voyager unity cast

Unity (episode)

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Chakotay is injured and trapped on a world where the inhabitants are embroiled in conflict, but the people who rescue and care for him harbor a disturbing secret.

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Log Entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.1 Story development
• 4.2 Cast and characters
• 4.3 Sets, makeup, and costumes
• 4.4 Production
• 4.5 Effects
• 4.7 Reception
• 4.8 Video and DVD releases
• 5.1 Starring
• 5.2 Also starring
• 5.3 Guest Stars
• 5.4 Co-Star
• 5.5 Uncredited Co-Stars
• 5.6 Stunt double
• 5.7.1 Starship references
• 5.8 External links

Summary [ ]

While attempting to find a faster way through the Nekrit Expanse, Commander Chakotay and Ensign Kaplan cannot get a fix on their Class 2 shuttle's current position and are therefore lost. When Chakotay points out an asteroid field , Kaplan notes that it is the same one they passed two hours before – they have been flying in circles. They cannot contact Voyager as they are out of com range. Soon after, they pick up a signal buoy with a Federation signature. As they get closer, they hear a distress call from the planet . Before they land their shuttlecraft on the planet, Chakotay has Kaplan launch a message buoy so Voyager will know they landed in response to a distress call. Upon landing, they find a desolate scene and are met by a large group of aliens .

Act One [ ]

The two almost immediately come under fire from their attackers. Kaplan is shot by the unknown foes while Chakotay is left injured. Soon, another group comes and scares the hostiles off, taking the unconscious commander with them.

Chakotay wakes up in the dark to find himself in a room where he sees a woman by the name of Riley Frazier who tells him that Kaplan is dead and his shuttle has been destroyed by scavengers. Chakotay soon learns about Frazier and the others: they were attacked by aliens in the Bolian sector in the Alpha Quadrant , some were killed and others put in stasis . They woke up on this planet, along with several Romulans , Klingons , and Cardassians . All were grabbed from where they were. One group of them attacked Chakotay and Kaplan, and Frazier's group saved him. She tells him that she is part of a Cooperative .

After an otherwise uneventful journey, Voyager flies through the Nekrit Expanse. Lieutenant Tom Paris remarks that this region of space should be instead called the "Negative Expanse", as the crew has not come across anything remotely interesting for days. Captain Kathryn Janeway suggests that if the helmsman is bored, the warp plasma filters are due for a thorough cleaning. Paris then tells her that he now finds the Expanse to be an interesting navigational challenge. Later, Voyager discovers an apparently derelict and abandoned Borg cube . Captain Janeway orders that Voyager be taken to red alert .

Act Two [ ]

Janeway orders all stop, shields to maximum, and to stand by all weapons. However, chief tactical officer Tuvok cannot detect any Borg systems operational on the cube. Janeway has Ensign Harry Kim run a multiphasic scan , but the operations officer cannot find any active power signatures nor any life signs aboard. " Well, that's a relief ", Paris notes. Tuvok advises caution but Janeway decides to board the cube: this represents a rare – and highly valuable – opportunity to understand their technology.

Back on the planet, Chakotay continues to learn about the cooperative and their efforts. Oddly, Frazier also tells him that she has put down roots here, and desires to stay instead of joining Voyager . When she goes to work on the communications array, Chakotay wants to help but she refuses abruptly, saying he is too weak to work and that he should rest.

Meanwhile, Captain Janeway's away team boards the Borg cube. Tuvok and chief engineer B'Elanna Torres determine that all activity on the vessel ceased five years ago but for reasons they cannot yet explain. They theorize that either an accident occurred or, however improbable it seems, an attack from a more powerful species disabled the cube – though did not completely destroy it, instead leaving it adrift. Torres finds an access node. If she can get it operational, she should be able to tap into the cube's data systems to find an answer. While Tuvok tries to find a compatible micro-power relay to connect to a generator , a dead Borg drone falls in front of him from behind a wall.

In Voyager 's briefing room , Torres tells the captain that their scans have determined there are 1,100 Borg corpses on the cube. Tuvok remarks that they located a breached section of the cube, where some of the bodies of Borg were preserved perfectly. Torres adds that one of the bodies of a drone was brought aboard for an autopsy to provide an answer as to what killed them all. Janeway wonders why the Collective has left one of their ships with all of its technology intact for anyone to find. Tuvok suggests that the deactivation of the cube severed its link to the Collective. Torres, however, speculates that the Borg were possibly defeated by an enemy even more powerful than the Collective. Janeway orders Torres to assist The Doctor with the autopsy of the drone and suggests contacting Commander Chakotay to return from his scouting message early and let him know they have run into " some old friends. "

At the same time, Chakotay wakes again and manages to break out of the room where he was being kept. A vast plant is revealed, and all the individuals have implants similar to Borg drones . Chakotay explores as discreetly as he can, but the others don't seem to mind. Eventually, he sees Frazier again, without hair and with Borg implants.

Act Three [ ]

Chakotay demands answers, and Frazier, along with a Romulan , Orum , quickly explain that they were once drones, many assimilated during the Battle of Wolf 359 , but an electro-kinetic storm caused by the expanse broke their link with the hive mind . Realizing how far they were from Federation space, they settled on a planet and learned how to survive and cooperate with one another.

In sickbay , The Doctor concludes from his autopsy of a Borg corpse taken from the cube that it had been electrocuted and suffocated in space. But when The Doctor tries activating an axonal amplifier with a cortical probe , the drone jerks upright, frightening everyone observing. The Doctor manages to deactivate the drone. He remarks that he must have activated a backup neuroelectric power cell . Lieutenant Torres concludes that The Doctor's actions caused the Borg to reset to its original programming, meaning that the other corpses could also be reactivated. " We'd have a major problem on our hands ", Torres fearfully notes.

Due to the blast Chakotay took early on, his health soon worsens. Orum tells him that if he does not let them help him he will die before Voyager arrives. They help by using a neural link to heal Chakotay's injuries. " I'm not letting anyone implant some neural processor in my brain! " Chakotay is more than reluctant but he finally agrees when he sees no other alternative. During this experience he sees many of their memories and thoughts. It is a powerful and enlightening experience for him, and it also helps heal his neural damage. Interestingly, there are lingering effects from the link, even though the transceiver is removed. Frazier says it is temporary, and they enjoy it while it lasts.

Act Four [ ]

Chakotay helps the others with the communications array. He now knows what the group wants to achieve through the link, believing it a radical concept. Soon, Voyager arrives in orbit of the planet and try to contact Chakotay, but interference makes it difficult. When the inhabitants detect it, Frazier tries to persuade Captain Janeway to assist in re-establishing the link for the entire population permanently. Specifically, they want the Voyager team to re-activate the neuro-electric field generator on the Borg ship because they have enough energy to do so. While Janeway is willing to provide supplies, upgrade their security and even take some of them on Voyager if they wish, she is extremely skeptical about re-activating the neuroelectric generator. After Frazier leaves, Janeway asks for Chakotay's opinion. Chakotay says that the former Borg drones are sincere and they have no evil intent, and while in his heart he would do anything to help them, he agrees that the captain has to take other considerations into account. Janeway sees it as imposing a choice onto thousands of people without consent, and too dangerous that it may help create a new malevolent collective. Janeway decides not to help them and Chakotay lets Frazier know. She understands and bids him farewell, but not before another unsuccessful attempt by Chakotay to take her with him.

After Voyager has delivered them much-needed supplies, Chakotay and Torres start returning to Voyager via shuttle . He's disappointed and Torres makes a mental note for a holodeck session later. Suddenly, he hears the Cooperative again, saying they need his help. His head falls and comes under control of the telepathic link. He stuns Torres and goes to work.

Act Five [ ]

Tuvok sees the shuttle changed course and Janeway orders pursuit. The Cooperative explain they're under attack and need him to reactivate the generator aboard the abandoned Borg ship, directly violating his orders. He complies and beams aboard the cube. Chakotay avoids the Voyager away team searching for him as he locates the generator. Lieutenant Tuvok finds him, and Chakotay fires with Kim retaliating. However, Chakotay manages to activate the generator as he falls.

As soon as the generator is activated, the people attacking the Cooperative's compound stop their attack as they begin to hear the Cooperative's thoughts and the Cooperative welcomes them. However, the generator also activates the Borg ship and its dormant drones. The rescue team sent to intercept Chakotay, along with Chakotay himself, are quickly beamed aboard Voyager . The planet's inhabitants manage to trigger the Borg ship's self-destruct sequence before it gains weapon capabilities. Within three seconds the ship explodes. The inhabitants hail Voyager in their collective state and offer Voyager their lasting gratitude.

In sickbay, The Doctor explains that Chakotay's exposure to the Borg collective "heightened his telepathic receptivity" allowing them to influence him. Then, as Voyager travels away from the planet, Chakotay discusses the situation privately with Janeway and questions how long the inhabitants can retain a sense of morality amidst the power of a collective; it didn't take them long to use Chakotay against his will for their motives.

Log Entries [ ]

• First officer's log , stardate 50614.2. Ensign Kaplan and I are returning to USS Voyager , after completing a scouting mission in the Nekrit Expanse .
• Captain's log , stardate 50622.4. While Commander Chakotay scouts for a faster route through the Nekrit Expanse, we are continuing our month-long journey through the sparsely populated region.
• Captain's log, supplemental. We've detected a message buoy , launched from Chakotay's shuttle, and are heading toward it. The autopsy of the Borg corpse is under way.

Memorable quotes [ ]

" The nebula's completely scrambling our navigational readings. I still can't get a fix on our position. " " Are you saying we're lost, ensign? " " That... depends what you mean by lost, sir. " " Lost... as in you still can't get a fix on our position. "

" Well at least someone knows where we are. "

" I'm here to help you. " " How did... " " How did I get here? I could ask you the same question. " " It's a long story, why don't you go first. "

" There are dozens of different races on this planet, all of whom were brought here against their will. Many of them are suspicious of other species. It's not exactly a united federation around here, if you know what I mean. "

" You know, they ought to rename this region the 'Negative Expanse'. We haven't run across anything interesting for days. " " If you're bored, Mister Paris, I'm sure I can find something else for you to do. The warp plasma filters are due for a thorough cleaning. " " Now that you mention it, Captain, I find this region of space a real navigational challenge. "

" I must say, there's nothing like the vacuum of space for preserving a handsome corpse. "

" I thought you said the link was severed. " "It was... " "But we can re-initiate it, among a small group, for a short time." "We could generate a neuro-electric field that could heal your injuries." "You want to hook up my mind to some kind of Borg collective! Thanks, but I don't think so." ".If we don't do something to slow the neural degradation immediately, you will die."

" I'm not letting anyone implant some neural processor in my brain! "

" Don't be afraid, Chakotay. We're here to help you. Open your mind to our thoughts, and concentrate on getting well. Hear our voices. Open your mind to our thoughts. Our collective strength can heal you. You're safe with us. Feel the connection. We're with you. See who we are. Know us. You're not alone. Our strength is your strength. We can overcome your pain. We welcome you into our thoughts. There'e nothing to fear. We won't let you die. We're all one circle: no beginning, no end. "

" When we were linked, we had no ethnic conflict. There was no crime, no hunger, no health problems. We lived as one harmonious family. " " With all due respect, Dr. Frazier, you were one harmonious family bent on the violent assimilation of innocent cultures. "

" Proceed to interlink console 3 Beta 6. Hear our thoughts. Our thoughts are one. "

" They saved us from that cube, and they let you go. " " But they didn't hesitate to impose their collective will on me when it served their interests, did they? " " No, they didn't. " " I wonder how long their ideals will last in the face of that kind of power. "

Background information [ ]

Story development [ ].

• The decision to create a Borg episode for Star Trek: Voyager , specifically one that would air in the all-important February sweeps period, was made in May 1996 or thereabouts. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 23 ) After this decision was made, the prospect of the Borg appearing on Voyager influenced many story ideas that were pitched to the series. Staff writer Kenneth Biller explained, " We wanted to bring them back, and we got loads of pitches. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 86)
• Although Ken Biller was ultimately selected to pen this episode, he found it ironic that, even though he was the least avid of the Star Trek fans on Voyager 's writing team, the episodes he was assigned to write – for the third season of the series – included both this installment and the Q episode " The Q and the Grey ". ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 84)
• In coming up with this episode, Ken Biller wanted to make the Borg more interesting than their essentially one-note nature of relentlessly pursuing and consuming their enemies. He commented, " When you think about the Borg, they're interesting and cool, but they're just relentless and keep coming at you. How do you get under their skin? That was the question I had to ask. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 18 ) The writer did some research by reading a script for Star Trek: First Contact , which was yet to be released at that point. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 102)
• Ken Biller then hit upon the concept that the Borg could, in some way, be collectively deBorgified. " I suddenly got this image of the Tower of Babel , " he explained. " This incredibly interwoven, complex community had been created, and once you knocked it all down you would have all these people who spoke different languages, and couldn't communicate with each other. It occurred to me that a group of ex-Borg would be a very interesting community to explore. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 102) It was when considering how the episode should depict the Borg that Biller struck upon this solution. " That's when I came up with the Tower of Babel idea of 'What would happen if the Borg were severed from the link?' " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 18 )
• Ken Biller recognized a parallel between his idea and the break-up of the Soviet bloc. He recalled, " It suddenly occurred to me that it was basically like the Soviet Union , not to get too lofty about it. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 18 ) As such, he personified – in the character of Riley Frazier – the renewed nostalgia for communism that had developed in the area following the Soviet Union's dissolution. Biller also considered representing the experience of being a Borg as a unifying, pleasant existence; this led him to not only conceive of the disputes between the former Borg, as they were no longer in such harmony, but also to ask the audience to consider this idea by having Frazier present Janeway with the moral ambiguity. Biller remarked, " I thought it would be an interesting question to pose to the audience, to make her appeal to Janeway using Janeway's own kind of ideals. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 102)
• The writers originally considered including a decimated wasteland of Borg ships in this episode, such as had appeared – as the aftermath of the Battle of Wolf 359 – in TNG : " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ". " To be honest with you, " Brannon Braga admitted, " we were going to do a Borg graveyard, and we didn't because we decided to just make it one cube. " Despite such an area ultimately not featuring here, the concept was brought to fruition for the third season finale " Scorpion ". Braga noted, " It's kind of an image that we had held over. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 17)
• This episode's first-draft script was submitted on 29 October 1996 . The script's final draft was submitted on 7 November 1996 . [1] Shortly after the final draft was approved, co-executive producer Jeri Taylor said that the installment "has been written and starts shooting soon." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 23 )

Cast and characters [ ]

Robert Duncan McNeill with Robert Beltran

• Ken Biller considered Riley Frazier to have worthy motives, noting, " [Riley's] motives were really noble. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 102) This was not, however, how the character was viewed during production. In fact, Chakotay actor Robert Beltran was advised to think of her as a truly evil character. Director Robert Duncan McNeill recalled, " I told Robert [Beltran] that a real powerful image for me was that he was being seduced by the devil . The Borg woman is beautiful and sweet and sincere, but deep down, she is the devil. It was great when he got that. " ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 112 , p. 56) McNeill also commented, " For me, 'Unity' was about Chakotay being seduced by the Devil, and that's what I told Robert Beltran. I said, 'let's make this kind of a film noire . Here's this dangerous woman, but she doesn't appear very dangerous in the beginning. She's very seductive. She's very sweet. And ultimately she turns out to be the Devil. She's still one of the Borg and part of that dangerous collective, and he's seduced by her. That was the story that I wanted to tell. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 13)
• Robert Beltran liked this episode. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, pp. 93-94; Star Trek Monthly  issue 38 , p. 18)
• Years after portraying Orum herein, Ivar Brogger went on to appear as Barus in the seventh season episode " Natural Law ".

Sets, makeup, and costumes [ ]

• The Borg set that was used for this episode was not from Star Trek: First Contact , although the physical designs of the Borg drones were, providing a revitalized look to the Borg of this installment. Robert Duncan McNeill explained, " The Borg costumes and makeup were from the movie. It was the new Borg, the scarier Borg. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 102)
• The Borg appliances were typically time-consuming to apply. Citing one particular example of this, Robert Duncan McNeill said, " We had a Borg with a working arm. He had an arm that was supposed to look like scissors, and the cables weren't working. All of a sudden you look at your watch and an hour or two has gone by and you haven't done anything because you're playing with cables. " This mechanical arm was one of the costume pieces that had previously been used in Star Trek: First Contact . ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 102)
• Robert Duncan McNeill found the episode's Borg set to be basically too small. He explained, " The Borg set, believe it or not, was one hallway that was about 40 feet long that curved around. It was the smallest set that I've ever seen in my life. We had no room on the stage to build a big Borg ship, because the other sets took up so much room. All the room they had was basically 40 feet in a semicircle. I said, 'You can't do this. The Borg are supposed to have these huge cubes.' " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 102)
• According to the unauthorized reference book Delta Quadrant (pp. 169 & 160), this episode's colony was mostly a redressed set that had previously been used for the Akritirian maximum security detention facility in " The Chute " and Bahrat's space station in " Fair Trade ".
• The planet set of this episode was artificially extended via the use of a computer-generated matte painting created by Eric Chauvin (who had freelanced for Voyager ever since its pilot, " Caretaker ", and was a friend of visual effects supervisor Mitch Suskin ). " There's a wide establishing shot of the encampment, in a desert. It was all shot on the soundstage, and there's a construction crane that was moving around, " Mitch Suskin explained, adding, " The building was extended. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 105)

Production [ ]

Director Robert Duncan McNeill with actors Robert Picardo and Roxann Dawson while filming this episode

• This episode was the second of four Voyager installments to be directed by Robert Duncan McNeill (who usually only played Tom Paris on the series); his directing debut had been the earlier third season episode " Sacred Ground " and he later directed the fifth season installment " Someone to Watch Over Me " as well as the Season 7 episode " Body and Soul ". Shortly after finishing work on "Sacred Ground," he commented, " My next show is the one that introduces the Borg, the ones you saw in Star Trek: First Contact , to our show. It's a different challenge to direct an action piece [than to direct a more character-oriented episode, such as 'Sacred Ground.'] " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 11 )
• Due to the fact that this episode's depiction of the Borg is a metaphor for the disintegrating Soviet bloc, Robert Duncan McNeill researched the history of that subject shortly before directing the installment. " I actually did some reading about that, about Russia and all the politics that went on, " he revealed. " I think some of those ideas did come out in the story, even though it wasn't a really heavy, political episode. Yet there were some references and you could connect that to contemporary issues, individuality as opposed to group needs or desires. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 108)
• This episode's filming took place between 11 November 1996 and the 20th of that month .
• The fact that the Borg were only to be shown minimally in this episode, despite the installment having been eagerly anticipated over a long stretch of time, put extra pressure on Robert Duncan McNeill. Shortly after working on the episode but before the installment was aired, McNeill recalled, " What was most frightening for me was knowing that it was a Borg episode, but the Borg were only on two and a half pages of the whole script. The rest was all the mysterious ex-Borg. I said to the producers, 'You know, you're giving me a Borg episode, but we never get to see the Borg. I need more Borg or the fans are going to go crazy.' So I tried to give the same sort of suspense and mysterious quality that you get from the Borg. I tried to give that through the whole piece, so hopefully the fans will still feel that same tension without actually seeing the Borg for the whole piece. They really don't appear except on two or three pages of the script but there was a lot of pressure with this being the Borg introduction [to Star Trek: Voyager ]. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 14)
• Another factor that created pressure on the episode's production was the challenge of measuring up to the promise of Star Trek: First Contact , that Star Trek film having been released three months before this episode was first aired. Robert Duncan McNeill explained, " With the film coming out, there were a lot of comparisons to that. How can we achieve something that doesn't drop the ball with what the movie did? [....] There was a lot of pressure not to repeat what they did, yet do something with [the Borg] that was just exciting. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 14)
• During production of this episode, Robert Duncan McNeill and the crew tried to hide the smallness of the Borg set. " I think we disguised that fact, and made it seem like it was really this labyrinth of tunnels, " he said. " They'd walk down the tunnel once, and right by the camera, and then we'd cut, and they'd go back to the other end, and walk it again. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 102)
• In the moment between Janeway and Chakotay in the briefing room, Janeway paces the room as if she is Chakotay's conscience or guardian angel, while he ponders his situation. Explaining how this unscripted action came about, Robert Duncan McNeill recalled, " Kate Mulgrew came into the scene and said, 'I think this is a very delicate fishing expedition for Janeway with Chakotay. It's a very intimate moment.' She wanted to sort of move around and keep moving. That was not at all what I had planned. I had a completely different plan, and she did this movement and tried a feeling that I hadn't expected at all for that moment. " The action influenced the filming of the scene. " Because of what she did, " McNeill continued, " that shot came to me. I said, 'If that's what you want to do there, and I think it's working, let's do something different with the camera. Let's stay in real tight and have it just pass back and forth.' " McNeill concluded, " It's a much more intimate, mysterious shot than what I had planned, and it was really exciting to me when that happened. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 14)
• The montage that this episode uses to represent Chakotay's experience of linking with the Cooperative features both newly shot footage (such as shots of the young Riley Frazier with her grandfather) and archive footage from such episodes as TNG : " Q Who ", DS9 : " Emissary ", and " The Way of the Warrior ", as well as VOY : " Caretaker ". " Some of that was scripted, " Robert Duncan McNeill said of the sequence. " Some of the things that were scripted we couldn't find, so that was a real collaboration, [between] Jeri Taylor and myself, Ken Biller, the writer, Bob Lederman , the editor and [producer] Wendy Neuss as well. We tried to go from the dialogue of what they actually said and then reinforce that with the images in the montage. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 102)

Effects [ ]

• Voyager 's visual effects artists were eager to work on a Borg episode but felt somewhat let down by the scale of this installment. " We knew a Borg script was coming down the pipe, and we were excited, " Mitch Suskin recalled. " When we first read the script we were disappointed that it wasn't a big battle, but as the show developed I started to like it a lot more. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 104)
• This episode debuted a newly designed version of the Borg cube. This was the third rendition of that particular ship design: the previous two versions had both been studio models , with the first having been featured in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the second having been built by Industrial Light & Magic for Star Trek: First Contact . Mitch Suskin commented, " The challenge of building another Borg cube and doing it CG was something we were curious to see if everybody would accept. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 104) The CGI model of the cube was built at Foundation Imaging by Emile Edwin Smith , who based it on the Next Generation and First Contact physical models. " Well, when I built the new cube for Voyager , " Smith recalled, " I based everything off image maps and then modeled around them. To make it real simple I had an underlying cube that was mapped with an image. I then took the main image that I had created into modeler and started building on it. Basically it was large areas of chunkiness raised above the inner cube with many of the detailed areas of the map modeled on these areas. I also interconnected the pieces with tubes and added edge pieces to make it look more dimensional and 3d on the edges. " [2]
• Some footage of the previous physical type of Borg cube was also used here. Emile Edwin Smith noted of this installment, " We animated 90% of all the visual effects, the other 10% were stock model shots. " [3] Some obvious examples where footage of the Borg cube was reused is in the montage sequence when Chakotay links with the former Borg.
• The visual effects artists were also tasked with designing the effect of the weapon blast that injures Chakotay at the start of the episode's first act. Recalling the creation of this effect, Mitch Suskin stated, " We had the big gun that Chakotay gets hit with, and the only thing we really knew was that it had to be some sort of energy wrapped around his body or head and gave him neurological damage. We sat down with Greg Rainoff , who's our animation effects artist, and played around with a few things. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, pp. 104-105)
• As Kim fires a phaser at two different Borg drones in the episode's climax, the visual effects artists were challenged with matching the look of the Borg being shot to the effects in Star Trek: First Contact . Mitch Suskin explained, " When the Borg get shot at, they have this shield that lights up. It's a 3-D effect with a couple of different elements, and because the movie had just come out, Mr. Berman wanted us to duplicate what was done on the feature. We were afraid that we wouldn't have the time or the money to do it. We wound up getting the elements that they used in the feature and tracking it in, much the way they did. It's usually the easiest things that give us the most trouble, and that was the case. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 105)
• Ultimately, Mitch Suskin was highly pleased with the ways CGI was incorporated into this episode. He commented, " When that Borg cube exploded, the only element was the explosion, the rest was accomplished in the CG domain. It was a real breakthrough. That was the first show that I really had no reservations about. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 104) Regarding the ultimately used effect of the blast that hits Chakotay, Suskin also enthused, " I think it really fell together, I was very pleased. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 105)

Continuity [ ]

• Voyager loses at least its third shuttlecraft in this episode, and the first of its type ( Class 2 ), having previously lost three shuttles in " Initiations ", " Non Sequitur " and " Parturition ".
• This is the last episode to be set inside the Nekrit Expanse , through which the crew has been traveling since the events of " Fair Trade ". The Expanse would be seen again, however, in " Distant Origin ", from the point of view of Gegen during his search for Voyager .
• The death of Ensign Kaplin in this episode brings the total number of confirmed crew deaths since the series premiere " Caretaker " to 13, the previous death having occurred in " Warlord ". This leaves Voyager with a crew of 140, given Voyager 's crew compliment of 152 established in " The 37's " (after the first of these deaths).
• This is the sixth time the crew of Voyager discover a direct connection between the Alpha Quadrant and Delta Quadrant, having previously discovered a wormhole connecting the two quadrants (" Eye of the Needle "), descendants of human abductees (" The 37's "), descendants of aliens who have visited Earth (" Tattoo "), a Cardassian weapon (" Dreadnought "), and Ferengi (" False Profits ").
• This encounter with the Borg is foreshadowed slightly earlier in the series, by the discovery of a Borg corpse in the previous episode, " Blood Fever ". The only other previous presence of the Borg in Star Trek: Voyager is two references to them in the second season installment " Death Wish ", wherein both of the references are to the Q Continuum 's dealings with the Borg before that episode. Continuing this storyline, the events of this episode are later referenced in the fourth season episode " Scorpion, Part II ".
• Torres' suggestion that the Borg may have been defeated "by an enemy even more powerful than they were" seems to foreshadow the introduction of Species 8472 , who went on to make their first appearance in VOY : " Scorpion " at the end of the third season . This was, indeed, the intention of "Scorpion" co-writer Brannon Braga: to tie the two episodes together, while leaving the events of each episode independently understandable. Braga said, " 'Scorpion' definitely ties in with an event in 'Unity' but not such that you would have to have seen that episode to understand it. In 'Unity', we find a disabled cube. It was really never made clear how the cube was destroyed, and now [meaning in 'Scorpion'] you'll find out [...] So 'Unity' is only a hint of things to come. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 28 , p. 17)
• When the Borg cube first appears on-screen, an unusual tone – reminiscent of the Borg theme in Star Trek: First Contact – can be heard.
• This is the first episode to establish that at least some of the Borg could continue to function following the defeat of their queen and some drones in Star Trek: First Contact . In fact, prior to the writing of this episode, there was considerable debate as to whether the Borg should make an appearance in Star Trek: Voyager , after the events of that movie. While the series' team of writer-producers were considering this possibility, First Contact co-writer Ronald D. Moore expressed a belief that the film should be the last appearance of the Borg, whereas Brannon Braga, the film's other co-writer, divulged his support for what happens here – apparently "dead" Borg being revived. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 24 , pp. 36-37) With regard to this issue, Ken Biller said, " I think Rick [Berman] is very clear that just because we saw Borg destroyed in the movie doesn't mean that the entire collective was destroyed. We leave that an open question. There are other Borg in the Delta Quadrant. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 86)
• It is not explained how the former drones could be alive when the cube that assimilated them at Wolf 359 was destroyed in the Sol system during "Best of Both Worlds". One possible explanation is that before the cube's destruction, they left the battle in a sphere similar to the one seen in Star Trek: First Contact .

Reception [ ]

• Ken Biller was ultimately "really proud" of this installment. He noted, " I loved that episode. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 18 )
• Both Jeri Taylor and Brannon Braga also thought highly of this episode. Citing the installment as one of the highlights of Voyager 's third season, Taylor noted, " I thought that our Borg episode in February, 'Unity', took an interesting look at that race. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 31 , p. 11) Braga similarly included this episode among a few examples of third season Voyager installments that he thought were good (the other episodes being " Scorpion " and " Distant Origin "). Of this particular installment, he said, " I think 'Unity' was a very good example [of a good Star Trek: Voyager episode]. It was unexpected. It had a fascinating premise about the Borg, kind of a metaphor for the Soviet Union. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 29 , p. 13)
• Yet another production staffer who was satisfied with this episode was Robert Duncan McNeill. He enthused, " I was really happy with it. I was very pleased. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 14) Regarding the success of having advised Robert Beltran to think of Riley Frazier as the Devil, McNeill commented, " I think that we got a lot of that seduction, a lot of the character stuff in there, and ultimately a lot of action as well. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 27 , p. 13) McNeill was also personally pleased with the way this episode portrays the Borg; he told an audience at the bi-annual Novacon convention in April 1997 that he was proud of the episode "because the Borg were not [as] one-dimensional as previously depicted, but still as evil as ever." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 29 , p. 5) McNeill was initially concerned, though, about whether the episode's depiction of the Borg would be received well by Star Trek 's fans . " The Borg are the essence of evil in a way, and this was kind of showing the cracks in that evil, " he observed. " If we deactivate these bad guys, then they're really not so bad after all. I was nervous that the fans were going to reject that. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 108)
• This episode achieved a Nielsen rating of 5.4 million homes, and an 8% share. [4] (X)
• Much to the relief of Robert Duncan McNeill, the idea of the defanged Borg apparently piqued the fans' interest. " I think that they were really interested in the idea [....] When Star Trek has got good ideas and strong writing, " McNeill stated, " that's what it's good at–making people think. I think this episode definitely did that on a lot of levels, and it entertained them at the same time. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 108)
• The temporary relationship between Chakotay and Riley Frazier upset some fans; specifically, the "J and C" group – the fans who were eager for the relationship between Janeway and Chakotay to become more explicit. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 94)
• Cinefantastique rated this episode 3 and a half out of 4 stars. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 29, No. 6/7, p. 105)
• Star Trek Magazine scored this episode 3 out of 5 stars, defined as "Warp Speed". ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 29 , p. 58)
• The unauthorized reference book Delta Quadrant (p. 171) gives this installment a rating of 7 out of 10.
• Brannon Braga was not eager for the Cooperative to reappear after this installment, although he was open to the question of their fate being answered in the future. When quizzed about the possibility (prior to the airing of the third season finale "Scorpion") of fans seeing the Cooperative again, he rhetorically asked, " Do you want to? " Pounding one of his fists in the air as if he was hammering nails into a coffin, he added, " Nailing in nails. " Moments later, he continued, " The Cooperative is long gone, man. It's been months since we've seen the Cooperative. That's not to say we won't learn someday what happened to them. That's kind of an interesting question. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 29 , pp. 17-18)
• Several costumes and props from this episode were sold off on the It's A Wrap! sale and auction on eBay, including the costume of Ivar Brogger ( Orum ). [5]

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 3.9, 21 July 1997
• As part of the VOY Season 3 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

Also starring [ ]

• Robert Beltran as Commander Chakotay
• Roxann Dawson as Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres
• Jennifer Lien as Kes
• Robert Duncan McNeill as Lieutenant Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips as Neelix
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor
• Tim Russ as Lieutenant Tuvok
• Garrett Wang as Ensign Harry Kim

Guest Stars [ ]

• Lori Hallier as Riley Frazier
• Ivar Brogger as Orum

Co-Star [ ]

• Susan Patterson as Marie Kaplan

Uncredited Co-Stars [ ]

• Alien Cooperative member
• Steve Carnahan as operations officer
• Damaris Cordelia as alien Cooperative member
• Regan DuCasse as alien Cooperative member
• Tarik Ergin as Ayala
• Mark Major as Borg drone
• Borg corpse
• Craig Reed as alien Cooperative member
• Irving Ross as alien Cooperative member
• Richard Sarstedt as William McKenzie
• Lou Slaughter as Borg drone
• Jennifer Somers as sciences officer
• Pablo Soriano as alien Cooperative member
• John Tampoya as Borg drone
• Michael Todd as alien Cooperative member
• Alien raider
• Riley Frazier (child)
• Riley Frazier's grandfather
• Cooperative members

Stunt double [ ]

• LaFaye Baker as stunt double for Susan Patterson

References [ ]

2368 ; 2440 ; ability ; access node ; alveoli ; anarchy ; appendage ; asteroid field ; Alpha Quadrant ; automaton ; autopsy ; axonal amplifier ; barbecue ; bearing ; bluebonnet ; body part ; Bolian sector ; Borg ; bunker ; Cardassians ; cardiac depolarization ; chair ; class M ; collective consciousness ; combadge ; Cooperative ; cooperative garden ; communications array ; community ; cortical probe ; data node ; distress call ; donor ; dozen ; electrocution ; electrodynamic turbulence ; electromechanical discharge ; electrokinetic storm ; ethnic conflict ; euphoria ; Farn ; Federation ; Federation hailing beacon ; Frazier's mother ; ghost ship ; Happy Hunting Grounds ; heart ; hive mind ; holodeck ; homesteader ; horse ; hour ; hoverball ; hull damage ; Human ; hyper spanner ; inorganic ; Klingon ; message buoy ; micro-power conduit ; minute ; multiphasic scan ; natural disaster ; Nekrit Expanse ; neural link ; neural processor ; neural tissue ; neural transceiver ; neural transponder ; neural trauma ; neuro-electric energy ; neuro-electric field ; neuro-electric field generator ; neuroelectric power cell ; neuropeptide ; neuro-transceiver ; neuro-transponder ; New Cooperative ; New Cooperative planet ; optical scanner ; organic ; Parein ; power ; prosthetic arm ; red alert ; Romulans ; science officer ; scouting mission ; self-destruct sequence ; skin pigmentation ; stargazing ; stasis ; telepathic receptivity ; Texas ; vacuum ; vegetarian ; warp plasma filter ; Wolf 359 ; Wolf 359, Battle of ; year

Starship references [ ]

Borg cube ( unnamed 1 , 2 , 3 and Locutus' cube ); Class 2 shuttle ( unnamed 1 , and 2 ); Klingon Bird-of-Prey ( unnamed ); K't'inga -class ( unnamed ); Melbourne , USS ; Neelix' shuttle ; Predator -class ( unnamed ); Roosevelt , USS ; Saratoga , USS ; Vor'cha -class ( unnamed )

External links [ ]

• "Unity" at StarTrek.com
• " Unity " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " Unity " at Wikipedia
• " "Unity" " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• 3 Star Trek: Discovery

• The Original Series
• The Next Generation
• Deep Space Nine
• Strange New Worlds

Far From Home

The crew of the Starfleet starship Voyager searches for a way to return to the Alpha Quadrant after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. In an effort to find the help they need, they come across an unusual species called the Borg. The Borg have been driven mad by a collective consciousness, and the crew must find a way to help them.

When Voyager reaches a planet called Unity, they discover a group of Borg who have been driven to psychosis by a virus. They have split into independent factions, each of which is trying to survive. One faction, led by a former Borg drone named Chakotay, is attempting to build a communication array to contact the Alpha Quadrant, while the other faction is intent on remaining isolated and cut off from the rest of the universe.

The crew of Voyager soon discovers that Chakotay’s faction is actually an ancient species called the Nacene, and that the other faction is comprised of the original Borg. The Nacene are trying to use the communication array to contact their lost homeworld, while the original Borg are determined to prevent them from doing so.

In the midst of all of this, Voyager’s crew must find a way to help both factions. They must find a way to reconcile their differences and heal the rift between them. With the help of Nacene technology and the assistance of the Doctor, the crew finds a way to build a bridge between the two factions. This bridge is constructed of technology and understanding, allowing the factions to finally communicate and understand one another’s perspectives.

With the factions successfully bridged, the crew of Voyager is able to help the Nacene build the communication array and contact the Alpha Quadrant. This opens the door for Voyager to finally return home and for the Nacene to find their lost home, restoring balance to the Collective. In the end, the crew of Voyager learns that, when faced with a difficult situation, they can find a way to bring unity out of chaos.

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Commander Chakotay is attacked after answering a distress signal then is surprised by the people who sent the signal. Captain Janeway makes a scary discovery in nearby space, a derelict Borg Cube.

Lori Hallier

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Star trek: voyager : unity (1997), directed by robert duncan mcneill.

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Star Trek: Voyager – Season 3, Episode 17

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Star Trek: Voyager

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Lori Hallier

Dr. Riley Frazier

Ivar Brogger

Susan Dalian

Ensign Kaplan

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Recap / Star Trek Voyager S 3 E 16 "Unity"

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Ensign Kaplan and Chakotay are returning in a shuttle from a mission to scout an area of space known as the Nekrit Expanse. The local conditions are presenting some navigational challenges for them. When they eventually pick up a Federation signal, they are surprised to discover that it is not coming from Voyager , but from a nearby planet with a settlement of over 80,000 humanoids. Whoever is calling them knows they're from the Federation, and they're requesting their help.

They leave a message buoy behind for Voyager and follow the signal, but their first impression of the planet's inhabitants isn't encouraging. Several robed aliens open fire on them soon after they land. A second group arrives to drive them off, but not soon enough to stop Chakotay from being knocked out by an energy weapon.

When he comes to, he finds a human woman watching over him. She introduces herself as Riley Frazier, the one who sent the distress signal. She also tells Chakotay that Ensign Kaplan didn't make it , and that his shuttle has been stripped down to the bulkheads by the scavengers who attacked him.

Chakotay is obviously curious how Riley found herself on this distant planet, which is populated by a wide variety of aliens, some familiar and some not. She says they all have the same story: they were attacked in space and abducted by an unknown species who put them into stasis and dropped them here, alone, for no apparent reason. Some of these unwilling transplants live peacefully together, while others, as Kaplan found out the hard way, do not. Chakotay is eager to help them repair their damaged communications array so he can contact Voyager , but Riley insists that he rest out of concern for the neural damage he suffered during the firefight.

Meanwhile, Voyager has encountered a derelict Borg cube. It's not clear what misadventure deactivated the drones aboard, but Janeway sees it as an opportunity to learn more about their technology.

Despite his host's seemingly pure intentions, Chakotay's locked room makes him feel more like a prisoner than a guest. He manages to hack the door open and into a courtyard filled with makeshift structures. Nothing seems particularly suspicious, until he comes across a group of locals, including Riley, and sees that they wear a number of Borg implants.

Riley is quick to admit that her original story wasn't entirely true. It was the Borg who abducted and assimilated the planet's populace, and it was only after their cube was hit by an electrokinetic storm five years past that they were severed from the collective and regained their individuality. They settled on this planet, but before long the cultural differences between the widely disparate species created hostilities that persist to this day.

But Riley insists that she was honest about the Cooperative's desire to create a peaceful, lasting community. As an example, she introduces her friend Orum, a Romulan who has long since abandoned his mistrust of humans. They didn't send the distress signal to be rescued, but to enlist Voyager 's help in protecting themselves from their attackers.

Unfortunately, Chakotay is still struggling from his earlier injury, which Orum believes will ultimately be fatal if left untreated. With their limited resources, there is only one treatment they can offer. The Borg collective, Orum explains, can transfer neural energy between drones as a means of repairing injury. As they all still have their neural processors from when they were assimilated, they could temporarily join themselves with Chakotay to heal him. Chakotay is understandably resistant to this idea, despite their assurances that it would be completely non-invasive, but his deteriorating condition eventually compels him to reconsider.

They begin the procedure. The eerie voice of the collective that we all know so well fills Chakotay's thoughts, but their comforting words are a stark contrast to the Borg's usual rote imperatives.

Cooperative: Open your mind to our thoughts and concentrate on getting well. Hear our voices. Open your mind to our thoughts. Our collective strength can heal you. You're safe with us. Feel the connection. We're with you. See who we are. Know us. You're not alone. Our strength is your strength. We can overcome your pain. We welcome you into our thoughts. There's nothing to fear. We won't let you die. We're all one circle—no beginning, no end...

Chakotay once again wakes up with Riley watching over him, this time feeling much better, and not just physically. The thoughts and memories he shared with them, combined with the residual link, has radically changed his perspective of the Cooperative. Through the link, he also learned their real plan for solving their little civil war.

Voyager has arrived at the planet by now, having found the message buoy left behind by Kaplan. Janeway listens to Riley's request, which is for them to temporarily reactivate the derelict Borg cube's neuroelectric field generator long enough to establish a collective link, similar to the one Chakotay joined, but permanently and for the entire population. For all the trauma they caused, the Borg's hive mind at least precluded the sort of conflict they now suffer.

Janeway doesn't doubt their motives, particularly with Chakotay advocating for them, but there are a lot of consequences to consider. Well-intentioned or not, there's no way to know what might become of this new collective, not to mention the ethics of imposing such a decision on thousands of individuals. And more pragmatically, fiddling with Borg technology is always a gamble. A drone they attempted to autopsy en route to the planet spontaneously reactivated, and if one of them can do that, so could the 1,100 others still on the cube. In the end, Janeway is forced to refuse, offering only supplies as consolation. Disappointed, the Cooperative nevertheless accepts her decision gracefully.

Chakotay's shuttle ride back to Voyager is bittersweet. B'Elanna offers to take his mind off things with some exercise back on the ship, but Chakotay's attention wavers as he starts to hear the Cooperative in his mind. After a moment of confusion, he takes out his phaser, stuns B'Elanna, and commandeers the shuttle.

The Cooperative is using their link with Chakotay to call for help from the planet, where they are besieged by the raiders. They give him directions to reactivate the field generator on the Borg cube. Tuvok leads a security team to stop him. After a brief exchange of phasers, they stun Chatokay, but he manages to activate the generator with his last moment of strength.

Reactivated drones flood the halls as the cube comes to life. The security team evacuates everyone back to the ship, where the crew is preparing for the impending battle, but only moments later, the cube self-destructs. Voyager , mercifully undamaged, receives a transmission from the planet.

Cooperative: We are the new Cooperative. We have destroyed the Borg cube. We regret that we forced Commander Chakotay to assist us, but it was necessary for our survival. His link with the Cooperative has now been severed. Our lasting gratitude.

The Doctor confirms that they were speaking the truth about freeing Chakotay from their link. He feels betrayed by the Cooperative, no longer convinced of their sincerity as he was before. Janeway is somewhat more understanding, given their situation, though both agree that there is much room for uncertainty over how this new society will turn out .

This episode has the following tropes:

• Almost Lethal Weapons : A Gold-shirt was hit in the shoulder by a small pistol and instantly died, proving the weapons weren't on stun. Chakotay took a blast from a large rifle directly to his center mass... and woke up with a headache. It did do some nerve damage however that unless treated could eventually kill him, but the fact it didn't kill him outright is rather ridiculous.
• Brainwash Residue : Turns out even after the physical implants have been removed, Chakotay is still vulnerable.
• Call-Back : Riley was a science officer on the USS Roosevelt , assimilated at the Battle of Wolf 359.
• Captain Crash : Chakotay loses another shuttle. In fairness, he didn't crash it this time; it just got scavenged for parts after it was on the ground.
• The Chains of Commanding : Chakotay says that if it were up to him, he'd help Riley. But if he were The Captain , he'd have to consider other issues.
• Chekhov's Gun : The events of this episode affect Chakotay's attitude toward the Borg in "Scorpion", leading to conflict with Captain Janeway.
• Continuity Snarl : One of the most notable in the franchise to this point. Riley and the other former drones are mostly Alpha-quadrant species, and she specifically says she was on one of the ships involved in the battle at Wolf 359, meaning the Borg assimilated some of the crews. But that cube was destroyed before it ever had a chance to get back to the Delta quadrant. The writers try to handwave that here by implying the Borg sent their 'spoils' back on a seperate vessel, though this would seem to fly in the face of the Collective's (at that time) certain belief there was nothing the Federation could do to stop them; ergo, they would have had no reason to do so.
• Deus Sex Machina : Riley and the other former drones link with Chakotay in a small Hive Mind to help cure him. Afterwards while still feeling its effects, he has sex with Riley.
• Distinction Without a Difference : Torres: I'm not being apprehensive, Tuvok, I'm just nervous as hell.
• Distress Call : The Away Team picks up a Federation homing beacon which they at first think is Voyager giving them a return signal. When they land to investigate, they're attacked.
• Fascinating Eyebrow : The Doctor while he examines the Borg corpse .
• Face-Revealing Turn : A different take in that we see the back of Riley's head with its cyborg implants, then she turns to reveal her face.
• Fatal Attractor : And he'd finally gotten over that whole Seska business too.
• Fire-Breathing Weapon : The aliens attacking Chakotay are driven off by some sort of backpack plasma-flamethrower.
• Foreshadowing : Before discovering the Borg cube was immobilized by an electrokinetic storm ( whatever that is ) B'Elanna speculates that the Borg might have come across a more powerful enemy . She also warns about what might happen if all the Borg corpses get reactivated, which ends up happening.
• Ghost Ship : The derelict Borg cube, lampshaded by B'Elanna.
• For Chakotay, going through with the neural link is this, in that it's the only way to save his life.
• Morally dubious though it was for the Cooperative to coerce Chakotay into activating the neuroelectric generator, their only alternative was to take their chances with the mob of murderous marauders beating down their door.
• Going in Circles : Chakotay and Kaplan realise they've been flying in circles in the Space Clouds .
• Half-Truth : Loads of this from Riley. Riley: We have a deep connection to one another that I've never felt before . Not even with members of my own family.
• Hearing Voices : And it's not a good sign here either.
• Horrible Judge of Character : Lampshaded by Chakotay at the end. Because he shared his mind with Riley and the others, he assumed they didn't have any hidden agendas. And they didn't...at the time. Janeway: You know, Chakotay, that's a part of who you are. Given everything you believe in, I don't see how you could have behaved differently. Chakotay: But I couldn't have been more wrong about them, could I?
• A House Divided : Stuck on a planet with limited resources, the former drones remembered their old antagonisms and started fighting.
• In Harm's Way : Despite the risk Janeway doesn't hesitate to send over an Away Team to the Borg cube to gather intelligence, knowing the next cube they encounter might be a lot more active.
• In the Hood : It hides the implants .
• I Surrender, Suckers : Chakotay raises a hand in apparent surrender, then shoots Tuvok with the phaser held in his other hand.
• It's a Long Story : Chakotay regarding how Voyager got in the Delta Quadrant.
• Mauve Shirt : Ensign Kaplan played a role in Future's End , but is killed in this episode before the first commercial break. The writers posthumously gave her a first name four seasons later.
• No Good Deed Goes Unpunished : Chakotay helps the New Collective repair their communications array. They use the boosted signal to take control of Chakotay.
• No Sense of Personal Space : Janeway circles Chakotay closely while asking his opinion about Riley's proposal.
• Nothing Exciting Ever Happens Here / Tempting Fate : Tom is complaining about how boring the Nekrit Expanse is roughly two minutes before Voyager runs into a Borg Cube .
• Not Quite Dead : Turns out the drones can reactivate.
• Everyone on the Voyager bridge when they see the ship in their path is a Borg cube.
• Riley's reaction to Chakotay seeing her implants ; and Chakotay himself seeing the implants.
• Everyone in Sickbay when the Borg corpse suddenly reactivates.
• Everyone on Voyager when the Borg cube powers up.
• Peek-a-Boo Corpse : Tuvok is searching through some power conduits when a Borg corpse drops out.
• Please Keep Your Hat On : Turns out Riley is using a wig to hide her bare head with its cybernetic implants.
• Scavenger World : There's 80,000 people warring over what few resources they've been able to salvage from the derelict cube.
• Sliding Down The Slippery Slope : Given that they didn't hesitate to Mind Control him for their own purposes, Chakotay wonders how long it will be before the New Co-operative is no different from the old Borg Collective.
• Sympathy for the Devil : The episode shows what is so seductive about Borg assimilation — the ability to understand others completely, without conflict.
• Tap on the Head : Chakotay nearly dies from the neural damage after being shot by a BFG , and the injury only gets worse.
• Teleportation Rescue : The Away Team teleports out Just in Time as a Borg drone swipes at them.
• Transplanted Humans : Riley poses as this at first.
• Utopia Justifies the Means : Riley wants to end the conflict on her world by reestablishing their Hive Mind . When Janeway refuses, they take control of Chakotay and force him to do it.
• Wham Line : B'Elanna and Chakotay's shuttle is on its way back to Voyager , the two of them having a pleasant conversation about hoverball, when... Cooperative: (in Chakotay's head) Chakotay, can you hear us?
• Wham Shot : The Borg Cube just before the commercial break .
• What Happened to the Mouse? : The New Cooperative have not appeared in canon again since this episode, so the full implications of reactivating their link has yet to be explored.
• With All Due Respect : Riley: When we were linked we had no ethnic conflict. There was no crime, no hunger, no health problems. We lived as one harmonious family. Janeway: With all due respect, Doctor Frazier, you were one harmonious family bent on the violent assimilation of innocent cultures.
• Star Trek Voyager S 3 E 15 "Blood Fever"
• Recap/Star Trek: Voyager
• Star Trek Voyager S 3 E 17 "Darkling"

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Star Trek: Voyager - Full Cast & Crew

• 66   Metascore
• Drama, Action & Adventure, Science Fiction
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A starship is stranded in the uncharted Delta Quadrant in this fourth 'Star Trek' series, the first to feature a female captain. Here, the crew grudgingly teams with Maquis rebels to try to return to Earth after Voyager is hurtled 70,000 light-years from Federation space.

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Sound effects, special effects, line producer, assoc. producer, executive producer, cinematographer, production company.

Star Trek: Voyager (TV Series)

Gravity (1999), full cast & crew.

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Writing credits  , cast (in credits order) complete, awaiting verification  , produced by , music by , cinematography by , editing by , casting by , production design by , art direction by , set decoration by , costume design by , makeup department , production management , second unit director or assistant director , art department , sound department , special effects by , visual effects by , stunts , camera and electrical department , casting department , costume and wardrobe department , editorial department , location management , music department , script and continuity department , additional crew .

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