Summary
- Star Trek: Voyager's "Mortal Coil" established that Borg didn't assimilate Kazon due to their unremarkable biology and technology.
- With one line, Voyager changed Borg lore, cementing that the Borg were picky about which species they assimilated.
- In general, Voyager expanded the Borg significantly, surpassing any other Star Trek series' exploration.
Star Trek: Voyager season 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 in the Star Trek timeline and have gone through some extensive changes since they were first introduced in Star Trek: The Next Generation. While recent series like Star Trek: Picard have provided some of the biggest shifts the Borg have ever experienced, it was Voyager that 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 races Star Trek has ever created. First introduced as the primary antagonists of Voyager'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 modern Star Trek TV shows. Later Voyager seasons found creative ways to reference and insult the Kazon, and one of these occurred in season 4, episode 12, "Mortal Coil."
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 between Voyager'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.
In TNG and Star 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 other Star Trek show or movie, Voyager was primed to expand the Borg from the beginning. TNG had established that the Delta Quadrant was where the Borg originated, meaning that Voyager's setting guaranteed at least one Borg-related storyline. Along with this, the introduction of Seven of Nine in season 4 allowed Voyager to explore the Borg in a more intense and personal way than TNG ever did, even with characters like Captain Picard (Patrick Stewart) or Hugh (Jonathan Del Arco). However, there was one more important reason Voyager focused so heavily on the Borg.
Seven of Nine, Picard, and Hugh would all later feature in season 1 of Star Trek: Picard , which further explored the Ex-Borg experience for each character.
Star Trek: First Contact premiered during Voyager's release, and its debut coincided closely with Voyager's introduction of the Borg. This was no accident, as demonstrated by the multiple references to things First Contact established about the Borg in Voyager season 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. Since DS9, the only other Star Trek series at the time, was focused on the Dominion War, there was no better place to explore those questions than in Star Trek: Voyager.
