"Borg" is the first in a series of "Star Trek" boxed sets focusing on a particular theme, which is sort of cool if you aren't willing or able to shell out the cash for complete season boxed sets (and lets face it, each incarnation of the series had its share of lousy episodes). Unless you're a die hard Trekkie (excuse me...Trekker), these sets are a much better investment for the money, as they exploit the strengths of the individual versions of the series by including only the episodes which fans have obviously expressed the greatest fondness for. This set features episodes in which the Federation encounters their greatest nemesis, the cybernetic Borg, whom appeared often in both "The Next Generation" & "Voyager."

Disc 1 kicks off with an episode of "Enterprise," (though it's the newest series in the "Star Trek" canon, the fact that it takes places before the original series makes it logical that this episode is chronologically the first one) in which the crew encounters the Borg for the first time. I never cared for "Enterprise," and although it's the best looking episode included in this set, it didn't really alter my opinion. Things get better with the "Next Generation" episodes, beginning with "Q Who?," in which the Enterprise crew is forced to encounter the Borg for the first time. The two-part "Best of Both Worlds" follows, which is widely considered by many to be to best "Next Generation" episode ever. Also included are "I Borg," which is sort of too touchy-feely for my tastes, but lays the groundwork for another two-part great episode, "Descent," in which Data's renegade brother, Lore, uses renegade Borg to serve his own agenda. What's actually surprising to me is that, although I think "The Next Generation" is the best of the spin-off shows, the most interesting episodes in this set are from "Voyager". The two-part "Scorpion" introduces the Seven Of Nine character (Jeri Ryan), who almost single-handedly (either for aesthetic or story purposes) saved the show from syndication doldrums. We learn more about the Borg in these episodes (as well as how Seven became a Borg in "Dark Frontier"), and although they sort of demystify "Star Trek's" coolest villains, it makes great TV. We also see Seven's gradual transition from mindless drone to regaining her humanity pretty effectively without sitting through "Voyager's" less intriguing episodes (especially apparent in "Drone," in which Seven becomes sort of a surrogate mother to a transporter-created Borg mutation).

The picture quality varies from episode to episode. "Enterprise" looks the best (obviously because it's the newest), but I was sort of surprised how dated the "Next Generation" episodes looked, especially "Q Who?," which has suffered from the ravages of time, I guess. The sound quality of these shows is more consistent, rendered in 5.1 and/or 2.0 Dolby Digital. For the most part, they are free of distortion & hissing.

Aside from an audio commentary by Mike Sussman & Phyllis Strong for the "Enterprise" episode, and only extras included are text commentaries by "Star Trek" geeks/historians Michael & Denise Okuda on selected "Next Generation" & "Voyager" episodes. Similar to their text commentaries of the "Star Trek" films, this feature is loaded with interesting and amusing facts & details, and longtime Trekkies (oops...Trekkers) should enjoy them immensely.

"Borg" is a great boxed set, featuring some of the best episodes from both "The Next Generation" & "Voyager." It may not have the continuity found in the complete season sets, but the Borg are arguably one of the most intriguing elements ever added to the "Star Trek" canon, and this set is a nifty way to grab your favorite cyber-villains all at once.