The Best of Both Worlds, Part One

TrekToday · October 18 2008, 05:06 PM

Plot Summary: Upon losing contact with a Federation colony, Starfleet sends the Enterprise to determine whether the Borg are responsible, assigning the ambitious Commander Shelby to the ship because of her expertise on the Borg. Shelby has learned that Starfleet offered Riker command of the USS Melbourne and is hoping to be chosen to be his replacement as first officer, though Riker is reluctant to accept the promotion, though Picard encourages him to do so for the sake of his career. The demolished colony shows evidence of a Borg attack, and when a starship disappears nearby, the Enterprise investigates, encountering and engaging a Borg cube. After the Borg seriously damage the ship, Picard hides the Enterprise in a nebula and puts Shelby in charge of figuring out a way to fight the Borg while Starfleet puts together an attack fleet. Shelby has discovered a resonance frequency to which Borg technology appears vulnerable, but it may destroy the Enterprise to fire a concentrated burst. Wesley Crusher suggests using the deflector dish and Shelby recommends separating the saucer section, but when Riker says he'll take it under advisement, Shelby goes to Picard herself. Once the Enterprise is forced out of the nebula, the Borg pursue and beam aboard agents who abduct Picard to their ship. Then the Borg set a course for Earth. Riker wants to lead an away team to recover Picard, but Shelby points out that he is now in command, needed on the bridge, and Troi agrees with Shelby. On the cube, Shelby's team disables some systems and locates Picard but are unable to retrieve him once they discover that the Borg have made him one of them. Shelby requests permission to try again, but Riker, taking advice from the engineering team, believes the Enterprise has only one chance to destroy the cube, and orders Worf to fire.

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Basil · October 18 2008, 06:54 PM

A good episode, though part two is a bit of a letdown. Never thought Shelby came across as "wonderful" but, rather, obnoxious: scheming, obsessed, tactical, arrogant. More like John McCain nowadays than James T. Kirk. She makes for a good foil for Riker, and the actress playing her looks like the straight-for-the-jugular type. Her "take no prisoners"/"end justifies the means" approach would make her scary to work with.

Pioneer · October 18 2008, 08:07 PM

Basil wrote:

A good episode, though part two is a bit of a letdown. Never thought Shelby came across as "wonderful" but, rather, obnoxious: scheming, obsessed, tactical, arrogant. More like John McCain nowadays than James T. Kirk. She makes for a good foil for Riker, and the actress playing her looks like the straight-for-the-jugular type. Her "take no prisoners"/"end justifies the means" approach would make her scary to work with.

I've got to go with Basil here. Shelby is also reckless and has a cavalier attitude when it comes to risking the lives of others. In the real military of today and even more so in the future, she would never have achieved the rank of Commander with such poor leadership skills.

Norrin Radd · October 18 2008, 09:03 PM

At least Shelby grows by the end of the second part. She emerges as both competent and more likable, putting the mission's success above her leadership ambitions.

As for the episode itself, no cliffhanger I've ever seen on television has compared to this one.

Another thing: Don't get me wrong, I like Riker, but after BOBW he should have been made Captain or written out of the series. BOBW marked the summit of his character development, where he emerged from Picard's shadow, becoming a great captain in his own right. He had nowhere to go after this but down. This was the end of great Riker and the beginning of neutered Riker.

DeeEss57 · October 18 2008, 10:33 PM

Norrin's Bad wrote:

Another thing: Don't get me wrong, I like Riker, but after BOBW he should have been made Captain or written out of the series. BOBW marked the summit of his character development, where he emerged from Picard's shadow, becoming a great captain in his own right. He had nowhere to go after this but down. This was the end of great Riker and the beginning of neutered Riker.

Unfortunately, that would have been the end of Jonathan Frakes' appearances on TNG. I don't think he was ready to leave. In fact, he still isn't, even though the show has been off the air for 14 years.

DES
Save one life and you're a hero.
Save 230 million and you're a Starfleet officer.

diankra · October 19 2008, 01:59 AM

Speak for yourself! My two major disappoinments about the BoBW two-parter were that
a) They didn't open part two with Jonathan Frakes doing the 'Where No One...' speech. Ok, Picard was going to be back next week, but you don't need to tell us that!
b) We didn't get to keep Shelby. Should'have.

AntonyF · October 19 2008, 03:13 AM

diankra wrote:

a) They didn't open part two with Jonathan Frakes doing the 'Where No One...' speech. Ok, Picard was going to be back next week, but you don't need to tell us that!

That would imply Picard was replaceable... and Patrick Stewart was and is the biggest asset of TNG -- it would have undermined him on a story and marketing level.

But with this episode, let's not forget the dramatic end music! Which was used in a Family Guy cliffhanger to great effect too.

WisTrekFan · October 19 2008, 03:30 AM

I consider The Best of Both Worlds Part I to be the best of the Next Generation episodes. It was really the high point of the series and set the standard for all subsequent episodes of TNG, as well as, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise. I don't think Star Trek ever quite hit the level of this episode again.

Chindogu · October 19 2008, 05:57 AM

AntonyF wrote:

diankra wrote:

a) They didn't open part two with Jonathan Frakes doing the 'Where No One...' speech. Ok, Picard was going to be back next week, but you don't need to tell us that!

That would imply Picard was replaceable... and Patrick Stewart was and is the biggest asset of TNG -- it would have undermined him on a story and marketing level.

But with this episode, let's not forget the dramatic end music! Which was used in a Family Guy cliffhanger to great effect too.

Yes, but wasn't Patrick Stewart considering leaving at the point in time? I remember reading that some where. Perhaps an interview with Michael Piller, about how he hadn't even writen Part 2 yet by the time Part 1 had aired. That was one of the reasons Picard was kidnapped in the first place, so if he didn't come back then he would be a casualty to the Borg and Riker would have become captain. Now that would have been strange. I wonder in TNG would have been as successful as it is.

church2001 · October 19 2008, 06:04 AM

If there was ever one specific episode where TNG left the shadow of its predecessor, it will always be The Best of Both Worlds, Part One. I think if there were still fans unfavorably comparing TNG to TOS, this episode silenced them.

T'Bonz · October 19 2008, 08:19 AM

WisTrekFan wrote:

I consider The Best of Both Worlds Part I to be the best of the Next Generation episodes. It was really the high point of the series and set the standard for all subsequent episodes of TNG, as well as, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise. I don't think Star Trek ever quite hit the level of this episode again.

I wouldn't say it's the best, but it was CERTAINLY the most exciting/dramatic. When they ended it, I could hear "NOOOOooooooooooooooo!" screams all across the country from Trek fans.

Temis the Vorta · October 19 2008, 07:53 PM

WisTrekFan wrote:

I consider The Best of Both Worlds Part I to be the best of the Next Generation episodes. It was really the high point of the series and set the standard for all subsequent episodes of TNG, as well as, DS9, Voyager and Enterprise. I don't think Star Trek ever quite hit the level of this episode again.

Nah, DS9 beat BOBW on several occasions. Call to Arms was a real cliffhanger - for starters, they didn't go immediately for the reset button in Part II - and In the Pale Moonlight even beats the best of TOS.

And for my money, they could have dumped ole granny Picard at any time. Not to replace him with that pompous fatass Riker, tho. Dang TNG and its paucity of good characters...Data and Worf can't carry the whole show.

DWF · October 21 2008, 03:18 AM

It was the best cliffhanger in the history of Star Trek and it was voted as no. 50 in TV Guide list of top cliffhangers. And it was jsut an overall GREAT ep. and I'm sure that everybody who saw it that week can remember what they were feeling at the time. And yes the ep. had plenty of conflict between Starfleet personal Riker and Shelby certainly went at each other.

Saxman1 · October 21 2008, 06:21 PM

TNG had many high points and this is certainly one of them. The Borg were certaintly never as scary after BOBW 1 & 2.

For the record, Shelby gets on my last nerve and this is Riker's finest hour(s - with part 2) in TNG.

Augustus · October 21 2008, 07:08 PM

I still rather enjoy the show. I think the line, that I will always remember is when Worf, speaking of Picard, speaks out of turn and says angrily, "He IS a Borg."

I don't know, maybe that is just me...