I, Borg (episode)

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"I, Borg"
TNG, Episode 5x23 Production number: 40275-223 First aired: 11 May 1992
←	122nd of 176 produced in TNG	→
←	122nd of 176 released in TNG	→
	{{{nNthReleasedInSeries_Remastered}}}th of 176 released in TNG Remastered
←	230th of 726 released in all	→
Written By René Echevarria Directed By Robert Lederman
45854.2 (2368)
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The discovery of an injured adolescent Borg brings to the surface hard feelings for both Captain Picard and Guinan for what the Borg Collective had done to them. Matters are complicated when plans to use the young drone to destroy his people are halted when it is discovered that the Borg has become an individual.

Contents 1 Summary 1.1 Teaser 1.2 Act One 1.3 Act Two 1.4 Act Three 1.5 Act Four 1.6 Act Five 2 Memorable Quotes 3 Background Information 3.1 Video and DVD releases 4 Links and References 4.1 Guest Stars 4.2 Uncredited Co-Stars 4.3 References

[edit] Summary

[edit] Teaser

"Captain's log: Stardate 45854.2. The Enterprise is charting six star systems that make up the Argolis Cluster, an area being considered for colonization."

While exploring an uncharted system, the USS Enterprise-D receives a strange signal from a nearby moon. Believing it to be a distress call, Captain Picard sends an away team to the surface. There they find a crashed starship as well as several Borg corpses and, under the debris, an unconscious but very much alive Borg drone.

[edit] Act One

When Commander Riker informs the captain what they have found, Picard immediately prepares to bring the team back. Dr. Crusher disagrees, however, knowing the Borg will not survive if left unattended. Naturally, Worf suggests they kill it at once, but Picard agrees to bring it on board for a brief time. A holding cell is prepared and a subspace dampening field placed around it to prevent the Borg drone from communicating with its brethren. Picard retires to his ready room as the team and the Borg are transported aboard. Counselor Troi follows, concerned that Picard is reliving old feelings from his capture by the Borg, but Picard reassures her that he's doing just fine, and that he is perfectly comfortable with his decision.

Meanwhile Crusher tends to the still-unconscious Borg. Some of his Borg implants have been damaged, but Geordi La Forge believes he'll be able to replace them without much trouble. Picard asks La Forge if he can access the root commands of the Borg with the new implants to introduce an invasive program that would act as a slow-acting virus to destroy the entire Borg Collective from within.

[edit] Act Two

The crew think it would be a matter of months from the introduction of the program to the destruction of the Borg. Crusher seems the only one who is unsettled by this, as it appears to be pure genocide. Picard agrees that their plan would normally be unthinkable but claims that the Borg have left them no other choice. Shortly thereafter, the Borg regains consciousness and explores its small cell. It searches for a terminal with which to access the Collective, but it can't. Crusher theorizes that the Borg hungers for energy, so La Forge prepares a power conduit on which it can feed. As he works, Crusher observes that the Borg almost seems scared to be so alone.

In the meantime, Picard and Guinan fence, both physically and verbally. While Crusher disagrees with Picard on the introduction of the virus, Guinan suggests the danger of having the Borg on board at all is greater than he knows. When Picard cites humanitarian reasons, Guinan demonstrates the danger by suckering Picard into an easy defeat.

Worf and La Forge enter the cell and set the Borg up with a power conduit. The Borg calls himself "Third of Five" but shows no real gratitude or humanity whatsoever, merely repeating over and over, "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile." La Forge and Worf finish their work and leave the drone alone.

[edit] Act Three

Some time later, La Forge and Crusher prepare to give the Borg perception tests when Crusher voices a great dislike for the proceedings. The drone is beamed into their science lab and introduced to Crusher. After a brief discussion of how and why she saved its life and a mention of the upcoming tests, the conversation turns to names. Crusher explains that she and La Forge have names, not designations, and La Forge suggests that they call the drone "Hugh".

Hugh passes a spatial relations test with flying colors, and La Forge realizes it is because of Hugh's prosthetic eye. Hugh placidly hands over the prosthetic for examination and listens to Crusher explain that Humanity doesn't want to be assimilated. This puzzles Hugh because he no longer hears the "voices" of other Borg that permeate his existence under normal circumstances. Crusher sympathizes with Hugh's feeling of loneliness, and La Forge tells him that after the tests are done, Hugh can be returned to the Collective, although he knows it will not be what Hugh is thinking.

After talking with Hugh, La Forge has second thoughts about their plan, so he voices them to Guinan. Contrary to her normally sympathetic attitude, Guinan is closed to him; she warns him of what the other Borg are capable and dismisses his soul-searching. When La Forge suggests she talk to Hugh, she refuses. "Then just listen; that is what you do best, isn't it?" La Forge replies. In the mean time, long-range sensors pick up a Borg scoutship about 31 hours away.

[edit] Act Four

Guinan reluctantly visits Hugh in his cell and angrily informs him that resistance is not futile. As she describes the El-Aurians' struggle against the Borg, she laments how few of her kind are left. Processing this, Hugh realizes that Guinan, like him, is lonely. For once, Guinan is speechless.

On hearing that the Federation wants to learn about other species, Hugh observes that assimilation allows the Borg to learn everything about a species. He fails to understand why Humans do not wish to be assimilated, causing Geordi to talk of individuality and having a sense of self. Hugh listens to La Forge's explanations, and when La Forge describes friendship, he observes that their current relationship fits the description.

Later, La Forge and Data present the invasive program to an impressed Picard. However, La Forge voices his newfound doubt about the plan, observing how un-Borglike Hugh is now. It doesn't feel right to him to use Hugh as an instrument of genocide, but Picard likens La Forge's attitude to that of 20th century scientists growing attached to laboratory animals. He tells La Forge to "unattach" himself.

That evening, Guinan visits Picard and, after some small talk, expresses her own doubts about the morality of Picard's plan. She suggests that at the very least, Picard should talk to Hugh before committing to the plan.

Picard seems unmoved, but he later has Hugh beamed directly to his ready room. Hugh recognizes Picard as Locutus of Borg, so Picard plays along, attempting to bring out Hugh's full Borg-like nature. However, this instead brings out Hugh's individuality. The concept of La Forge and the others being assimilated seems to frighten Hugh, who has developed feelings of his own and refuses to help assimilate them. Most moving to Picard is Hugh's sudden grasp and use of the word 'I'.

[edit] Act Five

Picard is shocked and calls a staff meeting to explore other options. The crew eventually decide that, although the Borg would more than likely erase Hugh's memory of recent events, there might be a short time in which Hugh's "singularity" would impact the entire Collective consciousness, perhaps altering the nature of the Borg forever. Their plan is shattered when Crusher asks what will happen if Hugh doesn't want to leave.

Picard and La Forge let Hugh choose his fate, which confuses Hugh. Although he wants to stay with La Forge, he concludes that it would be too dangerous for his new friends. When they beam Hugh to the moon where the away team found him, Picard allows La Forge to go as well, knowing the Borg ignore individuals who pose no threat. Meanwhile, Enterprise hides in the star's chromosphere. Two Borg drones beam to the surface and link with Hugh. The drones then reclaim the circuits from their fallen comrades and return to their ship, but as the beam whisks them away, Hugh gives a slight, but noticeable farewell nod to La Forge.

[edit] Memorable Quotes

"Infect it? You make sound like it's a disease."
"Quite right, doctor. If all goes well... a terminal one."

- Dr. Crusher and Picard

"When I look at my patient, I don't see a collective consciousness, I don't see a hive. I see a living, breathing boy who has been hurt and who needs our help."

- Dr. Crusher

"You felt sorry for me. Look what it got you."

- Guinan, after besting Picard at fencing by feigning injury and referring to the danger of helping the lone Borg

"We are Borg. You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."
"Just look around, pal. You're hardly in a position to make any demands."

- Third of Five and La Forge

"Why do you do this?"
"I'm just a nice guy at heart. You feeling better?"
"You are not Borg."
"That's right. And I hope to stay that way."
"You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile."
"That's gratitude for you."

- Third of Five and La Forge, after La Forge helps Third of Five "feed" on the power

"It's not a person, damn it! It's a Borg!"

- Picard to Guinan, in a fit of rage, about Hugh

"Locutus."
"Yes. I am Locutus of Borg."
"Why are you here?"
"This is a primitive culture. I am here to facilitate its incorporation. Identify yourself."
"Hugh."
"Identify yourself."
"We are Hugh."
"This is not a Borg identification."
"Third of Five."
"This culture will be assimilated."
"They do not wish it."
"Irrelevant."
"They will resist us."
"Resistance is futile."
"Resistance...is not futile. Some have escaped."
"They will be found. It is inevitable. All will be assimilated."
"Must Geordi be assmilated?"
"Yes."
"He does not wish it. He would rather die than be assimilated."
"Then he will die."
"No. Geordi must not die. Geordi is a friend."
"You will assist us to assimilate this vessel. You are Borg. You will assist us."
"I will not."
"What did you say?"
"I will not assist you."
"I?!"
"Geordi must not be assimilated."
"But you are Borg."
"No. I am Hugh."

- Hugh and Picard, pretending to be Locutus in an attempt to bring out the Borg-like nature of Hugh, only to make Hugh fully develop into an individual

"Resistance...is not futile?"

- Hugh, to Guinan

"Captain, I do not want to forget that I am Hugh."

- Hugh to Picard, before beaming back down to the crash site

[edit] Background Information

• This episode establishes that Borg drones are designated by numbers, in relation to small groups (ie, Third of Five, Seven of Nine, etc.).
• This episode was Michael Piller's favorite of the season. He called it "everything I want Star Trek to be". (ST: TNG Companion)
• This was the first Borg episode not to be scored by Ron Jones. Instead, the composer is Jay Chattaway, who would compose "Descent" and "Descent, Part II", the last episodes of The Next Generation to feature the Borg.
• Costume designer Bob Blackman and make-up effects artist Michael Westmore once again honed the Borg make-up, adding a hologram in Hugh's eyepiece that would become common in later Borg designs.
• This episode marks another instance of Guinan using the term "scattered throughout the galaxy", in reference to her people. Other usages of the term were in the episodes "Q Who", and "The Best of Both Worlds".
• Hugh's designation, "Third of Five," is different from other Borg names (such as Seven of Nine) in that he uses the ordinal rather than the cardinal number.
• When he first wakes up in the laboratory, Third of Five asks, "Do I have a name?" even though he was supposed to be in the "collective" mindset at that point.
• The Argolis Cluster was later visited by the Enterprise in "True Q" and the USS Defiant in DS9's season 6 episode "Behind the Lines".
• While the audience was not given a good glimpse of the ship itself, the Borg scoutship made its first and presumably only appearance in this episode, though it is possible that the Borg probe and some Borg spheres could be considered scout ships.
• Some non-canon books have suggested that the virus, as it existed at that time, would not have destroyed the Borg, but would have merely been an "interesting puzzle", so that, in the end, Picard's decision to let Hugh return with his individuality intact was the right choice.
  ^{(citation needed • edit)}
• Hugh would go on to appear once more in season 7's "Descent, Part II".
• The title of the episode is a reference to Isaac Asimov's book I, Robot. This in turn was a reference to Robert Graves's book I, Claudius. It also makes a pun on the word "cyborg".

[edit] Video and DVD releases

• Original UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video): Volume 62, 15 March 1993.
• As part of the UK VHS collection Star Trek: The Next Generation - Borg Box: 5 December 1994
• UK re-release (three-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment): Volume 5.8, 23 December 2002.
• As part of the TNG Season 5 DVD collection.
• As part of the Star Trek: Fan Collective - Borg collection.

[edit] Links and References

[edit] Guest Stars

• Jonathan Del Arco as Third of Five/Hugh
• Whoopi Goldberg as Guinan

[edit] Uncredited Co-Stars

• J. Bauman as Garvey
• Michael Braveheart as Martinez

[edit] References

Argolis Cluster; Borg scoutship; Hugh; invasive program

Previous episode: "Imaginary Friend"

Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 5

Next episode: "The Next Phase"