Descent

Stardate 46982.1: The Enterprise arrives at the site of a recent attack on a Starfleet outpost, only to find the Borg in orbit in a new class of vessel much larger than their previously known forms of transport. The Borg have also changed, now possessing some form of individuality and emotion – and they have also developed a desire to simply kill organic life forms, not absorb them into the Borg collective consciousness. A squadron of Borg attack an away team from the Enterprise, and Data, in the process of fending off a Borg, experiences an inexplicable flash of ruthless anger and kills the Borg. The attacking party defeated, the away team returns to the Enterprise and Picard contacts Starfleet. The new Borg pose an unknown but likely more serious threat than ever before to the Federation. After determining the new Borg ship’s method of propulsion, the Enterprise follows and is attacked once again. Meanwhile, Data has yet to make any further progress in his analysis of his first emotion – but a captured Borg makes Data a seductive offer to experience more emotions…and it turns out to be an offer Data cannot resist.

teleplay by Ronald D. Moore
story by Jeri Taylor
directed by Alexander Singer
music by Jay Chattaway

Cast: Patrick Stewart (Captain Picard), Jonathan Frakes (Commander Riker), LeVar Burton (Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge), Michael Dorn (Lt. Worf), Gates McFadden (Dr. Crusher), Marina Sirtis (Counselor Troi), Brent Spiner (Lt. Commander Data), Professor Stephen Hawking (himself), John Neville (Isaac Newton), Jim Norton (Albert Einstein), Natalija Nogulich (Admiral Nechayev), Brian J. Cousins (Crosis), Brent Spiner (Lore), Richard Gilbert Hill (Bosus), Stephen James Carver (Tayar), Jonathan del Arco (Hugh)