Summary
- TNG’s “The Best of Both Worlds” offers some fascinating behind-the-scenes details.
- The cliffhanger caused excitement among fans in the summer of 1990.
- The two-parter’s influence on future Star Trek stories cemented TNG’s place in science fiction history.
Star Trek: The Next GenerationThe iconic two-parter “Best of Both Worlds” remains a highlight of the Star Trek franchise, but it’s even better when you know the behind-the-scenes details. TNG Season 3 ended with Star Trek first big cliffhanger, the words “to be continued” for the first time on the screen. Even today “The Best of Both Worlds, Part I” is one of the best cliffhangers on television and it works for several reasons. But the context of what was going on behind the scenes makes the two-parter’s success even more impressive.
As the USS Enterprise-D investigates a possible Borg attack, they come face to face with a Borg cube. “Resistance is futile,” The Borg capture Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) and assimilate him. As the new mouthpiece of the Borg Picard leads a devastating attack against the Federation as Locutus in the Battle of Wolf 359. As “The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1” ends, Commander William Riker (Jonathan Frakes) orders the Enterprise, with Captain Picard on board, to fire on the Borg cube.
Star Trek: TNG’s “The Best of Both Worlds” is even better when you know its secret
Not even the writers and actors knew how the cliffhanger would end.
If the Star Trek: The Next Generation When the writers were working on The Best of Both Worlds, Part 1, they had no idea how the story would end. Executive producer Michael Piller wanted TNG Season 3 ended with a cliffhanger that something Star Trek never done. Piller himself was considering leaving the writing team, and contract negotiations with some of the cast, including Patrick Stewart, were ongoing. With so much up in the air, neither the writers nor the actors knew how the second half of the story would play out.
The cliffhanger made the wait for the resolution in the summer of 1990 even more exciting for Star Trek Fans. Back then Rumors circulated that Patrick Stewart would leave the cast, and the episode left room for that possibility. Thankfully, Stewart stuck with it, as did Michael Piller, even though much of the writing team was new. While not quite as spectacular as Part I, The Best of Both Worlds, Part II brings the story to a satisfying conclusion, which is an impressive feat in and of itself, given the uncertainty behind the scenes.
Why Star Trek fans love TNG’s “The Best of Both Worlds”
The TNG two-parter combines everything that is great about Star Trek.
With a strong story and cool sci-fi scenes, “The Best of Both Worlds” works largely on its own, even for those who haven’t seen every previous episode of Star Trek: The Next Generation. The cliffhanger ending of Part I and the wait for the conclusion of the story are also a big part of the attraction. Modern television series constantly end seasons with cliffhangers, but This was not so common in the early 1990s. And because of the uncertainty behind the scenes, the resolution of the story was anything but a foregone conclusion.
Battlestar Galactica
Creator Ronald D. Moore joined the
TNG
He was a member of the writing team for Season 4 and wrote the episode “Family,” which immediately followed “The Best of Both Worlds.”
“The Best of Both Worlds” integrates horror elements into its sci-fi drama and presents Star Trek‘s Borg at their most terrifying and gives each of the main cast a moment to shine. For fans, both new and old, the story was captivating, which was further enhanced by the fact that For the first time in the series, Captain Picard’s life was in real danger. Although Picard had been in danger before, as the main character of the series he was always able to steer the plot in the right direction. But when Riker was appointed as the new captain of the Enterprise-D, Picard’s life hung in the balance.
Star Trek: TNG’s “The Best of Both Worlds” got three sequels
TNG’s “Family”, Star Trek: First Contact and Star Trek: Picard Season 3
During most of Star Trek: The Next Generation Each episode (or two-parter) told a self-contained story that was complete at the end of the hour. Captain Picard and his crew members experienced many potentially traumatic experiences, but the episode following “The Best of Both Worlds, Part II” was the first time the series addressed this trauma. In TNG Season 4, Episode 2, “Family”, Jean-Luc visits his brother Robert (Jeremy Kemp) on Earth and considers leaving Starfleet. He breaks down and reveals how much the Borg assimilation has really affected him.
In
Star Trek: The Next Generation,
Jean-Luc learns that remnants of Borg DNA from his time as Locutus remained in his brain, which he inadvertently passed on to his son Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers).
A few years later Star Trek: First Contact picks up this thread as Picard continues to grapple with his experiences with the Borg. Star Trek: Picard Season 3, Jean-Luc finally faces his past trauma with the Borg. helps his son Jack to escape the clutches of the dying Borg Queen (Alice Krige). “The Best of Both Worlds” not only continues to have an impact on Star Trek stories today, but it also helps to consolidate Star Trek: The Next Generation as one of the greatest science fiction series of all time.
