History Recap / StarTrekTheNextGenerationS5E23IBorg

* ItIsDehumanizing: Inverted. Guinan is perturbed by the fact that Third of Five has gotten nicknamed Hugh by the crew.

* ShaggyDogStory: Retroactively. Later stories would reveal that even if they ''had'' introduced the LogicBomb, it wouldn't have worked anyway. The Borg would have simply cut off the affected ship to protect the Collective as a whole.

* Third of Five / Hugh is basically a kid separated from the totalitarian cult that raised him, and is pretty unclear on the mere concept of thinking for himself or deciding who he is or what he wants to do beyond what he's been told.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The things that Troi says to Picard regarding the after-effects of [[MindRape his assimilation]] further drive home the [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E2Family rape metaphor]].

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When the away team discovers the surviving Borg drone, the honor-obsessed, ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf recommends killing it, making it look like an accident, and running like hell. The compassionate, unflappable Captain Picard clearly thinks that this is a pretty good idea.

* AmbiguouslyHuman: Hugh's race is never specified but he appears physically human.

Answering what they think to be a distress signal, the ''Enterprise'' comes across a crashed Borg scout ship. All its crew are dead, save one. Clearly against his better judgment, Picard allows the injured Borg to be brought to the ship for medical treatment, though it is placed inside a force field which interrupts its connection to the [[HiveMind Collective]]. Despite Counsellor Troi's misgivings, Picard insists he's fine with the situation.

* InnocuouslyImportantEpisode: This is the first episode in the franchise that humanizes the Borg (or more precisely, the drones that have been severed from the Collective). Hugh's introduction would eventually to lead to the character of Seven of Nine in ''Series/StarTrekVoyager'', both Hugh and Seven of Nine would later guest star in ''Series/StarTrekPicard'' where one of the major themes of the show is the galaxy-wide FantasticRacism against xBs.

'''Hugh:''' No ... I am Hugh.

--->'''Guinan:''' Thanks to you, there are very few of us left. We're scattered throughout the galaxy. We don't even have a home anymore"\\

'''Note:''' Hugh will return in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent Descent (Part 2)]]" and Series/StarTrekPicard.

* DoesThisRemindYouOfAnything: The things that Troi says to Picard regarding the after-effects of his assimilation further drive home the [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS4E2Family rape metaphor]].

* TwoRoadsBeforeYou: Hugh has the choice of staying with the ''Enterprise'' crew or returning to the Borg Collective.

-->'''Guinan:''' You felt sorry for me. Look what it got you.

-->'''Guinan:''' Let me tell you something, when this kid's big brothers come looking for him, they're not gonna stop until they find him. And they'll come looking for us, and they will destroy us. And they will not do any of the soul-searching that you're doing now.\\

-->'''Guinan:''' Thanks to you, there are very few of us left. We're scattered throughout the galaxy. We don't even have a home anymore"\\

-->'''Guinan:''' If you're going to use this '''[[InsistentTerminology person]]''' to destroy his entire species, you should at least look him in the eye. Otherwise, you might find that decision much harder to live with than you realize.

'''Geordi:''' Then why don't you just listen? [[ArmorPiercingQuestion That is what you do best, isn't it?]]\\

'''Hugh:''' You have no others, you have no home. We are also lonely.\\

* WhoopiEpiphanySpeech: Takes a decidedly dark turn early on, as Guinan discusses with Picard how the Borg are inherently untrustworthy. Geordi gives one to Guinan herself defending Hugh, [[DoubleSubversion which leads to a straight example]]: "If you're going to use this '''[[InsistentTerminology person]]''' to destroy his entire species, you should at least look him in the eye. Otherwise, you might find that decision much harder to live with than you realize."

'''Note:''' Hugh will return in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent Descent (Part 2)]]" and StarTrekPicard.

'''Note:''' Hugh will return in "[[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent Descent (Part 2)]]".

* FantasticRacism: Picard, which after "[[https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds The Best of Both Worlds]]" is a bit understandable. Guinan as well, until she actually talks to Hugh.

The ''Star Trek'' episode that dares to ask, "[[WhatMeasureIsANonHuman What Measure Is A Borg?]]"

As part of its medical treatment, [=LaForge=] prepares to repair/replace certain of the Borg's cybernetic implants, but Picard takes the suggestion one step further: why not reprogram an implant to introduce a LogicBomb through this drone into the entire Borg Collective, causing them all to shut down? At a meeting to discuss this plan, Dr. Crusher alone objects, [[GenocideDilemma pointing out]] that this would be [[FinalSolution tantamount to genocide]]. Unfortunately for her, everyone else is fine with it, having accepted the non-declared, unofficial state of war between the Borg and, well, anyone they want to assimilate. Unfortunately for them, Crusher's apparent sympathy for the Borg drone only grows as his physical condition improves; she notes that he seems to be frightened and lonely, severed from contact with the other Borg. Meanwhile, Guinan hands Picard a sort of DarkSide version of her usual WhoopiEpiphanySpeech, when she fakes an injury during a fencing duel and then defeats Picard as he moves to help.

-->'''Guinan:''' You felt sorry for me; [[SchmuckBait look what it got you]].

The Borg boy continues to improve, and Crusher and [=LaForge=] work on testing him out to see how best to implement the LogicBomb plot. They converse with him and introduce themselves, to which the Borg wonders if he has a name (he only knows the Borg designation "Third Of Five"). Trying to sound out a pet name for him, they settle upon "Hugh", sort of a pun on "you...". Now that Hugh has an actual name, [=LaForge=] too begins to develop an attachment to him and is having second thoughts about the whole plan. He talks to Guinan about this, but she is uncharacteristically unsympathetic. [=LaForge=] challenges her to go visit Hugh for herself. Complicating matters, another Borg scout ship is approaching, presumably to retrieve survivors/scavenge the wrecked ship.

Guinan does eventually go visit Hugh, and she maintains her harsh facade until she lets it slip that her people had been very nearly obliterated by the Borg. Hugh notes that she is lonely, being so far away from any of her kind, and that "we [sic, referring to himself; hold that thought] are lonely too". Guinan is, to say the least, speechless at this unexpected acknowledgment of emotion from the Borg. And so the LogicBomb plot is working, only [[InvertedTrope in reverse]]; one by one, the ''Enterprise'' crew are growing attached to Hugh and subsequently reluctant to initiate genocide through him. Guinan goes to Picard with her new misgivings, only to find him as fiercely defiant as she herself had been. And I really mean "fiercely"; at one point Picard roars "IT'S '''NOT''' A PERSON, DAMMIT; IT'S A '''[[FantasticRacism BORG]]!!'''" Guinan is having none of it, though, and insists that Picard too must at least look Hugh in the eye before turning him into a TykeBomb.

Finally Picard agrees and has Hugh [[{{Teleportation}} beamed]] into his Captain's Office. Hugh, for his part, recognizes [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds Locutus Of Borg]], and Picard takes advantage and speaks to him as Locutus. After forcing Hugh to renounce his human name and reiterate his Borg designation, he announces that the ''Enterprise'' and her crew [[YouWillBeAssimilated will be assimilated]], even against their will, or they will die. Hugh doesn't cotton to this idea, having grown attached to his human friends (especially [=LaForge=]) but "Locutus" is adamant, culminating in this exchange:

-->'''Picard:''' They will be assimilated. You will assist us.\\

'''Picard:''' ''What did you say?''... You said "I"; but you are Borg!\\

* BothSidesHaveAPoint: At the meeting to discuss the LogicBomb, both Crusher and Riker bring up legitimate points in opposing and supporting its use. Crusher hammers the point that using it would tantamount to genocide, while Riker notes that [[GodzillaThreshold the Borg are such a huge, existential threat that it would be justifiable]].

* FantasticRacism. Picard, which after "The Best Of Both Worlds", it's a bit understandable. Guinan as well, until she actually talks to Hugh.

* GenocideDilemma: Mostly Crusher, but it spreads eventually to the other characters as well.

* LineOfSightName: A purely verbal version, when Crusher and [=LaForge=] go from "you" to "Hugh".
* LogicBomb: Inverted, as noted in the recap.
* TheMcCoy: Doctor Crusher first begins treating a fatally-injured Borg, and objects to the LogicBomb plan as soon as it's proposed.

* OOCIsSeriousBusiness: When the away team discovers the surviving Borg drone, honor obsessed, ProudWarriorRaceGuy Worf recommends killing it, making it look like an accident, and running like hell. The compassionate, unflappable Captain Picard clearly thinks that this is a pretty good idea.
* RogueDrone: Hugh becomes this while on the ''Enterprise''.

* ShoutOut: The title is a play on the classic science fiction story "I Robot", although [[EverythingIsAnIpodInTheFuture modern audiences might think it a play on products like the iPod and iPad]].

--> '''Picard''': You are Borg. You will assist us.
--> '''Hugh''': I will not.
--> '''Picard''': ...What did you say?
--> '''Hugh''': I will not assist you.
--> '''Picard''': "I...?"
--> '''Hugh''': Geordi must not be assimilated.
--> '''Picard''': But you are Borg.
--> '''Hugh''': No ... I am Hugh.

* YouWillBeAssimilated: Well, not if Hugh has anything to say about it...

* WhamLine: "''I'' will not!"

* YouWillBeAssimilated: Well, not if Hugh has anything to say about it...
* WhamLine: "''I'' will not!"

'''Note:''' Hugh will return in [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS6E24S7E1Descent Descent (Part 2)]]".

* YouWillBeAssimilated: Well, not if Hugh has anything to say about it...

* OhCrap: Pretty much everyone's reaction to discovering that the wreckage they're investigating is that of a Borg ship...and there's a survivor.

* BlatantLies: Picard is okay with beaming an injured Borg to the Enterprise for medical treatment.

Answering what they think to be a distress signal, the Enterprise comes across a crashed Borg scout ship. All its crew are dead, save one. Clearly against his better judgment, Picard allows the injured Borg to be brought to the ship for medical treatment, though it is placed inside a force field which interrupts its connection to the [[HiveMind Collective]]. Despite Counsellor Troi's misgivings, Picard insists he's fine with the situation.

Guinan does eventually go visit Hugh, and she maintains her harsh facade until she lets it slip that her people had been very nearly obliterated by the Borg. Hugh notes that she is lonely, being so far away from any of her kind, and that "we [sic, referring to himself; hold that thought] are lonely too". Guinan is, to say the least, speechless at this unexpected acknowledgment of emotion from the Borg. And so the LogicBomb plot is working, only [[InvertedTrope in reverse]]; one by one, the Enterprise crew are growing attached to Hugh and subsequently reluctant to initiate genocide through him. Guinan goes to Picard with her new misgivings, only to find him as fiercely defiant as she herself had been. And I really mean "fiercely"; at one point Picard roars "IT'S '''NOT''' A PERSON, DAMMIT; IT'S A '''[[FantasticRacism BORG]]!!'''" Guinan is having none of it, though, and insists that Picard too must at least look Hugh in the eye before turning him into a TykeBomb.

Finally Picard agrees and has Hugh [[{{Teleportation}} beamed]] into his Captain's Office. Hugh, for his part, recognizes [[Recap/StarTrekTheNextGenerationS3E26S4E1TheBestOfBothWorlds Locutus Of Borg]], and Picard takes advantage and speaks to him as Locutus. After forcing Hugh to renounce his human name and reiterate his Borg designation, he announces that the Enterprise and her crew [[YouWillBeAssimilated will be assimilated]], even against their will, or they will die. Hugh doesn't cotton to this idea, having grown attached to his human friends (especially [=LaForge=]) but "Locutus" is adamant, culminating in this exchange:

[floatboxright:
Series: Series/StarTrekTheNextGeneration\\
Episode: Season 5, Episode 23\\
Title: I Borg\\
Previous: Imaginary Friend\\
Next: The Next Phase\\
Recapper: Tropers/{{Scooter007}}]