10 Best Star Trek Cold Opens
2. We Are The Borg (Scorpion, Part 1)
As a fan, the impact of the cold open to Scorpion, pt 1 has never diminished. It's a scene that only works if the audience buys into the history of the franchise - particularly as it's so short, clocking in at under sixty seconds.
The Borg were long considered the deadliest enemy in Star Trek, perhaps surpassed only by the Q, had they ever decided to go berserk. In addition to this, no more than a single Cube had ever been seen on screen at any one time. Therefore, the establishing shot of two of these nightmare geometrical monsters was enough to make any viewer's muscles tighten on the spot.
We Are The Borg
The customary greeting, and so often the final words that anyone would hear. The absolute gut punch of seeing a couple of strands of what looks like alien phaser fire completely annihilate the ships was one of the biggest shocks in Star Trek's history - even more than that time two salamanders made history. As Lt. Paris would ask with shock a little later in the episode -
What could do this to the Borg?
What indeed, Tom? What indeed?