OneStar Trek: Picardcharacter’s death prevents a story involving Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) that would have been perfect forStar Trek: Legacy. Picking up about 20 years after the events ofStar Trek: Nemesis,Picardnot only reintroduced Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) but alsoStar Trek: Voyager’sSeven of Nine. After the USS Voyager returned from the Delta Quadrant,Seven applied to join Starfleet Academy but was rejecteddue to her past as a Borg. Sometime after this rejection, Seven joined the Fenris Rangers, a peacekeeping force operating along the Romulan Neutral Zone.
Seven of Nine was not the only former Borg drone among the USS Voyager’s crew. InStar Trek: Voyagerseason 6, Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and her crewrescued four teenage Borg drones, one of whom was named Icheb(Manu Intiraymi). Seven became a mentor to Icheb and the others, helping them adjust to their new lives. Icheb soon proved to be incredibly intelligent, developing a particular interest in astrophysics, leading him to join Starfleet after Voyager returned to Earth. A flashback inStar Trek: Picardseason 1revealed that Icheb (Casey King) tragically lost his life after a criminal broker in Borg parts forcibly removed his Borg implants.
Icheb Would Have Been An Excellent Addition To Star Trek: Legacy
Seven Of Nine & Icheb’s Story Should Have Continued
After theconclusion ofStar Trek: Picardseason 3, fans began clamoring for a spin-off following Captain Seven of Nine and the USS Enterprise-G. Despite enthusiasm from crew members and fans alike for the project dubbedStar Trek: Legacy,Paramount+ is focusing on otherStar Trekprojects.Picard’s ending set up Captain Seven of Nine leading the USS Enterprise-G, withSeven as the lead ofStar Trek: Legacy.Icheb would have been a great addition to Seven’s story, but his death inPicardseason 1 prevents his return.
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With his tragic backstory and history as a Borg, Icheb became a compelling addition to Voyager’s crew. Still, he was a teenager whose childhood was taken from him, so he got into a fair amount of mischief. Icheb had been through so much, it would have been nice to see him succeed as an adult.Icheb would have been the perfect candidate to join the crew of Seven’s Enterpriseas a bridge officer. Seven had come to view Icheb as something close to a son, andStar Trek: Legacycould have continued to explore their fascinating dynamic.
Why Icheb’s Star Trek: Picard Death Was Controversial
Icheb’s Death Was Unnecessarily Gruesome & Cruel
Star Trek: Picardseason 1, episode 5, “Stardust City Rag,” flashes back to 2386, revealing pieces of Seven’s life from her time with the Fenris Rangers. In this flashback, Seven finds Icheb, barely conscious and in immense pain. Knowing his injuries are too severe and that he cannot survive without his Borg implants,Seven is forced to kill Icheb to end his suffering.Not only was Icheb’s death particularly graphic, but having Seven be the one to kill him felt unnecessarily cruel. It also falls into the trope of bringing back a character only to immediately kill them off.
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In the present day ofStar Trek:Picardseason 1, Seven avenges Icheb by killing Bjayzl (Necar Zadegan), the criminal broker responsible for his gruesome death. WhileIcheb’s death clearly had a profound effect on Seven,it’s never brought up again afterPicardseason 1.Picardcould easily have given Seven another reason to be seeking revenge, without including Icheb. Icheb’s death was controversial not only because the character was brought back only to be killed, but also because of the brutal nature of his death, as well as Seven’s involvement.
Icheb’s Original Actor Likely Won’t Return, But The Role Could Have Been Recast
Manu Intiraymi Has Apparently Burned Some Bridges Within The Star Trek Community
Although there was no official explanation for whyStar Trek: Picardrecast Icheb for his controversial death scene, it could have something to do with Manu Intiraymi’s social media posts.Intiraymi has been called out for insensitive and even racist tweetsin the past. In 2017, Intiraymi tweeted aboutStar Trek: Discoverystar Anthony Rappand Kevin Spacey, downplaying Rapp’s abuse allegations and praising Spacey’s response. Intiraymi immediately received backlash from Twitter users andStar Trekfans but continued to double down.
It’s unfortunate Icheb was killed off.
Manu Intiraymi has since apologized, but some believe he was not asked to return to play Icheb in part because of his past tweets. Either way, it seems unlikely Intiraymi will return toStar Trek,butthat doesn’t mean Casey King or another actor could not have portrayed Icheb.It’s unfortunate Icheb was killed off, as he would have made an excellent addition toStar Trek: Legacy.Still,Star Trekcharacters have been known to return from the dead on occasion. Although Icheb’s death inStar Trek: Picardseason 1 seemed definitive, anything is possible.
