Star Trek: Picard: Why fans mourned Hugh’s death

Hugh’s last scene played out on Star Trek: Picard, but he left a major impact in the universe

Formerly part of the Borg, Hugh, played by Jonathan Del Arco, was rescued by the crew of the Enterprise on Star Trek: The Next Generation. He went on to help in the fight against the Borg drones that were following Lore, Data’s evil brother. When we next saw Hugh on Star Trek: Picard, he was aboard the Artifact, an abandoned Borg cube left in Romulan space, where he served as the Executive Director of the Borg Reclamation Project. Unfortunately, Hugh only appeared in three episodes of Star Trek: Picard before he was killed in a heartbreaking scene that left many fans wondering why he had to be sacrificed.

Though Hugh only appeared in a total of six episodes in the Star Trek universe, his character touched so many fans by his transformation. Once a part of the Borg collective with no identity of his own, Hugh became an individual, defying the odds. He spent his last moment alive sharing vital information with Elnor, and throughout his final episode, showed the ultimate in sacrifice.

Most fans see Hugh as a major character in spite of his limited time because his arrival aboard the Enterprise created such a change in the universe. After Captain Picard, he became the first known Borg to transition back to human as Seven of Nine wasn’t introduced until the fourth season of Star Trek: Voyager in 1997. His existence offered hope to those who feared the Borg, hope that perhaps others who had been assimilated could be saved and could go on to lead lives that made a difference.

"Captain, I do not want to forget that I am Hugh."

And fans do not want to forget Hugh. In the few scenes allotted to him over the course of 30 years, Jonathan Del Arco created an unforgettable character and proved that quality is far more important than quantity. In a Twitter video, he said he hoped the work he’d done was pleasing to everyone. We can all respond to his hope with a resounding “yes!”