The success of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) as a character inStar Trek: Voyagerisn’t just because of her sex appeal.Star Trek: Voyagermade an important leap forward for women inStar Trekwith the franchise’s first female captainleading aStar Trekseries, Kate Mulgrew’s Captain Kathryn Janeway, as well as Lieutenant B’Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) as the USS Voyager’s Chief Engineer. Joined by Kes (Jennifer Lien), the three women inStar Trek: Voyager’s castwere femaleStar Trekcharacters whose intelligence, creativity, and curiosity mattered more than their physical appearances.
WhenJeri Ryan’s Seven of Ninewas brought on to saveStar Trek: Voyager’s flagging ratings in its fourth season, Seven’s sexual appeal and skin-tight costumes seemed to undermine the feminist strides thatStar Trek: Voyagerhad already taken. There’s no doubt that Seven of Nine, as a sexy ex-Borg drone turned human, did succeed in the goal of attracting new viewers, butSeven’s undeniable sex appeal didn’t actually detract fromVoyageras a feminist show. In trueStar Trekfashion, there was much more to Seven of Nine as a character than what she looked like.
Seven Of Nine Was A Trojan Horse On Star Trek: Voyager
Seven Of Nine’s Struggle To Fit In Made Her Relatable To Many Groups
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine’s Nana Visitor refers to Seven of Nine as “a true Trojan horse” in her book,Star Trek:Open A Channel: A Woman’s Trek,which recountsStar Trekhistory through a lens that examines the franchise’s female characters. As Visitor keenly observes,fans latched onto Seven of Nine asStar Trek: Voyager’s outsider, regardless of what she wore, which confirms that Seven is a much more nuanced character than her sexualized appearance might initially suggest. Seven being sexy was just a way to lure viewers in before surprising them with the compelling story arc of a complex character arc unlike any other onStar Trek: Voyager. Read Visitor’s quote below:
“As I watch the show now, and interview so many people to whom Seven was important, I see she served as a true Trojan horse. The sexiness brought more people to the show, where they could come for the costume but stay for a well-acted and developed character.Seven was an avatar many different groups of people could claim as their own in the same way Spock, Data, and Dax were, but maybe for even a wider group: She was an abused child; she was a survivor of trauma; she was a victim of a cult; she was queer; she was neurodiverse; she was every woman who has been valued for her appearance but is so much more; she was anyone who struggled to find their true self and fit into a world where they felt othered.”
Rather than being a step backwards forStar Trek: Voyageras a feminist show,Seven of Nine was a female character who defied conventional 90s TV stereotypes by daring to be complex. Seven was sexyandintelligent, physically attractiveandsocially uncertain, longing for her old Collectiveandfiguring out how to be an independent individual.Seven of Nine and Janeway’s best episodesofStar Trek: Voyagertogether automatically passed the Bechdel Test, and pushed both characters to be stronger and more interesting. Being sexy was only the start of Seven of Nine’s story, which would continue even afterVoyagerended.
Seven Changed But Stayed Interesting In Star Trek: Picard
Star Trek: Picard Brings Seven Of Nine’s Character Arc Full Circle
InStar Trek: Picard,Seven of Nine was a changed, but still interesting character, who no longer needed the allure of a tight-fitting catsuit to draw viewers in. Now attired in the practical gear of a Fenris Ranger peacekeeper,Seven of Nine faced a difficult life in the Alpha Quadrant, fraught with extreme prejudice against ex-Borgthat resulted in Seven’s rejection from Starfleet and the death of her protégé, Icheb (Manu Intiraymi). Even after being accepted by Starfleet inStar Trek: Picardseason 3, Commander Seven of Nine faced microaggressions and outright hostility from Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick).
Star Trek Is Really Going To Waste Jeri Ryan As Captain Seven of Nine?
Star Trek: Picard set up Jeri Ryan as Captain Seven of Nine on the Enterprise-G, so why haven’t we heard anything about Star Trek: Legacy?
Star Trek: Picardproved that Seven of Nine’s ultimate success came from Seven being a complex character with an arc that bends towards hope, especially for those who identify with Seven’s difficulty navigating life as an independent individual. In the 21+ years since the USS Voyager’s return,Seven of Nine learned to mask her authentic ex-Borg personality with a carefully crafted human persona that kept her alive.By showing how Seven of Nine cracked that mask and discovered her true voice, eventually becomingCaptain of the USS Enterprise-G,Star Trek: Picardcompletes the arc Seven started onStar Trek: Voyager.
