@@colormedubious4747 nor I, though I went once, 91’. Im from u n w3f pris0n island 0z, not canadanistan, under princeling dik tat0r trudie, have you kept up with all your b00 stirs?

[@CsykKrit]

I love the part where Locutus says about Data: "Primitive artificial organism” while standing there looking like a prototype breadboard circuit with crazy tubes going everywhere.

[@Tantalus010]

Locutus: You will be obsolete in the new order. Data: Wanna keep that arm?

[@TheWebcrafter]

16:44 - PICARD'S MELANCHOLY ENDING - Jean-Luc wasn't gazing out of the window of his Ready Room. He'd momentarily glimpsed his reflection and the physical alterations that still remain. Great episode, I'm glad you enjoyed it.

[@Dillpicks95]

The torture it was having to wait 4 long months for this episode and after finally seeing what happened next, it was well worth the wait 🖖.

[@qam2024]

Also part of the torture was Patrick Stewart's contract was up, so we also had to wait to see if he returning

[@JordyJayHomer]

Yes, those were NOT the days 😄

[@humanvideosponge4529]

It was. But on the other hand, after such an excruciating wait, the episode flew past faster than a borg cube at maximum velocity. Like if you're only allowed to have one steak per year. That steak is gonna be amazing but it's also gonna be gone so fast.

[@jacksonconley5117]

The Best of Both Worlds is in my opinion the most important episode in all of Star Trek. It left such a heavy aftermath in Star Trek canon.

[@chrisd4228]

Oh 100% well beyond the run of TNG.

[@alvarolozano711]

yes

[@Daveyboy100880]

Definitely the watershed moment of the series, and probably of this entire era of Trek. It’s when the show officially stepped out of the shadow of its predecessor

[@davidmacy411]

This episode began the militarization priority of Starfleet future ship construction (for those who watch other future series we know how crazy important that is...). It also began true multi-episode/arc storytelling, moving away from the danger of the week format. In just about every way this episode is the inflection point from the TOS toward modern television.

[@txheadshots]

It lays the groundwork for most things that follow, including DS9 and Voyager… all the way to the new Picard series Definitely a pivotal moment

[@Icypenguigo]

I love how the Borg cube looks like it has many layers and structures underneath the outermost surface. It doesn't have a fully sealed skin like the Enterprise and other Federation ships. The special effects really were amazing on this show. They looked so good, without an ounce of CGI helping out.

[@TheFinancialAdvocacyPodcast]

WORF: Chief, do you remember the time we rescued Captain Picard from the Borg? O'BRIEN: How could I forget? It was touch and go there for a while. There were a couple of moments when I thought we were all going to wind up being assimilated. WORF: I never doubted the outcome. We were like warriors from the ancient sagas. There was nothing we could not do.

[@nataliescott2261]

Except keep holo deck online

[@Tiffinki]

@@nataliescott2261 LOL Oh, yeah. The Jarada really did a number on the D's holodecks.

[@georgeheilman4243]

That melancholy at the end will certainly be an important part of his evolution moving forward. You're definitely going to witness some wonderful character stories this season, not just with Picard, either. 🖖

[@JJ_W]

Jen, as stormcrow mentioned, Wolf 359 is not made-up; it's a very real star, and it's the fifth closest star system to Earth. Even though Wolf 359 is so close, it's also extremely dim, so almost nobody had heard of it, outside of astronomers and some hardcore scifi readers. But when this episode aired on September 22, 1990, Wolf 359 suddenly became a household name (and it remains well-known today, at least among Star Trek watchers).

[@martinbraun1211]

This single tear...😥

[@silikon2]

Yeah, definitely a case of less is more. Absolutely heartbreaking.

[@tonyyul703]

He has never really "recovered" from this.... He can still hear the Hive Mind speaking to him.

[@Daveyboy100880]

Gotta love Jen’s concern over the random security guy going on the away team near the end there 😄 And yes, that little coda at the end is so good. No words, just a man who is pretending to be okay taking a moment to look at the planet he almost destroyed. It’s always been my favourite part of the episode. Well, that and the single tear.

[@Tiffinki]

Picard looks haunted to an astonishing degree. Great acting by Stewart.

[@David-l6c3w]

“Mr. Data, your FINAL report!” (No pressure there)

[@txlyons2937]

"Is he OK?" Jen, you will LOVE watching First Contact.

[@Yora21]

About the ending, I think this is about the point where Star Trek started to have more continuity. The early seasons were all stand alone episodes, but now we're adding more character development and picking up again on events of previous episodes. I believe after this season they started filming Deep Space Nine (and surely would have been doing the planning for it at the same time they shot this season), and that show really goes much deeper into season-long storylines and continuity.

[@Matticitt]

I love the visual of all the wrecked ships floating there in space. Chilling.

[@Tiffinki]

So was Shelby's mortified verbal response. She knew the names of at least some of the defeated ships. The actress did well at conveying Shelby's utter horror.

[@toob1979]

As I commented on the first part, this two-parter changed _Star Trek_ forever more. Picard and the Borg were linked in a way no one else could understand. From this episode on, Starfleet had a unique treasure trove of insight into the way the Borg function via Picard's experience. Not that it always worked out for them, of course. The Borg remained the Federation's most difficult enemy.

[@erictaylor5462]

11:18 Tell me Data has no emotions. That sure as hell looks like shock and fear to me.

[@neneshubby]

Ok? Man, he’s got the most ginormous case of PTSD ever conceived.

[@fes4ever950]

4:50 Locutus, the Borg so deadly they gave him a name.

[@tearsoflight]

" They're so powerful" the more you learn about them the more you'll understand why. Lovely tense reaction.

[@dm121984]

Sadly voyager overexposed and ruined the Borg's mystique.

[@FreeBird_6791]

I felt the show stepped it up in writing, special effects and stories with this episode. It seemed to get so much better going forward from this episode back in the day.

[@GrilloTheFlightless]

I don’t know which would be harder. A four month wait for part two without being able to watch it sooner, or a self-enforced weeks wait knowing that it’s available to watch at anytime. Love your reaction as always Jen. Thanks for allowing us to see these well-worn classics through your fresh eyes.

[@tdrewman]

You asked, is Picard okay? No he's not okay, this is going to haunt him for decades.

[@alvarolozano711]

I AGREE

[@alistairrae9807]

This is going to haunt for the rest of his life he will never forgive himself

[@Rubbermatt]

@@alistairrae9807 Sisko certainly didn't.

[@noneya3635]

Man I love how excited Jen was through this whole episode. Knew she’d like the music, but it was awesome to see the return of tactical Jen. “Yeah yeah, he know he was on his six,” “that was an awesome rescue plan.” 🖖

[@Tiffinki]

Jen is a most awesome reactor, to the point of being incredible.

[@WoncoTheSane]

"They got a random, I hope he doesn't die!" - Jen the Great We could be watching any old Star Trek content. We love Jen because she gets it.

[@Rubbermatt]

Don't be the redshirt, never volunteer for away missions.

[@Tiffinki]

Captain Kirk once noted that a woman should have compassion. Jen is a wonderful lady with no shortage of it, even for fictional characters... including those whose names she doesn't know. This is not an isolated incident.

[@Dreamfox-df6bg]

To put two posts together. He remembers. He remembers how he destroyed 39 ships and with the Borg sensors he knows he knows he killed about 11,000 people. Including at least 1 good friend. For the Borg there are no individuals, so from his point of view, he fired every single shot himself. No one is ok after that.

[@flatcat6676]

You know, I never thought of it that way. Always knew he carried guilt, even though every action went against his will, but it makes sense that with a true collective mind there would be no distinction between the perception of the whole and the parts. What a terrible thing to have to contend with in his own mind...

[@Justin.Franks]

4:56 One of the ships destroyed was the Melbourne....the ship that Riker was supposed to be captain of.

[@silikon2]

I loved how the D was paralyzed and only got a very ominous message from the admiral that the fight was not going well. I'm pretty sure the battle of Wolf 359 wasn't shown because it was well beyond the budget to show it. But wow, so much the better. It's the "nothing is scarier than what's not shown" meme. And the D crew is experiencing it as is the audience. In this particular case, the aftermath of the battle was every bit as bad as everyone guessed, but it was still a very powerful invocation of that meme.

[@dallassukerkin6878]

If you so a search of KZbin for "Wolf 359: The Massacre (Part I) - JTVFX" then there is a pretty darned good fan made recreation of the battle.

[@dallassukerkin6878]

If you so a search of KZbin for "Wolf 359: The Massacre (Part I) - JTVFX" then there is a pretty darned good fan made recreation of the battle.

[@MMuraseofSandvich]

Paramount + whatever SFX team they assembled in season 3 of DS9 probably could have done it, but yes, far more effective to show the aftermath, and the bridge crew finding no life signs and reacting in horror.

[@LightBluePhoenix]

Well we at least get to see a snippet of it later on.

[@les4767]

A bit of it is shown in Deep Space 9

[@joshua42777]

at the end Picard didn't know when he would see earth again. At least that's my thought

[@harrysarai3947]

Rest in Peace Jennifer "Jen" Sisko

[@lionhead123]

ah yes, that mighty Mars defense force of 2... shuttles.

[@tigerbread78]

🤣

[@mr.a8315]

One for each hemisphere. 👍

[@ianburns1167]

Wolf 359 defines the future of the quadrant in a lot of ways. This changes Captain Picard. Though you haven't met him yet, it changes Captain Sisko of Deep Space 9. This changes the Federation, where they are forced for the first time in centuries to acknowledge they are no longer the sole superpower and can face a humbling defeat.

[@vermithax]

"Frig you! Don't call him Number One!"

[@Tiffinki]

I love Jen's occasional (and well-timed) emotional outbursts. Watching these two episodes again through her eyes, I re-experienced the horror I felt when I watched them first-run. Some might say that Jen is falling too deeply into the fictional narrative at times, but to me, her closing comments whisk away all concerns about that. She's still in the real world, and here with us in the virtual world, well-grounded in both.

[@bradleybowles7979]

Great reaction as always! Next Jen Sunday's are the best! I remember when this two parter originally aired, the wait between the episodes was maddening (in a good way). I'll never be able to stress enough how freakin' awesome it is that you're reacting to TNG! Keep up the great work and many blessings to you and yours!

[@jenmurrayxo]

Thanks bradley! I look forward to Sundays every week! 🖖☺️ so glad you're enjoying

[@Spidercat616]

"Friggin' Borg!" (I love Jen :D)

[@Wizastudios]

Jen I love how much you have become a Trekkie. Right away you said "Raise the Shields" and I was LOL by the detail to fandom. 👏🏽

[@greenporker]

"Friggin' Borg.."

[@thomasthompson2431]

Not sure if you got the shuttle kick, the Melbourne was the ship Riker was offered captaincy of at the start of part 1

[@robertwall1419]

For those not familiar with the battle, there were 2 USS Melbourne’s that took part. The first one was Admiral Hanson’s former command of an Excelsior Class ship .The second was the ship that Riker was offered command of(the original model prototype of the Nebula Class that was scratch built for the debris field). This was confirmed later by the production team and a future episode.👀😎👀😎👀😎👀😎👀

[@OpinionsNoOneCaresAbout]

Picard knew, so the Borg knew. Way to miss that one, "Borg expert" Shelby...

[@brucechmiel7964]

LaVar burton was in surgery at the time of filming this episode. So they used stock footage of Geordi from previous episodes. I bet you didn't even notice. That's why they had O'Brian doing the tech tech and making the collective signals similar to a transporter beam.

[@onespeed4ever206]

I nearly got teary-eyed watching you react to arguably one of the best Star Trek outta the all the series and movies It did change Picard and the way he's viewed by some Federation officers down the line

[@lazyperfectionist1]

3:45 Guinan does not often come to the Captain's Ready Room. When she drops by, though, you know she has a good reason.

[@Tilion462]

Yep, we all know shit just got real if Guinan's calling/visiting the command staff.

[@Tiffinki]

I'm remembering both "Q Who" and "Yesterday's Enterprise" as excellent examples.

[@valentine_puppy]

This day Enson Murray you shall come to know the most infamous and solemn set of numbers and Word combo in Star Trek lore. WOLF 359.

[@miguelvelez7221]

Elite TNG. Who knew this team, in and out of universe, could pull something like this? The show/crew has traveled a great distance from the days of FAR POINT.

[@botz77]

I can still remember the excitement when this premiered. We had waited for what seemed like an eternity.

[@TheNorthlander]

This two-parter is basically a movie to me. Big, cinematic, action-packed and filled with drama and amazing camera techniques.

[@willvgo2950]

You edited out one of the best lines. After Riker tells Shelby to prepare to separate the saucer from the star drive, she points out that Picard was aware of that plan. "I'm aware of that, commander. In fact, I'm counting on it."

[@davidmarsden192]

We do see Shelby again in Season 3 of Picard.

[@tofersiefken]

Oh, that little rascal Q and his antics precipitating Earth's encounter with the Borg by personally introducing the Enterprise crew in S2 Ep16 Q Who.

[@stormcrow7838]

Q actually warned us. Remember at the end of season 1 when the Romulan and Federation outputs along the Neutral Zone were destroyed. The Borg did that.

[@davidpumpkinsjr.5108]

Remember Me, Future Imperfect, The Loss, Data's Day, The Wounded, Devil's Due, Clues, Night Terrors, The Drumhead, Half a Life... you're in for some good times in Season 4, Miss. M.

[@Calzaki]

Someone's probably said it by now but at the time Patrick Stewart was only on a contract for 3 seasons and the first 2 had not been great... Season 3 was better obviously but he didn't know if he was coming back so when writing this episode - setting opportunities to kill him off, promote Riker, introduce Shelby... There's an alternate universe where the second half of Next Generation was Captain Rikers show

[@gwenthor]

I'm still jealous that you only had to wait a week to see this conclusion instead of the months I had to wait as a kid. Still, it's another great, if not very late for me, Sunday with Jen and TNG (and singing to the intro - one of my favorite parts!). Commercial break!

[@CristySFM1234]

So if your wondering it was about 40 federation ships that were destroyed, unknown if the Klingons made it on time but there were survivors from some of the ships one of whome would be important to future events. Wolf359 would be a event that would change the federation and Starfleet making Starfleet more militarized in their ships with the saber and defiant class coming about a year later with others like the Akira, Norway, steam runner, nova, intrepid, and sovereign classes following shortly after. Wolf 359 would also help prepare the UFP for a future war when about 4 years after the battle the UFP would make first contact with the dominion a event that would be the first domino to a war

[@DC_Prox]

🎼 The battle's done And we kind of won So we'll sound our victory cheer But where do we go from here? 🎶

[@VergilArcanis]

at a later date in a different show: "The only Borg so deadly that they gave him a goddamn name" most borg are given numbers as designations. almost all are. the fact Jean-Luc Picard was given a name was not a small thing.

[@brandonbullington]

Yes! Season 4 at last! I’m glad you’re continuing this journey!

[@leighmonty13]

Thanks

[@jenmurrayxo]

Thank you! ☺️👍

[@warpspeedracer]

The Borg... our most lethal enemy. So glad you are into season 4 already. It's great that you are doing two episodes per week.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

Without giving too much away, Picard's mental state in regards to his time as a Borg is revisited several times in the coming seasons.

[@brownB53]

And it smacked Picard in the face in Season One of Deep Space Nine with Sisko.

[@JustWasted3HoursHere]

@@brownB53 Yep. At Wolf 359.

[@jmarie9997]

And the First Contact movie. And the Picard series.

[@billallen1307]

We had to wait all summer for this and then watch commercials if we wanted to see it as soon as possible. Enjoy.

[@jonathanross149]

That summer, we didn't know if Steward had renewed his contact

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

He had also been doing commercials for Cadillac, like he was moving on to other things.

[@HCAgrippa100]

"Is he all right? Is he okay?" Nah, man. Picard's pretty fucking far from okay.

[@r.d.hargrave8159]

What’s next is he’s gonna call up a couple hard, pipe-hittin’ Klingons to go to work on the Borg with a pair of pliers and a blowtorch.

[@davidward9737]

​​@@r.d.hargrave8159😂😂 going to get medieval on their ass, since they are using pliers and blowtorches and not phasers. Pulp Trek Fiction

[@nataliefaust7959]

Just... thinking about the next episode makes me cry. I can't watch Wolf 359 without getting tears in my eyes. It's... much worse when you watch DS9, and you look back at Best of Both Worlds with deeper knowledge of the battle. I swear nothing gets me as emotional as Star Trek. XD ♥

[@lucidf8]

Thanks Jen! I love your reactions. The Borg are so powerful! You are right about that. And no, Picard is not all right. You sensed that too. Many more great stories to come in the Trek franchise.

[@selorkiith4461]

39 Starships... 11.000 Lives lost to a single enemy vessel...

[@3Rayfire]

39 out of 40.

[@dm121984]

A single enemy vessel that seemingly came out of the battle either undamaged or with no significant damage.

[@lavoixdelasagesse2837]

Poor Picard... Such a post trauma at the end.

[@Rob1701E]

I remember having to wait a year in South Africa to watch the start of season 4 , as it alternated with other Star Trek shows.But it was worth it. The Borg ignited my love for TNG crew

[@ruckboger]

I'm loving that you're watching TNG! I imagine you would have geeked out in the 80s.

[@Kodos13]

Hanson was an idiot. He was told the battle plans and ship specifications had been compromised, and he went off on some rah-rah Academy tangent story. He wouldn't even listen to his own Borg 'expert'. As later episodes will tell, the Battle of Wolf 359 was an absolute fiasco for Starfleet.

[@kerry-j4m]

And that was just one Borg cube,imagine if they sent a small fleet of cubes: resistance would really have been futile.

[@nickdiggerz]

Yep, Hansen had so much faith that Picard would NEVER help the Borg, that he didn't think for one moment that Picard might not have had a choice in the matter.

[@ivaneames4354]

To be fair, what other choice did Starfleet have? They didn't know enough about the Borg to try anything else and there was really no time to try and think of anything else. Also this was the first assimilation Starfleet had ever seen so they knew absolutely nothing about how it worked. They didn't even know it could be done. They found the baby Borg in "Q Who" so they assumed they just reproduced like that. If anyone, I'd call Shelby the idiot for considering herself an expert on the Borg when the only information on the Borg they had was the tiny bit gleaned from the first and only encounter with the Enterprise at J-25, which only lasted a matter of hours, and maybe a bit from Guinan and any fellow El-Aurians. They barely had any information on the Borg and no way to test whether any of their theories and inventions actually worked against them. With so little information to base theories on, no-one could consider themselves to be anywhere near an expert on the Borg. Despite that, Shelby was tactless and threw her weight around and when they finally did intercept the Borg cube it quickly became apparent how little she actually did know and by the end of the story she had been humbled. Imo Shelby was the idiot and Hanson was just doing what he could with what he had because he had no other choice due to lack of knowledge and time.

[@j.rileyindependentproductions]

You missed the whole point in the speech. Hansen knew that it was going to be a losing battle, knew that the Borg raped Picard's mind, stripped everything what was Picard from Locutus. But he wasn't about to let someone desecrate the memory of Picard. Picard would never do any of this willingly, so he did not "assist" them. What is on that ship is not Picard. And the only way he could justify to himself attacking that ship is to believe Picard dead (in all respects he was right given the circumstances... no one knew you could seperate a Borg from the collective yet).

[@uttula]

@@Renegade2786Thank you … I was already questioning my memory like ”wait, is that guy allegedly related to *those* Hansens” :)

[@dfwald4657]

More than a little PTSD. He was directly responsible for destroying all those ships and killing all the occupants. He has to have felt a lot of guilt and Star Fleet is amazing to have trusted him to take over control of the Enterprise so soon after without first evaluating if he still had some kind of connection to the Borg or was mentally fit to assume command again. Regardless you'd think after such an ordeal he would need to undergo therapy.

[@hop8403]

And now, another 2 1/2 seasons later, we meet one of the survivors, who instead of drinking tea and looking out the window, he built the BSMPH (known as USS Defiant)

[@dm121984]

Ah, another SFDebris fan?

[@joestacey6185]

Thirty-nine. The borg destroyed thirty-nine Federation starships at Wolf-359.

[@wren7195]

We wouldn't have the Defiant without this tragedy. "Hell I'd prefer we didn't NEED a Defiant, why's everybody out there crazy powerful and crazy crazy?"

[@alvarolozano711]

ONE MASSACRE

[@MGower4465]

@@joestacey6185 Including the ship Riker had just been offered...if he had taken promotion, he would have died.

[@makasete30]

The music is fantastic in this episode and distinctive, and it’s a shame that from here Star Trek used more muted sound tracks. I’ve read it was a conscious decision from Rick Berman.

[@kennethgardner3090]

As I said in part one, this is to me the best of all.

[@dongilleo9743]

For a long time Star Trek fan, having the Enterprise come upon the wreckage at Wolf 359 was a terrible gut punch. Sure, we've seen the occasional Star Fleet ship get destroyed in the past, but this was epic in scale. The devastation of so many Star Fleet ships, helplessly slaughtered and torn apart, firmly established the Borg as the ultimate threat the Federation has ever faced.

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

"Had ever" faced, but I will stop there to avoid any spoilers. I imagine the debris left over was turned into an historic War Memorial Site, like Pearl Harbor, Gettysburg, or that rockface at the end of "Red Dawn". 😢

[@TheNoiseySpectator]

And what do you mean "Was" a terrible gut punch? Is it not still today? 😭

[@randy7831]

I get the feeling that if she had to wait the whole summer for this second part (like we had to do when it was originally aired), Jen might have gone a little crazy! Just kidding Jen...well maybe. 😜

[@silikon2]

Something you can't "unsee"... Levar Burton was in the hospital when this was filmed and his shots were filmed later. That's why you never see him onscreen with the other actors... there's a couple shots from behind him but it's a double. This is also why O'Brien had a major role in the lab. Also, when Riker goes to the lab, Marina Sirtis looks away from Riker then abruptly backs up. It appears she was in the wrong position (blocking Picard) and was instructed to move back by the director to salvage the take. There's no apparent story reason for her action.

[@MGower4465]

I think Troi steps back because she is making room for Riker to approach. She and Crusher had been on opposite sides of the pod Picard was in, and through her empathy and familiarity with Riker, she would be sensitive to Riker's need to see for himself. There's no way Sirtis would be so far out of position.

[@silikon2]

@@MGower4465Yeah I think you're right, Sirtis couldn't have been that far off her mark and neither she nor anyone else noticed before the take.

[@nealsterling8151]

This is a pivotal Episode. The Battle of Wolf 359 and the loss of 11.000 lives had a lasting effect on Starfleet and the Federation (in universe) and Star Trek as a whole.

[@marvinsarracino116]

Great episode especially with Jen Vibing to the intro! Luv it! ❤️ 🎶. Riker makes an excellent Captain! Shelby is a bit pushy but a good leader! The Borg are one of the Best villains in the series! Friggin Borg... They borged Picard into "Locutis ". This episode was a great conclusion to the last cliffhanger! Thanks for sharing Jen ❤️💛 My fav Jen quips: "You've been Borged" lol "Get him deborged already"! Lol

[@themadmallard]

Your acknowledgement of the music, it was definitely an important 'character' to the success of this 2-parter. Ron Jones is the composer, and the soundtrack to these 2 episodes was released on CD.

[@cowscrazy]

He’s not ok and maybe never will be. That’s a traumatizing event. They do a good job exploring this.

[@MLPDethDealr32]

39 Starships were destroyed at the Battle of Wolf 359 with estimates of 11, 000 souls lost altogether.

[@robertritchie8829]

Didn't have internet access for a few days so had to wait for your reaction to this one 😖 Better than 3 months I suppose. Loved it as always, now can rest happy!

[@AdamVladimirKross]

The 2 part is a foundation for many things to come in Star Trek. It is the catalyst that changes the federation from a civilization that builds peace vessels to war vessels. It will leave a scar that will never heal inside Picard. The thousands of deaths will impact characters you haven't seen yet who lost people in that fight. It will change how the Borg see the Federation and will change how they will come at humanity next time. Of course as a show it solidified a villain that is the perfect antithesis to the Federation. One that seeks new life and nee civilizations, but as food for progress and growth. One that left unchecked will eventually consume the galaxy.

[@mixi5881]

How dare you call Data a machine!!

[@alvarolozano711]

one of the best episodes of star trek the new generation , simply awesome.

[@actioncom2748]

4:05 - "The Melbourne" That was supposed to be Riker's new command.

[@TheJGuerrero]

Notice how on time index 5:12 you see a hull on the left that vaguely looks like the hull of the Enterprise-A. The writers/producers wanted to convey that even if Kirk were there, all those ships would have still been destroyed.