There is little doubt that the death of Hugh is one of the most shocking moments in the latest episode of Star Trek: Picard. However, it's made even more terrible knowing that the former Borg was systematically tortured by Narissa as she killed his companions one by one. Interestingly, Jonathan Del Arco made certain preparations for the scene in order to depict Hugh's anguish during these key moments.
In Nepenthe, Narissa was understandably enraged when she realized that Hugh had helped Jean-Luc Picard escape with Soji Asha. She then interrogated Hugh about their whereabouts and to make sure he tells the truth, chose to murder Hugh's fellow Ex-Bs in front of him. Needless to say, it's a chilling scene and Del Arco admitted to The Hollywood Reporter it took certain preparations.
"The bulk of my research for the show, actually, was on Holocaust survivors," he revealed. "I listened to hours of interviews with survivors, and researched the psychology of survivors — and, having lived through the AIDS crisis, and watching friends die — I used my experience there as well. It was a devastating day to shoot."
It's a sad way to prepare for a role but there is little doubt that Del Arco truly expressed Hugh's distress in those key moments. Sadly, it all ended with Hugh himself being killed by Narissa but there is hope that his death wasn't in vain.
Star Trek: Picard Episode 7 is currently streaming on CBS All Access.
Related: Star Trek: Picard Actor Opens Up About Hugh's Shocking Death
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