The Best of Both Worlds is a two part storyline from the T.V. series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG). It was season three and Star Trek: TNG had started to find its footing. From the change of their uniforms, to developing these new characters instead of standing in the shadow of the original series, Star Trek: TNG was finally coming together but it still had trekkers divided. Some of the fans of the original series saw this new series as nothing more than a bad rehash, while others embraced the new crew of the Enterprise. Alas, The Best of Both Worlds aired and changed all that.
For the few who are unfamiliar with this two part storyline, it goes something like this. The Borg come into Federation space, kidnap Capt. Jean Luc Picard and use him as their delegate as they try to assimilate earth into the Borg collective. It is up to Riker and the crew of the Enterprise to stop them. The Best of Both Worlds used both personal drama and excitement to bridge the gap between the fans of the original series with those of TNG.
Another element that made these two episodes so good, The Borg. Although we had a brief encounter with them earlier on in the series, these episodes really brought this scary cyborg-zombie-like alien race into the forefront. Everything that the Federation or humanity stood for was going to be stripped away by a technologically superior enemy that cannot be reasoned with and came across so well when you heard their eerie message say, "We are the Borg. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Resistance is futile."
The fact that a major character (Capt. Picard) was kidnapped and assimilated into the Borg collective thus becoming Locutus was another major development to the series. By doing so, the message of, we are superior and you are not, could not have hit closer to home. It showed the Borg’s strength in that it wasn’t some no-name yeoman brought in for this episode that was taken but the Captain himself. Scarier, it was done with such ease, really no way the crew could fight back. This was unheard of back in the original series or any series for that matter.
The last thing that gave The Best of Both Worlds impact was the fact that the first part ended as a cliff-hanger and we had to wait three months to find out what happens to Picard/ Locutus and the crew of the Enterprise.
As for the Blu-ray the image and sound are exceptional, both parts are seamlessly put together making it for one truly enjoyable viewing. This release is a great way to enjoy one of the all-time high points in the Star Trek: TNG series.
Star Trek: Trivia
The Best of Both Worlds was being considered as a three part story line with Data being assimilated as well, but was dropped due to budget restraints.
Patrick Stewart who played Capt. Picard was thinking of leaving the series. The story line gave the writers the possibility of killing off Picard and making Riker captain of the Enterprise.