Star Trek: Voyager — 3x17 — Unity

Aired 1997-02-12

SpaceOpera.com rating:8

Average reader rating:6.32

Synopsis

Chakotay becomes involved with Borg exiles.

Remarkable scenes

Voyager running into a Borg ship. Creepy.
Chakotay discovering his guests' little secret.
The doctor: "I must say, there's nothing like the vacuum of space to preserve a handsome corpse."
The Borg corpse waking up in sickbay.
Chakotay's neural link with the ex Borg.
The Borg ship reactivating.
The Borg ship self destructing.

Review

First, the bad. This episode suffers from redshirt syndrome. Ensign Kaplan is quickly disposed of to make this a Chakotay episode. That said, this is a great episode. It picks up on the cliffhanger in Voy: Blood Fever, the Borg Cube ghost ship is creepy and cool, and Torres' notion that the Borg may have been defeated by an enemy more powerful than they were is chilling, even if it turns out to be be incorrect. This episode creates good continuity also with TNG: The Best of Borth Worlds. Some of the people in this mini Collective were assimilated at Wolf 359. The moral dilemma of this episode is well presented. A group of ex Borg are killing each other so a faction pushes for the establishment of a new, independent Collective. In the end, Janeway refuses their request. I would too. But they impose their collective will on Chakotay and get their way. It is regrettable that Janeway squandered her opportunity to steal technology from the Borg ship, though she'll learn to stop playing it so safe later.

3 reader comments

This was a great little episode with a number of highlites and redeeming features.
It explores the nature of the Borg and raises some interesting propositions: is a benevolent Borg collective possible? And is imposing such a collective on others - in the name of planetary peace and/or one faction's survival - morally justified?
I liked also how Chakotay's skepticism and then surprisingly positive experience of being linked was portrayed.
Another small thing was the good use Chakotay and (forget her name) make of the "after-effect" - the linked love scene. One can only imagine what it would be like to touch someone and simultaneously feel both sides of the experience, literally. They probably had the best sex in the galaxy, perhaps the universe.
A small question mark I have about this episode is Janeway's readiness to "upgrade their security systems." Isn't that just a euphemism for arming one faction among many? Without even much deliberation or contact with the other groups in the conflict? Perhaps it doesn't fall within the prime directive because many of the "new collective" group were former Federation citizens. On the other hand… it still seems applicable. In either case, Janeway seems a little all too willing to share technology and weapons. I suppose it shows Chakotay's influence. Janeway's famous for her principles, but sleeping with her first officer can get you exclusive access, and do wonders for your cause, it would seem. (To be fair, perhaps the critical factor is linking with her first officer. Janeway explicitly asked if Chakotay detected any malice or ulterior motives, and he said he did not. Still iffy though.)
by formborg | 09/18/2011 at 10:06 pm

If some of the Borg were assimilated at Wolf 359, then how did they get back to the Delta quadrant? The Borg cube was destroyed! Maybe a sphere travelled back…
But other than that I like this episode. It doesn't make the Borg look less awesome than in TNG, which happens in later Voyager episodes. The idea of a disconnencted collective is cool!
by Lee | 04/08/2012 at 5:23 pm

The idea of the powerful Borg collective is the deepest fear of America: Communism. However, in this episode a different type of collective is presented. Indiviuals may join sometimes for the good of the community, e.g. when it is threatened, and it seems that the link is not permanent. Overall, this approach appears to be more acceptable than the true Borg collective. The exBorg unity looks a bit like the kibbutz communities. The episode itself is very well done with many important and serious issues. High above the Voyager average until now (I know that some very good episode will follow).
by peterwolf | 07/07/2015 at 10:25 pm