hugh borg star trek next generation

• View history

Hugh (pronounced "Hue"), formerly Third of Five , was a former Borg drone who was rescued by the USS Enterprise -D in 2368 . Once again joining the Enterprise to fight against rogue Borg led by Lore in 2370 , by 2399 he had come to serve a prominent position as a part of the Borg Artifact Research Institute , identifying as an xB like those aboard the Artifact .

• 2 Newfound individuality
• 3 After the Enterprise -D
• 4 Working with the Romulans
• 5.1 Appearances
• 5.2 Background information
• 5.3 Apocrypha
• 5.4 External links

The Borg scout ship, where Hugh was found in 2368

Hugh was found in the Argolis Cluster at the crash site of a Borg scout ship .

Hugh himself was critically injured, and was brought back to the Enterprise -D for medical attention by Dr. Beverly Crusher under protest from Captain Picard . Upon arriving on the Enterprise -D, Hugh was placed in the brig and kept under guard at all times. He had trouble adapting to his new environment, having been cut off from the resources of the Collective for the first time in his life. Where there had been millions of voices in his head, there was now only his own. Dr. Crusher eventually nursed him back to health, and Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge found a way to nourish the drone similar to the regeneration alcoves on a Borg ship.

Captain Picard saw this as an opportunity to destroy the Borg once and for all. He ordered La Forge and Lieutenant Commander Data to devise a method to destroy the Collective through an implanted program or file in Hugh, much as Data had done to a Borg cube through Captain Picard (as Locutus ) two years earlier. Dr. Crusher did not agree with this course of action, because they were talking about exterminating an entire race – even if it was the Borg.

Newfound individuality

Hugh examines Livingston in Captain Picard's ready room

As Hugh spent more time with the Enterprise -D crew , he learned many things. La Forge taught him that Humans did not want to be assimilated into the Collective, which contradicted what Hugh had been taught by the Collective. La Forge gave Hugh his name, through a mispronunciation of the word "you", and became Hugh's first ever friend. Guinan , who originally wanted nothing to do with Hugh, taught him that resistance was not futile. Guinan's homeworld had been destroyed long ago by the Borg, but the fact that Guinan was still alive was proof of her lessons to Hugh.

Picard eventually confronted Hugh. Hugh immediately recognized Picard as Locutus, and Picard took the role of Locutus while talking to Hugh, to simulate the authority that Hugh was used to. However, La Forge, Guinan, Dr. Crusher, and other members of the Enterprise -D crew had had a profound effect on Hugh. When Picard reminded him that resistance was futile, Hugh replied that resistance was not futile. When Picard told Hugh that La Forge would be assimilated, Hugh stated that La Forge did not wish to be assimilated. When Picard said that this was irrelevant, Hugh specifically said that he (as Hugh used the word " I " rather than "we"; his second use of a singular pronoun) would not assist in the assimilation of La Forge. Picard was stunned that a Borg drone would say such things.

Picard decided that he could not send Hugh back with the file that would destroy the Borg. He offered Hugh asylum on board the Enterprise -D, but Hugh said that the Collective would not stop looking for him until they found him. Hugh agreed to go back to the crash site, and to be taken back into the Collective, to protect the Enterprise -D from harm. ( TNG : " I Borg ")

After the Enterprise -D

Hugh's newfound sense of individuality proved to be almost as deadly to the Collective as any file stored in his memory could be. His experiences on board the Enterprise -D were spread to other drones, and eventually Hugh's cube fell into a complete state of disarray. The Borg's sense of shared identity had been disrupted, and they were no longer able to function. The Collective disconnected Hugh's ship from the hive mind and left the cube drifting in space until 2370 , when it was discovered by Lore , Data's brother . Lore took advantage of the confused drones and assumed leadership of the group. He brought order to chaos, and allowed the drones to maintain their individuality but was able to control them. Lore "promised" to create the Borg crew in his image, running tests on various drones, leaving them with awful injuries.

Hugh disapproved of Lore's leadership, finally realizing that Lore had no clue how to keep his promise to the drone crew, and while Lore had acquired a ship and had built a base on a remote planet, Hugh took a group of drones underground and became a leader himself. Hugh and the drones loyal to him assisted the Enterprise -D crew in rescuing Picard, La Forge, and Troi and recapturing Data from Lore. ( TNG : " Descent ", " Descent, Part II ")

Working with the Romulans

Hugh eventually became an " xB ", as former Borg drones were called, with most of his implants removed; he also became a Federation citizen .

By 2399 , he had been named executive director of the Borg Reclamation Project based at "the Artifact ", a derelict Borg cube controlled by the Romulan Free State . While serving the project, Hugh became disturbed by the dismissive treatment of his fellow xBs after they were severed from the Collective. He clarified to Soji Asha that xBs had by now become the most despised people in the galaxy , seen either as property to be exploited or hazards to be warehoused – or both, in the case of the Romulans. However, it was also Soji who impressed him with her empathy toward a recently severed Romulan xB, when she spoke to him in Romulan even though he was still unconscious. Soji stated that she was merely putting Hugh's own ideas on the treatment of xBs into practice. Soji's act of respect netted her Hugh's permission to interview the xB Ramdha , which he had previously denied her because of Ramdha's fragile state of mind. Although initially pleased with Soji's progress, Hugh's concerns were ultimately validated when the mentally disordered Ramdha became hysterical and attempted suicide , which was only narrowly averted thanks to Soji. ( PIC : " The End is the Beginning ", " The Impossible Box ")

Jean-Luc Picard arrived at the Artifact sometime later looking for Soji, meeting Hugh again for the first time in nearly thirty years. Hugh showed Picard the facilities in which he helped the xBs attempt to reclaim their lives after the removal of their implants, believing that as an xB himself, Picard would be an advocate for better treatment for former Borg.

Hugh knew that a Romulan spy, Narek , had arrived at the Artifact two weeks before Picard, trying to find out about Soji, and offered Picard his help without hesitation. When Soji's android abilities were activated and she fled from Narek and the Zhat Vash , Hugh took Picard and Soji into the old cube's queencell and used its spatial trajector to teleport them to Nepenthe , while Picard's sworn protector, a young Romulan named Elnor , remained behind with Hugh to cover their escape. ( PIC : " The Impossible Box ")

Hugh was interrogated by Narek's sister, Narissa , who coldly had the xBs executed when he refused to give up Picard's location; she only refrained from killing Hugh herself because of the treaty with the Federation. Hugh felt that he had failed the xBs, and ultimately decided to deny the Romulans the cube by activating the queencell. However, as this was a treaty violation as well as an act of insurrection, Narissa now felt justified in killing him, and mortally wounded him with a knife thrown into his neck.

Hugh's final words

Before he died, Hugh told Elnor that he needed an xB to activate the queencell, and thanked him for letting him briefly be a "hopeful fool" again. ( PIC : " Nepenthe ")

Appearances

• " Descent " (on display)
• " Descent, Part II "
• " The End is the Beginning "
• " The Impossible Box "
• " Nepenthe "

Background information

Hugh was played by actor Jonathan Del Arco . Hugh's designation used the ordinal "Third," while the Star Trek: Voyager character Seven of Nine used the cardinal "Seven." The concept behind Hugh was used by the creative staff of Voyager in the form of One . He stated on Twitter that his species was Human. [1]

The name "Hugh" is a pun, as it sounds like the English word "you," conveying the message of individuality. In the original German TV frame, this pun was only partially transferred, as he was consistently called "Du" ("You" in English). In repeated airings, as well as on the DVD , the name was changed to "Hugh." In the Italian version the pun was transferred: the Borg was called Thug, as it sounds similar the Italian word "tu" (you). In the Japanese version, the you/Hugh pun did not make sense and he is instead given the name "Blue." In the Czech version, the pun was transferred by calling him "Tim" which is very similar in pronunciation to the Czech word "ty" meaning "you". In the French version, Hugh is called "Lou".

As Hugh's character was written before the expanded information about the Borg revealed in Star Trek: Voyager , which states that all Borg are assimilated and do not reproduce as suggested in the episode TNG : " Q Who ", there is no canon mention of who Hugh was before he was assimilated, nor any attempts to reassert this identity after he was freed from the collective as is seen in all Borg characters who are liberated from the hive mind. In keeping with this, he continues to be known simply as Hugh even as long after his liberation from the Collective as of 2399.

Hugh appears in the Shatnerverse novel Avenger , where his group of Borg are able to save the resurrected Captain James T. Kirk by removing the Borg nanites that were damaging his system after his rebirth.

Hugh meets the crew of the USS Enterprise -E in the novel Greater than the Sum , where he sacrifices himself to help the Enterprise stop a new group of Borg created by the evolution of a Borg cube and the assimilation of Admiral Kathryn Janeway .

Hugh appears in the Star Trek Online (STO) expansion "Delta Rising" as a leader of the Cooperative . The Cooperative is a faction of liberated Borg drones whose mission is primarily to free more drones from the Collective. While the Cooperative shares the Collective's goal of achieving perfection, they do not force it upon anyone and any Borg they liberate is free to choose what they want to do afterwards, including returning to the Collective. As Icheb was removed from the game following his death in Star Trek: Picard , Hugh was removed as well.

In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine - Millennium , it is mentioned in an alternate timeline that Hugh and Seven negotiated a treaty between the Borg and the Federation in 2390 .

External links

• Hugh at StarTrek.com
• Hugh at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• Hugh at the Star Trek Online Wiki

GameSpot may receive revenue from affiliate and advertising partnerships for sharing this content and from purchases through links.

Star Trek: Picard - What To Know About Hugh, The Former Borg Drone

Hugh is unlike other Borg, and his part of the story in Star Trek: Picard seems like it'll be important.

By Phil Hornshaw on March 26, 2020 at 10:41AM PDT

Star Trek: Picard 's first season is now complete , and through its 10-episode run, it sees several Trek characters return, both from The Next Generation and other series. Jean-Luc Picard 's second officer aboard the Enterprise, Data , has already been shown to have a big influence, and Star Trek: Voyager 's former-Borg crewmember, Seven of Nine , plays a role in Episode 5 , " Stardust City Rag ." In Episode 3, " The End is the Beginning ," we saw another returning character from previous shows: Hugh, another former Borg who appeared on The Next Generation.

Hugh's presence on Star Trek: Picard was a pretty big deal. He and Jean-Luc shared the experience of being part of the Borg, but were eventually freed from the Collective. And Hugh and Picard shared another bond because of their experiences aboard the Enterprise. In a big way, Hugh changed Picard's perceptions of the Borg, and their meeting on TNG had profound effects on the way the Federation interacted with the cybernetic beings in later encounters. Picard might have destroyed the Borg for good, if not for Hugh.

You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos.

Metaphor: ReFantazio The King’s Trial Trailer

Tales of the Shire - Official Announcement Trailer

Dead Island 2 – Steam Launch Trailer

Nickelodeon All-Star Brawl 2 - Official Zuko Gameplay Spotlight Trailer

Valheim: Ashlands - Official Gameplay Trailer

Tales of Kenzera: ZAU GameSpot Video Review

Stellar Blade - Beta Skills Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games

Stellar Blade - Burst Skills Gameplay Trailer | PS5 Games

GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE | New Main Chapter 29~30 Update Trailer

GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE | Happy 1.5 Anniversary Trailer

GODDESS OF VICTORY: NIKKE | Kilo Character Motion Demonstration Trailer

How The Fallout TV Show Shapes Fallout's Future

Want us to remember this setting for all your devices?

Sign up or Sign in now!

Please enter your date of birth to view this video

By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy

Now Playing: Star Trek: Picard Episode 3 "The End Is the Beginning" Breakdown & Easter Eggs

Regaining Individuality

Picard first met Hugh in TNG Season 5, in an episode called "I, Borg." The Enterprise discovered a crashed Borg ship, with four of its five inhabitants dead. Hugh, then designated Third of Five, survived, and Picard chose to beam him aboard the Enterprise. Dr. Crusher saved the Borg's life, and Picard and the crew began to formulate a plan.

They knew the Borg would not leave any drone behind and would eventually return to find Hugh and the other Borg from the ship, to either reclaim them or destroy their bodies. Knowing that, Picard figured that it might be possible to send Hugh back with some kind of computer virus that would infiltrate the Borg Collective and, potentially, destroy it. He put Data and Geordi La Forge on the job of creating the virus, while Crusher continued to nurse Third of Five back to health. In the meantime, La Forge started spending time with the drone to study it and figure out how he might create a Borg-killing virus.

Things changed, though. The more time Crusher and La Forge spent with Third of Five, the more they started to consider him a person, rather than just another Borg drone. Cut off from the Collective, Third of Five started to develop individuality. Eventually, La Forge and Crusher named him "Hugh," and Hugh started to consider La Forge his friend. Even Guinan, who hated the Borg for attacking her people's planet and nearly wiping them out, found herself struggling with the idea of using Hugh as a weapon after meeting him.

With more and more of the crew questioning the morality of the plan to commit what was essentially genocide against the Borg, Picard finally felt he had to meet Hugh--and discovered that the young Borg was, in fact, an individual, and deserved to be treated with the respect that Picard and the Federation afford all life. Picard offered to let Hugh stay with the Enterprise crew, but Hugh opted to return to the Borg Collective, fearing the Borg would pursue him and threaten the Enterprise if it couldn't locate its missing drone.

Corrupted By Lore

About a year later, in Season 6, Picard and the Enterprise encountered some Borg who were attacking colonies and Federation outposts. Immediately, it was clear these Borg were different from the Collective the Enterprise had encountered in the past. They cared about their comrades, referred to themselves as "I" instead of "we," and generally gave signs of being individuals, rather than just pieces of a hive mind. Picard had speculated when Hugh returned to the Borg Collective that his individuality might get transferred to other Borg, and that that could be just as destructive to the hive mind as the virus the Enterprise crew had tried to create. Turns out, he was pretty close to correct.

In "The Descent" and "The Descent II," Picard and the crew discovered that this particular group of Borg was led by Lore, Data's evil twin android brother. After Picard, La Forge, and Deanna Troi were captured by Lore and his band, Will Riker and Worf discovered another group of Borg who had broken away from Lore's. Among those Borg was Hugh, who explained that, yes, his individuality had spread and thrown his Borg Cube into chaos.

Unable to deal with being individuals, they started fighting each other, until Lore found them and gave them a leader to follow. Lore said he'd help the Borg find perfection by becoming wholly artificial like he was, but didn't really know how to make that dream a reality, and so started experimenting on Borg drones with horrifying results. Realizing what Lore really was, Hugh and those like him hid out from the group loyal to Lore.

Eventually, Data defeated Lore once and for all and had him disassembled. Hugh was worried that the Borg would again fall into chaos without a leader, but Picard suggested that Hugh could be the one the individualized Borg followed. That's where the Enterprise crew left them--as a group of Borg who had become something different from the other drones in the Collective.

So Where Has Hugh Been?

We're not sure what happened to Hugh in the years that followed. Picard and the Enterprise crew encountered the Borg Collective again in Star Trek: First Contact, so Hugh's individuality apparently didn't transfer to the entire Borg species, just to those on his particular cube. When we meet Hugh in Star Trek: Picard, he's changed significantly--he's no longer a Borg drone, but instead has been returned to humanity, with most of his Borg implants removed.

Though we don't know how Hugh got from leading a group of Borg individuals to his role on the Artifact, we do know that he used his knowledge of the Borg to help others "XBs," or ex-Borg. He led the Borg Reclamation Project on the Artifact, the disabled Borg Cube that the Romulans studied and salvaged on Star Trek: Picard. His work focused on helping other former drones re-acclimate to society. We also know that, unlike Jean-Luc, Hugh had a hard time adjusting to his life as a human. He suggested that people in society at large didn't trust him because of his former life as a drone.

Hugh's role in the first season of Star Trek: Picard built on the long-running story of Jean-Luc's interactions with the frightening cybernetic race. It also allowed the show to explore the more human aspect of what it means to be Borg. As Jean-Luc said, though the Borg are feared, they're a race of victims--and as Hugh showed, they deserve compassion.

Disclosure: ViacomCBS is GameSpot's parent company.

Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Email [email protected]

• Leave Blank

Join the conversation

Use your keyboard!

Log in to comment

• More to Explore
• Series & Movies

Published May 11, 2023

Hugh Serves as an Important Reminder of Our Capacity for Compassion

On the anniversary of its first airing, the episode 'I, Borg' showcases the Enterprise's humanity at its finest.

StarTrek.com

When a distress call leads the Enterprise -D to find a crashed Borg ship, Dr. Crusher insists on saving the sole survivor — an injured drone. While the Enterprise crew is at first distrustful of the drone, they come to empathize with the Borg Third of Five, now known as Hugh , and in turn, Hugh comes to care for his rescuers.

The episode “ I, Borg ” from Star Trek: The Next Generation stands out amidst a sea of fantastic TNG episodes. Like most great Star Trek episodes, it rises beyond a deceptively simple premise — the Enterprise crew saves a Borg drone — while they aren’t sure how to proceed, the crew ultimately tackles far greater themes and issues. From the newly-named Hugh’s journey back towards individuality to the decisions Captain Picard is faced with making, the question of humanity remains at the heart of the episode.

Of course, to talk about humanity in this episode, we must first start with Hugh. He is the beating heart of this episode, anchored by a lovely performance from Jonathan del Arco, who returns to the Star Trek universe in Star Trek: Picard . Unlike the terrifying Borg that kidnapped and tortured Picard and threaten the universe, Hugh poses no threat. He’s injured when he’s brought on board by an insistent Dr. Crusher, and though he gives an attempt at the “Resistance is futile” schtick, he eventually grows curious about human behavior displayed by those around him.

Hugh’s humanity comes to him through questioning. He begins to doubt the Borg Collective as he asks earnest, polite questions about human behavior that he doesn’t understand. He doesn’t demand answers, but instead listens to what Geordi and others tell him and responds to that. By changing his worldview, based on what he learns, and in response to the compassion he receives, Hugh’s journey is one that is built on a foundation of communication and understanding, rather than him simply parroting back ideas without fully understanding them.

Hugh: Are you ever lonely? Geordi: Sometimes. But that's why we have friends. Hugh: Friends? Geordi: Sure. Someone you talk to, who will be with you when you're lonely. Someone who makes you feel better. Hugh : Like Geordi and Hugh.

Compassion is key to both being a better human and to Star Trek ’s view of humanity. Hugh’s humanity is firmly rooted in the very ideals, championed by creator Gene Roddenberry, of understanding and communicating through empathy. Not only is he shown compassion which he learns from, but he returns it by forming friendships and, ultimately, returning to the Collective to spare the Enterprise and his new friends from warfare.

Hugh says that the Borg are trying to learn about new cultures through assimilation while trying to defend the Collective, but Geordi counters that by saying that individuality and differences are key to being human. Hugh learns that firsthand, understanding that he can better appreciate his friends and his own humanity through his and their individuality. He becomes more human as he becomes more of an individual, separated from the Collective and their harsh control.

But it is not just Hugh who better understands humanity at the end of the episode. Picard, Geordi, and the rest of the crew also emerge from this encounter as more human, empathetic beings. It is easy for them to first be cold and callous towards Hugh, because they’re dealing with the trauma of their past encounters with the Borg. No one can judge them for being cautious and distrustful.

Hugh could have been a pawn for the Enterprise to use to destroy the Borg — the crew’s initial plan for him — by planting a virus in him, he could be returned to the crash site, rescued by the Collective, and then be an unwitting player in the Borgs’ demise. That is a more cunning strategy than just fixing him and leaving him behind, but it is also deeply inhumane. As for the Borg, we know they are a cruel enemy. Their torture of Picard leaves the captain with scars, and they have killed and destroyed countless civilizations. They must be stopped, but at what point does stopping an enemy mean that you ultimately turn into the very same enemy guilty of ending entire species?

Picard is reticent to believe his crew’s pleas that Hugh deserves more than to be used as a pawn, even as more and more of them become sympathetic towards the Borg drone. Upon meeting and talking to Hugh, Picard sees that he is an individual, slowly freeing himself from the Borg’s control, which allows his own rage to waver. He can hate the Borg for what they’ve done, but he can also display compassion for a solitary soldier who isn’t to blame for all their deeds.

If he had chosen to send Hugh back, Picard would’ve shown the same cruelty that the Borg showed him, and that is not who Picard is. Picard is a captain who displays humanity and compassion. His own past can temporarily shake him off that path, but he always returns to it. By making the harder choice to not exact revenge and instead extend a hand of friendship to Hugh, he shows himself to be the best of us. Similarly, Geordi and Guinan both have reasons to hate the Borg, but they find empathy for Hugh, with Geordi even finding friendship with the former drone.

Geordi also extends a marker of humanity and individuality by offering Hugh a name beyond his designation. Originally referring to himself as Third of Five, Hugh takes to the name offered to him by Geordi. Geordi makes a point of making sure Hugh likes his new name, rather than forcing it upon him. That respect for Hugh’s humanity is key to conveying the compassion that sparks the self-journey that Hugh goes on.

Ultimately, Hugh is offered safety with the Federation. While he wants to stay with his newfound friends and continue his journey of self-discovery, Hugh realizes he will endanger the Enterprise if the Borg returns to the crash site to find him missing. He opts to be returned to the site to be "rescued" by the Collective. This self-sacrifice is a deeply human and deeply compassionate act. Hugh is returning the same compassion given to him by offering to save the lives of those who saved his. He is truly human, in every way.

As Captain Kirk famously said, when burying Spock, “Of all the souls I have encountered on my travels, his was the most human.” Despite the Borg’s lack of respect for humanity, Hugh finds his through the tenets of what makes us better — communication, empathy, and compassion. Hugh’s journey to becoming human is not only a testament to the power of individuality, but a reminder to the Enterprise, and to viewers, on what it means to be human.

My First Contact: Jonathan Del Arco

This article was originally published on January 9, 2020.

Get Updates By Email

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

Julian Gardner (they/them) is on the editorial team for StarTrek.com.

Star Trek: Picard - How Seven of Nine and Hugh the Borg Fit in to the Show - Comic Con 2019

As jeri ryan and jonathan del arco join the cbs all access series, we take a look at their characters’ histories and how they make perfect sense for the show..

CBS All Access dropped a photon torpedo bombshell at San Diego Comic-Con with the announcement that the Borg characters Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) and Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco) will be appearing on the upcoming series Star Trek: Picard. The series, which of course features the return of Sir Patrick Stewart in the title role (and will also bring back Brent Spiner as -- apparently -- Data, Jonathan Frakes as Riker and Marina Sirtis as Troi), will obviously play into Jean-Luc Picard’s own dark history with that feared cyborg race.

It’s a surprising development because the casting of Ryan is the first major crossover between The Next Generation cast and Star Trek: Voyager (although the Next Gen films did feature a couple of cameos with characters from its sister show). So let’s look at the history of Hugh, Seven of Nine and Picard as well and consider how their paths could be converging in Star Trek: Picard.

Hugh the Borg

So rather than depict another giant space battle where the galaxy as we know it as at stake, “I Borg,” which aired two years after “The Best of Both Worlds,” told the story of how the Enterprise crew happened upon a crashed Borg shuttle. There is one survivor, a young Borg that calls itself Third of Five and who Dr. Crusher insists must be taken to the Enterprise so that they can treat its wounds and save its life. As the Borg recuperates, Picard and his crew develop an ingenious plan: They will implant a logic bomb computer program in the Borg’s mind which it will then relay to the other Borg when it returns to its fellows, causing a cascading failure that could in theory take down the entire race without ever having to fire a single Starfleet phaser.

The only problem is that, while working with Third of Five, Crusher and Chief Engineer Geordi La Forge begin to see the Borg’s personality and individuality emerge now that it’s cut off from the Collective. Soon they even give him a name, Hugh, and once Picard realizes this -- after trying to fake him out by pretending to be Locutus -- he offers him asylum. Picard cannot in good conscience return this person to the Borg. But Hugh doesn’t want to put the Enterprise in jeopardy, and so he chooses to return to the Collective where he risks becoming an automaton again. The last time we see him in the episode, he glances briefly at Geordi as he’s beaming up to the Borg Cube, an apparent sign that his individuality could remain intact.

Borg Rebellion

These events are explained in the Next Generation two-parter "Descent" (1993), where it turns out that Data’s “brother” Lore eventually found Hugh’s ship adrift and became the leader of the group. Acting as a sort of false prophet to the individualized drones, Lore manipulated the masses, made false promises of salvation, and promised to lead them and guide them.

Talk to Executive Editor Scott Collura on Twitter at @ScottCollura , or listen to his Star Trek podcast, Transporter Room 3 . Or do both!

Star Trek: Picard

Picard's Michelle Hurd on Star Trek's Legacy and Where Raffi Could Go Next

Patrick Stewart Shares the 'Original' Ending to Picard, Hopes for a Follow-up Film

Every Cancelled and Ending TV Show Announced in 2023

Jonathan Del Arco

IMDbPro Starmeter See rank

• Contact info
• 1 nomination

• Dr. Fernando Morales
• 2007–2012 • 39 eps

• Third of Five
• 1992–1993 • 2 eps

• 2012–2018 • 69 eps

• Victor Ignas

• Silvio Herrera

• Victor Burroughs

• Albert Marrero

• 69 episodes

• Ned Senders

• 39 episodes

• Mr. Caviezel
• Jeremy Solaris

Personal details

• 5′ 7″ (1.70 m)
• March 7 , 1966
• Kyle Fritz ? - present
• Relatives Erin Regan (Niece or Nephew)
• Other works (2001, November - December) Appeared as the Undertaker/Young Ebenezer in the Charles Dickens play, "A Christmas Carol", at the South Coast Repertory, Costa Mesa, California, USA.
• 1 Interview

Did you know

• Trivia Has a Star Trek Action Figure in his likeness as the character "Hugh (Third of Five)", a Borg seen in I Borg (1992) in Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) 's 5th season and also in Descent, Part II (1993) in the 7th and last season of Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987) .
• Quotes [on reactions he gets from fans of Major Crimes (2012) and The Closer (2005) , 2013] People love Dr. Morales. I have to be honest, I think I represent a side of a lot of people that in the work world where they feel like they are working with people that are just not as good as they are. [Laughs] There's that co-worker that is just not pulling their weight and I think Morales would be the person who would be like, "Just get out of the way and let me do my job". People are very tickled by me. They think Dr. Morales is very funny. So I have a lot of very positive response from people that recognize me. They'll say, "Oh my god! You're so funny on the show. We love it when you're mean to Brenda". Though early on they hated it when I was mean to Brenda. But they love the personality. They love that he doesn't take any bullshit from anybody and says it like it is and has no time for losers.
• How old is Jonathan Del Arco?
• When was Jonathan Del Arco born?
• Where was Jonathan Del Arco born?

Related news

Contribute to this page.

• Learn more about contributing

More to explore

Add demo reel with IMDbPro

How much have you seen?

Recently viewed

A Complete Timeline of the Borg in Star Trek

Quick links, the creation of the borg through star trek: enterprise, star trek: the next generation is when starfleet engaged the borg, star trek: voyager traveled through borg space and almost destroyed them, the borg returned in star trek: picard for one last battle.

Throughout the six-decade history of Star Trek , there have been many iconic villains, but perhaps none more so than the Borg. Created by Maurice Hurley, the head writer for Star Trek: The Next Generation Season 2, the Borg began as an organic species looking attain perfection. They achieved this by merging their organic bodies with cybernetic components. Individuality was erased, creating a hivemind culture of beings that sought only to assimilate more species and their technology in the search for perfection. They are led by a queen, a singular consciousness that can occupy multiple bodies.

The Borg are incredibly powerful and are known to travel via transwarp. They are even capable of time travel, though they don't do it very often. Given all that the Borg have going for them, it's no surprise that they were meant to be the ultimate villains Starfleet could never reason with. Over time, these villains became more complex and some even became Federation allies. Yet, the Borg have a long history in the Star Trek timeline, predating the earliest human space travel.

How Did Star Trek: Enterprise Become a TV Series?

The Borg have existed in their modern form since at least the time of the 15th Century on Earth. During the USS Voyager's travels in the Delta Quadrant, they met members of the Vaduwaur species who had been in stasis for more than 900 years. They had "many encounters" with the Borg who, by this time, had assimilated a few star systems in the Delta Quadrant. However, given the Vaduwaur didn't see them as their worst nemesis, they weren't as advanced as the Borg in the 24th Century.

In 2063, a Borg Sphere emerged from a temporal rift to prevent the Humans from making first contact with the Vulcans. The USS Enterprise-E followed them and destroyed the sphere, though a number of drones beamed aboard their vessel. Captain Picard defeated them, and Zefram Cochrane made his first warp flight . Some 90 years later, in Star Trek: Enterprise , remnants of the sphere were found in the North Pole. A handful of drones were revived and escaped in a space vessel. They were pursued and destroyed by the NX-01 Enterprise, but not before sending a message about Earth's location to the collective in the Delta Quadrant.

10 Star Trek Time Travel Stories That Changed Canon

The El-Aurian Guinan was saved by the USS Enterprise-B in 2293, along with fellow survivors of her people. Her planet had been assimilated by the Borg, and this was when Starfleet learned the species' name. Erin and Magnus Hansen, tried to study them in the late 2340s before they and their daughter Annika, Seven of Nine, were assimilated. In The Next Generation Season 2's "Q Who," the omnipotent being sent the USS Enterprise-D thousands of lightyears away from Federation space where it encountered a Borg Cube. They were only concerned about technology at the time, but this meeting led them to Federation space.

One year later, in 2366, the Borg sent a single cube to assimilate Earth. They captured Captain Jean-Luc Picard and assimilated him, giving him the name "Locutus." He was meant to demoralized Starfleet to prevent humans and the rest of the Federation from fighting back. He was freed of their control, but not before the Battle of Wolf 359 which destroyed 39 ships and killed 11,000 people. Among those were the wife of Commander Benjamin Sisko and the crew of the USS Constance of which Captain Liam Shaw was one of ten survivors. Commander Data briefly connected himself to the collective, ordering the Borg drones to enter regeneration and initiating the self-destruct sequence.

In 2368, the USS Enterprise-D encountered the Borg again, discovering a crashed scout ship. The drone Third of Five survived . Picard wanted to use the drone to implant a deadly virus into the collective. However, separated from the collective, the drone became an individual named "Hugh." He was returned unchanged to the collective, though Hugh's individuality caused a meltdown in the collective. A year later, Data's brother Lore found the cube and became their leader. He tried to replace their organic minds with positronic brains like his. The rogue Borg eventually overthrew him with help from the Enterprise. Five years later, another Borg cube was sent to Earth and was eventually destroyed, but not before sending the Sphere holding the Queen back to 2063.

How Did Star Trek: Voyager Become a TV Series?

In 2373, the USS Voyager entered Borg space on their journey home from the Delta Quadrant. At the same time, the Borg tried to assimilate Species 8472, which hailed from a dimension of "fluidic space." The assimilation didn't work and war broke out. Because 8472 was so hostile, Captain Janeway was able to enter into an alliance with the Borg to help defeat them, specifically with the help of the ship's holographic Doctor. The Borg betrayed them, which Janeway anticipated. The drone Seven of Nine was freed from the collective and became a member of the crew. Though she wished to rejoin the collective and tried to do so twice, she eventually chose to stay with Voyager .

In 2375, a transporter accident involving the Doctor's mobile emitter (based on 29th Century technology) and Seven of Nine's Borg nanoprobes. A drone was "grown" in the tank and designated One. The Borg tried to assimilate him and he willingly ended his own life. Later that year, the USS Voyager salvaged a transwarp coil from a destroyed Borg vessel. This led the Borg to enact a trap meant to bring Seven of Nine back into the collective as a replacement for Locutus. Janeway and the crew rescued her. A year later, while trading with the Brunali, Voyager was attacked by Borg vessel. However, they hid a photon torpedo in a captured Brunali vessel that destroyed the Borg ship, allowing Voyager to escape.

In 2377, Seven of Nine was reunited with other Borg in "Unimatrix Zero," a digital plane where drones retained their individuality. Captain Janeway used this opportunity to plan an attack on the collective and start a resistance movement. Captured by the Borg, many of Voyager's crew were assimilated. Thanks to the Doctor, they retained their individuality freeing thousands of drones and starting a Borg civil war. In 2378, a time-traveling Admiral Janeway showed up on Voyager with a plan to get the ship home. The plan succeeded, but the Admiral was assimilated. She carried a virus that decimated the collective to nearly the point of destruction. Five years after the return of the USS Voyager, the rag-tag crew of the USS Protostar found a Borg Cube, but they let sleeping Borg lie .

The Picard Blu-ray Underscores Why Each Season Needed the Borg

A Borg Cube that assimilated a Romulan vessel suffered a submatrix collapse, and it was captured by the Romulan Star Empire. In 2399, the ex-Borg Hugh led the Borg Reclamation Project on a ship dubbed "the Artifact." To stop a plan by a cult of anti-synthetic Romulans in the Tal Shiar, Seven of Nine created her own mini-collective and led the Artifact to crash on a planet populated by synthetics. It's presumed the surviving xBs (as they were called) joined the society on that planet. Hugh, however, was killed in the attempt.

In 2401, a Borg vessel of unknown origin appeared and asked to speak with Admiral Jen-Luc Picard. The Queen of this collective was Agnes Jurati, who was assimilated by the Borg Queen of an alternate timeline who took Picard and his allies into the past to save the future they knew. Jurati convinced the Queen to create a new kind of collective in which individuality was maintained and assimilation was voluntary. This new collective applied for provisional Federation membership to stand guard at a rift in space through which a still-unknown threat would emerge.

Also that year, the near-dying Borg Queen allied with Changeling terrorists angry with the Federation after the Dominion War. They infiltrated Starfleet, adding a DNA sequence to Starfleet transporters that would assimilate anyone under the age of 25 once they received a coded message. That message was sent by Jack Crusher , the son of Picard and Dr. Beverly Crusher. He was assimilated by the dying Borg Queen and named Võx. New technology added to modern Starfleet vessels allowed these new Borg to assimilate the ships in moments. Using a rebuilt USS Enterprise-D, the command crew of that vessel saved Jack and destroyed the remaining Borg, seemingly defeating them once and for all.

The Star Trek universe encompasses multiple series, each offering a unique lens through which to experience the wonders and perils of space travel. Join Captain Kirk and his crew on the Original Series' voyages of discovery, encounter the utopian vision of the Federation in The Next Generation, or delve into the darker corners of galactic politics in Deep Space Nine. No matter your preference, there's a Star Trek adventure waiting to ignite your imagination.

Created by Gene Roddenberry

First Film Star Trek: The Motion Picture

Latest Film Star Trek: Nemesis

First TV Show Star Trek: The Original Series

Latest TV Show Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

Den of Geek

The Star Trek Next Generation Story That Connects the Borg to The Original Series Crew

The Borg may be villains from Star Trek: The Next Generation, but a 1991 novel posits a surprising connection between the assimilating aliens and The Original Series.

• Share on Facebook (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Twitter (opens in a new tab)
• Share on Linkedin (opens in a new tab)
• Share on email (opens in a new tab)

“Con permiso, Capitan,” the godlike being Q tells Captain Picard. “The hall is rented, the orchestra engaged. It’s now time to see if you can dance.” 

Part warning and part explanation, Q’s statement tests Picard’s insistence that the Enterprise does not need his help, that humanity is fully prepared for whatever difficulties they encounter while exploring deep space. Yes, they can deal with Romulans, Klingons, and even that fishhead alien that Mick Fleetwood played in “Manhunt.” But were they prepared for the new enemy that Q sent them to meet? Were they prepared for the Borg ?

The excellent season two episode “Q Who?” effectively introduces the Borg as the defining villain of Star Trek: The Next Generation , whose influence continues in later series, especially Voyager and Picard . The conquering hivemind represents everything that Starfleet is not, a demand for sameness and no respect for other cultures or variety. They’re all about safety and domination through homogenization. With their zombie-esque attacks and their resistance to Starfleet weapons, the Borg become a major threat to the entire universe. 

But despite Q’s taunts in The Next Generation , Starfleet may have actually been more prepared for the Borg than he, or even the crew of the Enterprise-D, first thought. In fact, according to one TNG novel, the Federation unknowingly encountered a deterrent to the race back in the days of James T. Kirk and the original Enterprise. 

Ad – content continues below

In the sixth episode of The Original Series ’s second season “The Doomsday Machine,” Kirk and his crew discover the remains of several star systems that have been mysteriously destroyed. Finding the Enterprise’s sister ship the USS Constellation abandoned in one of these systems, save for its delirious Commodore Matthew Decker, Kirk fears the worst. When Decker comes to, he confirms Kirk’s suspicions, describing the source of the attacks as a weapon “right out of hell,” a planet killer with an unimaginable proton beam.

Throughout the episode, the Enterprise learns that the machine derives its fuel from the remains of the planets it destroys, which allows it to operate in perpetuity. Only through the actions of the desperate, suicidal Decker, and the brilliance of the Enterprise crew, is Kirk able to destroy the doomsday machine, stopping it from continuing its march across the quadrant.

After its destruction in “The Doomsday Machine,” no other versions of the planet-killer have been rebuilt and reused in later canon Star Trek stories (this isn’t Star Wars , after all). However, the machine did return in a non-canonical Trek story one that ties the planet-killer to the Borg.

In “The Doomsday Machine,” Kirk speculates that no one would create the planet-killer with the intention of actually using it. Instead, he believes that the machine must have been a deterrent, thus turning the episode into a commentary on the Mutually Assured Destruction theory of nuclear armament. And in his 1991 TNG novel Vendetta , writer Peter David builds on Kirk’s theory.

Vendetta introduces Delcara, a powerful telepath who has been contacting Picard through visions since his days as a cadet. Delcara has control of a new Planet Killer, more advanced than the one Kirk destroyed in “The Doomsday Machine,” and plans to use it in revenge against the Borg for assimilating the rest of her race, the Shgin.

Published less than a year after “ The Best of Both Worlds ,” Vendetta leans heavily into the threat posed by the Borg. After all, this was long before we met kindly Hugh, the more human Borg Queen, and the heroic Seven of Nine. The Borg were still enigmatic, incomprehensible threats to the entire universe.

That perspective is essential for understanding the genesis (pun intended) of the Planet Killer, as posited in Vendetta . David explains that the Planet Killer was created by the Preservers, the ancient and wise race first introduced in the TOS season three episode “ The Paradise Syndrome ,” as a deterrent against the Borg. While the threatening to destroy any planet the Borg assimilate should be deterrent enough, Delcara proves that it certainly can be used as an active weapon against the race.

Get the best of Den of Geek delivered right to your inbox!

Since Vendetta , the Borg have been made significantly less frightening, and Picard has not once, but twice, declared that the race has been destroyed. Furthermore, novels and comic books are not technically considered canon in Star Trek (again, this isn’t Star Wars ). However, should Trek ever want to revisit the subject, the Planet Killer is an excellent way to remind viewers that the Borg are terrifying, but the weapons we employ for our safety may be even worse.

Joe George | @jageorgeii

Joe George’s writing has appeared at Slate, Polygon, Tor.com, and elsewhere!

• Show Spoilers
• Night Vision
• Sticky Header
• Highlight Links

Follow TV Tropes

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E23IBorg

Recap / Star Trek: The Next Generation S5E23 "I Borg"

Edit locked.

Original air date: May 11, 1992

Answering what they think to be a distress signal, the Enterprise comes across a crashed Borg scout ship. All its crew are dead, save one. Clearly against his better judgment, Picard allows the injured Borg ( Jonathan Del Arco ) to be brought to the ship for medical treatment, though it is placed inside a force field which interrupts its connection to the Collective . Despite Counsellor Troi's misgivings, Picard insists he's fine with the situation.

As part of its medical treatment, La Forge prepares to repair/replace certain of the Borg's cybernetic implants, but Picard takes the suggestion one step further: why not reprogram an implant to introduce a Logic Bomb through this drone into the entire Borg Collective, causing them all to shut down? At a meeting to discuss this plan, Dr. Crusher alone objects, pointing out that this would be tantamount to genocide . Unfortunately for her, everyone else is fine with it, having accepted the non-declared, unofficial state of war between the Borg and, well, anyone they want to assimilate. Unfortunately for them, Crusher's apparent sympathy for the Borg drone only grows as his physical condition improves; she notes that he seems to be frightened and lonely, severed from contact with the other Borg. Meanwhile, Guinan hands Picard a sort of Dark Side version of her usual Whoopi Epiphany Speech , when she fakes an injury during a fencing duel and then defeats Picard as he moves to help.

Guinan: You felt sorry for me; look what it got you .

The Borg boy continues to improve, and Crusher and La Forge work on testing him out to see how best to implement the Logic Bomb plot. They converse with him and introduce themselves, to which the Borg wonders if he has a name (he only knows the Borg designation "Third of Five"). Trying to sound out a pet name for him, they settle upon "Hugh", sort of a pun on "you...". Now that Hugh has an actual name, La Forge too begins to develop an attachment to him and is having second thoughts about the whole plan. He talks to Guinan about this, but she is uncharacteristically unsympathetic. La Forge challenges her to go visit Hugh for herself. Complicating matters, another Borg scout ship is approaching, presumably to retrieve survivors/scavenge the wrecked ship.

Guinan does eventually go visit Hugh, and she maintains her harsh facade until she lets it slip that her people had been very nearly obliterated by the Borg. Hugh notes that she is lonely, being so far away from any of her kind, and that he is also lonely. Guinan is, to say the least, speechless at this unexpected acknowledgment of emotion from the Borg. Guinan goes to Picard with her new misgivings, only to find him as fiercely defiant as she herself had been. Guinan is having none of it, though and insists that Picard too must at least look Hugh in the eye before turning him into a Tyke Bomb .

Finally Picard agrees and has Hugh beamed into his Captain's Office. Hugh, for his part, recognizes Locutus of Borg , and Picard takes advantage and speaks to him as Locutus. After forcing Hugh to renounce his human name and reiterate his Borg designation, he announces that the Enterprise and her crew will be assimilated , even against their will, or they will die. Hugh doesn't cotton to this idea, having grown attached to his human friends (especially La Forge) but "Locutus" is adamant, culminating in this exchange:

Picard: They will be assimilated. You will assist us. Hugh: I will not. Picard: What did you say? [...] You said "I"; but you are Borg! Hugh: No... I am Hugh.

Now Picard realizes that, with Hugh's newfound individuality, it really would be morally wrong to use him as a Tyke Bomb , and the option is floated that Hugh could be offered asylum from reintegration with the Borg. When told this, though, Hugh realizes that the Borg would simply hunt him down and harm the people he now sees as friends, and he voluntarily returns to the crash site where the other Borg will re-assimilate him. As a final note, it is suggested that the Borg will probably erase Hugh's memory of these events but, in the brief time before they do so, they will be subject to Hugh's experiences as an individual... "and that may be the most pernicious program of all!"

So they beam Hugh back to the crash site. Shortly thereafter, the other Borg arrive and quickly reintegrate Hugh as a drone. But, just before they depart, Hugh gives a clandestine nod to Geordi, indicating his yet-intact individuality.

Notable Tropes in this episode:

• Ambiguously Human : Hugh's race is never specified but he appears physically human, which makes the crew's impulse to dehumanize him especially harsh.
• When Geordi first explains the concept of friendship to Hugh, the latter immediately declares "Like Hugh and Geordi!", proving that he's formed a genuine bond with LaForge and complicating the engineer's feelings about the genocidal plan.
• Guinan talks to Hugh and vents her anger at the Borg to him, remarking that they assimilated her people and left the few survivors who resisted scattered around the galaxy. Hugh ponders a moment and remarks "What you are saying is that you are lonely." Guinan is visibly stunned by that reaction, as she can't believe that her sworn enemy can understand how she's feeling.
• When Picard pretends to be Locutus of Borg and tells Hugh that he must help him forcibly assimilate the Enterprise crew, Hugh vehemently protests " I will not assist you," asserting his individuality for the first time and convincing Picard that Hugh is more than just a drone.
• Believing Their Own Lies : It's implied in this episode that the Borg simply ignore any defeats or failures they suffer; Hugh initially believes that "resistance is futile", only to be informed of Guinan's people successfully (if only barely) resisting assimilation, and he still sees Picard as Locutus despite Picard being removed from the Borg's Hive Mind , both facts that the Borg should be well aware of. He also voices a belief that "no Borg leaves the Collective" while speaking with Picard, who has done exactly that.
• Both Sides Have a Point : At the meeting to discuss the Logic Bomb , everyone brings up valid points opposing and supporting its use. Crusher hammers the point that using it would tantamount to genocide, while Riker responds that the Borg are such a huge, existential threat that it would be justifiable . Picard also notes that "genocide" is a rather meaningless term when applied to the Borg, which is essentially a single organism.
• The Bus Came Back : The Borg return to TNG after a nearly two year hiatus following "The Best of Both Worlds".
• The things that Troi says to Picard regarding the after-effects of his assimilation further drive home the rape metaphor .
• Hugh is basically a kid separated from the totalitarian cult that raised him, and is pretty unclear on the mere concept of thinking for himself or deciding who he is or what he wants to do beyond what he's been told.
• Hugh forms an extremely close bond with Geordi: he cites him as someone he cares about, initially protests Picard-as-Locutus by fearfully asking "Geordi must be assimilated?", and, when given the choice between remaining on the Enterprise and returning to the Collective, remarks "I would choose to stay with Geordi." It's easy to read his attachment as queer love (as noted under the Trivia tab, there's also a healthy dose of real-world subtext involved, as Jonathan Del Arco, Hugh's actor, is openly gay and had lost his long-term partner to AIDS just a year before).
• A very late example regarding the Borg. This is the first time Borg drones are given numerical designations, and use ordinal numbers (Third of Five). Later appearances would use cardinal numbers (Seven of Nine).
• Hugh states that the Borg assimilate civilizations, not individuals (which is apparently why they ignored away teams on their ships in prior episodes, and why the two who come to retrieve him at the end ignore Geordi). Starting from Star Trek: First Contact , this would be abandoned altogether, with the Borg regularly opportunistically assimilating anyone they could get their tubules on. The Collective would frequently be shown to include members of still very-much-extant races, including humans, Klingons, Romulans and Cardassians.
• Eye Scream : When Dr. Crusher asks to examine Hugh's eyepiece, he simply removes it and hands it to her — exposing the circuitry where his eye should be. Crusher and La Forge are visibly unnerved by this.
• Failed a Spot Check : Hugh instantly recognizes Picard as Locutus of Borg and believes that Picard is still Locutus despite the very obvious lack of any Borg attire or implants on the Captain. After their meeting, however, Hugh comes to accept Picard as himself, rather than Locutus.
• Fantastic Racism : In this case, even our heroes see lumping an entire group into a single category as perfectly reasonable. After " The Best of Both Worlds " it seems only logical to see all Borg as malicious and dangerous, particularly for Picard. Once they get to know Hugh, however, the crew start to question their own assumptions.
• The Farmer and the Viper : Although never referenced by name, the episode hinges on this trope, with Crusher arguing to provide mercy for a wounded Borg, while the rest of the crew consider kindness to an inherently evil creature to be self-destructive. It turns out that the "viper" in this case can actually change when given the opportunity.
• Fate Worse than Death : Geordi explains to Hugh how being assimilated, losing his sense of individuality in the process, in many ways seems worse than death.
• Final Solution / Genocide Dilemma : Given the unique threat presented by the Borg and apparent lack of other options, most of the crew is fully in favor of destroying them completely, with only Dr. Crusher opposing the plan. As the rest of the crew comes to see Hugh as an individual, they begin to develop doubts, and ultimately abandon the idea.
• Happiness in Mind Control : Hugh, thanks to Borg indoctrination, sees assimilation as both normal and positive, and is genuinely unable to understand why the Enterprise crew is so opposed to it. Gradually, he comes to understand their point of view.
• Hugh realizing that the Borg basically wiped out Guinan's people.
• After speaking with Hugh and hearing him assert his individuality, Picard reconsiders his plan to use Hugh to destroy the Borg, seeing that doing so would make him no better than the Borg themselves .
• Heroic Sacrifice : Hugh volunteers to rejoin the Collective to save the ship.
• Hoist by His Own Petard : The Enterprise crew originally plans to use Hugh as a living Logic Bomb to destroy the Borg. However, as each member of the team meets and talks to him, they are challenged by Hugh's paradoxical nature and gradually become "infected" with compassion and understanding for him.
• Hyde Plays Jekyll : Inverted. When Picard first meets with Hugh, the latter identifies him as Locutus (despite the very obvious fact that Picard is no longer Borg). Picard plays along with this, claiming he is there to facilitate humanity's assimilation, and ordering Hugh to assist in assimilating the Enterprise . He's utterly thrown when Hugh insists " I will not! "
• I, Noun : A particularly striking episode title considering this is The Borg we're talking about.
• Innocuously Important Episode : This is the first episode in the franchise which humanizes the Borg (or more precisely, the drones who have been severed from the Collective). Hugh's introduction would eventually to lead to the characters of Seven of Nine and Icheb on Star Trek: Voyager . Hugh, Seven of Nine and Icheb would later also guest star in Star Trek: Picard .
• "It" Is Dehumanizing : Everyone in the crew shows their sympathy for Hugh or lack thereof by referring to him as either "he" or "it." Picard is the last holdout. Picard: It's not a person, damn it, it's a Borg!
• Line-of-Sight Name : A purely verbal version, when Crusher and La Forge go from "you" to "Hugh".
• Little "No" : When " Locutus " informs Hugh that Geordi will die if he is not assimilated, Hugh utters a horrified "no". Hugh: He would rather die than be assimilated. "Locutus" : Then he will die. Hugh: No... Geordi must not die. Geordi is a friend.
• Logic Bomb : Picard's plan is to introduce an unsolvable math problem (an anomalous geometric figure, which every attempt to analyze produces further contradictory anomalous figures) into the Borg Hive Mind by letting Hugh look at it and returning him to the Collective. Data and La Forge calculate that it will shut down the entire Collective in a matter of months.
• The McCoy : Doctor Crusher first begins treating a fatally injured Borg, and objects to the Logic Bomb plan as soon as it's proposed.
• The Needs of the Many : Hugh, still grappling with his individuality, struggles to wrap his mind around this not being the case, being offered the choice of staying aboard the Enterprise even with the certainty of Borg pursuit. However, he ultimately plays it straight, choosing to return to the Borg to protect his new friends and the rest of the Enterprise crew.
• When Geordi is analyzing Hugh to learn more about him, Hugh helpfully points out that the Borg do the exact same thing with the species they assimilate, and so expects Geordi to like the idea. It's subverted when Geordi explains how the Borg's tactic of forcible absorption differs from consensual curiosity.
• Played straighter when Guinan visits Hugh in his cell and talks to him, angrily remarking that the Borg assimilated most of her people and left the few remnants scattered across the galaxy: Hugh : What you are saying...is that you are lonely. Guinan : ...what? Hugh : You have no others. You have no home. (Guinan stares at Hugh in shock) Hugh : We are also lonely...
• Oblivious Guilt Slinging : Hugh's innocent questions about Crusher and La Forge's tests make both officers feel very guilty about their ulterior motives.
• Obliviously Evil : It's a complete surprise to Hugh that most consider assimilation by the Borg to be a Fate Worse than Death and that contrary to the Collective's oft-heard refrain, resistance is not futile.
• Oh, Crap! : Pretty much everyone's reaction to discovering that the wreckage they're investigating is that of a Borg ship... and there's a survivor.
• When the away team discovers the surviving Borg drone, the honor-obsessed, Proud Warrior Race Guy Worf recommends killing it, making it look like an accident, and running like hell. The compassionate, unflappable Captain Picard seriously considers doing so before reluctantly deciding to show the drone mercy.
• Guinan is uncharacteristically hostile and close-minded when faced with the question of Hugh, owing to the fact that the Borg wiped out nearly all of her species. It's one of the few episodes where she actually has an arc.
• In the initial conference, Deanna is the most militant she's ever been by far, rejecting Beverly's claim that they're not "formally" at war by pointing out the Borg have attacked the Federation at every encounter.
• Resistance Is Futile : Discussed; Hugh starts out parroting the Borg's typical refrain, but when he meets Guinan, he learns that she and some of her people survived and escaped from the Borg's destruction of her homeworld. Guinan: My people resisted when the Borg came to assimilate us. Some of us survived. Hugh: Resistance... is not futile?
• Rogue Drone : Hugh is separated from the Borg Hive Mind , is given a name, and slowly develops a sense of identity and individuality, finally culminating in use of the singular pronoun "I".
• Sarcasm-Blind : While confronting Hugh, Guinan is initially snarky and dismissive, only to find that the childlike Hugh can neither understand nor appreciate her attitude. Guinan: Aren't you going to tell me you have to assimilate me? Hugh: You wish to be assimilated? Guinan: No, but that's what you... things do, isn't it?
• Screw the Rules, I'm Doing What's Right! : Dr. Crusher remarks that, war or no war, Hugh is an injured sentient being, and thus she's going to treat him regardless of whether or not it's allowed.
• Shout-Out : The title is a play on the classic science fiction story I, Robot .
• Sure, Let's Go with That : A dark version when Hugh recognizes Picard as Locutus. After a moment of shock, Picard decides to roll with it.
• Teeth-Clenched Teamwork : Dr. Crusher ends up doing this when she's outvoted among the Enterprise officers and forced to help with their genocidal plan. She throws up protests the whole way, at one point outright saying "I'm here to help, but I don't have to like it."
• Two Roads Before You : Hugh has the choice of staying with the Enterprise crew or returning to the Borg Collective. He chooses the latter to protect our heroes .
• Vocal Evolution : When Hugh first awakens on the Enterprise as Third of Five, his voice is cold and robotic, barely rising above a monotone. Throughout the episode, as the crew members teach him about individuality, his tone changes in kind, gradually filling with inflections, emotions, and humanity.
• What Is This Thing You Call "Love"? : It's revealed that the Borg have no words for or even concept of emotion beyond the desire to assimilate. As such, Hugh has to learn all about the ideas of loneliness, friendship, kindness, and love; each member of the crew that teaches him about them comes to recognize his humanity.
• What the Hell, Hero? : Crusher calls out Picard for considering genocide.
• Wham Line : One of the most memorable of the series. Picard: You are Borg. You will assist us. Hugh: I will not. Picard: ...What did you say? Hugh: I will not assist you. Picard: "I...?" Hugh: Geordi must not be assimilated. Picard: But you are Borg. Hugh: No... I am Hugh.
• First, a subversion, when Picard and Guinan are fencing one another. The normally wise and introspective Guinan is surprisingly ruthless, combined with a Wounded Gazelle Gambit in their fencing match, to highlight the dangers of keeping a Borg drone, even one seemingly disconnected from the Collective, on board. Guinan: You felt sorry for me. Look what it got you.
• A series of inversions come in the middle of the episode. Guinan is actually on the receiving end of such a speech, from Geordi. Guinan: Let me tell you something, when this kid's big brothers come looking for him, they're not gonna stop until they find him. And they'll come looking for us, and they will destroy us. And they will not do any of the soul-searching that you're doing now. Geordi: So why don't you go and talk to him? It might not be so clear-cut then. Guinan: Because I wouldn't have anything to say. Geordi: Then why don't you just listen? That is what you do best, isn't it?
• Guinan does indeed talk to Hugh after this, leading to her own change of heart on this situation. Guinan: Thanks to you, there are very few of us left. We're scattered throughout the galaxy. We don't even have a home anymore. Hugh: What you are saying, is that you are lonely. Guinan: What? Hugh: You have no others, you have no home. We are also lonely.
• This leads to Guinan reversing her previous stance with Picard in a more Played Straight example of the trope: Guinan: If you're going to use this person- Picard: IT'S NOT A PERSON, DAMMIT, IT'S A BORG! Guinan: If you're going to use this person to destroy his entire species, you should at least look him in the eye. Otherwise, you might find that decision much harder to live with than you realize.
• Wounded Gazelle Gambit : Guinan pulls one while fencing with Picard to teach him a lesson about sympathy for the Borg.
• You Will Be Assimilated : Well, not if Hugh has anything to say about it...
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S5E22 "Imaginary Friend"
• Recap/Star Trek: The Next Generation
• Star Trek: The Next Generation S5E24 "The Next Phase"

Important Links

• Action Adventure
• Commercials
• Crime & Punishment
• Professional Wrestling
• Speculative Fiction
• Sports Story
• Animation (Western)
• Music And Sound Effects
• Print Media
• Sequential Art
• Tabletop Games
• Applied Phlebotinum
• Characterization
• Characters As Device
• Narrative Devices
• British Telly
• The Contributors
• Creator Speak
• Derivative Works
• Laws And Formulas
• Show Business
• Split Personality
• Truth And Lies
• Truth In Television
• Fate And Prophecy
• Edit Reasons
• Isolated Pages
• Images List
• Recent Videos
• Crowner Activity
• Un-typed Pages
• Recent Page Type Changes
• Trope Entry
• Character Sheet
• Playing With
• Creating New Redirects
• Cross Wicking
• Tips for Editing
• Text Formatting Rules
• Handling Spoilers
• Administrivia
• Trope Repair Shop
• Image Pickin'

Advertisement:

I, Borg Stardate: 45854.2 Original Airdate: 11 May, 1992

<Back to the episode listing

Star Trek ® and related marks are trademarks of CBS Studios Inc . Copyright © 1966, Present. The Star Trek web pages on this site are for educational and entertainment purposes only. All other copyrights property of their respective holders.

Screen Rant

Star trek origin movie officially announced by paramount for 2025 release.

Paramount Pictures officially announces the next Star Trek movie at CinemaCon, which will arrive in movie theaters in 2025.

• Paramount Pictures announces new Star Trek movie for 2025, directed by Toby Haynes and written by Seth Grahame-Smith.
• Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 remains in development, while the new film is an origin story set decades before Abrams' 2009 movie.
• Alongside the Star Trek origin movie, Paramount reveals a packed slate of exciting films for 2025-26 at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.

Paramount Pictures officially announces the next Star Trek movie, which is scheduled to arrive in theaters in 2025. As reported in January, the next Star Trek movie isn't the long-delayed, Chris Pine-led Star Trek 4 produced by J.J. Abrams, which remains in development at Paramount. Rather, the next Star Trek movie is an origin story directed by Toby Haynes ( Star Wars: Andor ) and written by Seth Grahame-Smith (A braham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter ).

Screen Rant' s Rob Keyes (@rob_keyes) is at CinemaCon in Las Vegas where Paramount Pictures confirmed the next Star Trek movie , currently called Untitled Star Trek Origin Story , to be released in 2025. J.J. Abrams is also producing Untitled Star Trek Origin Story, which takes place decades before Abrams' Star Trek 2009 movie. See Rob Keyes' Tweet below:

Paramount also confirmed Untitled Star Trek Origin Story will begin production later this year for theatrical release in 2025.

Every Upcoming Star Trek Movie & TV Show

Star trek's new movies in theaters and paramount plus explained, star trek is finally making movies again.

After nearly a decade, Star Trek i s back to making movies. Star Trek on Paramount+ has created a television renaissance for the franchise, but the theatrical side of Star Trek overseen by Paramount Pictures has languished in development hell since Star Trek Beyond bowed in the summer of 2016. Toby Haynes' Untitled Star Trek Origin Story is yet another prequel, but as it's said to be set decades before Star Trek 2009, it could very well be set after Star Trek: Enterprise 's mid-22nd century voyages but otherwise be an origin story for both Star Trek 's Prime and alternate Kelvin timelines .

Meanwhile, J.J. Abrams' Star Trek 4 , which is the "final chapter" of the USS Enterprise crew led by Chris Pine's Captain James T. Kirk and Zachary Quinto's Spock, has seen some movement with a new screenwriter, Steve Yockey ( The Flight Attendant ), tackling the long-delayed sequel. Pine and his fellow Star Trek actors, including Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, and Sofia Boutella, have all expressed their eagerness to return if Star Trek 4 can come together.

It's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Paramount+ is making their own Star Trek movies, with the recently-wrapped Star Trek: Section 31 awaiting a release date. Starring Academy Award-winner Michelle Yeoh, Section 31 i s the first made-for-streaming Star Trek movie, and it is reportedly set during Star Trek 's "lost era" with connections to Star Trek: The Next Generation. Section 31 could get a sequel if successful, and the Star Trek: Picard spinoff dubbed Star Trek: Legacy may also become a streaming movie instead of a series. However all this shakes out, it's a positive sign that Star Trek movies are finally coming back.

Source: Rob Keyes Twitter