8. Picards Capture By The Borg - Best Of Both Worlds, Parts 1 & 2 - TNG
When the near-omnipotent being Q prematurely introduces the Federation to the cybernetic collective known as the Borg, he sets a chain of events in motion that culminates with the events of this episode: the forced attempted assimilation of the Federation and all of its member systems into its collective. A major space battle ensues that sees the USS Enterprise face off with the Borg vessel. The first part of this episode is punctuated by a single, cataclysmic event the abduction, capture and assimilation of Captain Jean-Luc Picard. The sight of their captain now a part of the Borg Collective is a shocking vision for the crew a single moment of betrayal and despair. The starship captain who could have saved the crew is now sitting across the gulf of space from them in command of the enemy vessel they are now facing in combat. The real impact of this episode isnt the Borgs defeat: its the fact that the captain of the Enterprise has been taken prisoner and forced to do the enemys bidding. Its an incredibly powerful episode in that the crews despair is suddenly transferred to the viewing audience when Picard utters those cold and soul-less words: I am Locutus of Borg. When a hero falls, its a true heart-breaking moment.
John Kirk is a Teacher-Librarian and currently a History/English Teacher with the Toronto District School Board.
But mostly, John teaches Geek.
Comics, Sci-Fi (Notably Star Trek), Fantasy and Role-Playing and table-top games all make up part of John’s repertoire, There is a whole generation of nerds-in-embryo who rely on him to make sense of it all, to teach that with great power comes great responsibility, that the force will be with us always and that a towel IS the most useful thing to have in one’s possession.
When John isn’t in the classroom, he can be found in his basement writing comic reviews for www.popmythology.com and features for Roddenberry Entertainment's www.1701news.com.
