spotlighting another classic

I remember when Star Trek: The Next Generation was still on the air. I used to watch it from time to time, but somehow I missed the two-parter where Captain Picard was assimilated by the Borg and used as a weapon against his own people. I don't remember why I missed it: I just reading reviews of the episodes and kicking myself for losing out on the awesomeness.

Eventually I got to see the episodes in syndication, and they were everything I'd hoped for...in short bursts, anyway. I wanted to see less Picard-as-Picard and more Picard-as-Locutus. Or better yet, more of Picard's transformation into Locutus. Even after all this time, I have a distinct memory of him lying motionless and blank-eyed while alien technology sucks all the free will from him brain and his face pales slowly from human flesh to Borg gray. I've just spent some over on YouTube trying to find that scene, and I finally came up with it - jammed in with nearly ten minutes of trance music and a bunch of repetitive space battles.

On the other hand, I found another, shorter video that a) has everything but the face-paling bit and b) must have been created by someone who appreciates the same stuff you and I do. S/he has edited the clips in a way that makes for a perfect EMC story: First we see Picard's hubris in defying the Borg, then his capture and assimilation, his revelation to his horrified former comrades, a bit of space battling, and finally a slightly ambiguous conclusion (Okay, it could have been more ambiguous, but the editor seems to be more of a Star Trek fan than an MC fan, so the Borg Cube had to be destroyed).

So here's what I recommend. Watch the video below first. This is the short, good clip without the trance music. Then click over to YouTube for the longer video, but only watch seconds 0:32-0:37. You can even turn the sound off if you like. I don't recommend watching the full 9+ minutes unless you're really bored or under the influence.

Enjoy!