OVEG: Scorpion, Part II

Description: The Borg have agreed to an alliance with Voyager, but problems start all too soon: they want Janeway and Tuvok to have neural transceivers (Tech: a kind of communication device Borg use to communicate with drones) attached to them for maximum efficiency. After a few threats, they choose a representative, Seven of Nine, to speak for the collective. Trouble begins again, however, when Species 8472 learns of the plan to destroy them with the nanoprobes from Kess (way to go Kess). They attack Voyager, but the Borg sacrifice their ship to save Voyager, but not before Janeway is seriously injured and half a dozen borg are beamed over.

Things escalate with Chakotay in charge and Seven of Nine demanding that they turn around to rendevous with a Borg cube. Chakotay decides to break the alliance, while the Borg decide to take matters into their own hands; Seven of Nine takes over the Deflector, and the ship is sucked into Fluidic Space (but not before all the borg but Seven of Nine are sucked out into space). When Janeway recovers, she and Seven of Nine modify Voyager to fight Species 8472 in their own realm. It is revealed that the Borg actually started the war by trying to assimilate Species 8472. Voyager destroys several ships with nanoprobe filled torpedoes and escapes back to regular space. Almost immediately, Species 8472 retreats to their own realm. The Borg then break off the alliance, and Seven of Nine attempts to assimilate Voyager, but Chakotay, using a neural transceiver, distracts her long enough for Belana to destroy her link to the collective.

Comments: The space battle between the Borg and Species 8472 is pretty good, but all too brief. Nevertheless, the episode features more special effects than you would normally see in a Voyager episode.

Seven of Nine, of course, is the big story in this episode. It's hard to believe that's Jeri Ryan under all that make up. Her performance as a Borg is very good, although rather different that Patrick Stewarts portrayal of Locutus; Locutus was less animate, more machine-like, stressing the mechanical nature of the Borg. Seven of Nine, on the other hand, comes across more as a commander, speaking sometimes at great length (for a Borg). Perhaps there is a little something that shows up in each speaker of the collective, or maybe it is a representation of the desperate situation the Borg are in.

Rating: 8

Best Moment: Seven of Nine's introduction. Tubes bursting away as she becomes active, she steps forward, "Seven of Nine Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01, but you may call me Seven of Nine."

Stupid Neelix Moment: Barely appears. We need more episodes like this.

Continuity Question: Isn't it just a little convenient that one of the only humans in the collective just happens to be on the same cube that a human ship decides to communicate with?

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