star trek voyager borg episodes list

Complete List Of Appearances Of The Borg In Star Trek

This article is more than seven years old and was last updated in July 2019.

The Borg are Star Trek's most feared and most loved adversaries they appear in a total twenty-one episodes in the Star Trek franchise in 'Enterprise,' 'The Next Generation' and 'Voyager,' every television incarnation other than the original series and 'Deep Space Nine.' They also appeared in the Star Trek movie 'First Contact.' Below is a complete list of the Borg's appearances in chronological order.

1. Enterprise - 'Regeneration' [S02E23]

2. The Next Generation - 'Q Who' [S02E16]

3. The Next Generation - 'The Best of Both Worlds' [S03E26 - S04E01]

4. The Next Generation - 'I, Borg' [S05E23]

5. The Next Generation - 'Descent' [S06E26 - S07E01]

6. Voyager - 'Unity' [S03E17]

7. Star Trek: First Contact

8. Voyager - 'Scorpion' [S03E26 - S04E01]

9. Voyager - 'The Raven' [S04E06]

10. Voyager - 'Drone' [S05E02]

11. Voyager - 'Dark Frontier' [S05E15 - S05E16]

12. Voyager - 'Survival Instinct' [S06E02]

13. Voyager - 'Collective' [S06E16]

14. Voyager - 'Child's Play' [S06E19]

15. Voyager - 'Unimatrix Zero' [S06E26 - S07E01]

16. Voyager - 'Imperfection' [S07E02]

17. Voyager - 'Endgame' [S07E25]

There's More To Come...

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The Best of Borg worlds: The 7 essential Borg episodes to watch before Star Trek: Picard

Credit: CBS

In 1989, in the episode “Q, Who?” Star Trek: The Next Generation took the word "cyborg" and clipped it down to its cold essentials, gifting the world with a new terror: the Borg. Though Doctor Who purists might tell you the Borg are a knock-off of the Cybermen, the black leather aesthetic combined with laser-pointer eyepieces and that chilling catchphrase — "You will be assimilated. Resistance is futile" — all cemented the Borg as one the most iconic sci-fi concepts of all time.

The Borg is essentially internet addiction writ large, an enemy that makes you part of its server. In Star Trek: Picard , the Borg are back and several of the main characters (Picard, Hugh, Seven of Nine) were all previously assimilated by the Borg Collective. This means that revisiting some of the more pivotal Borg moments is essential for your Picard homework.

The Borg appear in six episodes of The Next Generation , one episode of Deep Space Nine , one episode of Enterprise , the film Star Trek: First Contact , and 23 episodes of Voyager . And, if you count every single episode of Voyager in which former-Borg Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) appears, that’s 100 episodes right there. So that’s possibly a total of 32 episodes or 108 Borg episodes and 1 feature film, depending on how you look at it. That’s a lot of Borg to binge! So, in honor of Borg efficiency, here are the 7 essential Borg stories to quickly assimilate and help make watching Star Trek: Picard even more ... engaging.

Note: There are ZERO spoilers for Star Trek: Picard ahead. Episode numbers use the Netflix and CBS All-Access watch order for ease of bingeing.

01 . The Next Generation: Season 3 Episode 26 and Season 4, Episode 1, “The Best of Both Worlds Parts 1 and 2”

Although the first canonical appearance of the Borg happens in the TNG Season 2 episode "Q, Who?" whispers of the Borg are hinted at as early as the Season 1 finale, "The Neutral Zone." That said, you don't really need to start getting your Borg on until the Season 3 finale, "The Best of Both Worlds."

That's the famous episode where Picard is singled-out to be assimilated by the Collective, and the Borg make a bee-line to conquer Earth. The conclusion of this two-parter was the Season 4 premiere of TNG , and the repercussions of that episode changed Jean-Luc Picard forever.

02 . The Next Generation: Season 5, Episode 23, "I, Borg"

In Star Trek: Picard , the former-Borg know as Hugh (Johnathan Del Arco) has a semi-regular role, and in the trailers , we've seen a more human-looking Hugh in a few quick shots. What's happened to Hugh since The Next Generation hasn't been revealed yet, but Hugh's origin story is this classic episode, "I, Borg."

The Enterprise finds an injured Borg, Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) and La Forge (Levar Burton) decide to nurse the Borg back to health to learn more about the Collective. Without spoiling anything, this changes the way Picard and everyone else starts to think about the Borg in a big way. Hugh returns in the two-parter "Descent," in Season 6 and season 7, but you can probably skip those ones if you're pressed for time. This is the essential Hugh episode, and, probably defines the possibilities for what can happen to former Borg drones.

03 . Voyager: Season 5, Episode 15, “Dark Frontier”

Arguably, to fully prepare for Seven of Nine's (Jeri Ryan) return in Star Trek: Picard , you might want to rewatch the entirety of Star Trek: Voyager starting with Seven's first appearance in the season 3 finale "Scorpion Part 1." But, that's also little like saying you should rewatch every episode of TNG to make sure you know everything about Jean-Luc Picard. Seven of Nine is one of the greatest Star Trek characters of all time, and creating a list of the very best Seven episodes is its own thing entirely.

But, if you're only trying to download the most essential Borg lore into your brain, rewatching the epic "Dark Frontier" won't disappoint. This episode reveals how Seven was first assimilated into the Borg collective, and why. Plus, it suggests that all former Borg drones have a complicated relationship with the Collective and the Borg Queen in specific.

When it originally aired in 1999, "Dark Frontier" was presented as an extra-long two-hour episode. Netflix preserves it this way, but sometimes, you'll see reference to "Dark Frontier Part 1 and Part 2." Don't be confused; it's all the same thing.

04 . Voyager: Season 6, Episode 16, "Collective"

This episode introduced yet another variation on what it was like for former Borg drones to suddenly live outside of the interconnected hivemind of the collective. The difference this time was that the liberated Borg were all kids. Sure, Hugh was young , but he wasn't a little kid. In this episode, Seven becomes a de facto mother figure/teacher to a group of children, who, just like her, had been assimilated when they were super young. This episode also introduces the character of Icheb, a reoccurring ex-Borg who would later develop an obsession with Starfleet history, with a special interest in Captain Kirk.

05 . Voyager: Season 6, Episode 26 and Season 7, Episode 1 “Unimatrix Zero Parts 1 and 2”

As its title suggests, "Unimatrix Zero," is kind of like the Matrix in The Matrix . But, in this version, the idyllic cyberspace world is a good thing, because it's literally the only place Borg drones can "go" to be themselves. In the virtual sanctuary of Unimatrix Zero, Borg can meet, and converse, and imagine how they may have been or looked before they'd been assimilated. They can also meet and speak with drones whose bodies are plugged into Borg ships millions of light years apart.

So, basically, it's a secret virtual reality chatroom for people who are enslaved by an AI hivemind, which, if you think about it objectively — even outside of the context of Star Trek — is a freaking awesome idea for a story. As a two-part episode of Voyager , "Unimatrix Zero," is one of the best. And as a Borg episode to prep you for Picard , the essential thing about "Unimatrix Zero" is that it basically proves that even when we think we know everything about the Borg, we totally don't.

Credit: Paramount Pictures

06 . Star Trek: First Contact (1996)

It's Picard and Data versus the Borg!

Hailed as perhaps the greatest Star Trek film of all time (or at least in a dead heat with The Wrath of Khan ), First Contact mostly focuses on Picard's deep-rooted hatred for the Borg, and his desire to enact his revenge, no matter what. It also is the first introduction of the Borg Queen (Alice Krige), a character who adds a layer to the Borg that makes them seem both much scarier, and weirdly a little more explicable. The Borg Queen is deranged, to be sure, but it's not clear she's evil , per se.

If you haven't seen the movie, I won't tell you what happens between her and Data (or her and Picard) but let's just say, this: the Borg Queen might be the most interesting villain in all of Star Trek . And, based on everything we learned in Star Trek: Voyager , she also might be indestructible.

07 . Voyager Season 7, Episode 24: "Endgame"

Before there was Avengers: Endgame , there was Voyager: Endgame ! In the series finale of Star Trek: Voyager , Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) , travels back in time from the year 2404, to help get the USS Voyager home to Earth about 23-years sooner than they did the first time around. Future Janeway's workaround is all about hijacking a transwarp hub used by the Borg to pop-around the galaxy with relative ease, much quicker than the Starfleet warp drives. But, Admiral Janeway's plan involves slightly more than just stealing some propulsion tech.

Without spoiling anything, the ending of this episode will make you wonder what state the Borg Collective could possibly be in during the time of Picard . "Endgame" took place in 2378, and the events of Picard happen in 2399. Whatever happened to the Borg in those 21 years might not be 100 percent answered in Picard . But, in terms of the Star Trek timeline, "Endgame" is where we left the Borg. So, when we see them again, the events of this episode will almost certainly have impacted the Collective. Even if they're too shy to mention it.

Star Trek: Picard debuts Thursday, January 23 on CBS All Access.

• Star Trek: Picard

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Star Trek: Voyager - Episode Guide - Season 4

This is when Voyager becomes assimilated – not merely by Borg- and Borg technology-centered episodes, but also by the new character Seven of Nine herself.

Stealing the drone through whom the Borg communicated with voyager’s crew during the season-opening battle with Species 8472. In return, the so-called “Seven of Nine” rapidly begins stealing the show, along with the companionship of the Doctor; these two characters essentially become a fragmented Data, i.e. the mouthpiece for outsiders to learn human culture.

The introduction of Seven to the cast also results in the swift ejection of Kes from Star Trek: Voyager, regrettable only in that she didn’t take freakin’ Neelix with her…

1. Scorpion, Part II – A Borg drone is assigned to work with Janeway, Tuvok and the Voyager crew, who come up with an ingenious biological weapon to use against Species 8472. Naturally, the Borg rapidly renege on the deal (shocker!), but Janeway et al are way too clever to completely trust them. ****

2. The Gift – Kes is rapidly “changing” and “becoming something else” (namely expendable with the arrival of Seven of Nine), so her psychokinetic abilities are running amok. The last few minutes with Janeway and Kes running down corridors become unintentionally hilarious if you imagine the explosions are a bombardment from the producers trying to get Kes off the damn show already … **

3. Day of Honor – B’Elanna plays out the events of the Police song “Any Other Day” except on a starship and involving her refusal to complete a Klingon rite of passage. **

4. Nemesis – Not to be confused with the godawful tenth Star Trek movie, “Nemesis” instead tells a strange tale of Chakotay’s informal enlistment into a guerilla war. ***

5. Revulsion – Torres and The Doctor board an alien ship which had sent a distress signal . The sole survivor is a clearly deranged hologram; the whole thing descends into psycho killer mode quickly and, together with “Prototype” serves as a cautionary tale for B’Elanna: Never board an alien ship which is not populated by humanoids. ***

6. The Raven – Slowly becoming biologically more human, Seven has strange visions composed of memories of her time as a drone mixed with symbolic remembrances of her childhood. ***

7. Scientific Method – A dark and über-creepy story about aliens who can walk freely among the specimens of various species upon which they experiment. When Seven finally sees (literally) the reality of the situation on Voyager, it’s almost enough to send her scrabbling back to the collective. ***

8. Year of Hell, Part I – A race with control over time resets history in a region of space through which Voyager is passing. The result is a vast empire “defended” by ships with superior technology to Voyager’s, and months upon months of continuous attacks. Meanwhile, Chakotay and Paris are captured by the “timeship” manipulating history repeatedly. ***

9. Year of Hell, Part II – A seriously shredded Voyager takes refuge in a nebula (good old nebula!) to enact repairs. Aboard the timeship, Chakotay finally sees the egocentric nature of the captain’s ways. They manage to restore the timeline which began this leg of the voyage (or at least close enough) and even provide the captain which a more productive life in the reset universe. ***

10. Random Thoughts – On a world where violent thoughts themselves are forbidden, B’Elanna is busted for just such crimethink. Seeing Tuvok solve a whodunit mystery is always cool, but the suspense in this one is ruined fairly early by a very small cast. ***

11.  Concerning Flight – Components of Voyager as well as Janeway’s hologram of Leonardo da Vinci are (rather easily) stolen and about to be fleeced on the black market. So Janeway and Da Vinci save the day, escaping via a magical glider which hypnotizes pursuers into not shooting from 60 or so feet away. **

12. Mortal Coil – A freak accident kills Neelix, and when Seven unfortunately revives him 10 hours later, he whines about the lack of afterlife. *

13. Waking Moments – A trippy (literally) episode featuring a race with yet another unique spin on the invasion plan: These guys put their prey into a shard dream state and have their way in the dream world. Naturally, Chakotay and his very sloppily defined indigenous abilities help save the day. ***

14. Message in a Bottle – Voyager finds an apparently abandoned subspace communications network. They locate a Federation starship in the Alpha Quadrant and send the Doctor through. Upon arrival, he discovers that Romulans have taken the ship, with only he and the ship’s own, more advanced, EMH. Hilarious interplay between the Doctors combines nicely with the general suspense of the episode. ****.

15. Hunters – Introducing the Hirogen, a rather unstable-seeming nomad species which is obsessed with eternally hunting “lesser species.” In “Hunters,” the Federation uses a Hirogen communication network to transmit a detailed message to Voyager. The Hirogen soon demand that Voyager cease using the network and shortly after *that* begin the shooting war… **

16. Prey – Species 8472 is back … or at least one weak and wounded member of ‘em is. Hirogen hunters think they have the fluidic beastie captured, but just one survives to be treated aboard the Enterprise. The 8472er has followed the hunter to Voyager, however, and the battle resumes. Janeway and Seven have a tiff over how the 8472 should be dealt with. ***

17. Retrospect – What starts as an intriguing-looking whodunit turns into an underdone script with the Voyager bridge crew all ultimately blaming the victim; in this case, it’s Seven, who has vivid memories of a trader stealing Borg technology out of her body. 0

18-19. The Killing Game – Now here’s how you do a holodeck story. Hirogen take over Voyager and force the crew to play out various war scenarios. Most of the action takes place in a Casablanca-feeling French village. Nazis and aliens as bad guys? Vive la resistance? Seven first as a lounge singer, then as hero? The Doctor doing Doctor things? Klingons verses Nazi troops? Nice. *****

20. Vis à Vis – An alien requesting assistance with his ship gets on board Voyager and performs the ol’ body-swapping trip with Paris. Pretty standard stuff here. **

21. The Omega Directive –Voyager encounters incredibly explosive omega particles and Janeway is under standing orders to destroy all such particles regardless of circumstances. ***

22. Unforgettable – An alien contacts Voyager – and specifically Chakotay – in an effort to gain political asylum with Voyager and the Federation. Naturally, she’s (all together now) not all that she seems! ****

23. Living Witness – An absolutely fascinating look at the distortions of history and dogma. Some 700 years in the future, the EMH is reinitialized on a Delta Quadrant world and the Doctor pressed by a local historian for details of the EEEEvil Voyager crew. His mere telling of the truth, however, has a profound effect on the planet’s peoples. A great twist and satisfying ending, too. ****

24. Demon – Paris and Kim head down to a “Demon-class” planet for fuel, only to find a bizarre substance which they ultimately identify as “biomimetic fluid.” Standard “life but not as we know it” kinda stuff, but a stunning payoff for this episode does come … about one season later. **

25. One – From season 4 on, one can’t blame the uninitiated for thinking of Star Trek: Voyager as the “Doctor and Seven Show.” This episode serves as prime example of the phenomenon. So as to pass through a nebula cram-packed with lethal radiation, all Voyager crew except Seven and (naturally) The Doctor are put into stasis. Eventually the Doctor shuts down as well, leaving Seven to fend for her own against loneliness – and other dangers. ***

26. Hope and Fear – Quite an interesting and heady episode, if you’re willing to look past some rather obvious plot holes. An alien with an otherworldly (sorry) talent for languages helps Voyager decode certain tricky bits of the message Voyager received in “Hunters” – or does he? Despite the improbability of several plot devices in “Hope and Fear”, some good questions regarding Janeway’s decisions emerge – and, upon consideration, the baddie here isn’t totally unjustified in his actions. ***

Star Trek: 6 Best Episodes Featuring The Borg, Ranked

These Star Trek episodes featuring the Borg are some of the best in the franchise. Why not give them a rewatch?

Some of the best Star Trek stories involve the Borg, one of the deadliest enemies that Starfleet ever faced. The Borg is an entity that was outside of Federation space for some time, and it wasn't until The Next Generation that this dangerous race even appeared. RELATED: Underappreciated Space Western TV Shows The Borg was introduced to the Star Trek universe on The Next Generation timeline, so most of the best Borg episodes are either TNG or Voyager episodes from roughly the same era. The series Picard , which is currently in circulation, includes several Borg characters from the TNG series along with Seven of Nine from Voyager .There's some speculation that early versions of the Borg, or maybe even an origin story , might appear as part of the plot in the more recent TV shows like Discovery. These are based in the Trek universe but pre-date TNG on the timeline.

6 Endgame (Voyager)

The final episode of Voyager carried the burden of seven years worth of expectations. After this many seasons, much of it spent dodging the Borg in the far reaches of space, it took a total of 27 years for Janeway and her crew to get home.

The main thing is that they made it, but for the Captain, that's not good enough. Tuvok was suffering from a debilitating cerebral disorder that couldn't be treated in time, which is one of the reasons Janeway takes the risk of going back in time and making a deal with the Borg to get them back twenty years sooner. This isn't the first time that Janeway outsmarted the Borg, and with the aid of her younger counterpart , they were able to get it done a second time.

5 Q Who? (The Next Generation)

This memorable episode isn't just recognized as one of the greatest TNG episodes, featuring one of the most popular and endearing supporting characters, but it was also the very first time the Borg appeared in the Star Trek universe. The Enterprise-D had to find some way to get that far across the galaxy, and it was Q that got them there.

RELATED: Actors You Forgot Were In Star Trek

This was one of the life lessons or tests that Q would often throw at Picard when he thought the captain was getting too arrogant, or when Q himself was simply bored. Picard is excited at the prospect of exploring a new part of the galaxy at first, even though Gainan warns him that they need to get back to Federation space as soon as possible. Once they encounter the Borg, it seems that the omnipotent Q is all that can save them.

4 I, Borg (The Next Generation)

As it is with Star Trek , there's more nuance to every villain than simply "ugly alien bad" and the Borg is no exception. Plenty of debate took place among the officers of the Enterprise regarding what kind of considerations the Borg should be given as a sentient, independent race, and "I, Borg" was part of that discussion. In this episode, the Enterprise responds to a distress call as they would, but it's from a Borg drone that crashed while on a scouting mission.

The debate rages as to whether or not they should help the Borg or use him to destroy the local Collective. They decide that any principled Starfleet officers would, especially as the drone in question even starts to show signs of sentience and individuality - they help him and send him on his way with no strings attached. Hugh, which is the name the drone eventually took for himself, would return again in later episodes of TNG and Picard .

3 Descent (The Next Generation)

What could be worse than being attacked by the Borg? Well, how about getting attacked by a group of Borg in league with a powerful and amoral android? This is actually a two-part episode, and also a great choice for Data fans. This character takes a central part in the plot, and questions about the android's humanity are also brought into question.

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The episode starts with a now-famous scene of Data on the holodeck, playing cards with Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, and Albert Einstein. A few scenes later, the crew is attacked by Borg who seems to be acting strangely. Part of the tension is finding out why, and it turns out that Lore, essentially Data's evil twin, is behind it all.

2 Scorpion (Voyager)

One of the best episodes of Voyager and memorable for several reasons, the main one being the introduction of Seven of Nine to the crew. This was also the first time that Janeway showed how humans could defeat the Borg - by outsmarting them.

The Federation protocols for a ship and crew that find themselves on the other side of the galaxy, with thousands of light-years filled with Borg between them and earth, might not be so clear. That might mean making a few deals focused on defeating a common enemy. The Borg thought it could take the earthlings for a ride, but Janeway turned the tables on them at the last minute by separating Seven of Nine from the collective. She eventually became one of the most valuable members of the crew.

1 The Best Of Both Worlds (The Next Generation)

Another two-parter, this time part one was the last episode of the third season and the first episode of the fourth, which is a pretty clever marketing ploy. This storyline is a daring one , and beloved by fans and critics alike. This time the Borg was at the Federation's doorstep, ready to conquer earth. Their plan was to use Jean-Luc Picard, now as the Borg drone Locutus, as their emissary to do so.

This wasn't just a chilling story about the implications of a Borg takeover, both as individuals and also on a global scale, but there was a crucial glimmer of hope here. The possibility that Borg drones could be rescued and recovered was what raised the stakes in this episode as viewers wondered if their beloved Captain Picard would be lost forever.

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Published Jul 27, 2022

Everything You Need to Know About the Borg Queen

Long live the Queen!

StarTrek.com

“I am the beginning, the end, the one who is many. I am the Borg.”

The central locus of the Borg Collective is the amoral Borg Queen . Through her, like the queen of an insect colony, the Hive mind is granted order and common direction.

As the Villain Showdown enter its fourth week, pitting the Borg Queen against Gul Dukat , we’ve put together this handy guide on everything you need to know about the Queen.

The One Who is Many

Throughout the history of the Borg Collective, there have been a number of Queens. Only one Queen exists at any given time; when she is destroyed, a new Queen takes her place. In Star Trek: Voyager, it's revealed that the Borg Queen isn't a singular entity, but the name given to any that serves as its host, possessing all previous Queen's collective consciousness.

The Borg , a fusion of organic and synthetic matter, and their relentless pursuit of perfection brought fear to all quadrants of the galaxy. Residing primarily at Unimatrix One in the Delta Quadrant , the Borg Queen is the only one able to think independently from the Collective; possessing a unique personality and sense of individuality — traits not seen within the Borg.

The first Borg Queen (Alice Krige) made her debut with Star Trek: First Contact (1996) as the Borg sought to erase a historical moment in Starfleet history— First Contact Day —traveling back in time to prevent the creation and need of the Federation .

In her lair, the Borg Queen remains disembodied with just her head and spinal column — the epitome of perfection — with no remnants of her humanoid form. When she leaves her home base for assimilation efforts, she will reassemble herself into a predominantly artificial body.

Your Culture Will Adapt to Service Us.

The Borg doesn’t value the Federation’s belief in individuality – its mission is to add others’ biological and technological distinctiveness to their own, strengthening the Collective in its pursuit of perfection. Defeating their opponents isn’t enough; they sought to assimilate their enemies’ minds and flesh.

Captain Jean-Luc Picard still endures residual trauma decades later following his assimilation into the Borg . As Locutus of the Borg, selected to be their voice to facilitate their introduction into human society, Picard believed he never fully regained himself after they striped away his humanity and sense of self.

There is No 'Me,' Only 'Us'

It is in Star Trek: Voyager where we learn that the Borg Queen, obsessed with power, didn’t create the Borg; she was just tasked with leading the Collective. The collective consciousness, where each drone is linked through the subspace network, allows for the Borg to adapt quickly and eliminate threats as they arise.

In the episode " Dark Frontier " of Star Trek: Voyager, the Borg Queen believes Seven of Nine 's presence is vital to their path forward in their approach to assimilate Earth, seeing value in Seven's knowledge of humanity. The Borg Queen tries to lure her back to the Collective by "allowing" her to remain an individual instead of reverting to a drone. The Queen's seduction involved telling Seven she's "unique," and her experience will add to their perfection. However, she can't be selfish and only think of just her individual self.

Resistance is Futile.

When a Borg Queen is destroyed, another Queen is propped up. Susanna Thompson portrays the Borg Queen in Star Trek: Voyager ’s two-parter, “ Dark Frontier ” and “ Unimatrix Zero .”

Most recently, the Borg Queen was played by Annie Wersching in Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard .

Secrets of the Borg Queen, The

Bringing Order to Chaos

In Star Trek: Picard , the Borg Queen is cut off from the Borg Collective due the actions of Q and a divergence in time. As a result, she becomes wholly and fully obsessed with Agnes Jurati.

Seen as the last of the Borg, instead of finding the Collective, she sets her sights on Agnes in hopes of building out a new Borg collective.

Star Trek: Picard - The Borg Queen Returns

Interested in learning more about the Borg Queen and her latest machinations, stream all episodes of Season 2 of Star Trek: Picard now!

Christine Dinh (she/her) is the managing editor for StarTrek.com. She’s traded the Multiverse for helming this Federation Starship.

Star Trek: Picard streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed concurrently by Paramount Global Distribution Group on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories. In Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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Survival Instinct (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.1 Production
• 4.2 Continuity
• 4.3 Video and DVD releases
• 5.1 Starring
• 5.2 Also starring
• 5.3 Guest Stars
• 5.4 Co-Stars
• 5.5 Uncredited Co-Stars
• 5.6 Stand-ins
• 5.7 References
• 5.8 External links

Summary [ ]

A Borg sphere crashes.

Dusk on an alien world. A Borg sphere streaks through the sky before crashing on the surface.

The surviving drones from the sphere's crash.

Night on a foggy , swampy world. A Borg drone walks through the mist. It is joined by a second, and then a third. Finally a fourth appears. The fourth is Seven of Nine , Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01 . They gather near a dead drone. They assess their situation: their vessel has crashed, they seem to be the only survivors, and their link to the Borg Collective has been cut. Seven of Nine notes that the wrecked vessel's transwarp chamber will explode imminently, and leads the other three drones away from the area. They take the corpse of the dead drone with them.

Act One [ ]

Voyager docked at the Markonian outpost

2376, Eight Years Later

" It's got me by the hair! "

The USS Voyager has docked at the Markonian outpost . Captain Janeway has authorized a technology and culture exchange, giving the crew an opportunity for shore leave . The bridge is bustling with crew and aliens. Janeway is in her ready room , the room packed with gifts from different visiting alien delegations. Commander Chakotay brings another. Tuvok arrives, not with gifts, but a report (not one, not two, but three pages long) detailing minor theft and damage of some ship's equipment and crewmembers' personal items, but Janeway, along with Chakotay, is nonetheless pleased at how things are going.

In Astrometrics, Seven of Nine, now a former Borg drone, is working. Naomi Wildman , enters and reminds her of their lunch date. Seven tries to delay it until she has finished, but Naomi's plaintive complaints that she promised makes her stop and agree. They leave together. Outside, the corridor is crowded. Naomi politely asks for space for them to pass, but her small voice cannot be heard over the din. However, Seven's loud, imperious command to " Stand aside! " gets them their required space and they proceed to the mess hall.

They sit together in the mess hall, observing the aliens mixing with the crew. Naomi begins identifying them by Borg species designations , but Seven sternly chides her, reminding her that both she and Ensign Wildman disapprove of this. The presence of the large crowd begins to disquiet Seven; she explains that crowds remind her of the Borg Collective. Naomi sympathetically suggests that they leave.

Seven and Naomi's visitor.

They are about to do so when a burly, middle-aged man with a scarred face approaches. " Are you Seven of Nine? " he asks. When Seven guardedly affirms, he opens a case and shows her some Borg implants. Seven leaps to her feet, looking as if she has seen a ghost. She remembers the events seen in the Teaser. She identifies the implants as Borg synaptic relays from her old unimatrix , Unimatrix 01. The man offers them to her in trade. Seven agrees, takes them and quickly leaves. The man walks way.

However, he does not go far. He stands looking around. Then he mentally relays the following information: Stage two is complete. She has the relays. She's going to study them. In Engineering, a woman mentally receives the message and, also mentally, relays the location of Seven's alcove to him: cargo bay 2. A young man in a crowded corridor also receives the message. The three agree to rendezvous at the older man's position, and conspire to penetrate ship's security .

Act Two [ ]

The four marooned drones extract parts from the corpse of the dead drone to build a com beacon to contact the Collective. Three of them bear resemblance to the three conspirators. But, as they work, severed from the hive mind , their personalities and pre- assimilation memories begin to reassert themselves. One begins recalling the religious beliefs of his people regarding the treatment of the dead. Two others ask him about it. Talk of individuality starts. But Seven of Nine sternly instructs them to cease the irrelevant talk; they are Borg , not individuals.

One of the Borg synaptic relays

Seven and Chief Engineer Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres examine the Borg synaptic relays in Cargo Bay 2, Seven's ' quarters '. Meanwhile, the three conspirators discuss their course of action, seated together in the mess hall. At first, they do it mentally, but then they switch to verbal communication. There is some contention over whether or not they should actually go through with whatever they are planning, but they eventually agree to proceed.

In Cargo Bay 2, Seven, now alone, sets up one of the relays for a multi-polar analysis. The computer informs her that the analysis will take 5 hours and 17 minutes to complete. She decides to pass the time by regenerating . She installs herself in her alcove and goes into the cycle.

In the mess hall, the three conspirators, by tapping into the ship's computer through the relay, sense her regeneration. They begin using this access to reroute internal sensors . But, on the bridge, Lt. Commander Tuvok notices the change at his Tactical station when an alarm on his console beeps.

The three conspirators wait at a turbolift as its occupants disembark. When it is empty, they board. As the lift begins to move, the woman mentally has the computer halt it. The older man begins undoing the bolts on a grate in the car's ceiling. On the bridge, Tuvok alerts First Officer Chakotay of a power failure he has detected in the security grid. As the three conspirators make their way through the ventilation shafts and drop down quietly in Cargo Bay 2, Chakotay informs Captain Janeway of the detected security breach.

The conspirators move to Seven's alcove. The man unwraps a cloth, revealing some Borg components. The woman exposes one of her legs, scarred with Borg implants, revealing her to be, like Seven, a former Borg drone. The others are, in fact, former drones as well; they were the drones Seven was marooned with those years prior. The woman removes an implant from her leg, a Borg interlink nodule, and inserts it into the control console of Seven's alcove. The young man begins to worry about possible harm to Seven, but the woman urges him to remember that " if we fail, we'll never become individuals. " The young man nods. He plunges his assimilation tubules into Seven's neck.

The older man, looking at the components in his hand, reports successful access of Seven's memory files. But they then note with alarm that Seven has become aware of them and is trying to wake up. Her eyes open and she angrily fights them off. Tuvok, accompanied by two of his security officers, enter with phasers and stun the intruders.

Act Three [ ]

Having removed the salvageable parts from the dead drone, Seven of Nine and the other three survivors have found a use for the organic remains of its body: food. Seven of Nine roasts the remains. The act, however, brings up pre-assimilation memories in her; memories of camping with her father as a child. The other three drones eat. But the act of eating, and the taste of the flesh, serves to bring more pre-assimilation memories to mind. Without the Collective to dam it, the stream of memories begins to grow. They each begin to remember their names, their species , and what they were doing when the Borg attacked and assimilated them. They are Lansor , P'Chan , and Marika Wilkarah . Lansor was eating with a group when he was assimilated, while Wilkarah was a Starfleet officer assimilated on the USS Excalibur . When they study their implants and prosthetics, the full appreciation of their assimilation paralyzes them in horror.

But, unlike Seven of Nine they were all assimilated as adults. The sense of individuality that comes with adulthood is therefore nothing new to them. But to Seven of Nine, who was assimilated as a child and grown up as Borg, and therefore did not have that full experience of individuality before she was assimilated, this sense of individuality is terrifying. Angrily, with fear in her voice, she orders the others to stop their conversation and not to speak until the Collective re-assimilates them.

Lansor's marred body

The three former drones lie in sickbay . Seven and Captain Janeway listen to the condition report from The Doctor . Seven now recognizes them; the older man was Two of Nine, Primary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01; the younger man was Four of Nine, Secondary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01; and the woman was Three of Nine, Auxiliary Processor of Unimatrix 01. The Doctor reports that the removal of their implants was badly botched. This is evident; their bodies are badly marred with scars and Borg implants. Their organs, he continues, were badly damaged by the procedure. He then shows them the reason for their ability to speak to each other mentally: the left parietal lobes of their brains were transformed into interlink nodes , linking them together in a "mini-hive mind." How this was done, he cannot say. Janeway orders him to wake them. She demands of them what they want with Seven.

They explain their situation: they are trapped in this link that holds them together. They discovered it when they were retrieved by, and re-assimilated into, the Collective, and were unable to break it after they escaped. Thus, even though they are no longer Borg, they are unable to be individuals. They dream each other's dreams and constantly hear each other's voices in their heads. The strength of the link is evidenced by their smoothly finishing each other's sentences, as if it were one person speaking. It is maddening, they tell them; they want it to end. Seven, they assert, has, in her memory files, the key to understanding how this link was formed, which could show how to break it. Seven tells them she cannot consciously recall anything relating to this, but she is willing to allow them to access her memory files in the hope of finding out. Janeway agrees and authorizes the procedure.

Act Four [ ]

In Cargo Bay 2, Seven, Lansor, P'Chan and Marika use the Borg data equipment that Seven has to check their memory files. The four each realize the same thing: there is a gap between the time they were gathered round the fire with which they roasted the organic remains of the dead drone and when they were again a part of the Collective. This is greatly frustrating to Lansor, P'Chan and Marika.

Captain Janeway is in her ready room disciplining two of her senior staff : Ensign Thomas Paris and Ensign Harry Kim . The two got into a street brawl on the station. She confines them to quarters with instructions to report to the Sickbay for treatment of their injuries first. When they have gone, Seven enters and reports the gap she and her fellow former drones discovered in their memories. She cannot understand; the Collective would not bother to wipe memories of re-assimilation from the minds of retrieved drones; new drones, yes, to further cement the destruction of their individuality, but not drones that already exist. Nor is there any advantage in linking the minds of three drones together within the hive mind, which is already one giant linkage.

Seven suggests a possible solution: she can link her neural interface with theirs, in effect, joining their group link. Together, they may be able to restore the missing memory data. This is dangerous, however; Seven may become trapped in the link with them. Also, she finds the idea of again being in a group mind very disturbing. But she greatly desires to help her fellows, former drones like herself. Janeway agrees to the procedure.

The Doctor is in Cargo bay 2 with Seven and the other former drones. He is there to monitor the link. But, he warns Seven, he will not be able to do much should anything go awry. She understands this. She enters her alcove. Lansor, P'Chan and Marika each take one of the other three alcoves next to Seven's. They all install themselves and the process begins.

Seven of Nine has left the other drones. The beacon they have set up to contact the Collective has worked; a Borg vessel is on its way. But Seven has detected another drone some distance off in the swamp, severely damaged. She goes to attempt to render assistance. But to no avail; she watches as the drone convulses and, finally, dies.

This greatly heightens her fear. She rushes back to the other drones. But, on arrival, she finds that their individuality has now completely re-asserted itself. They angrily state that they have no intention of rejoining the Collective. Seven, even more frightened now, angrily and fearfully tries to argue, insisting that they are Borg, not individuals, with their primary function being to serve the Collective. But they will not listen. They decide to leave the area, getting away from the beacon and modifying their cortical nodes to avoid the sensors of any drones that come down to look for them. They scatter. Seven looks on fearfully. She appears to come to a decision, and strides after one of them.

She finds Two of Nine. She grabs his neck and plunges her tubules into it. He goes silent and stands quietly. When Seven moves away, he follows. She then finds Four of Nine. She comes up behind him and does the same to him. He becomes like Two of Nine and follows her. Lastly, she finds Three of Nine. As she screams and struggles, Seven plunges in her tubules. She becomes like the others. Seven asks them to state their designations. They do so, with no hint of their individuality. She asks them to state their purpose. To serve the Collective, they respond. Satisfied, she leads them back to the beacon.

Seven awakens to find Lansor, P'Chan and Marika in her face. They are furious now, knowing that she is responsible for linking them together. Overwhelmed, Seven screams for help. Tuvok enters the bay immediately. The three former drones collapse, and The Doctor asks him for help in getting them to Sickbay.

Act Five [ ]

In breaking the new link prematurely, the ex-drones have sent themselves into neural shock indefinitely. As Lansor, P'Chan and Marika lie sedated in the Sickbay, The Doctor sadly informs Seven that the old link between them can be broken by removing the micro-cortical implants. These are the implants that she created in them to link them together. But doing so would kill them; they would have a month at most to live. The only other solution would be to return them to the Collective, where they would live, but as drones. The Doctor wants her opinion on what to do. Seven leaves to think about it.

She goes to Chakotay. As he himself was once temporarily linked to a mini-collective of former Borg drones, she considers him the best person to advise her on what to do ( VOY : " Unity "). She explains the situation, and tells him about what happened that night. Without any air of judgment, he asks her why she did what she did. She thinks about it, and responds that her extreme fear of dying alone on that planet, cut off from the Collective, which was all she knew, got the better of her. Thus she forcibly linked them together so that they would remain together with her until they were re-assimilated. Her guilt over doing so is evident; because of her action they now have no choice but to re-join the Collective or die within a month. Chakotay tells her that that one month of individuality is much better than a lifetime as a drone. " Which would you choose? " he asks her. This allows her to decide.

She heads back to the Sickbay and tells The Doctor to remove the nodes. The Doctor objects, however. He tells her that it is his duty as a physician to preserve their lives for as long as possible, even if that means returning them to the Collective. He asks her if her decision is really to help them or to alleviate her guilt.

But she responds by using him as an example; once he was confined to the Sickbay, and limited only to the original emergency medical protocols he was first activated with. Thus he was like a drone. Now he can go anywhere and his program has grown to encompass much more than what it used to be. If he had to go back to " being a drone again ", she asserts, he would resist. Lansor, P'Chan and Marika have the opportunity to be free, independent individuals, even if it is only briefly. They would choose that over being drones again, as would he, and as would she. The Doctor is moved by the logic of the argument. He agrees to remove the nodes.

Lansor, P'Chan, and Marika, the nodes removed and the link broken, are in the mess hall, looking out the windows. They revel in the newfound silences in their heads, save for each's own mental voice. Seven is standing apart from them quietly.

Free at last

They decide on what they are going to do with the time they have left. Lansor decides to stay on the station and spend the time meeting new people and doing new things. Before he leaves, he looks at Seven. The memory of what she did shows in a flash of anger on his face, but that is replaced by a look of gratitude. He departs. P'Chan decides to leave for an uninhabited planet a few light years away. He wants to spend his time among nature. He holds no grudge against Seven, telling her his people do not believe in doing such. He wishes her well and leaves. Finally, Marika tells Seven she would like to stay on Voyager and be on a Starfleet ship again for as long as she has left. Unlike Lansor and P'Chan, she does hold a grudge against her. But, she tells her that, though she cannot forgive her, she understands the reason for her action. Seven accepts this.

Voyager has resumed course and is at warp speed . Seven is in astrometrics. Naomi Wildman joins her. She has heard about the events that have occurred and has come to offer Seven some close company. Seven is glad for it.

Log entries [ ]

• " Captain's Log, Stardate 53049.2. We've docked at the Markonian outpost and agreed to mutual visits, so I'm allowing shore leave to anyone who wants it. Commander Tuvok has objected to taking on too many visitors, but security issues aside, I'm looking forward to a cultural exchange , and making some new friends. "
• " Captain's Log, supplemental. Seven of Nine has decided to undergo the procedure that will link her mind with the other drones. Despite the risk involved she feels an obligation to help these distant cousins. "

Memorable quotes [ ]

" It's never a good sign when the patient feels the need to comfort the doctor. "

" YOU stay here and be reassimilated, if you want to. I won't. "

" Doesn't it look like Christmas morning in here, Commander? " " You have to admit, the generosity of our guests is very impressive. " " As is their proclivity for criminal behavior. " (Presents PADD ) " This morning's security report. " (Reads) " Broken ODN line, some missing personal items, damaged scanner relay. All in all not that bad. " " There is a second page to the report. " (After reading further) " Well, some of these incidents are a little more serious, but on balance, I still think we did the right thing. " " There is a third page. "

" We wanted to broaden our understanding of alien cultures and… " " Skip the recruiting speech. You were looking for a bar. "

" The biomatter is ready. " " It tastes similar to a bird I once ate… "

" Survival is insufficient. " " I beg your pardon? " " Eight years ago, I forced them to return to the Collective. I won't make the same mistake again. They deserve to exist as individuals. We must terminate the link between them. "

Background information [ ]

Production [ ].

• This episode had the working title "Untitled 7 of 9".
• This is the first of two Voyager episodes written by TNG / DS9 writer Ronald D. Moore .
• The final draft script for this episode was submitted on 17 June 1999 .
• Bertila Damas previously played the Vulcan Maquis member Sakonna in DS9 : " The Maquis, Part I ", " The Maquis, Part II ". Vaughn Armstrong also appeared on DS9, playing Danar in " Past Prologue " and Seskal in " When It Rains... ", as well as appearing in TNG as Korris in " Heart of Glory " and having several other roles in Voyager, notably Telek R'Mor in " Eye of the Needle ". He later played Admiral Maxwell Forrest on Star Trek: Enterprise . Tim Kelleher previously had portrayed Ensign Gaines in TNG : " All Good Things... ".
• The costume worn by the stunt actor portraying Ilon Tandro in DS9 : " Dax " is used by a background alien in this episode.
• Mitch Suskin considered this episode relatively light on special effects. Eric Chauvin created the Borg sphere crash shot using a matte painting , basing the planet's surface off of aerial photographs of the Louisiana bayou. Shots filmed on set established a yellow light source coming in through the windows, and production had decided not to spend money on visuals of the station through the windows, thus requiring a station-docking arrangement that wouldn't be visible through the windows. ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 1, Issue 18 , p. 24)

Continuity [ ]

• This is the tenth time the crew of Voyager discover a direct connection between the Alpha Quadrant and Delta Quadrant, having previously discovered a wormhole connecting the two quadrants (" Eye of the Needle "), descendants of human abductees (" The 37's "), descendants of aliens who have visited Earth (" Tattoo "), a Cardassian weapon (" Dreadnought "), Ferengi (" False Profits "), former Borg that were assimilated in the Alpha Quadrant (" Unity "), descendants of Earth dinosaurs (" Distant Origin ") a communications network that extends to the Alpha Quadrant (" Message in a Bottle "), and another Federation starship (" Equinox "). In this episode, they meet another former Borg that was assimilated in the Alpha Quadrant, namely Marika Wilkarah of the USS Excalibur .
• This is the only time in which Seven of Nine is shown having assimilation tubules injected into her neck.
• Amongst the visiting aliens from the Markonian outpost in this episode are several Voth from VOY : " Distant Origin ".
• Marika mentions she served on the USS Excalibur . The Excalibur was the ship commanded by Commander William T. Riker in TNG : " Redemption II ", also written by Ronald D. Moore.
• A Mawasi cruiser can be seen near the outpost at about 22:45 into the episode.
• When the three former Borg are in the mess hall and again later in the turbolift, a member of the Evora species can be seen.
• Traditionally, Bajoran names have the surname first, personal name second. However, the group refers to the Bajoran, Marika Wilkarah , by her surname, Marika. It was noted in " Ensign Ro " that some Bajorans changed their names to have the surname last in order to better assimilate into non-Bajoran society.
• This episode, and in particular, Seven of Nine's statement that "survival is insufficient" is a recurring motif in the novel Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, which won the 2014 Arthur C. Clark Award.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, Paramount Home Entertainment ): Volume 6.1, 28 February 2000
• As part of the VOY Season 6 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

Also starring [ ]

• Robert Beltran as Chakotay
• Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres
• Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips as Neelix
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor
• Tim Russ as Tuvok
• Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
• Garrett Wang as Harry Kim

Guest Stars [ ]

• Vaughn Armstrong as Lansor ( Two of Nine )
• Bertila Damas as Marika Wilkarah ( Three of Nine )
• Tim Kelleher as P'Chan ( Four of Nine )

Co-Stars [ ]

• Scarlett Pomers as Naomi Wildman
• Jonathan Breck as Dying Borg
• Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited Co-Stars [ ]

• David Keith Anderson as Ashmore
• John Austin as Voyager operations officer
• Richard Bishop as Voyager operations officer
• Julie David as Voyager command officer
• Marvin De Baca as Patrick Gibson
• Christine Delgado as Susan Nicoletti
• Brian Donofrio as Voyager sciences officer
• Carter Edwards as Voyager command officer
• Tarik Ergin as Ayala
• Erin Price as Renlay Sharr
• Christina Rydell as Voyager command ensign
• Joey Sakata as Voyager sciences officer
• James Lee Stanley as alien visitor
• Susie Stillwell as alien visitor
• Simon Stotler as Voyager operations ensign
• Alien visitor 1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 5 , 6 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 15 , and 16
• Daelen's species visitor
• Evora visitor
• Kobheerian visitor
• Shivolian female
• Shivolian male 1 and 2
• Torat's species visitor

Stand-ins [ ]

• Brita Nowak – stand-in for Jeri Ryan

References [ ]

analysis ; Ansha ; assimilation ; Bajoran ; bar ; bearing ; bird ; Borg ; Borg alcove ; Borg sphere ( unnamed ); Brothara ; Christmas ; computer ; confined to quarters ; cortical implant ; cortical processor ; criminal behavior ; Dornar ; Excalibur , USS ; Federation ; freedom ; group mind ; Hansen, Magnus ; higher brain function ; individuality ; Inavar Prime ; interlink module ; interlink node ; internal organ ; kilo ; Kinbori ; Markonian ; Markonian outpost ; Markonian outpost station manager ; Markonian outpost ships ; Marsupial Surprise ; memory cascade ; microcortical implant ; Morphinian ; Morphinian cafe owner ; multi-polar analysis ; nanoprobe ; neural interface ; neural link ; neural shock ; neuronal pathway ; night watch ; nostalgia ; ODN line ; Orendal V ; parietal lobe ; physician ; pizza ; Planet 1865-Alpha ; Planet 1865-Alpha moons ; power conversion matrix ; recruiting speech ; saying ; scanner relay ; Shivolian ; shore leave ; Species 571 ; station manager ; supernatural deity ; swamp ; synaptic relay ; tennis ; transwarp chamber ; unimatrix ; vine ; Voth ; Voyager medallion ; white noise ; Wildman, Samantha ; Wilkarah's spouse ; worship ; xenophobic

External links [ ]

• "Survival Instinct" at StarTrek.com
• " Survival Instinct " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Survival Instinct " at Wikipedia
• 1 Rachel Garrett
• 3 USS Enterprise (NCC-1701-G)

Screen Rant

10 times star trek: voyager didn't hit the reset button.

Ongoing Delta Quadrant adventures and long character arcs prove Star Trek: Voyager didn't always hit the reset button after every episode.

• Voyager's single-episode stories occasionally led to serialized character arcs and plot developments over the seven seasons.
• Seska's spy storyline intertwined with the Kazon's power struggle against Voyager, creating layered conflict in the series.
• Seven of Nine's journey towards humanity, and the Doctor's self-discovery, highlighted the growth of holograms as individuals.

There are times when Star Trek: Voyager didn't actually hit the so-called "reset button", as the series was prone to doing at the end of most of its standalone episodes. Over the course of its seven-year journey through the Delta Quadrant, Voyager excelled at delivering stories that generally wrapped up all major plot points within a single, self-contained episode , with the occasional 2-part Star Trek: Voyager episode occurring roughly twice per season. This was a stark contrast to the ongoing drama of the contemporaneous Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , which favored serialized storytelling to a much higher degree than Star Trek had previously.

Despite Voyager 's proclivity for single-episode stories, Star Trek: Voyager doesn't avoid serialization entirely. There's a through line that carries through Voyager 's seven seasons regarding the way characters act and respond to one another and new situations, as the main characters of Star Trek: Voyager learn to adjust to their changing circumstances, with new friends and enemies, and new developments to ongoing problems. Sometimes, plot arcs continue through several episodes, and although they can be watched individually, they make more sense when watched in order.

Star Trek: Voyager’s 20 Best Episodes Ranked

10 the uss voyager vs. seska & the kazon, the kazon and seska are voyager's first challenge in star trek: voyager seasons 1 & 2..

The Kazon are Star Trek: Voyager 's first big bad but aren't half as interesting as classic antagonists like Klingons or Romulans. The different Kazon sects are intended to echo warring gang factions, but the Kazon's internal discord does little to pose an actual threat to the USS Voyager's crew. Meanwhile, one of Voyager 's recurring crew members, Ensign Seska (Martha Hackett), fans the flames of dissent between Voyager's Maquis and Starfleet crews, until Seska reveals herself to be a Cardassian spy who may or may not be carrying Commander Chakotay's (Robert Beltran) baby.

The soapy intrigue of the Seska storyline converges with the Kazon posturing against Voyager for dominance in their own corner of space, as Seska infiltrates the paper-thin Kazon hierarchy in a bid for power in the sector . With the Kazon-Nistrim wrapped around her finger, Seska's coup on the USS Voyager culminates in Star Trek : Voyager's season 3 opener, "Basics, Part 2", and ends there ... at least until Seska's holographic parting gift is activated in Voyager season 3, episode 25, "Worst Case Scenario", nearly a year later.

9 Kes Develops Ocampa Powers

Jennifer lien's kes grows stronger telepathy in star trek: voyager seasons 2 & 3..

The USS Voyager picks up some Delta Quadrant natives to guide the first leg of their journey, the romantic pairing Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and Kes (Jennifer Lien). The Talaxian trader Neelix becomes the USS Voyager's chef and morale officer, while Ocampa Kes fits right in as assistant to the Doctor (Robert Picardo). Kes is kind and ingenuous, but there's little else for Kes to do in Voyager 's first season, so in Voyager season 2, Kes' telepathic powers develop.

Kes' telepathy leads to telekinesis, which grows beyond the Ocampan's control.

Kes' powers grow rapidly, aided by meeting other Ocampa who have mastered their abilities in Voyager season 2, episode 10, "Cold Fire". Aboard the USS Voyager, Kes trains with Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ) to help Kes control her powers even though Tuvok's Vulcan telepathy operates differently from Ocampa talents. Kes' telepathy leads to telekinesis, which grows beyond the Ocampan's control, so to keep Voyager's crew safe, Kes must leave in Voyager season 4 , episode 2, "The Gift."

8 Tom Paris & B'Elanna Torres' Romance

Tom & b'elanna's relationship evolves in star trek: voyager seasons 3 - 7..

The romance between Lieutenants Tom Paris (Robert Duncan McNeill) and B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) isn't planned, but instead evolves from the characters' chemistry with each other. Tom and B'Elanna play off of each other well in their earliest scenes together , and develop a friendship that manages to break through the ways that both Paris and Torres use to avoid getting close to people. B'Elanna sees through Tom's casual charm just as easily as Tom sees through B'Elanna's intentional hostility, and it turns out they have a lot in common.

Paris and Torres are one of the best Star Trek romances .

The Tom Paris and B'Elanna Torres romance grows over the course of Voyager 's entire run, from their initial meeting to their marriage, and the birth of their daughter, Miral. The relationship softens both Tom and B'Elanna , who learn to accept love from each other, despite difficult relationships with their parents making them feel unworthy of it. Paris and Torres are one of the best Star Trek romances , and a great part of Voyager 's subtle serialization.

7 Captain Janeway vs. The Borg

Voyager survives the scorpion's sting in star trek: voyager seasons 4 - 7..

Unlike other Delta Quadrant species, Captain Janeway knows what she's getting into by engaging the Borg . Rather than avoid the Borg entirely, as Chakotay suggests, Janeway faces the Borg head-on, making a deal exchanging safe passage through Borg space for Voyager's help fighting Species 8472, who can't be assimilated. The Borg Queen (Susanna Thompson, Alice Krige) and her drones become Janeway's true nemesis through repeated encounters, with each one stacking on the last before Admiral Janeway from the future and the Queen face off in a final battle.

Captain Janeway's tension with the Borg is also exemplified in Janeway's relationship with Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). In Janeway and Seven of Nine's best Voyager episodes , Janeway's insistence on Seven's humanity regularly clashes with Seven's own connections to the Collective , in a one-step-forward, two-steps-back progression that nonetheless moves forward, resembling how people escape toxic systems or overcome addiction far more than a strictly linear telling would.

Janeway Was The Borg’s Greatest Enemy, Not Picard

6 letters from home, hope comes in the form of a relay station in star trek: voyager season 4..

The discovery of an abandoned subspace relay station kicks off a story arc that connects the USS Voyager with Federation space in Star Trek: Voyager season 4 . By using the station, Voyager's crew can finally send and receive messages from the Alpha Quadrant , letting their loved ones know they're alive, but stranded. The initial messages are few and far between, sent only when certain conditions make it possible, and these infrequent missives find their way into the crew's hands in a few Voyager season 4 episodes, while setting up the upcoming Hirogen arc as well as Voyager season 6's Pathfinder Project.

Contact with family and friends after four years in the Delta Quadrant reveals a lot about Voyager 's characters. Many, like Ensign Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) , are excited at the prospect of an early return, while some, like Paris and Torres, are less enthused about reuniting with estranged family members, or face Federation judgment after crimes committed as members of the Maquis.

The promise of letters from home is the driving force behind Voyager season 4's finale "Hope and Fear", which also calls back to Star Trek: Voyager season 4's opening, "Scorpion, Part 2", with the consequences of defeating Species 8472 finally coming to bear.

5 The USS Voyager vs. the Hirogen

The nomadic hunters appear throughout star trek: voyager season 4 - 7..

The predatory Hirogen come calling as owners of the relay station after discovering that the USS Voyager's crew have been using it to communicate with the Alpha Quadrant. The concept of "the hunt" is central to Hirogen culture, which sorts alien species according to their worthiness as prey. Despite their initial reservations, the Hirogen deem Voyager's crew particularly interesting targets , between Voyager's ability to subdue the villainous Species 8472 even when the Borg have failed to do so, and Federation holographic technology that makes the Hirogen's sacred hunt more exciting than it has been in years.

Each Hirogen episode lays the groundwork for the next one, and the overall Hirogen arc sets up at least two other separate storylines that emerge from the consequences, with Janeway's gift of hologram technology playing into Star Trek: Voyager season 7's hologram rights arc, and the Hirogen relay station kicking off the domino effect of contact with the Alpha Quadrant, the Pathfinder Project, and the USS Voyager's eventual return home.

4 Seven of Nine Becomes More Human

From star trek: voyager season 4 - 7, seven of nine adapts..

Seven of Nine's character arc is perhaps the most important in all of Star Trek: Voyager because Seven's development after being liberated from the Borg Collective practically requires a serialized progression in order to work. Seven of Nine initially resists Janeway's insistence that Seven is human , and an individual, but that resistance plays out like a teenager's; in order to discover her own identity, Seven must first rebel against authority, so she can learn how to define herself for herself.

Seven of Nine finds the balance between individuality and a new collective aboard Voyager.

Seven's humanity is revealed slowly, realistically, with new information that comes to light about Seven's pre-assimilation life as Annika Hansen, Annika's scientist parents, and the Borg Queen's proposal to Seven of Nine to return to the Collective. By rejecting the Queen, Seven of Nine truly chooses herself , in a stark contrast to the desires of the drone who begged for the Collective. With help from friends like the Doctor (Robert Picardo), Seven of Nine finds the balance between individuality and a new collective aboard Voyager.

3 Icheb and the Borg Kids

Juvenile borg drones are liberated in star trek: voyager season 6..

In Star Trek: Voyager season 6, episode 16, "Collective," the USS Voyager encounters young Borg drones operating their own Cube after being cut off from the larger Collective. After rescuing the drones, it would have been easy to simply forget the Borg kids, but this far into the series, the small liberated Collective of children become recurring characters on Voyager . Icheb (Manu Intiraymi) is the eldest, followed by Mezoti (Marley S. McClean), and twins Azan (Kurt Wetherill) and Rebi (Cody Wetherill).

Naomi Wildman (Scarlett Pomers) , the only other child aboard the USS Voyager, is quick to befriend these newfound peers. Already a friend to Naomi, Seven of Nine develops a maternal relationship with the liberated drones, and Icheb in particular . Taking a page from Janeway and the Doctor, Seven instructs the children on how to discover their individuality, and learns how to take care of other people who rely on her for guidance.

Who Is Icheb? Star Trek: Picard’s Surprise Voyager Return Explained

2 the pathfinder project, reginald barclay returns in star trek: voyager seasons 6 & 7..

A few years after the discovery of the subspace relay station that allows Voyager to communicate with the Alpha Quadrant, Voyager catches up with Star Trek: The Next Generation 's own Lt. Reginald Barclay (Dwight Schultz) , who has immersed himself in the Pathfinder Project. The Pathfinder Project's aim is to find a way to bring the USS Voyager home quickly , and to do so, Barclay has created a holographic version of Voyager's crew based on reports received from the Delta Quadrant in Voyager season 4's "Letters from home" arc.

While Reg's hyperfocus on the Voyager simulation shares some similarities with Barclay's disordered holodeck use on TNG , Counselor Deanna Troi (Marina Sirtis) returns to ensure that Barclay doesn't take it too far this time. Instead of contributing to Barclay's maladaptive daydreaming, the Pathfinder Project and Barclay's holographic friends lead to an actual solution.

1 The Doctor's Arc of Self-Actualization

Throughout star trek: voyager's entire run, the emh proves that holograms are people, too,.

After years of buildup, the Doctor's character arc comes to a head when Star Trek: Voyager season 7's recurring theme is the rights of holograms as photonic life forms. The Doctor's exploration of humanity in Voyager 's early seasons, prompted by Kes' friendship, leads to experimentation with additions to his program, like hobbies, new skills, and even a family. With the addition of a mobile emitter in Voyager season 3, the Doctor is no longer confined to sickbay and the holodeck, and the Doctor's emotional horizons begin to broaden as widely as his physical ones.

By Voyager season 7, the Doctor demands agency for holograms by fighting prejudices against photonic beings.

Each subsequent season of Star Trek: Voyager expands on the Doctor's character, introducing new friendships, like Seven of Nine, and new challenges, like encountering other photonic life forms, that give the Doctor reason to reflect on the nature of his own existence. The Doctor learns how to stand up for himself as a person , owed the same rights and privileges as any other member of Voyager 's crew. By Voyager season 7, the Doctor demands agency for holograms by fighting prejudices against photonic beings, calling out the mistreatment of holograms, and asserting his rights as an author.

Much like in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , Voyager 's serialization is the result of consequences influencing what happens next. Engaging the Borg introduces Seven's arc towards individuality, which in turn influences character development for the Doctor and Janeway. The discovery of the abandoned relay station catches the attention of the Hirogen, dovetailing with the hologram rights storyline later, while also facilitating the letters from home. The letters trigger character development for B'Elanna, Tom, and their relationship, and later introduce the Pathfinder project. It may be subtle, but Star Trek: Voyager doesn't always hit the reset button.

Star Trek: Voyager is streaming on Paramount+.

Star Trek: Voyager

A Star Trek Icon Is Officially Joining the Borg... To Escape Something Worse

• The parasitic aliens from "Conspiracy" return, inflicting excruciating pain and erasing identities, and the Borg may be the only hope for salvation.
• Hugh the Borg must save B'Elanna Torres by assimilating her, as the mind-controlling aliens wreak havoc on the Defiant crew.
• Star Trek: Defiant #15 explores the terrifying consequences of assimilation, hinting at Borg technology as a possible solution for the infected.

Warning: contains potential spoilers for recent issues of Star Trek: Defiant!

A Star Trek icon is allowing the Borg to assimilate them as a means of escaping something worse. In the pages of Star Trek: Defiant , Worf and his crew are fighting an infestation of parasitic, mind-controlling aliens. In the forthcoming issue 15, one of the Defiant’s crew comes under the aliens’ sway, and it falls on Hugh the Borg to save them.

IDW shared a first look at Star Trek: Defiant #15 with League of Comic Geeks . The issue, which will be written by Christopher Cantwell and drawn by Angel Unzueta, is part four of “Hell Is Only a Word.” The parasitic aliens from “Conspiracy” (a first season Next Generation episode) have taken off over a starbase, and B’Elanna Torres is their latest victim.

However, Torres has an unlikely savior in Hugh, the renegade Borg drone who joined the Defiant’s crew, but in order to save her, Hugh must assimilate her into the Borg collective.

The Aliens From "Conspiracy" Have Returned, And They Are Scarier Than Ever

They do far more than simply control their victim.

The mind-controlling, insect-like aliens from “Conspiracy” are one of the Star Trek franchise’s biggest dangling plotlines, but now the Defiant creative team are bringing them back, making the creatures more terrifying than ever. The first part of “Hell is Only a Word” details the horrors that the infected undergo, such as loss of identity and pain so excruciating it can drive a person insane. The aliens were seemingly defeated at the end of the episode, but managed to get a signal out to their brethren, clearing the way for an invasion.

The Borg were originally intended to be an insectoid species, but had to be redesigned due to budgetary reasons

Roughly a year after “Conspiracy” aired, Star Trek: The Next Generation introduced the Borg, and they would go on to become one of the best enemy races in the franchise’s history. The Borg’s scariness derives from the assimilation process, in which a being is forcibly added to the Collective, which erases all identity. The few survivors of the process, such as Captain Picard and Seven of Nine, have described assimilation as a fate worse than death. Star Trek: Defiant recently revealed that in the wake of Picard’s escape from the Borg , Starfleet began researching “de-assimilation” techniques, with limited success.

For B'Elanna Torres, Assimilation May Be the Only Way Forward

Can torres return from being assimilated.

And now B’Elanna Torres has been taken over by the “Conspiracy” parasites, and only Borg technology can save her. Several Star Trek: Voyager episodes established that Borg nano-probes, when modified, can have uses beyond assimilation. These nano-probes may be Torres’ saving grace. The most recent issue of Star Trek: Defiant revealed that the “Conspiracy” aliens cannot take over Borg drones, a foreshadowing of events to come. Assimilation is the worst fate anyone can experience in the Star Trek universe, but now it is all that stands between Starfleet and annihilation.

Source: League of Comic Geeks

Star Trek: Defiant #15 is on sale May 22 from IDW Publishing!

• Cast & crew
• User reviews

Dark Frontier

• Episode aired Feb 17, 1999

Aboard the Delta Flyer, Janeway leads Tuvok, Paris and the Doctor on a rescue mission to retrieve Seven from the Borg Queen. whose treatment of Seven is markedly atypical. Aboard the Delta Flyer, Janeway leads Tuvok, Paris and the Doctor on a rescue mission to retrieve Seven from the Borg Queen. whose treatment of Seven is markedly atypical. Aboard the Delta Flyer, Janeway leads Tuvok, Paris and the Doctor on a rescue mission to retrieve Seven from the Borg Queen. whose treatment of Seven is markedly atypical.

• Terry Windell
• Gene Roddenberry
• Rick Berman
• Michael Piller
• Kate Mulgrew
• Robert Beltran
• Roxann Dawson
• 14 User reviews
• 9 Critic reviews

• Capt. Kathryn Janeway

• Cmdr. Chakotay

• Lt. B'Elanna Torres

• Ensign Tom Paris

• Seven of Nine

• Ensign Harry Kim

• See all cast & crew
• Cliff Bole (Part 1)
• Terry Windell (Part 2)
• Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

Did you know

• Trivia "Dark Frontier" won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects for a Series. Star Trek nearly swept the category that year; also nominated for it were Thirty Days (1998) , Timeless (1998) , and What You Leave Behind (1999) .
• Goofs The Borg Queen says that Seven is the only Borg to return to a state of individuality. Either this is a deliberate or convenient deception, or she is unaware of the recurring characters 3rd-of-5 ("Hugh") and Locutus (Captain Picard's alter ego) from Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) and the colonists from Unity (1997) , although it is conceivable she was unaware of the latter.

[Janeway examines a spherical object]

Harry Kim : Captain! Don't touch that.

Captain Kathryn Janeway : What is it?

Harry Kim : I don't know, but a few minutes ago it was crawling around the floor.

• Alternate versions Some material was cut from the original feature-length episode when it was split in two parts for reruns, to make room for extra credit sequences and the "previously on" segment. In later airings of the two parts, the cut material was restored. One restored scene shows Seven getting angry after hearing Harry Kim and Tom Paris making anti-Borg remarks in the mess hall.
• Connections Featured in Star Trek: Voyager: The Voyager Conspiracy (1999)
• Soundtracks Star Trek: Voyager - Main Title Written by Jerry Goldsmith Performed by Jay Chattaway

User reviews 14

• Sep 6, 2018
• The Hansen Journals?
• February 17, 1999 (United States)
• United States
• Official site
• Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA (Studio)
• Paramount Television
• See more company credits at IMDbPro

Technical specs

• Runtime 1 hour 32 minutes
• Dolby Digital

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