“The Best of Both Worlds” is episode twenty-six of season three of Star Trek: The Next Generation and the season finale.
The Enterprise is following up a distress signal from one of the Federation’s outermost colonies. In the transporter room, Worf tells Commander Riker that there have been no communications in over 12 hours and there are no signs of life. O’Brien states it’s safe to transport and Worf, Riker, Data and Geordi beam down. Riker checks with O’Brien that the coordinates are accurate. They are; they are in the centre of town. There is no town. Only a huge hole in the ground.
Admiral Hanson and Lt. Commander Shelby of Starfleet Tactical have arrived at the Enterprise to review the disappearance of the colony and its inhabitants. They speak with Riker and Captain Picard in the captain’s ready room. The admiral states they have known they are coming for over a year, but are not ready. Riker asks if they are convinced it’s the Borg. Shelby is here to find out, but the report is identical to a previous one they made. Shelby took over Borg tactical analysis 6 months ago. They have been designing new weapons, but they’re all still on the drawing board. Hanson expected more time; the Enterprise‘s encounter with the Borg was over 7,000 lightyears away.
Shelby wants to see the colony site as soon as possible. It’s dark soon, so Riker will be taking a team down tomorrow. He will show her to her quarters. Riker invites the admiral for a game of poker; the admiral suggests Shelby. After they leave, Hanson states Shelby would make one hell of a first officer. Picard already has one. It seems Riker has been offered command of the Melbourne. Picard didn’t know. He says Riker would make a fine captain. Hanson says to tell him that; this is the third time he’s been offered the captain’s chair and it’s hurting his career.
Shelby and Riker talk about the Borg; she wants Geordi and Data assigning to the away team. Riker has already assigned them; he will come as well. Shelby asks about serving onboard the Enterprise. She wants Riker’s job. She heard that he’s leaving.
The next day, Riker and Geordi arrive at the transporter room to find that Shelby and Data beamed down an hour ago. They beam down too, and Riker has a word with Shelby. She explains herself; Riker expects to be notified before his orders are changed. She’s also confirmed it. It’s the Borg.
The admiral has returned to a starbase to coordinate whilst Shelby has remained behind. Picard asks Riker about Shelby, then about the Melbourne. Riker has decided not to pursue it. It’s a fine ship. Yes, but it’s not the Enterprise. The captain needs him, particularly now. Starfleet needs good captains, particularly now, is Picard’s response. Riker is ready.
Riker speaks to Troi in Ten Forward. He sacrificed a lot to get his own command, yet something is holding him back. Is he afraid of the big chair? Troi doesn’t think so. And yes, Shelby does remind Riker of a younger him. Troi asks Riker what he wants.
Data, Wesley, Geordi, Riker and Shelby are in engineering, talking about the cube the Enterprise encountered. Shelby states it would still effectively function when 78% inoperable. Wesley says their weapons barely even scratched it. Geordi can’t see any of the new weapons being ready in less than 18 months. Shelby tells him they are projecting 24. Riker calls it a night, over Shelby’s objections. Everyone needs some rest. Including her. Albeit not including Data.
In the conference room, Admiral Hanson tells them via subspace that a freighter issued a distress signal after encountering a cube-shaped ship. They haven’t been heard from since. The freighter is 1 hour 17 minutes away from the Enterprise. Hanson is getting every available starship, but they are 6 days away. Picard will try to keep the Borg occupied. Shelby and Geordi haven come up with a few things, but not much.
On the bridge, Worf states an unidentified vessel has been detected. No response to hails, and it’s moved to an intercept course at warp 9.3. The ship is a cube. Captain Picard orders a subspace message to Admiral Hanson.
“We have engaged the Borg.”
Worf tells the captain he is being hailed by the cube. By name. It’s uncertain if it’s the same ship met previously. The Borg tell the Enterprise to lower her shields. The captain must prepare himself to transport aboard the Borg ship. Or they will destroy the Enterprise.
This time, the Borg cube displays the now familiar green glow. They also use their now well-known catchphrase.
RESISTANCE IS FUTILE
The episode ends on a cliff-hanger, leading into season four and “The Best of Both Worlds, Part II”. And what a cliff-hanger it was for the time. When first shown, there was no immediately watching the next episode; viewers had to wait months. No information leaking on the internet either. Cliff-hangers were very rare on television at the time, so this was a pretty astonishing one. Nowadays, due to series being cancelled, cliff-hangers have become rare again, replaced with the mid-season finale, but this episode had a great deal of influence on the use of the season-ending cliff-hanger.