Star Trek: Picard Casts the Borg in a New Light
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Star Trek: Picard Episode 6, "The Impossible Box," streaming now on CBS All Access.
The Borg have long been considered to be one of the greatest threats and most terrifying villains in all of Star Trek lore. Nobody knows this more, perhaps, than Jean-Luc Picard, who has an intimate and lingering enmity with the hive-minded cyborgs. But Jean-Luc’s experiences in “The Impossible Box” have radically changed the way both viewers and the character view the alien race.
Star Trek: Picard has long been building on the unresolved trauma Jean-Luc experienced being assimilated by the Borg and becoming Locutus. His prior attempts to confront his issues have had mixed results. Previously, he tried confronting it head-on during First Contact, by facing the Borg Queen. He then tried working through it by going back to his family’s château and visiting his brother.
Click the button below to start this article in quick view. Start nowNeither of those attempts helped him move on in the long run, at best they served as a temporary release. Arguably the greatest steps toward recovery Jean-Luc made was bonding with the Borg drone, Hugh. By allowing himself to see the humanity in his enemy instead of simply venting his fear and anger, Picard healed -- if only a little bit.
It’s fitting, then, that Picard’s reunion with Hugh in Picard's “The Impossible Box” served as a revelatory moment that brought him true peace after decades of torment. It also brought a massive shift in the way the Borg are depicted in Star Trek, one that makes them a much more complex enemy.
When Picard boards the Artifact, a reclaimed Borg Cube, he quickly has flashes to his time as Locutus. Overwhelmed, he begins to have a panic attack while wavering precariously over a ledge. Two of the recovered ex-Borg living on the Artifact move to grab Picard.
Too overwhelmed by his breakdown, he resists, believing they are trying to re-assimilate him. He nearly falls to his death until he hears Hugh calling out to him, explaining that they don’t want him to fall. Hugh’s voice was enough to cut through and calm Jean-Luc. To his disbelief, the ex-Borg let him go and went on their way.
After a warm reunion, Hugh was eager to show Picard the work he was doing. Along the way, it became apparent to Hugh how much pain Picard has been holding on to for decades. He brings Picard to a medical center where ex-Borg are being given reconstructive procedures to restore their biological components.
Picard watched in awe as one of the recovered victims shed tears of joy upon seeing his reflection and the scars which had been healed. This proved to be a watershed moment for the former captain. He thanked his friend for bringing him to this place and praised Hugh for his efforts mending his people.
Hugh humbly felt he hadn’t done enough, but Picard corrects him: Jean-Luc joyfully explains to Hugh that he’s allowed people to see the true Borg beneath the machine. He proclaims that the Borg were never monsters, they were victims, just like him.
With those words, Picard is finally unburdened from the pain he carried for so long. He also completely re-contextualizes the way the Borg are viewed in Star Trek lore as a whole. Instead of the hordes of menacing invaders, the Borg are slaves. They are victims in a cycle of abuse that they have no choice but to see it continue.
Hugh is working hard to restore his peoples’ individuality but is quick to point out that even the ex-Borg are still slaves. Hated by the galaxy for actions they had no control over, the ex-Borg are refugees in the remnants of the Romulan Empire.
While Hugh did hope that Picard could find a measure of closure by seeing his work, his intentions were also self-serving. Once Jean-Luc understood the plight of the Borg, Hugh made a plea that perhaps the venerated Starfleet officer could speak on their behalf and advocate for their freedom. It was a sincere request, but Picard’s word no longer carries the weight it once did, and he knows it.
They weren’t given an opportunity to discuss things further as the search for Soji took precedence. Yet, in this brief reunion, Jean-Luc was able to shed his burdens and finally let a little light back into his heart. This re-framing of the Borg narrative will surely have repercussions for the series and all of Star Trek going forward. The franchise has been working towards a more complex view of the Borg over the years, but “The Impossible Box” gave it a context that feels timely and fitting with the core values of Star Trek.
Source: www.cbr.com