An important figure in the episode was guest star Elizabeth Dennehy playing Lt. Commander Shelby. An expert on Borg affairs, she clashed with Riker throughout the episode as she began vying for his position after he was offered a promotion.
The plot of the episode featured several direct confrontations with the Borg, who intended to attack Earth. Shelby developed a plan to destroy the Borg cube, which led to a cliffhanger that threatened the life of captured Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
After an uneven first and second seasons, Star Trek: The Next Generation improved dramatically in season three. The concluding episode of this third season, The Best of Both Worlds, along with Yesterday's Enterprise are considered two of highest quality Star Trek episodes ever made.