Exclusive Preview Of ‘Star Trek: The Next Generation Nerd Search: Bloopers of the Borg’ Puzzle Book

Later this month, Hero Collector releases their second Star Trek puzzle book, following up last year’s fun exploration of TOS: Star Trek Nerd Search: Quibbles with Tribbles. This year, they take on TNG with Star Trek: The Next Generation Nerd Search: Bloopers of the Borg, and we have an exclusive preview of some of the book’s colorful puzzles.

Bloopers of the Borg

Hero Collector is again teaming up with acclaimed cartoonist and writer for Marvel and BBC Glenn Dakin for a puzzle book all about TNG. The full title for the puzzle book arriving on December 14 is Star Trek: The Next Generation Nerd Search: Bloopers of the Borg: The Mistakes Must Go – Make it So! 

From Bloopers of the Borg

Like with last year’s Quibbles with Tribbles, the new book challenges fans to do what they do best: nitpick. Specifically, each full-color illustration in the 44-page book depicts a classic TNG episode, each containing specific (deliberate) mistakes. The overall premise is that the Borg have created time-traveling Chaos Cubes that break down our reality as we know it. It’s up to readers to spot the cubes and save Captain Picard’s voyages.

From Bloopers of the Borg

Making it so, however, won’t be easy. Among the continuity errors caused by the Chaos Cubes are TNG characters in the wrong uniform, or in the incorrect scene… or even from an entirely different series. Complicating the crises, Dakin has hidden 10 random items for every season of TNG… in each scene. Can you find the rogue elements and name the episode, too? Upping the ante even further, next-level TNG fans must boldly look out for five Super Quibbles, which are behind-the-scenes bits of business that only the hardest of hardcore fans will uncover.

From Bloopers of the Borg

Among the TNG episodes revisited are “Encounter at Farpoint,” “The Best of Both Worlds,” and “The Big Goodbye.” And, yes, you can keep score, assimilating points for every right answer as you chase the magic number, 11001001, of course.

Star Trek: The Next Generation Nerd Search: Bloopers of the Borg arrives on Tuesday, December 14. You can pre-order it in hardcover now from Amazon for $14.95.

 


Find more on Star Trek books at TrekMovie.com.

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Thanks! From your article directly to my preorders.

This artist (John Ross) has been a favorite of mine, and i’ve been lucky to have worked with him before. Great guy, and thrilled to see him take on my favorite franchise after years of Spider-Man and Doctor Who!

If only Unification would have been as dynamic and interesting as this great illustration.

Still one of the best episodes of TNG, and all of Trek. Brilliant stuff!

Most disappointing TNG ep of all time given all the hype. And Nimoy and Leonard not share any screen time was ridiculous. A missed opportunity for involving TOS cast. Only the “Bridge on the Captain” cluster-fuck death of Kirk in Generations was worse. Berman never figured how to handle TOS characters well.

And in all on the “Best Eps of TNG” lists I’ve seen published in Trek media over the years, never have I run across a Top 10 list that had Unification on it.

Plus, 90% of it is just plain boring to watch. 

I don’t disagree it would’ve been nice to have Spock and Sarek together one last time, but it was never a big deal to me either. I actually liked how Picard shared the mind meld with Spock at the end to understand Sarek more. That was a touching (and very Star Trek) way for Spock to remember his father.

But you’re also right, I looked through a bunch of TNG top 10 lists and I didn’t find it on any either. I really love the episode but I would be lying if I said it was in my top 10 as well. ;)

With 172 episodes it’s no surprise it doesn’t make any top tens, but the second part is easily one of the show’s best (though maybe not top ten). But it’s message, the performances, the story, and the writing are top notch.

Frankly, the two parter is better than about half of TOS’ episodes, and most of the TOS cast movies. It’s absolutely in Spock’s top 10 episodes, whether a cranky fan agrees or not!

Yeah it doesn’t seem to land on any top 10 lists, but that doesn’t mean it’s not a very popular and well liked episode on its own either, just not as strong as the others that are on it.

In fact, out of curiosity I went and checked the audience rating for the episodes on IMDB and they are are quite high:

Unification I: 8.3/10
Unification II: 8.4/10

So yeah pretty impressive IMO. Most of the usual episodes that fall into Top 10 lists like Measure of a Man/BOBW, etc usually get around a 9 or above. So for both Unification episodes to be this high actually shows how well liked fans think of them. Now JUST for comparison sake, I looked at Discovery’s ‘sequel’ episode audience rating:

Unification III: 6.3/10

So it’s a good indication of how strong the first two episodes are, especially decades after the fact.. For the record I personally really liked Unification II and thought it did a good job of how it actually reunited the Vulcans and Romulans and said so here. But I remember for others it was a divisive episode so not surprised to see it with a much lower rating. I really liked it, but it’s not about individual taste in this instance.

Interesting stuff. I would note thought that the reviews of the TNG eps on IMDB are fan reviews that were predominately made many years later (IMDB was only started in 1990), versus Discovery reviews which are being made by a broad set of viewers sort of in “real time” in our current timeframe. So that is a bit of an apples-to-oranges and highly subjective comparison. So I question whether it’s reliable to compare these numbers?

Why not? Every episode gets very different ratings regardless. Episodes fans truly hate like Sub Rosa are waaaay down there where episodes people generally agree are great like Inner Light, BOBW, Q Who are naturally higher. And you can still vote on all those episodes for every Star Trek show today. Also remember these shows are being watched by newer fans as well and vote on the old shows like the new ones.

I will agree a little about Discovery though, it is voted in real time. But again, I don’t really think that matters since those episode ratings are all across the board too although most of them are in the middle to low category, ie 6-7 ratings. But a few have gone above 8 at least. But if more people were in love with it, it would simply have higher ratings now. But yes that can change in time too.

So I don’t it really matters.

Sure, I get your point, but like TG47 mentions in the thread, there are different fan “populations” voting, in addition to the timeframe issue I mentioned, so my personal opinion is that I think the comparison is dubious.

It’s not just a fan opinion, as many of the media reviews of this two parter reinforce my comment on how much of a missed opportunity this ep was. For example:

“I can’t help wondering, though, how much better this episode might have been if it had given more time to Spock, instead of losing him in a mess of double-crosses and political intrigue. Like, if maybe this had just been a single episode and if it had focused on Picard trying to bring Spock and Sarek back together.” — Zack Handlen, AV Club

“I must say, these plot mechanics are not at all worthy of this story — especially Sela’s lengthy dialogue that essentially explains to us and the characters the entire plot. (“And I would’ve gotten away with it too, if it hadn’t been for you meddling kids!”) By explaining the plot she masterminds her own defeat. (To quote Trek VI: “Since you’re all going to die anyway, why not tell you.”) The ensuing trickery allowing Picard, Spock, and Data to escape is even more telling of Sela’s incompetence; why aren’t they locked in a cell? It’s so unfortunate to see a story so ambitious implode so thoroughly and with such limited imagination. It’s also frustrating that a story of such political scope and significance ends up being, essentially, a Reset Button Plot. Picard and Data leave after Spock’s failed political movement, but Spock decides to stay and toil away for when future generations might be capable of swaying more forward-thinking minds. It’s an admirable notion (though, depressingly, by the time Star Trek XI rolls around, Spock will see just how well that has worked out), but I was hoping for something more status-quo-shaking in the here and now. Don’t get me wrong: On balance, this is a good and worthwhile effort. But in the end, I can’t escape a basic truth here, which is that I wanted to like “Unification” a lot more than I ultimately did.” – Jammers Reviews

Again, having Sarek and Spock in the same ep, but not having them share screen-time together, just brings to mind sort of a, “what in the hell were the writers thinking?” obvious response..

That all may be true, but the episodes themselves are still highly popular today! I think most fans just love seeing Spock and Picard together. My favorite scene is with Spock and Date.

The lack of reunion between Sarek Spock wasn’t the problem.

It’s more that it seemed to involve a great deal of build up to an anticlimax. I actually liked part one more than part two.

And to Tiger2, I don’t think that it’s fair to look at IMDb ratings on these things. We know that there is an entire generation of older fans who bring their biases and brigade the scoring. I may be from that generation but I don’t agree with the behaviour.

I hear you!

If you’re talking about Discovery, I sort of hear what you’re saying although I don’t think there are just a bunch of people downvoting everything in ‘nuTrek’ because the more popular episodes are ranked fairly high. And look at Lower Decks? That show share some of the highest rated episodes along with a lot of the old shows, especially their finales. Because most fans seem to just like it a lot more than Discovery (as do I but I also like Discovery too). So I get what you’re saying, but I don’t think it’s that black and white either only because the episodes most of us can agree on as really good actually are rated fairly highly on there for the new shows as well as the old.

And Unification III seemed to be divisive for some reason. I pointed it out how people felt about it here after it came out. I don’t think over the actual Vulcans and Romulans being united, but the usual Burnham issues fans have with her in that episode and I think why it’s lower rated. But I really liked it personally. It’s one of my favorites of last season.

But my main point was Unification I and II is pretty popular. I will definitely say at the time, people probably were more disappointed with it. I include myself in that. Like One Lion I remember feeling VERY bored lol. But I’ve come to really like them a lot now (and I’m just older). And I only use IMDB because it’s the only place I know where individual episodes are even rated.

But sure if he and others just think the episode sucks, then they suck! That’s totally valid to feel that way and the episodes certainly have elements to criticize. You know I never argue how people personally feel about any show/movie or episode;.

Yeah I really love the episode today! And I love that Discovery finally made Spock’s dream canon 800 years later!

Given how disappointing DSC has been, seeing clips from Unification when Burnham looked into her brother’s fate was both touching and nostalgic. One of the rare instances where fan service actually seemed appropriate.

Yeah DEFINITELY agree on that! DIS still is a disappointment in many ways on it’s own. But I do think it has done a decent job of honoring classic Trek here and there like the image of seeing Nimoy’s actual face from Unification as you mentioned or hearing Archer’s theme when they presented the new space dock in his name this season.

I admit I am a huge sucker for stuff like that lol. They really get those moments right and honors the classics and those characters in a nice way that fans can appreciate even if they still hate this show.

Yes, I love these connections they are trying to make to earlier Star Trek shows.

Regarding my comments on Unification, I am not saying it’s a bad episode, but I am saying that it could have been a hell of a lot better and that the writers just didn’t nail the huge “Nimoy on TNG” opportunity like they might have done.

OK fair enough!

The artwork is fantastic. Not sure how the Borg can be made funny, but I’m willing to give it a go. Live long and prosper everyone x

This is a well-drawn book, but it’s frustrating to me that HeroCollector keeps releasing pointless memorabilia like this and that trinket-filled Borg advent calendar, instead of honoring their promise to complete the Star Trek Graphic Novel Collection. HeroCollector has screwed over fans so many times. I know people who have paid them hundreds of dollars without receiving any merchandise. They are not an honorable company when it comes to doing right by collectors. The pointlessness of this book illustrates it. Despite the good art, this is just cheap merchandising meant to fleece completist collectors without offering anything of substance. It’s so typical of HeroCollector.