25 Best Episodes Of Star Trek EVER
23. Dark Frontier - Star Trek Voyager
Voyager definitely improved in quality with the introduction of Seven of Nine. It wasn't that the show was bad before she arrived but rather her introduction allowed storylines to unfold that were simply more interesting to watch. The Kazon had never been a particularly threatening villain and the Vidians were used sparingly enough to keep them both remote and frightening.
What Voyager did with the Borg is up for debate. While some episodes were excellent, others could be accused of neutering them. When you see the monster too much in a movie, it loses its sheen. When you see the Borg too often, you know they aren't going to assimilate the crew.
So why is Dark Frontier here? It turned the story on its head. Voyager became the aggressor in the relationship with the Borg as they attempt to steal new technology. The new Borg Queen is introduced, played brilliantly by Susanna Thompson. Seven's backstory is finally explored as her family are shown as obsessives who actively search for an encounter with the Borg.
Annika was delivered into the hands of the collective by her parents, intentionally or not. Her new family is the crew of Voyager and it is this story that cements that fact. Janeway chases her all the way to the Queen's lair to get her home. Seven chooses to leave perfection for the chaos of her new family and the show as a whole rose to a new level because of it.