Star Trek The Next Generation Ruminations S3E26: The Best Of Both Worlds

[@gallendugall8913]

Skipping over the most important bit of continuity in this episode? After assimilating Picard the Borg immediately make a major change to the design of all future Borg we see first with Picard. This is because when they assimilate Picard they gain his knowledge and awareness of the biggest threat to the Borg - the Caitians. Yep the cat people of Star Trek. You see the Borg are a collective neural network and the Caitians could easily overload and crash that network with cat memes. So the Borg started installing laser pointers on Borg heads to deal with the Caitian threat.

[@lucasvincent2875]

😹

[@Exarathas]

Finally someone said it! So true!

[@punishedchad8733]

Lmaooo

[@athrunzala6919]

I'm the kind of guy who lives in my brothers basement suite. The last time this was on syndication a few months ago was his date night. I was watching the recording when he and the wife came home. He has never been a fan, but he was exhausted and sat down and watched with me. I was perturbed, knowing he never liked the sci-fi genre at all. But after ten minutes of watching the wife tried dragging him to bed, and he's like "No, I kinda want to see how they get out of this" Best family bonding moment I've had with him in years. Lots I could say about this episode, but nothing will top that. (He loved the turbo lift scene!)

[@loC2ol]

Athrun Zala get out of your brothers basement bro...

[@glennwilliams2950]

@@loC2ol you're awful 😂. That's what you took from that entire comment. Thanks for the laugh.

[@nothingelse1520]

Did you move out of the basement?

[@paulscott2037]

Me, starting this rumination: :"If you mess this up, Lore, we're through." ... I'm kidding. This'll be great. I love what you do.

[@andrewkyriacou6405]

I have been waiting so long for you to get to this point and here we finally are! As with most I love this episode! While I was listening to video I actually paused when you got to the 'we have engaged the borg' bit, and went to find a clip of it on youtube to listen to that moment for myself again since it's been several years since the last time I've watched TNG. And I think this sums up nicely what a powerful moment that is: even as you were talking about it I still had a good idea of how that scene played out, specifically the music in it because it's so memorable, so perfect for the moment and just stands out so much from anything else. I played the clip and I'd forgotten a bit about the actual scene, the brief talking but the music, the crescendo when the cube is magnified and then Picard's 'we have engaged the borg' all perfectly remembered (my memory is not very good for most things). It's just a beautiful moment. It still gave me chills listening to that scene just now. And that moment of the ending. I didn't get to watch this episode when it aired (actually looking it up it aired a few months before I was born). But my mum was a big TNG fan so she taped most of the episodes. So when I was old enough to start watching them around 7 or 8 probably (maybe even younger) I got to experience that full effect of ' Mr Worf ... fire.' and the credits. I remember going a little bit nuts myself, something to the effect of 'where's the next episode?! quick put it in, put it in!' The rest of the episode I find I get very confused as to the order of events, mixing up things like oh wait Picard hasn't been abducted yet in this scene or, oh this is the part where Shelby and Riker have it out, little things like that. But those two moments and how they make me feel will stay with me forever. I cannot wait for next time!

[@sicily7220]

The scene where Shelby volunteers to continue working with Data and Riker says she also needs rest. There was a 3rd option, Data continues working and Shelby gets some rest. "the best of both world" 😂

[@nickcolbert9615]

Day of the Dove was the last Klingon episode, in season 3. The first was Errand of Mercy in season 1.

[@thexalon]

Troi's "it's inappropriate for you to lead the away team" moment is the core of this episode from a character perspective. Yes, the Borg are scary beyond belief, but that's the point where you really get the idea that the Star Trek universe will never be the same again.

[@normanbuchwald]

It was one of those few moments Troi was written the way she was supposed to be written. I especially liked that moment as it was told both in her official role AND her personal relationship with Riker and was an echo of that earlier "what do you want to do, Will Riker" scene. It was perfect.

[@TroyeMB]

Lore, I have no doubt that you'll receive your usual (unwarranted) criticisms for this rumination, but for me it was quite the treat... and one of my favorite things is when you give just the tiniest hint of a personal touch -- like your being nervous about doing this rumination, or your love of the sound of poker chips, or your pronunciation of the word teckkkhnically which won't mean anything to -- and might not even be noticed by -- a non-fan, but which means so much more to those of us who DO follow you regularly... ... There is a reason that many of the Lorewalkers that are also Star Trek fans have been waiting so anxiously for this rumination -- we knew just what you could do with an episode so important -- and you proved us all right... This was magnificent... Thank you, Lore... (PlatyMcBear)

[@andrewlong9799]

Rip platy. You will be missed.

[@sharkdentures3247]

My thoughts: "Death is irrelevant" - an extra unnerving line from an already unnerving enemy. Sends chills up my spine. "HE IS A BORG!" - I agree. Dorn did great. You could see how broken up Worf was. He has love & respect for Picard and the Borg dishonored him in the worst way. If the borg simply killed Picard, Worf would have been almost happy. "He died against the mightiest foe in battle! The Klingons in Stovokore will welcome him as a worthy brother!" And finally; I think one of the key things that differentiate the Borg from the 'threat of the week', is that it was the first that actually 'stabbed' deep into the Federation. (i.e. Earth was legitimately threatened) With the possible exceptions of NOMAD & the planet eater in TOS. (but neither got all that close) As such the Borg threat really 'hit home' for the audience. (our home is Earth after all) Granted this would happen again in First Contact & the Breen would do he same in he dominion war & the Zindi during Enterprise. But this was the FIRST time Earth (and the Federation) REALLY felt threatened.

[@rmsgrey]

V'Ger in Motion Picture and Whale Probe in Voyage Home

[@therearenoshortcuts9868]

"given what the Queen wanted to do with Loctus I mean... anyways!" NO KEEP GOING LOOL

[@stargazer4683]

I liked the borg tactic when beaming in the bridge. The first borg is cannon fodder to recon how many people and where picard is. It also gathered info on how to adapt to fed weapons.

[@musicsynergy86]

After Lore quoted Battlestar Galactica it made me think how much I would enjoy seeing a BSG rumination series in the future.

[@lucasvincent2875]

The day this originally aired, Nelson Mandela was speaking on Boston Common, I lived in a Boston suburb, and was freaking out at the thought of part one being preempted. The announcer covering Mandela's speech actually came on air and reassured viewers that Star Trek would indeed be airing on time, no need to reset your VCR!

[@Bojack727]

I just went back and looked at the abduction scene... And man, are you right about this being the end of the whole "Winds of Change" era. It *really* shows just how complacent things had become: There's no security on the bridge and the only person who's armed is Worf. I mean, it's clearly visible that Riker isn't even holstering a phaser. It really shows the difference by the time of DS9, where it was standard practice that Sisko and his crew were armed- both in ops or the bridge of the Defiant a lot more often.

[@francoislacombe9071]

"You should be in the center of town." In that case, why did they not materialize in the center of the crater where the center of town should have been and plummet down to the bottom?

[@frankharzer6224]

I guess because the Transporter chief relaised that there was a problem and transported them the the edge of the crater.

[@ShadowStoryteller]

Sure, start the episode off in sickbay with 2 characters with broken legs and Data with a bad twitch. 😉

[@SebSenseGreen]

One of my friend watched this episode live. I think he got PTSD from this cliffhanger.

[@AlcomIsst]

The first time I watched Star Trek TNG was with my dad, he bought a DVD box with all 7 seasons and we would watch an episode every other night. I asked him what it was like to wait so long for part II. It wasn't fun for him either.

[@Z1gguratVert1go]

I watched it live when it aired and I think I got it too.

[@michael719]

I first saw it on VHS... It gave me nightmares

[@chuntzinger677]

I was 9, the whole family jumped off the couch and literally ran around the house yelling " nooooooooo"

[@Willpower-74205]

The summer of '90 was a tough one for me because of this episode. 😫

[@nickokona6849]

I like this episode, but I don’t rewatch it often. Mostly because the tone and presentation of the Borg was still being tuned away from the somewhat campy vibe they started with toward First Contact where they really nailed the presentation including “Borg Voice” minus the queen. I’m not 100% sure I agree with your Defiant quote. I can’t say it’s not true, but the implication from DS9 The Search part 1 was that after Wolf 359 and the destruction of the Saratoga, Ben Sisko was assigned to the ship yards and he designed the Defiant. Now, it could be that the designs were already underway and he just came in and added, but that was not the implication I felt from its introduction. I might be way off on this, but looking back, I wonder how much of Shelby actually went into the character of Ro Laren. Re the Picard-Guinan scene in 10 Forward, I always felt that her comment about “as long as one survives...” she was talking as much about herself as it relates to El-Aurians as it related to the Federation. Like she feels that because she, Soren, and others escaped the Borg, they’ve achieved a victory, and her fear is of now potentially giving that victory back to the Borg.

[@olympicnut]

I suspect Guinan knew Picard would survive the Borg since the events of "Time's Arrow" had yet to catch up with her.

[@PatrickLink]

I always thought the "Death is irrelevant" line meant Picard's death was irrelevant which I thought was really ominous.

[@emptycaster4905]

The old soap you were thinking of is Dallas. Where the Master SOB J.R. gets shot by a mystery person. Fun fact, they filmed everyone shooting J.R., including J.R. But you probably looked it up after filming this Rumi. Great Rumi as always Lore, can't wait for the next one.

[@prezwil46]

One of my all time favorite episodes. I think you are spot on with the ending. Much more impactful with the pause and end credits!

[@MichaelJohnson-vi6eh]

The first 2 minutes of the second episode had me crying my eyes out.

[@kit782]

It is a matter for eternal regret that TNG was so far behind in the UK, I could hardly avoid being spoiled for Picard surviving. Not only that but, (a) the Vendetta novel made it over here first and (b) teenage me was dumb enough to read it first.

[@harpercole5321]

Ha! Same here. I think the novel referred to "The Picard Miracle", though it didn't say what it was. We were two or three years behind, I think? Then after BoBw part 2, we had to wait a whole year for "Family". Still ... Wednesdays, 6pm. Happy times.

[@chuntzinger677]

Now that I'm older and can piece multiple things together I've always imagined Q watching in the background pondering their every move ....

[@mr51406]

One of the best television episodes EVER‼️ Thanks for the very long rumination! For the episode and your critique, every second was interesting. 🖖🏼 What’s amazing in hindsight is that going in these poor mortal fools still thought they could somehow defeat the Borg.

[@mr51406]

And from 40 minutes on, the music is fantastic! Culminating in the beginning notes of Alexander Courage’s theme playing in very somber minor key as we see Picard assimilated. It’s at that moment when Picard equaled if not surpassed Kirk as a legend. Kirk did a lot but he never suffered for duty as Picard did.

[@Gianne0923]

Great rumination. I appreciate your attention to detail, opinions and perceptiveness. Can’t wait to hear your thoughts on BOBW Part 2 next week.

[@francoislacombe9071]

One strategy they should have considered, but did not for obvious out of character reasons, would have been to beam an antimatter container to the center of the Borg cube and detonated it. In TOS, we have seen the level of destruction a mere ounce of antimatter can unleash, and they CAN beam things onto the cube at that point in the story, so they would have had an actual chance to destroy the cube if they had done that.

[@pimptom8704]

Best of both worlds was my first episode of Star Trek in general. I was around nine when my parents were rewatching it on dvd. I think I was playing Pokémon platinum when I started paying more attention to the episode.

[@lightsabermetrics]

Your thoughts at about the 32:56 mark (when Riker is barking orders about sending an away team to the Borg cube and Shelby would take command in his absence) has always been the one moment that never sat well with me about this legendary episode. I always found it odd that there wasn't any moment of pause for Riker to consider Troi's advice before changing his mind. All the scene needed was a couple seconds of Riker looking at his staff while absorbing Troi's words before deciding she was, in fact, right. A brief pause wouldn't have broken the overall pace. Also, once again I love that you gave special mention of Ron Jones. This episode is his Mona Lisa, his David, his Creation of Adam. I found the CD at the only Star Trek convention I had ever attended, shortly before Star Trek VI was released in theaters. I scooped it up, and it was the album that got me into soundtracks ever since.

[@paulscott2037]

There's two particular shots that are very brief but occur around the 22 minute mark after the first engagement with the Borg which I think really are worth noting in particular. The first is where Shelby has just told data to rotate the phaser frequencies and they break free of the Borg tractor. As they go on the run Picard steps up behind Shelby and puts a hand on her shoulder. She gracefully bows out and steps back out of shot and Picard takes his place at the head of the bridge. I love this because just that simply and gentle gesture to me shows that Picard already has grown kind of fond of Shelby. He doesn't ask her to move or take her station, he just rests a hand on her shoulder and she automatically knows that her place is back at the third command chair. I know you say it would have been great to see Shelby as first officer and Riker as captain a lot more but I equally would have loved to have seen Shelby as Picard's first officer. The second part is a shot immediately after which I think we never actually see in TNG again where we get sort of a first officer's eye view of Picard. The camera faces the viewscreen with the two forward stations and Picard in view and follows Picard as he gives orders to data and the helm. It's such an unusual shot that it feels so intentional. In that second we see what Riker sees every time Picard takes that stance at the head of the bridge.

[@weswyleven9540]

Excellent rumination. Thank you for your service.

[@WujekFu]

Massacre at Wolf 359 was a Federation own "Pearl Harbor". It forced Federation to rebuilt their fleet and eventually turned it after Dominion War into sole Galactic superpower of Alpha and Beta quadrants.

[@captmoroni]

Dread not. You’ve long proven you can inform and entertain in between work assignments. I still remember your impromptu Q&As. At home, with prep time? You always deliver, Lore.

[@Bojack727]

This episode was a game-changer. I was six when this aired, and I was watching it with my parents... I've more recently spoken with my mother about that cliffhanger, and she mentioned being upset at the sight of Patric Stewart made up as a Borg. I've also noticed something interesting that I never picked up until last year: how there's a riff of the TNG theme that plays either during or right after Locutus appears- and it's off-key. It's a little thing, but it really gets across the fact that- on a subconscious level- that what we're seeing is *wrong*. It's weird, because I have a very visceral memory of when that first Drone appeared in "Q Who" and I was dumbstruck by the fact that the phasers didn't work initially. By comparison, the Locutus scene wasn't very disturbing to me as a kid, it's only now as an adult that I can appreciate the impact. I also remember my mom offhandedly remarked something along the lines of "looks like they're gonna make us wait all summer to see what happens."

[@petewatson-wailes10]

IT'S HERE!!!! OK, let's get into this!

[@hotblackdesiato3022]

When my wife and I watched BOBW Part 1 years ago, we had no idea that it was the final episode of the season. As the episode reached its climax we were both speculating on how it would conclude. I went into shock when I saw the words "To Be Continued....". I was up until 2 AM that night speculating on how the Borg could be defeated and Picard rescued. Crazy, I know, but such was my investment in the show at that time.

[@chiroquacker2580]

Shelby could have been an interesting choice to be the captain of Voyager

[@chriscma1]

She was approached about that role, but declined the offer.

[@chiroquacker2580]

Really? I didn't know that. It would have been a great in-universe, but I said 'interesting' because I don't know how well the actress would have fit the part. It's hard to imagine anyone other than Kate Mulgrew.

[@jef_3006]

This is actually a very well timed episode because The Orville just had what is indisputably it's Best of Both Worlds a couple of weeks ago (Identity parts 1 & 2). It's not as good, of course, and not as externally impactful, but it really does affect the show, the characters, and the universe in the same sort of way. Seth Macfarlane has been fighting tooth and nail to make The Orville into Star Trek, and episodes like 'Identity' and 'About a Girl' really are real Trek made today. I'd recommend it to anyone.

[@810PRODUCTIONS]

That Huntington background gots me on a deep craving for a deposit.

[@normanbuchwald]

I'm sure this has been brought up before, but I realized during my latest viewing the name of Admiral Hanson and the last name of Seven of Nine. Could Seven of Nine be the granddaughter of the Admiral? (A quick Google search shows I am not the first to wonder). That would have been quite fascinating. (It also would mean Magnus would have been his son who has a certain determination and fixation to the task and disregards to regular protocols, like Shelby).

[@djgamer5546]

"You've RUINED our summer!" Also, first time I've watched the episode before the rumination. I have to agree about the cliffhanger part. When I watched the cut-together version on the big screen for the Fathom Event, it felt REALLY WEIRD having the "Worf...fire!" part cut directly to the next scene in the second episode. I can't much remember having seen it for the first time-I might have, I was probably four or five at the time. Side Note: I do distinctly remember being confused by "The Original Series" in a way that's really amusing in hindsight. I don't think I quite grasped how things came into existence before I was born, so I thought of TOS as this weird side-thing and even came up with the idea of my own "Original Obiginal" Star Trek series. I now use the term to humorously refer to things like prequels-I.E. Star Wars: The Original Obiginal Trilogy.

[@ShadowStoryteller]

To paraphrase Admiral Jarok, "I have seen hundreds of cliffhangers in movies, TV shows and video games. But none have ever compared to the awesome power of this episode's cliffhanger." This episode and it's second part, to me, have no equal at all. Just the ending of this episode is chilling with the music swelling and Riker's, "Mister Worf...Fire..." and the cut to black. That is how you end a season. I'll have more next week when we get to Wolf 359 and the Cube over Earth. As an aside to your story idea, maybe do it in the "Lower Decks" animated show CBS is making. Hear me out here. Remember Sesame Street when Mr. Hooper died and they addressed it in a way that families could get together and talk about it? Do something like that. Like you said, follow one of the 11 who died in the first engagement in this episode. Follow them with that dread following them the entire episode like it did in this one. Use Ron Jones's Music and little bits of this episode to keep continuity and then cut it off as the Red Alert starts. Maybe use clips from the episode of that first battle to show the end of that crewman. Hell, make it a holodeck thing if people are that squeamish.

[@permeus2nd]

1:00:45 thats the whole point, i am legion for we are many (and i just realised this is a Mass effect reference but i was actually thinking Demons) its the same thing that made the daleks and cybermen so scary in Dr Who back in the 60s, to quote a line from terminator ""That Terminator, It can't be reasoned with, it can't be bargained with...it doesn't feel pity or remorse or fear...and it absolutely will not stop.Ever. Until you are dead."" (well not til voyager anyway)

[@HEARTMACHINEPLUSULTRA]

Been looking forward to this one for a long time. Can't wait to dive into this!

[@athrunzala6919]

Isn't it true , this was the second best cliffhanger in t.v. history, right after "Who shot JR:?

[@normanbuchwald]

In the long run, I think this will have a more significant mark in television history, say fifty years from now with the Star Trek franchise having much more of a brand name compared to Dallas. So I'd argue this would be looked at historically the best. Someone shot is a much more predictable cliffhanger by comparison (even if Dallas was one of the first).

[@clearmountain28]

I think who shot Mr. Burns was better. Well the cliffhanger part at least

[@visualeyezdoug8158]

Sopranos was a pretty Epic cliffhanger

[@cjc363636]

Been counting down the latter S3 episodes to get to this! I was like.... "Is 'Menage a Troi'" the last one before BoBW? Oh, no, it's "Transfigurations!" (Which deserved Lamentation status). Well done, Sir on Part 1! And I can't wait till the Fall for .... Oh, uh, next week for Part 2!

[@jshariff786]

Awesome rumination Lore, thanks! Count me among those who think that the "Queen Bee" idea was horrendous and ruined the premise of the Borg. Not so much in this episode with Locutus, but later with the establishment of an actual Queen as "leader". Why does the collective need an individual to lead? Goes against the whole point. Voyager later made this much worse by reducing the Queen to your typical petulant, vindictive, moustache-twirling villain, with an individual agenda and emotional attachments. Gone was the nameless, faceless, unstoppable force. I think the Q said it best. The Borg are more like force of nature than anything else. Voyager instead had infuriating scenes, like the Queen talking to and contradicting the rest of the Collective (so...the Borg talking to themselves???). And drones being activated to push buttons on consoles to alter course, instead of the action being made to happen by single _thought_ from the collective consciousness. They're all linked into the hive mind and are literally plugged into the ships. The need to push buttons is for _what,_ exactly?? "Q Who" should have been necessary viewing for all subsequent Voyager (and TNG) Borg episode writers. I get the out-of-universe rationale for the introduction of the Queen in First Contact. I just don't agree with it. Is it hard to make a feature film that would appeal to a widespread audience without a clear individual villain? Yes. But that's an argument for either 1) sticking to your core sci-fi premise and not trying to appeal to the masses, or 2) *not* centring a feature film around the Borg at all. It's like Lore said: the Borg should be a backdrop, like an incoming tidal wave. It's how our characters react to that situation that is of interest. But regardless, I think they actually managed to pull this off anyway! First Contact was a great movie, precisely because it wasn't "all out war with the Borg" (which would have been short). They did instead use the Borg as an impetus/backdrop for the actual story about Cochrane, and First Contact. So again...why the need to introduce the Queen?

[@worldsbestpantz3445]

I noticed something new this time! Riker invites Shelby to his poker game in his quarters on deck 8. Later in the episode, Shelby orders the turbo lift to take her to the battle bridge on deck 8. Having Riker’s quarters on the same deck as the battle bridge is so subtly presented, but so important in a way I never realized; and I’ve watched this two-parter dozens of times. I know what I think about that connection, but I would love to hear what you think about it, Lore.

[@worldsbestpantz3445]

I would also be more than happy to give you my thoughts on that connection, if you’d like.

[@kizunadragon9]

"Seasoned... thats a terrible thing to say to a man" Warp 6 is crusing speed for the galaxy class ships. They can maintain warp 6 damn near forever, thats when the engine power can recycle itself, it's a equilibrium. Anything over warp 6 gives an energy deficit. They spend "fuel" faster than they can make it.

[@miller-joel]

No one did season "cliffhangers" like B5. That was real trauma.

[@JoshuaKevinPerry]

The Roman Empire ended one time, 1453 with the Fall of Constantinople.

[@ZemplinTemplar]

Wonderful analysis so far, as usual. Looking forward to the conclusion next week. :-)

[@normanbuchwald]

I always hoped in some way we would see Shelby again in the series. I know a Captain Shelby was mentioned in DS9's "You are Cordially Invited" and I know she's appeared in novels, but she is one of my favorite Star Trek characters. I wouldn't mind a Shelby guest star appearance in the Picard series.

[@danielyeshe]

Norman Buchwald The line always sounds like Dax is saying ‘He’ to me. I haven’t seen You are Cordially Invited in a while thought.

[@scottwolozanski8988]

I do like these episodes a lot. The only major point I disagree with you on is Shelby. As you said, some people might find her irritating. I always hated her. I find her entire character grating. I am very happy that she didn't become a main character. From her attitude to the way she talked just makes me angry. Maybe because I've met people like her in my life and she hits a nerve. Maybe because it bothers me that they are in a situation that threatens humanity as a whole and she's causing strife. I'm sure if I had more time I could list out why I hate her character and I don't think she makes this episode better. Just my opinion.

[@chrislane481]

I do think the point of her character WAS to be irritating, at least very pushy and to put Riker out of his comfort zone. It may have been a bit too much tension between the two, but I like how Riker stepped up and didn't back down to her challenge, then eventually saying they don't have to like each other to make a good team. It's rare in TNG that character tension between two officers gets that heated, so it was a change of pace and really had the audience wondering what was going to happen.

[@normanbuchwald]

The only issue of the cliffhanger is that in some ways the franchise also rues the day. They've tried to bring back some type of similar effect with other cliffhangers, but they cannot do it again (a season later I'd say they tried too hard. Denise Crosby stepping out of the shadows. Nevermind how that turned out, it was a red herring season ender that is nothing compared to a true non-red herring one of BoBW).

[@twirkwiggler]

That was a long 3 months for me and all of my friends too.

[@gm2407]

Your example on the protacol break is a perfect reason as to why she is suited for command. Shelby follows her own initative, this needs to be done and it is within my scope of responsibilities, I don't need permission I am just going to do it. Would you expect Geordie or Worf to ask Riker's permision if it falls within their responsibilities? An officer with that attitude is a benefit among people who ask for permission for every action.

[@-pancakes7205]

My thoughts on Riker of not taking a captaincy on other ships is that for one it's not the Enterprise, I believe he even mentions that in this episode or other episodes. And secondly the Enterprise is a cushy prime posting, the second officer on THE flagship of the Federation with the best and brightest on board.

[@bobwill]

June 18? This episode aired on my birthday. I didn't remember this happening on my birthday (I watched TNG since it first came out). Looking it up on a calendar, that was a Monday. We never had TNG or DS9 debuts on Mondays, it was always Thursday or Saturday in my area.

[@subraxas]

... and Nero shouted out: "FIRE EVERYTHING!!!".

[@DarianHarder]

Just saw these episodes this morning

[@Z1gguratVert1go]

I agree that the Borg were scarier when they were completely a collective - the Borg basically are a single character, a single "person."

[@AdamCollings]

I never experienced the impact of this cliffhanger. I first watched this two-parter on a VHS I hired from the local video rental. Around the time of season 3 of TNG, due to some legal/political reasons, our local TV station here in northern Tasmania no longer had the rights to TNG, so only those in the south of the state got to watch it. A few years later the things changed again, and we were actually allowed to have more than one commercial TV station in each region, so I was able to pick it up again around season 5.

[@Jose_Hunters_EWF_Remixes]

OK, so I've never understood the poker game in "The Best Of Both Worlds Part I". They're playing 5 card stud, and the 5th card is about to be dealt face up. Each player has 3 up cards, and one card in the hole. Troi is dealing. Going clockwise, she deals to Geordi first, who immediately folds because he is holding a "7-high", the worst possible hand in 5 card stud and/or because Geordi is a born loser who folds before anyone has bid. (I actually don’t know the true identity of Geordi’s loser hand.) Next is Wesley, who is dealt a 3rd jack, giving him the highest hand showing from this point forward. Next, Shelby is dealt a card which must match the card in the hole since Troi announces "Pair of deuces stands", and we later find out Shelby ends with 2 pairs Then Riker is dealt another card of a straight flush, which is a very strong hand because a straight, a flush and a straight flush are all possible depending on Riker's hole card. The more different available/possible cards which can give you a good hand, the stronger your hand is. Then Data and Troi are dealt garbage, and are no longer relevant. Then, with three jacks showing, Wesley makes a wimpy bid, and Shelby quickly calls. STOP! At this point, it's hard to discern why Shelby is staying in so casually. She has no chance of winning unless Riker makes a very aggressive move and forces Wesley out. But that's pretty bad strategy overall, expecting Riker to bluff Wesley out, and amounts to mere wild guessing by Shelby, and a reckless manner of playing. People who play so recklessly don't last long and/or lose a great deal of Federation Chips. Furthermore, Wesley knows that even if Shelby has the best possible card in her hand (another deuce), she still can't beat Wesley's 3 jacks. So, Riker raises 100 Fed Chips, and Wimply, I mean Wesley, folds like a house of cards. Then Shelby says, "I've only got two pairs, but I have to see your hole card", and then Riker capitulates, showing that he had an unrelated junk card in his hole. And the truly bizarre part is that Riker knows that there’s no way Shelby can beat Wesley’s 3 jacks showing, no matter what she has in her hand. So Riker decides to try to bluff both Wesley and Shelby after seeing that Shelby is staying in even though everyone knows she can’t beat Wesley’s three jacks? Is it likely that she’ll be bluffed out by Riker if she’s willing to stay in despite Wesley’s hand? And she makes no effort to bluff Wesley into folding. So it’s like she’s not interested in winning; she’s only interested in Riker losing That’s it, isn’t it? Her only real goal was to make Riker lose, regardless of who won. Maybe this was actually rather cleverly constructed. Or maybe, I’m “reading too much into it”. Only a true poker player could have been so concerned about this event

[@lilytheghost7608]

I know next to nothing about poker but wow this analysis engrossed me to the end. Really cool to see that sub plot really be dug into.

[@nigelmurphy6761]

Great ruination. Been waiting for this one! remember being on the edge of my seat when I first saw this episode back in the day

[@nigelmurphy6761]

sorry should have said rumination.

[@Mrhullsie2]

Wasn't Errand of Mercy the first Klingon episode. Day of the Dove was a 3rd season episode and the Klingons had been long established by then.

[@nigelmurphy6761]

yes errand of mercy was the first time that we saw the klingons in TOS.

[@andrewthorne3570]

Yes it was. Day of the Dove was actually the 6th (and 2nd to last, and the last one wasn't even a real Klingon) episode of TOS the feature the Klingons

[@George_M_]

Loved Shelby. I'm glad she was in that book series at least.

[@ryanspencerlauderdale687]

I just watched some old video clips of this episode, and noticed something about the second action scene that bothers me. Why, after the Borg adapt to the phasers, did they not just close in further on the away team? And why is it that Worf was able to get really close to Locutus, albeit being behind a force field, without further endangering his crewmates? It would seem more logical that the away team would be forced to beam out to avoid assimilation after being surrounded by drones, and have the sight of Locutus be something they saw behind the drones as they close in? It seems like they tried to set that up, and then over the next couple of shots, the away team isn't in any actual danger. The shots of the Borg that are after they "encounter resistance" are just to provide two guards for Locutus, even though the force field was efficient enough. Somebody help me understand this.

[@johnpotts8308]

I never understood the "The Borg have no individuals, how can you relate to them?" line (I've certainly heard that argument before, but I've no idea where from) because that was exactly what made them scary. They are scary because they completely lacked individuality (why I never liked the Borg Queen), so giving them a "face" detracted from that.

[@markyoung950]

It was a tactical victory for the Federation, but an a Pyrrhic victory. They were almost destroyed, 1 more cube and the quadrant would be Borg

[@jshariff786]

Regarding the discussion around 55:00 (Death is irrelevant). I actually love that whole exchange: Capt. Picard : I have nothing to say to you; and I will resist you with my last ounce of strength. The Borg : Strength is irrelevant. Resistance is futile. We wish to improve ourselves. We will add your biological and technological distinctiveness to our own. Your culture will adapt to service ours. Capt. Picard : Impossible. My culture is based on freedom and self-determination. The Borg : Freedom is irrelevant. Self-determination is irrelevant. You must comply. To me, "Freedom is Irrelevant, Self-Determination is Irrelevant" is more terrifying than the statement about death. It encapsulates what is so chilling about the Borg philosophy and implacability. I also really like that the first time they said "Resistance is Futile", it was not as a catchphrase, but as a specific response to Picard's statement that he would resist. Maybe they later figured based on their dialogue with him, that this was a message that needed to be imparted to humanoids, so they started saying it as a matter of course. But I don't think the Borg set out to intimidate with their comms monologue. They just state matter-of-factly what their objectives are, and what is _going_ to happen.

[@chrislane481]

Agree with everything about this episode and yes, the 3 month wait was incredible. Only 2 things that slightly bother me on this episode. One is Shelby's hair, which the actress actually mentioned in an interview...it just doesn't seem like a good hair style. Also, very minor question...why didn't the bridge crew have phasers on them when they knew the Borg were after Picard?

[@williamozier918]

Time code 52:00. Watch the episode "Booby Trap", then watch this one. Picard's line becomes even more chilling.

[@Helyyx]

"We will discuss more of the impact, consequence, and development of the second part episode..next week" *DUN DUN DAAAAH*

[@bobwill]

Even as a kid, I thought that it was funny that they couldn't see the city from orbit. You'd hope that the transporter sensors could tell O'Brien where the buildings are. Maybe this planet has some serious environmental issues that block all sensors, and O'Brien was just beaming them down on lat and long

[@DrownedInExile]

Please do gush about this episode! Best cliffhanger ever! As for criticisms, here's one you missed. After the first briefing, Shelby asks to send an away team, but Riker says it will be dark soon, so they've scheduled an away team for dawn. Do they not have floodlights in the 24th century? Is lack of sunlight really such a problem that they have to postpone such a critical mission? I understand why the delay makes sense from a narrative perspective, but it makes no practical sense. Also somewhat random question: why is this 2-parter named "The Best of Both Worlds"? It's evocative, but also a strange choice for a Borg-battle episode.

[@DefSquadFan]

New Show with Riker as Captain and Shelby as First officer plus add troi. TNG stays with Picard and Data as First Officer plus Geordi.

[@harpercole5321]

I've watched this episode so often I've slightly ruined my own enjoyment of it. It's been about 7 years now, though, so time to give it another go. They pretty much nailed every aspect: Riker's arc, the music, the action scenes (usually a weakness of TNG), Picard/Guinan. It's hard believe that this is only the usual 43 minutes: no scenes wasted.

[@1300l]

In my own lore, the borg never had a queen before that episode. By assimilate Picard, giving him a distinction as locutus, the borg actually created a Queen as a byproduct of assimilate such a independent human.

[@vesuvanprincess]

This is going to be the longest 3 months... er.... Week of my life waiting for the next rumination!

[@tougheddie7297]

Been waiting for this review. Best star trek episode ever

[@chuntzinger677]

Jericho had unbelievable cliffhanger, then they said they wouldn't come back which caused a fan revolt! They had to shoot a half season wrap up to get the fans to stop bugging them ....that was pretty cool

[@samdog8087]

Poking my head in for the first time.

[@Species1571]

Makes you long for the days when a season cliffhanger meant a 3 month wait. Nowadays it is often more than a year.

[@scotttrammell4299]

43:00 The one thing that irritates me about the attack scene is how the effects don't reflect the seriousness of the situation that the dialogue says there is. The dialogue says the hull was breached, engineering was decompressed, and 11 crew members died. The damage is implied to be extreme, yet when Geordi is ordered to evacuate engineering, the lights aren't even flickering.

[@bobwill]

My understanding with the Queen was that when they were working on First Contact was that they needed a central villain. I, personally, thought that it could have made sense if the Borg Queen was an adaptation to Hugh problem which we saw effectively destroyed a cube; but, they chose to say something about "I have always been." NO! THAT'S STUPID! YOU HAD YOUR OUT, AND YOU SCREWED IT UP!

[@muadeeb]

Denver!?!?!?!? Doesn't help that I overlook the city the site is ACTUALLY named for.

[@knowpassword]

It always bothered me the Enterprise flew out of the nebula right next to the cube... if Picards strategy was to delay then fly out of the gas cloud on the opposite side from where the Borg are.. fly in and out at different locations, play cat and mouse..

[@IvyLeather13]

Ah the famous oil boom town Denver.

[@Helyyx]

Techno Babble. I suggest we add a lore-ian word for it. Call it the "Kosinski Effect". Because what they say is nonesense, but it works anyway. #thetraveler

[@visualeyezdoug8158]

@Lorerunner : Got a nice basic question for ya lore. I’m sure you’ve answered it before but I know myriad people would be interested. -What are your 5 or 10 favorite episodes of TNG??? In a general vague order would be awesome

[@visualeyezdoug8158]

@Lorerunner , as a side note I think it would be really sweet if at the end of each season you had just a quick, ten minute or so, review of the season, about the highs and lows, and what the overall season had going for it in terms of casting, themes, character development etc. like I love how the starfleet uniforms change each season. And I’d like to know more about why doctor Pulaski replaced crusher in season 2? Your ruminations are so good but I don’t always have time to watch every one of them. So many great details. If they are so Zoomed in it would be cool to get almost a mini rumination for each season. Just touching on whatever you think is most relevant or interesting to take away from the season?? Just an idea. Content like yours is some of the stuff I enjoy most on KZbin and the hardest to find. Long form, super informed, all the nerdy details combed thru with love. But I find myself every once in a while wanting your great opinions distilled into a 10 min vid... keep doing the Lor(e)ds work friend!!

[@visualeyezdoug8158]

This rumination is Solid Gold.

[@Lorerunner]

What I tend to do is towards the end of a particular show I set up a vote for people to decide their favorite and least favorite 5, and weigh in myself. That'll be somewhere around March of 2021, and we'll have the vote set up in advance if you're curious. As for me, I can't decide yet since I'm not done with analyzing the whole series yet (I find that Analysis Mode changes my opinions).

[@visualeyezdoug8158]

Lorerunner oh that’s awesome man! Thanks for the reply. I will for sure check that out.

[@IshikawaGoemon]

What's better? Seasoned rare steak, best of both worlds, Lore.

[@tubeviewerX20]

Great rumination, no surprise. I don’t like the Borg “queen bee” concept either. Locutus was a unique circumstance and it works so I like it. I love First Contact and perhaps the Borg Queen is necessary but I never liked that they introduced her. Separate thought: No way Commander Shelby is only 22 in-universe. Maybe the show mentioned it and I missed it, but I would say she’s in her 30s.

[@mikebell2112]

Denver lol. Dallas.

[@feudini1]

Riker should be kicked out of Starfleet for his way of handling of the Borg in the Best of both Worlds. When the cube was in Earth’s orbit Riker decided to destroy the cube risking Picard’s life since Picard was still connected to the Borg. The Borg were put into regenerate mode through the Enterprise which means Starfleet could control the Borg and study the Borg. I believe Starfleet does not destroy things base on emotion but Riker did in front of Earth. In this way they become hunters not explorers. I use the episode Silicon Avatar to defend my reasoning.

[@LostMercenary99]

Perfection.

[@athrunzala6919]

If Shelby did become the new character with Picard out, the Shelby/Riker sexual tension for the rest of the series would have gone up 1000 fold! And I would have loved that too!

[@shawngillogly6873]

Part of me wonders if TNG wouldn't have been better if Picard died breaking free of Assimilation to save the Federation, and Riker & Shelby would've been the new CO/XO for the Enterprise. Especially given how Stewart always wanted Picard to be an action hero in the movies.

[@Molly-vn2hf]

Yes...finally...

[@andrewledbetter4112]

34:46 they kinda cover the topic of ??? What is he saying here?? Crunch??

[@Lorerunner]

Crunch is correct. The concept of forcing people to work overtime and long hours to meet a deadline, reducing overall quality of the product or service.

[@timthompson6441]

Shelby was definitely annoying!