Seven runs into some old Borg colleagues also trying to escape their old way of life.
There’s a little bit too much padding at the start, such as the comedy ‘big unwieldy gift’ and the Paris/Kim ‘dressing down after a bar fight’ scene. But the core of the episode, with Seven facing up to the consequences of her actions while still a Borg, is excellent. In particular, we land on a nice ethical dilemma for her to resolve that actually speaks to her character development – is it better to live for a short while as an individual, or live on but as a member of the Borg. And then, for once, we’re given enough time to resolve it, with us actually seeing the mental process Seven goes through in making her decision.
Delivery was also quite good. One of the key parts is that we have to feel that the three half-ex-Borg are actually linked, which requires a delicate and well timed performance from three actors who (presumably) have never worked together before. They pull it off comfortably.
But as an aside – can I say that I am totally on ‘Team Tuvok’ as regards security for the ship? It seems like a pretty bad idea for something like Voyager, without the crew to allow for proper guarding. And I’m pretty sure the bridge shouldn’t be a tourist attraction…
587 down, 150 to go.