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The Borg have made a “Regeneration” and reappeared in Star Trek! While the Borg have since appeared in Star Trek: Picard, their appearance in “Regeneration” was the last time they had been seen in a “classic” Trek era. Enterprise manages to do a snazzy trick as the show uses the prequel nature of the series to be both a starting and end point for one of the franchises’ most inspired villains.
The Wikipedia plot summary for “Regeneration”:
A team of researchers discover remains of a crashed spaceship in the Arctic Circle, finding several humanoids with cybernetic implants frozen in the wreckage. Two bodies are taken to a nearby compound to be studied. The scientists marvel at the nanoprobes that begin to repair the long dead aliens. Suddenly one of the seemingly dead subjects attacks the scientists, assimilating them. Using scavenged parts from the wreckage of the Borg ship to enhance the transport, they escape into space, upgrading it with a faster than standard warp drive and weapons.
Admiral Forrest orders Enterprise to rescue the “kidnapped” researchers. They soon receive a distress call from a Tarkalean freighter, and they arrive to discover the ship under attack from the enhanced transport. Captain Jonathan Archer tries to disable their weapons, but the ship jumps to warp speed. Archer brings the survivors to Sickbay, and finds their situation reminiscent of a Zefram Cochrane story he remembers (relating to first contact). The assimilated crew soon awaken, and in the ensuing melee Doctor Phlox is infected with nanoprobes. They escape, and Lieutenant Reed then finds them modifying ship’s systems, and learns their phase pistols are ineffective. Archer, left with no other options, orders the section to be de-pressurized. Reed then begins upgrading the pistols, while Phlox treats himself with “omicron radiation” to destroy the nanoprobes.
Enterprise again catches up with the transport, but the recent modifications suddenly activate and shut down weapons and propulsion. Soon after the aliens hail Enterprise and say, “You will be assimilated, resistance is futile”. In response, Archer and Reed board the ship with upgraded pistols, plant explosives, and beam out. Commander Tucker troubleshoots the alien modifications thereby restoring main power to Enterprise. With the transport crippled, Archer realizes the altered crew members are too far gone and orders the transport’s destruction. Later, a recovering Phlox informs Archer that while infected he kept hearing a repeating numerical sequence – Earth’s coordinates sent somewhere into the Delta Quadrant. Sub-Commander T’Pol states it would take almost 200 years to reach its destination, but Archer remains troubled.
In this episode of the podcast, Wes and Clay discuss “Regeneration” and the risks of bringing the Borg into a prequel series. Plus! The guys chat about T’Pol the skeptic, the more-is-less problem of the Borg, and action sequences done well.