Summary
Star Trek: Voyagerseason 4 used the Borg to insult the Kazon and inadvertently ended up establishing an interesting Borg fact in the process. The Borg are one of the most popular and well-known villains intheStar Trektimelineand have gone through some extensive changes since they were first introduced inStar Trek: The Next Generation. While recent series likeStar Trek: Picardhave provided some of the biggest shifts the Borg have ever experienced,it wasVoyagerthat originally defined much of their lore and backstory after the franchise had already established them.
By contrast, the Kazon continue to be one of the most hated racesStar Trekhas ever created. First introduced as the primary antagonists ofVoyager’s first two seasons,the Kazon were so universally disliked that they were written off the show at the end of season 2, and have only made sporadic appearances in modernStar TrekTV shows. LaterVoyagerseasons found creative ways to reference and insult the Kazon, and one of these occurred in season 4, episode 12, “Mortal Coil.”
Star Trek: Voyager Cast & Character Guide
In its seven seasons, Star Trek: Voyager introduced many new faces to the Trek universe. Here is a breakdown of the show’s main cast and characters.
Star Trek: Voyager Season 4 Making Fun Of The Kazon Inadvertently Established An Important Borg Fact
“Mortal Coil” established that the Borg didn’t assimilate the Kazon
In “Mortal Coil,” when talking to Neelix (Ethan Phillips) about the Kazon,Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan)stated that the Borg had previously deemed the species “unworthy of assimilation" because “their biological and technological distinctiveness was unremarkable.” Upon first glance,this line may seem like a throwaway or an inside joke betweenVoyager’s creative team about how hated the Kazon were during the show’s first two seasons. While it was likely intended that way, the line ended up establishing a Borg trait that had not been previously shown.
Seven went on to say “Why assimilate a species that would detract from perfection?” Not only is this line a pretty pointed dig at the Kazon, but it also adds nuance to the Borg as a whole.
InTNGandStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, the Borg were not shown to discriminate among the species they assimilated. Their most terrifying trait was their relentless drive to assimilate every species they came across in pursuit of perfection. However,one Seven of Nine line showed that the Borg did in fact have standards when it came to incorporating others into their Collective. Seven went on to say “Why assimilate a species that would detract from perfection?” Not only is this line a pretty pointed dig at the Kazon, but it also adds nuance to the Borg as a whole.
Why Star Trek: Voyager Expanded Borg Lore So Significantly In Seasons 4-7
Voyager arguably did more for the Borg than Star Trek: The Next Generation
More than any otherStar Trekshow or movie,Voyagerwas primed to expand the Borg from the beginning.TNGhad established that the Delta Quadrant was where the Borg originated, meaning thatVoyager’s setting guaranteed at least one Borg-related storyline. Along with this,the introduction of Seven of Nine in season 4 allowedVoyagerto explore the Borg in a more intense and personal way thanTNGever did, even with characters like Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) or Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco). However, there was one more important reasonVoyagerfocused so heavily on the Borg.
Seven of Nine, Picard, and Hugh would all later feature in season 1 ofStar Trek: Picard, which further explored the Ex-Borg experience for each character.
Star Trek: First Contactpremiered duringVoyager’s release, and its debut coincided closely withVoyager’s introduction of the Borg. This was no accident, as demonstrated by the multiple references to thingsFirst Contactestablished about the Borg inVoyagerseason 4. Along with this,the introduction of the Borg Queen (Alice Krige) likely reignited interest in the species and resulted in viewers having more questions about them than ever. SinceDS9, the only otherStar Trekseries at the time, was focused on the Dominion War, there was no better place to explore those questions than inStar Trek: Voyager.
