| "Unimatrix Zero" | |
|---|---|
| Star Trek: Voyager episodes | |
| Episode nos. | Season 6 and 7 Episodes 26 and 1 |
| Directed by | Allan Kroeker (part I) Mike Vejar (part II) |
| Story by | Mike Sussman (parts I&II) Brannon Braga (part II) Joe Menosky (part II) |
| Teleplay by | Brannon Braga Joe Menosky |
| Featured music | Dennis McCarthy |
| Production codes | 246 and 247 |
| Original air dates | May 24, 2000 October 4, 2000 |
| Guest appearances | |
| |
"Unimatrix Zero" is a two-part episode of Star Trek: Voyager , the cliffhanger between 26th episode of the sixth season and the first episode of the seventh season. Starfleet's USS Voyager, stranded on the other side of the Galaxy, once again encounters a race of cybernetic organisms called the Borg as the ship journeys back to Earth.
The two parts aired separately. The story features the Borg Queen, played by Susanna Thompson.
Seven of Nine dreams of a beautiful forest, which in reality is subconscious realm inhabited by the minds of certain Borg drones during their regeneration periods. Only a few drones possess the recessive gene required to experience the realm called Unimatrix Zero.
In the utopian Unimatrix Zero, Borg of various species and ages (including children) exist as their individual, unassimilated selves while regenerating on their Borg ships; when not regenerating, they revert to normal drones with no memory of time spent there. The Borg Queen is aware of Unimatrix Zero, considering it a disease, and destroys drones discovered capable of visiting there. However, the process of detecting affected drones is time consuming and she is eager to find a faster method of finding and deactivating them. Those who are detected are deactivated, dismembered, and studied in an effort to speed up the search.
Seven of Nine journeys with Captain Janeway, thanks to a double mind-meld performed by Tuvok, to Unimatrix Zero and reverts to Annika Hansen, her human identity before assimilation. She discovers she used to visit Unimatrix Zero when she belonged to the Borg Collective. Her forgotten lover Axum made contact with her so she may help them; the inhabitants of Unimatrix Zero have developed a masking nanovirus to inoculate them from detection by the Queen, but it can only be administered from the corporeal world. Seven is overwhelmed by her new-found emotions and denies them but eventually finds acceptance. If Unimatrix Zero cannot be stopped in the real world, the Queen plans to destroy it from within by sending drones to kill the subconscious, unassimilated drones.
As Voyager plans to help the Unimatrix drones, the Borg Queen makes contact to offer Janeway transwarp technology if Janeway ceases to help the Unimatrix drones. Janeway refuses and plans to infiltrate a Borg ship on her own and release a version of the nanovirus, now modified to allow the Unimatrix Zero drones to retain their memories and stage a resistance. After being blackmailed by Chakotay (he threatens to have the Doctor remove her from command if she insists on going alone), she, Tuvok and B'Elanna penetrate the Borg cube to reach the central plexus and administer the nanovirus but are caught. Voyager leaves them to be assimilated.
The Janeway, Tuvok, and Torres drones proceed with their plan to help Unimatrix Zero. They are not connected to the Borg Collective as the Doctor had inoculated them with a neural inhibitor, protecting their individuality. Tuvok's inhibitor wears off and the Collective eventually overcomes his mind.
The Borg Queen confronts Janeway to demand the drones of Unimatrix Zero submit themselves for reassimilation. The Queen destroys several of her own ships because only a handful of crew are "offline" and suspected of being the newly sentient drones from the dream realm. Janeway calls her bluff, pointing out that such a tactic would essentially require her to destroy the entire Collective. Having discovered a means of sending Borg as drones into Unimatrix Zero, the Queen threatens to release a Borg-modified form of the nanovirus from within Unimatrix Zero to kill every affected inhabitant's corporeal drone, unless Janeway agrees to speak with them.
Janeway informs her crew that Unimatrix Zero can no longer exist. Chakotay realizes this means destroying the matrix so the Queen cannot spread the nanovirus. Seven is forced to say goodbye to her lover, who is on a Borg ship in the Beta Quadrant. Voyager, aided by a Borg sphere crewed by liberated drones, rescues the away team. Independent Borg who now, like the Queen, have the advantage of being self-aware, take command of some vessels, rebel, and start a civil war with the Collective.
The Borg are a Star Trek villain species famous for their phrase, "resistance is futile." TV Guide named the Borg at number 4 in its 2013 list of the 60 Nastiest Villains of All Time. [1] The Borg was introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation in the episode "Q Who?" (S2E16) and also featured in the critically acclaimed episode "The Best of Both Worlds". [2] They made a major influence on Voyager starting with "Scorpion", which introduced the ex-Borg character Seven of Nine to the main cast, and there were many Borg-centric episodes since that time in the show; they return with a major story once again in Unimatrix. [3]
IGN rated the Borg Queen as the 24th best character of Star Trek overall, and her story running from the film Star Trek: First Contact and into her encounters with Captain Janeway of the USS Voyager and Seven of Nine are noted as is the events at the Unimatrix. They also note that the Borg Queen was played by two different actresses, Alice Krige and Susanna Thompson. [4]
Ian Grey at RogerEbert.com noted this episode in their feature on Star Trek: Voyager, commenting that "Unimatrix Zero" offered a "revolution fought in the safety of dreams." [5]
SyFy recommend this episode for their Seven of Nine binge-watching guide. [6] Nerdist suggested watching "Unimatrix" as part of an abbreviated binge-watching guide featuring USS Voyager's confrontations with the Borg. [7] SyFy Wire ranked "Unimatrix Zero" as one of the seven essential episodes about Borg to watch as background for Star Trek: Picard . [8] Space.com also recommended watching this episode as background for Star Trek: Picard. [9]
Space.com rated Borg cubes as the 2nd best spacecraft of Star Trek. [10]
"Unimatrix Zero, Part I" was released on VHS cassette paired with "Dark Frontier". [11] "Unimatrix, Part II" was paired with "Imperfection" when released on VHS. [12]
This episode was released as part of a season 6 DVD boxset on December 7, 2004. [13]
"Unimatrix Zero" was also included as part of the DVD collection, Star Trek: Fan Collective – Borg released on March 7, 2006. [14]
Tuvok is a fictional character in the Star Trek media franchise and a main character in the television series Star Trek: Voyager. Tuvok is a Vulcan who serves as the ship's second officer, Chief of Security, and Chief Tactical Officer. He was portrayed by Tim Russ throughout the show's run from 1995 to 2001, as well as in subsequent portrayals.
Seven of Nine is a fictional character introduced in the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. Portrayed by Jeri Ryan, she is a former Borg drone who joins the crew of the Federation starship Voyager. Her full Borg designation was Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One. While her birth name became known to her crewmates, after joining the Voyager crew she chose to continue to be called Seven of Nine, though she allowed "Seven" to be used informally.
"Endgame" is the series finale of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, episodes 25 and 26 of the seventh season and 171 and 172 in the overall series. It was originally shown May 23, 2001, on the UPN network as a double-length episode and later presented as such in DVD collections, but it is shown in syndicated broadcasts as a two-part story.
"The Raven" is the 74th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the sixth episode of the fourth season. The episode was directed by LeVar Burton, and was broadcast on UPN in October 1997.
"Drone" is the 96th episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, the second episode of the fifth season. The crew of the 24th-century spacecraft USS Voyager deal with a Borg drone, played by guest star J. Paul Boehmer.
"Infinite Regress" is the 101st episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the seventh episode of the fifth season. The show depicted a Starfleet spacecraft slowly making its way back to Earth after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant.
"Survival Instinct" is the 122nd episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. In this episode, Voyager encounters three aliens played by guest stars Vaughn Armstrong, Bertila Damas, and Tim Kelleher. This show expands the story of the character Seven of Nine.
"Imperfection" is the 148th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the second episode of the seventh season. The ex-Borg Seven of Nine has a medical technology crisis that must be resolved by the crew of the USS Voyager, lost far from Earth in the 24th century. This episode involves the cybernetic Borg aliens, which were previously introduced on Star Trek: The Next Generation.
"The Gift" is the second episode of the fourth season of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, the 70th episode overall. The episode marks the transition of Kes, played by Jennifer Lien, out of the main cast of the series, and integrates her replacement, Seven of Nine, played by Jeri Ryan, into the ensemble.
"The Killing Game" is a two-part episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, the 18th and 19th episodes of the fourth season. It is set in the 24th century aboard a starship returning to Earth after having been stranded on the other side of the Galaxy.
"Resolutions" is the 41st episode of the science fiction television program Star Trek: Voyager. The episode originally aired on May 13, 1996. The series follows the adventures of the Federation starship Voyager during its journey home to Earth, having been stranded tens of thousands of light-years away. This episode focuses on the relationship between Captain Janeway and First Officer Chakotay, who have been left on a planet after contracting a virus, and the rest of the crew search for a cure under Tuvok's command.
"Prey" is the 84th episode of the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager, the 16th episode of the fourth season, and the second episode of the Hirogen story arc. The episode centers upon a member of Species 8472, who escapes capture by the Hirogen, and boards Voyager. This results not only in an uneasy alliance between the Voyager crew and the Hirogen hunting the alien, but tension between Janeway and Seven, who harbor different ideas about how to resolve the situation.
"Dark Frontier" is a feature-length episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 15th and 16th episodes of the fifth season. This episode originally aired as a feature-length episode that was later broken up into two parts for reruns in syndication. Actress Susanna Thompson guest stars alongside the cast of this Star Trek television show as the Borg queen. The crew of a spacecraft trying to get back to Earth once again encounter a race of cybernetic organisms bent on Galactic domination. Ex-Borg character Seven of Nine struggles with her past as she rediscovers her humanity aboard the spacecraft.
"Collective" is the 136th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 16th episode of the sixth season.
"Child's Play" is the 139th episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 19th episode of the sixth season. Icheb takes center-stage as the crew of the USS Voyager spaceship once again grapple with the cybernetic Borg aliens, and their impact on the Delta Quadrant.
The Borg are an alien group that appear as recurring antagonists in the Star Trek fictional universe. The Borg are cybernetic organisms (cyborgs) linked in a hive mind called "The Collective". The Borg co-opt the technology and knowledge of other alien species to the Collective through the process of "assimilation": forcibly transforming individual beings into "drones" by injecting nanoprobes into their bodies and surgically augmenting them with cybernetic components. The Borg's ultimate goal is "achieving perfection".
"Human Error" is the 164th episode of the TV series Star Trek: Voyager, the 18th episode of the seventh season. Seven of Nine explores her romantic side, in her ongoing recovery aboard the USS Voyager. Set in the Star Trek universe, a Federation starship must spend decades making its way back to Earth. In its last season, writers take us deeper into the character Seven of Nine.
"Scorpion" is a two-part episode of the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager that served as the last episode of its third season and the first episode of its fourth season. "Scorpion" introduced the Borg drone Seven of Nine and Species 8472 to the series.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link){{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)