Jonathan Del Arco portrayed a former Borg drone named Hugh on Star Trek: The Next Generation and returned years later in Star Trek: Picard. The Borg first debuted in TNG season 2 and went on to become one of the franchise's most formidable villains. Throughout TNG,Captain Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) defeated the Borg several times, most notably in the iconic two-parter, "The Best of Both Worlds." After the Borg assimilated Picard and turned him into their mouthpiece, Locutus, the Enterprise-D captain developed an understandable fear and even hatred of the Borg.
Hugh came along in Star Trek: The Next Generation season 5, episode 23, "I, Borg," and completely changed the way Captain Picard and his crew understood the Borg. Jonathan Del Arco landed the role of Hugh in 1992 after a series of guest roles on other popular television shows. Del Arco continued to appear regularly on television throughout the 1990s and 2000s, before landing the more significant role of Dr. Fernando Morales on The Closer, a role he continued to portray on Major Crimes. Most recently, Del Arco has appeared in episodes of Criminal Minds and Station 19.
Who Was Jonathan Del Arco’s Hugh In Star Trek: TNG
Hugh Became The First Sympathetic Borg Character
In Star Trek: The Next Generation's "I, Borg," the USS Enterprise-D crew found a crashed Borg ship with a single surviving drone. Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) refused to leave the drone to his fate, despite Captain Picard's trepidation about bringing a Borg onto the Enterprise. As Dr. Crusher and Lt. Commander Geordi La Forge (LeVar Burton) healed and repaired the Borg drone, he eventually began thinking of himself as an individual. Although Picard initially wanted to infect Hugh with a virus that would destroy the Borg Collective, he changed his mind after interacting with Hugh.
Despite the suffering Picard experienced at the hands of the Borg, he recognized that Hugh had become something different. Hugh wanted to remain on the Enterprise but feared the Collective would come after him. After Hugh returned to the Collective, his sense of individualism spread to the other drones on his Borg cube. The Collective disconnected his Cube and left it drifting in space where it was found by Data's evil twin brother, Lore. Lore took control of the drones and began performing cruel experiments on them. This led Hugh to form a resistance movement that later helped the Enterprise-D crew against Lore.
Jonathan Del Arco Returned As Hugh In Star Trek: Picard
Admiral Picard Briefly Reconnected With His Old Friend
Hugh returned in Star Trek: Picard season 1, now an xB (reclaimed ex-Borg) working as the executive director of the Borg Reclamation Project operated by the Romulans on the derelict Borg cube known as the Artifact. Hugh did his best to help the former Borg drones reclaim their lives, but he grew increasingly frustrated by the dismissive way the Romulans treated the xBs. When Admiral Picard arrived at the Artifact in search of Soji Asha (Isa Briones), Hugh did not hesitate to help his old friend.
Before Patrick Stewart agreed to return for Star Trek: Picard, there were plans to make a Borg-centred show with Hugh and Seven of Nine.
Hugh told Picard about the Romulan spy named Narek (Harry Treadaway) who had recently arrived at the Artifact. Narek was working with his sister, Narissa (Peyton List), a Romulan Tal Shiar Colonel and a member of the Zhat Vash. Hugh helped Picard and Soji make their escape, transporting them to the planet Nepenthe. Hugh was captured by Narissa but refused to give up Picard's location, even when Narissa began executing xBs. When Hugh tried to activate the Artifact's Queencell and awaken the remaining drones, Narissa killed Hugh.
Why Star Trek: Picard Killed Off Hugh
Many Viewers Feel That Hugh Was Killed Off Too Soon
Hugh's death in Star Trek: Picard season 1 was not only brutal, but felt like a jarringly abrupt ending for a character who had only just returned. Although Star Trek: Voyager would later dive deeper into reformed Borg with Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), Hugh was the first Borg to become an individual. In many ways, Hugh represented hope for the Borg. Not only had he found his own sense of individualism, but he also worked to help other Borg regain their lives. Because of this, Hugh's death hit particularly hard and cut off the character's story before it could truly begin.
Star Trek: Picard season 1 showrunner Michael Chabon has spoken about the decision to kill Hugh, saying that the season's storyline "lead to what felt like a dramatic way to service the character's end." However, Hugh's death was not part of the show's original plan and Jonathan Del Arco did not find out about his character's demise until he read the script for the episode. Del Arco has said in interviews that while he does not regret returning, he would have loved to see Hugh reconnect with Geordi, his first friend, or meet Seven of Nine.
Can Jonathan Del Arco’s Hugh Return To Star Trek?
Star Trek Characters Return From The Dead All The Time
Despite Hugh's death, there are always ways for characters to return in the Star Trek universe. Throughout Star Trek's long history, numerous characters have returned from the dead in a variety of ways. Although Hugh appeared to die on screen in Star Trek: Picard,it's possible he could have been revived in some way. In Star Trek: Voyager season 4, episode 12, "Mortal Coil," Seven revealed that Borg drones can be reactivated "as much as seventy-three hours after what you would call death." It worked on Neelix (Ethan Phillips), so perhaps a similar process could have been used to revive Hugh offscreen.
There are several ways Hugh could return.
Modern Star Trek has embraced the multiverse, opening the door for characters from alternate realities to visit Star Trek's Prime Universe. This means Jonathan Del Arco could return as a different version of Hugh without undoing his death in Picard season 1. It's also possible that someone could travel back in time to rescue Hugh, or that a future Star Trek project could revisit him in flashbacks. Whether involving Borg nanoprobes, alternate universes, or time travel, there are several ways Hugh could return, and many fans would undoubtedly love to see more of the Star Trek: The Next Generation guest star.
