S5 E02: Drone

Due to a transporter accident, the Doctor's mobile emitter becomes infused with Seven's nanoprobes. The nanoprobes assimilate the emitter, sample the DNA of a redshirt, and co-opt a science lab console for the creation of a Borg maturation chamber. The result: a Borg drone that is infused with 29th-century technology. Seven is tasked with inducting the drone, who takes the name "One" into the collective crew. The process is relatively smooth, but when One interfaces with an alcove to regenerate, his transponder turns on, alerting the Borg to his existence and Voyager's location. A Borg sphere is dispatched to acquire him, but he beams aboard and takes control of the sphere, piloting it into a nearby nebula that destroys it. He is heavily damaged, and prevents the Doctor from saving his live in order to protect the crew from further Borg assaults.

Welcome to Tuvix, Part II. Once again, the transporter has malfunctioned in a ludicrous way to merge two members of the crew. However, this time many of the annoying parts of Tuvix are avoided by (A) keeping the original crew members around, (B) making the result of the merging a heroic, non-self-centered creature, (C) not hiring the most inept actor imaginable to play the abomination, and (D) not having scene after scene of angst over the existence of this new guy. That said, while the writers removed the annoying stuff, they also got rid of anything potentially compelling.

The problem with Tuvix was not with the moral dilemma, just with everything surrounding it. The dilemma there felt so completely contrived; if the writers had found a way to include the same conflict in a way where I was remotely invested in the outcome, that one out of five could have had a very different result. But this time there's no dilemma, there's just a new guy with some cool gizmos.

As a replacement, the time is filled with a condensed version of Seven's "indoctrination" into the crew, which feels rushed. Especially considering that the last time it came up, in Hope and Fear, Seven still wasn't completely sold on this whole humanity thing, a whole season after her arrival. But now she's preaching the gospel, and it doesn't quite ring true. And preaching it is: just saying "individuality is better" isn't a convincing argument. If you look at individuality vs. collective consciousness from an outcomes perspective, it would be hard to make a convincing individuality argument.

What Unity did so well was to make a case for the lack of consideration that the groupthink leads to, while also presenting the benefits of the hive right along side it. This One character is a pretty bright guy it seems; I'd have liked more intellectual debate between him and Seven on the merits of one school of thought versus the other. Instead, all she can do is parrot the things that Janeway has spouted at her, and miraculously convince him that the human way is the best way.

All of that said, One is pretty cool. He does have some neat gizmos, and he's handy to have around. His sacrifice is very moving for Seven - though slightly less moving for a jaded audience who knows that the status quo simply needed to be restored.

Watchability: 3/5

Bottom Line: While I'm glad that frustrating elements were avoided, this episode could have aspired to so much more.