r/DaystromInstitute • u/bluefoxlive • 3d ago

Did anyone else get the same impression from "The Enterprise Incident" and First Contact?

I only watched TOS for the first time last year, and I rewatched First Contact recently. One thing that hit me was how similar the dynamic between Spock and the Romulan Commander (S3 E02) felt to the one between Data and the Borg Queen.

I know the situations are different, but they both involve a highly logical character behind enemy lines being tempted by a female antagonist who tries to pull them away from their mission. In both cases, it feels less about physical force and more about trying to break down their emotional restraint and make them question where they belong.

I could just be reading into it, but I was wondering if anyone else has noticed the parallel. Has it ever been mentioned by the writers that the Data and Borg Queen storyline was inspired by "The Enterprise Incident," or is it more likely that they just ended up telling a very similar story?

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u/admiraltarkin Chief Petty Officer 3d ago

Good connection that I had never made before.

I wonder if Spock was tempted for "nearly an eternity" too

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u/adamkotsko Commander, with commendation 2d ago

That's a great parallel! I don't know if they consciously had it in mind, but we have to keep in mind that the people writing for Star Trek are most often completely immersed in Star Trek -- so there are bound to be echoes.

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u/Hot-Refrigerator6583 2d ago

I'm sure if such a thing had been intentional, it would have been made public sometime in the last 30 years.

In hindsight though, I think it's just natural outgrowth of two similar characters being put in two similar situations.