The Borg begin an invasion of Federation space much sooner than was expected. With the Enterprise unable to affect them, the Borg capture Captain Picard and turn him into one of their own.

The episode was the Season Three finale of "Star Trek The Next Generation" and first aired on 18 June 1990; the series' first cliffhanger ended with the words: "Mr Worf, fire..."

Michael Piller was unsure how this episode's two-parter would end when he first sat down to write the episode. He began with the need for a season-ending cliffhanger. Naturally, the episode was designed to create anticipation for the return of the series in the following season.

Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker) commented about this episode, "That was one of the best cliffhangers ever."

After the episode's airing, rumours circulated among fans that Patrick Stewart's contract talks with Paramount had stalled, and that Picard would be killed off, with Riker becoming captain while Shelby would become his first officer. This culminated in an unprecedented level of interest in the next season opener, with Paramount running ads and radio spots specifically for the episode.

The success of this two-parter episode led to subsequent seasons and the other spin-off series ending their seasons on a two-part cliffhanger.

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