10 Great Star Trek Performances That Made You Love Bad People

6. Borg Queen - Alice Krige

Borg Queen Star Trek Picard
Paramount Pictures

Alice Krige is the Borg in Star Trek First Contact, oozing sex appeal and menace as she approaches Data. Finding a way to make a cyborg sexy has to be one of the best achievements of the franchise.

Facing a feature film with the Borg as the antagonists, the film makers knew that having the crew face the voice of the collective wouldn't be enough theatrically. So the idea of the Queen was created and Alice Krige was cast in the role. This would be a controversial move as the Borg had always been faceless but Krige delivered a complete justification for the decision.

It is impossible to hate the Queen in the film. She is in complete control of the situation around her. The Enterprise is just another ship and the crew are just more drones to be added. Her drive to find an equal is portrayed beautifully and the audience can clearly see that she means it when she says she wants Data as an equal. That she takes her time with Picard as well shows that the Borg are not simply mindless in their strive to assimilate all life - through the Queen, they enjoy it as well.

Krige would of course return for Voyager's final episode where she is just as enjoyable but it is her turn as the Queen in First Contact that truly stands out as the best display of evil mania here.

This Queen was scary. And we loved it.

Contributor
Contributor

Seán is the host and head writer/presenter for TrekCulture, as well as a writer/presenter on WhoCulture and WhatCulture Horror. He has authored two novels, dozens of short stories, and hundreds of articles for WhatCulture. He holds a Master of Arts in Creative Writing from University College Dublin. As part of his work with TrekCulture, Seán has been invited to participate in collaborations with Roddenberry Entertainment, as well as contributing to several Star Trek community projects. An avid fan of Star Trek, Doctor Who, and the horror genre at large, Seán's expertise has helped develop these channels to the successes they are today. As host of the Ups & Downs series on TrekCulture, Seán has become internationally recognised for his positive yet critically informed approach to reviewing every episode of modern Star Trek, ensuring he is one of the go-to voices in the Trek community. Favourite Quote to describe himself: "I'm serious about what I do, just not always about the way that I do it"