The writers resort to 2 dimensional comic book characterizations, 19th century plot devices and lapses in logic in this 2 part episode.
Lore is a smirking "Eevyil Genius" with a master plan for elimination of inferior beings and Universal Domination. He has set up silly structure with vaguely fascists looking symbolic elements where a few Borg have become his minions (meaning, of course, they are cannon fodder who can only hit non recurring characters in hand to hand combat, are hard to kill when it isn't important, but extremely vulnerable when being killed moves the plot along.
We know all of this, because, instead of doing what bad critters really do, and just doing their evil deeds, Lore must tell his victims exactly what his plans are, and, also, provide sufficient scenarios in which his victims can concoct escape plans. This results in several 1960s style expositional scenes in which Lore almost produces a "Mha-mha- mha, victory is mine".
The Borg guards fall for a "Captain isn't feeling well" get out of force field ruse because, of course, they have deep wells of empathy for humans.
The day is saved by a "get in touch with your better self" speech in which Data is reminded who his true friends are (with a touch of technobabble and deus ex machina technology to help things along.)
In the end, we have a suitably melancholy ending, with just the right amount of hope, as Data chooses to give up emotion so that he doesn't become a monster, but his one true friend, Geordi, intimates that, maybe, in the future he will be ready.
Hugh the Borg is told to look into himself and find leadership qualities, because all things touched by the Enterprise become "the most important thing of their kind in the Universe."
All in all, writing out of our naive past, without the cheesy charm of brilliant hammy actors.