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What are the key Seven of Nine episodes?

Discussion in ' Star Trek: Voyager ' started by SpaceCadetJuan , Nov 9, 2014 .

SpaceCadetJuan Ensign Newbie

Folks, I’m a long time lurker and very occasional poster who would very much appreciate the benefit of your collective Trek knowledge. Although I am a huge Trek fan, my fandom comes with an asterisk, which is that I have never seen the final four seasons of Voyager. Any other episode of Trek, I have seen anywhere from 2 to 6 times depending, but those 100 or so Voyager episodes, not once. How could this be? Three reasons, really: 1) Voyager, based on the first three seasons anyway, is easily my least favorite of the Trek series. Other than Tuvok and the Doctor I wasn’t enthused by most of the cast but worse, I was disgusted by how little the show did with such a promising initial premise. Count me among the fans who would have loved to have seen more Starfleet/Maquis conflict, and increasingly desperate situations as the ship began to break down without proper repairs, as resources began to run out, as crewmembers were lost and it became more difficult to keep the ship running with so few. The fact that everything was kept light and congenial and the ship (and its shuttlecrafts) were seemingly reset to factory specs after every episode was highly disappointing to me. 2) Between seasons 3 and 4, I moved from an area that had a UPN affiliate to one that did not. Although a local station eventually picked up the show, by then I had missed an entire season and didn’t want to watch out of chronology. I figured I could always see the series later in reruns or on DVD, but to this day I haven’t. 3) Even though I now have Netflix and I can watch Voyager anytime I want, I haven’t yet because here’s the deal: although Enterprise has been off the air for nearly a decade, and there seems to be no real interest in bringing Star Trek in any form back to TV anytime soon, there are 100 already-produced episodes of Star Trek that I haven’t watched yet. And even though Voyager is far from my fav, that’s quite something to have in my back pocket. Now I almost never want to watch them because once I do then I will be in the same position as all of you, with no new Trek TV to look forward to. So what I’m interested in doing for the moment is this: I would like to have a sort of marathon of key Seven of Nine episodes. Of all the great characters in the Trek pantheon, she is the only one I really don’t know much about at all, other than what I’ve read about her, because Jeri Ryan joined the show just as I stopped watching. I think it would be cool if, in a single burst, I could get a quick overview of what her character is like and how her story arc developed over the course of the show. Obviously a board like this is the perfect place to put it to the experts as to what are the most important 8-12 episodes of Voyager that would best reflect Seven of Nine. If anyone would be willing to take the time to make some recommendations for my Seven binge, I would be most grateful and thanks in advance.  

Captain Kathryn Commodore Commodore

Firstly, I suggest you watch the entirety of seasons 4-7 in order as they are excellent and have a different feeling from 1-3. By skipping most of the episodes you will miss a lot of growth and development for Seven, Janeway, Paris, Torres, and even minor characters like Neelix. Also key plot points will be spoiled for you before watching them consecutively.. Also you would be missing SO MANY great Doctor episodes and that makes me SAD. This is a list of most of the "major" Seven of Nine episodes. Coincidently, most of my favorite episodes are on this list. She has some of the richest storylines on Voyager. I put stars next to my top 5 Seven episodes. *Scorpion parts 1 and 2 The Raven One The Omega Directive *Drone In The Flesh Infinite Regress *Dark Frontier parts 1 and 2 *Someone to Watch Over Me Survival Instinct Collective Child's Play Unimatrix 0 parts 1 and 2 *Imperfection Human Error Didn't include Endgame...because that would spoil the entire ending for you. Unrelated, I REALLY want to marathon the above list now...  

Thanks for the thorough reply, CK! I assure you I will watch the rest of Voyager, in proper sequence, eventually. Like I said, I sort of keeping holding off because once I watch them that's it, no new Trek for me. As for spoilers, I sort of know bits and pieces already simply from internet discussions, and also from some Trek Lit I've read. I know that Tom and B'elanna get together, for instance, and Janeway and Chakotay don't. I know that the Doctor becomes a fully-realized being independent of sickbay (and long distance calls to Reg Barclay fit in somehow), while Kim is still a very bland ensign by the end of the show. I know Kes leaves shortly after I left off watching, but unfortunately Neelix sticks around. I know that they use some kind of Borg tech to get back home, but that the series ends just as they arrive so you don't really get any satisfaction if you wanted to see them reunited with Starfleet or their loved ones when they get back. As for the Doctor's story who knows-- maybe in a few months I will be asking the board for suggestions for a Doctor marathon...  

SpaceCadetJuan said: ↑ Thanks for the thorough reply, CK! I assure you I will watch the rest of Voyager, in proper sequence, eventually. Like I said, I sort of keeping holding off because once I watch them that's it, no new Trek for me. As for spoilers, I sort of know bits and pieces already simply from internet discussions, and also from some Trek Lit I've read. I know that Tom and B'elanna get together, for instance, and Janeway and Chakotay don't. I know that the Doctor becomes a fully-realized being independent of sickbay (and long distance calls to Reg Barclay fit in somehow), while Kim is still a very bland ensign by the end of the show. I know Kes leaves shortly after I left off watching, but unfortunately Neelix sticks around. I know that they use some kind of Borg tech to get back home, but that the series ends just as they arrive so you don't really get any satisfaction if you wanted to see them reunited with Starfleet or their loved ones when they get back. As for the Doctor's story who knows-- maybe in a few months I will be asking the board for suggestions for a Doctor marathon... Click to expand...

Catarina Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

I do concur with her list. Where I want to point out is if you get curious based on her asterisks alone I'd say If you want to see "Imperfection" you'll have to watch "Collective" if you don't know who Icheb is. If you do know of/about him skip Collective but watch "Child's Play" before "Imperfection" to get the poignancy of why Icheb does what he does it's more enjoyed that way than just simply saying "who wouldn't?"  

Catarina said: ↑ I do concur with her list. Where I want to point out is if you get curious based on her asterisks alone I'd say If you want to see "Imperfection" you'll have to watch "Collective" if you don't know who Icheb is. If you do know of/about him skip Collective but watch "Child's Play" before "Imperfection" to get the poignancy of why Icheb does what he does it's more enjoyed that way than just simply saying "who wouldn't?" Click to expand...

Agreed. we sound like a collective ;-)  

JirinPanthosa Admiral Admiral

That's a pretty good list but I would remove Omega Directive and In The Flesh and add The Gift and Prey.  

But Omega is her own kinda sorta spiritual exploration. In the Flesh shows her watching Janeway be diplomatic instead of shoot back. Okay we won't lie it's mostly Chakotay sleeping with the enemy which apparently has smaller nuts than a squirrel so it might be a skipper. Watch Prey instead. Gift wasn't on the list? Add The Gift to list. I didn't catch that either. I think that's important to see why she's on the ship and her pov on why Janeway's methods might be more self-righteous than liberating. If you insist on skipping, OP.  

Melakon Admiral In Memoriam

Catarina said: ↑ Agreed. we sound like a collective ;-) Click to expand...

SPCTRE Badass Admiral

I agree, Captain Kathryn put together a very comprehensive list. I would just like to add "Body and Soul" - it's not a "definitive" Seven episode, but you get to see Jeri Ryan's acting and comedy chops in full effect  

WillsBabe Vice Admiral Admiral

I've only just watched the episodes you are talking about myself, and given my advanced aged can't remember which one is which , however, I hope that you enjoy them as much as I did. For years, Seven was nothing of a character for me. Now I really love her. Hope you enjoy her too.  

SPCTRE said: ↑ I agree, Captain Kathryn put together a very comprehensive list. I would just like to add "Body and Soul" - it's not a "definitive" Seven episode, but you get to see Jeri Ryan's acting and comedy chops in full effect Click to expand...

Bob Picardo: "The episode where the doctor is inside seven of nine-but not in a fun way." ROFL.  

Garren Lieutenant Red Shirt

Captain Kathryn said: ↑ Firstly, I suggest you watch the entirety of seasons 4-7 in order Click to expand...

Gaith Vice Admiral Admiral

Catarina said: ↑ Bob Picardo: "The episode where the doctor is inside seven of nine-but not in a fun way." ROFL. Click to expand...

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‘Star Trek: Voyager’: The 10 best Seven of Nine episodes

Seven of Nine is one of the most popular and enduring characters the Star Trek franchise has ever produced. Played superbly by Jeri Ryan , Star Trek: Voyager charted her journey from unfeeling Borg drone to one of the most human characters in the show. We see her develop close relationships with Captain Janeway and the holographic Doctor while coming to terms with the crimes she committed while controlled by the Borg.

Voyager was full of excellent Seven moments, and fans’ immensely positive response to the character led her to dominate the show’s later years. With Ryan returning for the much-hyped third season of Star Trek: Picard , we can expect more exploration of Seven of Nine’s character. The following is a countdown of the 10 greatest Voyager episodes featuring her in a central role:

10. “Tsunkatse “

In “Tsunkatse,” Seven is forced to fight in televised gladiatorial combat against a host of alien opponents. The fights become increasingly dangerous, and ultimately she is manipulated into a death match against a man she has befriended. “Tsunkatse” may not be the greatest episode of Voyager ever filmed, but it does feature Seven putting that Borg super-strength to good use against WWE legend and Hollywood superstar Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

9. “Scorpion (Part 2) “

This is the episode that introduces us to Seven of Nine: Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One (but you may call her Seven of Nine), a scary-looking Borg drone working in an uneasy alliance with the Voyager crew. Jeri Ryan shows off her acting skills straight away, oozing menace as she acts as the Borg’s spokesperson. At the end of the episode, her link with the Borg Collective is severed, and Captain Janeway forcibly recruits her as Voyager’s newest (and most dangerous) crew member.

8. “The Raven “

This episode sees Seven continuing to adapt to her new life as a liberated Borg drone, eating for the first time and even trying her hand at creating a sculpture. It gives us a complicated mystery which reveals more of Seven’s backstory, showing us that her parents were scientists who irresponsibly ventured into unknown space with their child. The conclusion features a wonderful scene where Seven places her trust in Tuvok, the ship’s Vulcan security officer.

7. “Relativity “

This is a popular comedy episode that sees Seven traveling back and forth through time to stop a temporal bomb being planted on Voyager. We get treated to some great scenes, including Seven infiltrating Voyager’s bridge in a Starfleet uniform and a ping-pong tournament where the ball freezes mid-play. We also see the return of Captain Braxton of the Starfleet Temporal Integrity Commission, sent from the 29th century. Any episode that features the line, “Seven of Nine to Seven of Nine, what’s your status?” has got to be worth a look.

6. “Body and Soul “

Another comedic episode, here Seven and the Doctor are held prisoner by a xenophobic alien species who despise holograms. The Doctor must hide his program in Seven’s Borg implants, temporarily taking over her body. Jeri Ryan’s performance in “Body and Soul” is excellent as she perfectly emulates Robert Picardo’s distinctive speaking style and mannerisms.

5. “The Voyager Conspiracy “

Seven modifies her alcove to assimilate huge amounts of data while she sleeps. Inevitably, this turns out to be a very bad idea. She begins to see conspiracies everywhere, simultaneously believing that Janeway stranded Voyager in the Delta Quadrant on purpose and that Chakotay is planning to take over the ship. It is the final act of the episode where Seven steals a shuttle to try and escape that shows how close she and Janeway have become.

4. “Infinite Regress “

“Infinite Regress” showcases all of Ryan’s considerable acting ability. Malfunctioning Borg tech has split Seven’s mind into multiple personalities based on people she assimilated as a drone. Her schizophrenia manifests itself in the form of a snarling, meat-eating Klingon (who tries to mate with B’Elanna Torres), an excited child desperate to play with Naomi Wildman, and a Ferengi merchant eager to buy Voyager’s technology. Despite being a fun episode with many laughs, “Infinite Regress” had a serious side, forcing Seven to come to terms with the atrocities she had committed.

3. “Someone to Watch Over Me “

“Someone to Watch Over Me” sees the Doctor (himself a hologram) teaching Seven how to embrace her humanity. He does this through a series of holodeck programs about dating where Seven learns to dance, laugh, and make small talk. In introducing her to romance, the Doctor realizes he has got more than he bargained for when he falls in love with everyone’s favorite ex-Borg. The final scene where the Doctor apparently confesses his love to Seven is among the most tragic moments in the show.

2. “One “

In the last half of season four, a dangerous radiation cloud forces Janeway to place the whole crew in suspended animation while the ship passes through. The only two crewmembers unaffected are the Doctor and Seven. But for the ex-Borg drone used to hearing the thoughts of billions, as the days go by the loneliness becomes too much. When the Doctor goes offline, Seven must overcome her fears to keep the ship operational. A great episode that again shows Ryan’s acting prowess, “One” also features Seven trying to improve her social skills. In a simulation, she demands a holographic B’Elanna Torres to “describe the nature of your sexual relationship with Lieutenant Paris!”

1. “Drone “

A transporter accident sees Seven’s Borg nanoprobes merge with the Doctor’s mobile emitter to create a Borg baby from the 29th Century. This episode makes Seven into a mother as she nurtures her fast-growing child from a fetal drone into a young man, who is eventually named “One.” Seven begins to teach One how to be an individual as she prepares him for life aboard Voyager. However, the Borg quickly learn of One’s existence and send a Sphere to capture him and assimilate Voyager. In the final scene, One realizes he must die to prevent 29th Century technology from falling into the hands of The Collective. He refuses the Doctor’s lifesaving medical treatment despite Seven’s pleas. “Drone” is possibly the greatest Seven episode, and one of the most heart-breaking for the character.

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Star Trek: Voyager Problems With Jeri Ryan Are “On Me”, Says Kate Mulgrew

Star trek producer praises voyager finale, reveals alternate ideas for series ending, fallout theory reveals cooper howard's family is in a specific vault from the games.

• The relationship between Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager led to growth and empowerment for both women.
• Kate Mulgrew accepts responsibility for problems with Jeri Ryan on set, but acknowledges the depth Seven of Nine added to the show.
• Key episodes that highlight the dynamic between Janeway and Seven of Nine include "Scorpion, Part II," "The Gift," and "Dark Frontier."

The relationship between Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) on Star Trek: Voyager led to some of the series' most interesting and engaging episodes. The strong female dynamic between the two characters over Janeway's rescue and subsequent mentorship of Seven of Nine led to an arc of growth and empowerment for both women. With Seven's introduction designed to counterweight Janeway's character, their interactions initiated personal and emotional enrichment that enhanced the show and propelled momentum. Though Kate Mulgrew and Jeri Ryan's relationship was problematic behind the scenes , Mulgrew has since acknowledged the depth Seven of Nine added to Voyager and Captain Janeway herself.

Star Trek: Voyager – introducing Captain Janeway as Star Trek 's first female lead - portrayed both women as strong, capable, intelligent characters, formidable, and impressive. Janeway is a stubborn and steadfast Captain, leading an isolated crew of roughly 150 through unexplored space on a quest to return to the Alpha Quadrant. Seven of Nine, a survivor of Borg assimilation and unofficial addition to the USS Voyager's crew, works through trauma to explore and regain her sense of humanity, individuality, and independence. Here's a look at the best and most significant Star Trek: Voyager episodes for Captain Kathryn Janeway and Seven of Nine .

Kate Mulgrew accepts responsibility for problems with Seven of Nine actor Jeri Ryan on the set of Star Trek: Voyager.

8 Star Trek: Voyager, Season 4, Episode 1, "Scorpion, Part II"

Seven of nine comes aboard uss voyager with an injured captain janeway.

Captain Janeway establishes a tentative accord with the Borg Collective to defeat Species 8472 in the Star Trek: Voyager season 4 premiere. Assigned Seven of Nine as a liaison, Janeway returns to the USS Voyager severely injured following the destruction of the Borg Cube. When Seven of Nine's Borg implant is later overloaded and pre-assimilated memories as a young human girl dislodged, her connection to the Collective is severed. Recognizing Seven's value as more than a mere drone bent on efficiency, Janeway considers maintaining her on board Voyager and helping to reassert Seven's individuality, embarking on a mentorship arc and relationship that would lead to a journey of self-reclamation, self-discovery, and growth.

7 Star Trek: Voyager, Season 4, Episode 2, "The Gift"

Captain janeway doesn't let seven of nine return to the borg collective.

Seven of Nine’s dissimilation from the Borg continues in Star Trek: Voyager 's “The Gift.” Assimilated as a young girl named Annika Hansen, Seven of Nine is very much alone, distressed by the silence in her mind, defeated, and isolated with her link to the Collective severed, her body beginning to reject implanted technology. Refusing Seven’s demands to return to the Collective as tantamount to “ tossing her back to the wolves ,” Janeway attempts to foster recognition of Seven’s regained humanity , suggesting Seven is now part of a Human Collective. Janeway provides information on Seven’s life before assimilation and establishes a connection that leads to a breakthrough in the former drone accepting a new sense of self post-Borg.

6 Star Trek: Voyager, Season 4, Episode 6, "The Raven"

Captain janeway supports seven of nine as she recalls life before the borg.

Seven of Nine is triggered into a sudden memory by the sight of a Da Vinci prototype glider and remembers being pursued by a Borg drone aboard her parents' vessel as a child. As more flashbacks and old memories resurface, Seven believes that the Borg are reaching out to call her back to them. With Captain Janeway taking a hands-on role to aid Seven's transition into reclaiming her humanity and sense of individuality , the episode explores Seven's pre-Borg life as the young Annika Hansen. Using Voyager's holodeck simulation technology , Janeway attempts to teach Seven the importance of relaxation, creativity, and expression, suggesting Seven read her parents' scientific work to encourage her imagination.

5 Star Trek: Voyager, Season 5, Episodes 15 & 16, "Dark Frontier"

Seven of nine aids captain janeway against the borg.

Captain Kathryn Janeway schemes to steal a transwarp coil from a Borg ship to significantly accelerate Voyager's return to Earth in a two-part story that expounds on Seven of Nine's character, exploring her human family's fascination with the Borg and pits Voyager in direct opposition with the Borg, with Seven forced to choose a side. Janeway's uncertainties over Seven and her fears of a traumatic return to the Borg's Collective are also highlighted, along with the revelation of secret Borg transmissions. Ultimately, Seven of Nine proves her place amongst Voyager's crew and aids Captain Janeway in bringing them all 15 years closer to home.

Producer Rick Berman discusses the Star Trek: Voyager finale and shares the alternative ending ideas involving Captain Janeway or Seven of Nine.

4 Star Trek: Voyager, Season 7, Episode 2, "Imperfection"

Captain janeway comforts an emotionally vulnerable seven of nine.

In this Star Trek: Voyager episode exploring themes of connection, legacy, and anxiety, an emotional Seven of Nine experiences a failure in her cortical node and cements a deep bond with Icheb (Manu Intiraymi) , who sacrifices his own node as a replacement. The episode also features a significant scene between Seven of Nine and Captain Janeway in Voyager's Astrometrics lab, with the former apologizing for a lack of development in individuality despite the Captain's dedicated mentorship, with Janeway expressing reassurance that Seven is an "extraordinary individual. " The episode addresses the two characters' relationship and depth of commitment, highlighting their respective risky and uncertain efforts to result in genuine respect and heartfelt familial friendship.

3 Star Trek: Voyager, Season 7, Episodes 25 & 26 "Endgame"

Admiral janeway remembers seven of nine.

A future-reality Admiral Janeway travels into the past in Star Trek: Voyager ’s epic series finale to warn her younger self about an imminent Borg attack and assist the crew in their journey home. Originally ending with the alternate death of Seven of Nine, “Endgame” sees the older Admiral Janeway sacrificing herself to destroy the Borg. The iconic two-part episode demonstrates Janeway’s deep emotional connection to her crew, and particularly to Seven of Nine – with the Admiral using the revelation of Seven’s impending demise to steer the Captain’s actions – as well as the Admiral’s own reaction to seeing Seven alive. It’s a weighty and bittersweet, but meaningful moment for Voyager’s finale episode.

2 Star Trek: Voyager, Season 5, Episode 24, "Relativity"

Seven of nine asks captain janeway to trust her.

In Star Trek: Voyager' s temporal-themed “Relativity,” Seven of Nine is recruited by 29th-century Starfleet and sent back in time to prevent a paradox caused by the detonation of an explosive planted on Voyager. Using her Borg enhancements to locate the device and later to identify the saboteur with Janeway’s assistance. Against instructions, an apprehended Seven explains her presence to the young Captain Janeway, echoing the Captain’s words that “ part of being human is learning to trust .” Though relatively brief, this scene emphasizes the emotional understanding, inherent trust, respect, and depth of knowledge that Captain Janeway and Seven of Nine have for the other’s character and the see-sawing connection forged between them.

1 Star Trek: Voyager, Season 4, Episode 26, "Hope and Fear"

Captain janeway encourages seven of nine's sense of humor.

Seven of Nine contemplates remaining in the Delta Quadrant when the USS Voyager may have found a way home. Captain Janeway's doubts about the convenience of this information prove founded when it is revealed to be an alien trap. Nonetheless, Seven examines her identity and concludes that she is " no longer Borg " while admitting that the prospect of becoming human is " unsettling ." Seven's joke in response to Janeway's admission of being occasionally hard on her, that she does not understand but will once they have both been assimilated, demonstrates Seven's pronounced development from the season premiere and the easy, if complex, camaraderie between the two characters .

Star Trek: Voyager is available to stream on Paramount+.

Star Trek Voyager

• Star Trek: Voyager (1995)

The Entire Seven Of Nine Timeline Explained

For a character who joined the main cast in the fourth season of Star Trek: Voyager , Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) has since become a major icon in the Star Trek franchise. The former Borg drone has been compared to a "Spock"-type character for her outsider's perspective on human events or even a former cultist struggling to regain her individuality. Her form-fitting catsuit has also drawn criticism from some fans, who feel she was over-sexualized in her initial appearances.

While all of these perspectives offer insights into Seven's character, none of them paint a whole picture of a woman who first appears in the Star Trek: Voyager episode "Scorpion, Part II," regains her humanity with the Voyager crew, and later evolves into a very different character on Star Trek: Picard. Seven has been a frightening cybernetic monster, a mother-figure, and even a vigilante action hero. She has striven to rediscover her humanity while helping others discover theirs, and has become the object of affection for many people (while struggling with relationships herself).

Clearly such a complex character has a rich history full of trauma and triumph. If you'd like to learn more about the woman who became so much more than just another Borg drone, here is Seven of Nine's entire timeline explained.

The exobiologists' daughter

While most people know her as Seven of Nine, Seven was born Annika Hansen in the year 2350 to exobiologists Magnus and Erin Hansen. In the Star Trek: Voyager season 5 episode "Dark Frontier," we learn that in 2356, Annika's parents took their young daughter on a deep space mission to study the cybernetic race of creatures known as the Borg.

Using the U.S.S. Raven , a small Starfleet vessel, the Hansens illegally cross the Romulan Neutral Zone in search of the Borg. They even follow a Borg cube through a transwarp corridor that takes them into the Delta Quadrant. By modifying their ship with special multi-adaptive shielding, the Hansens manage to remain undetected by the Borg and continue their studies. Annika's parents are also able to secretly beam aboard Borg cubes and even study unconscious drones up close and personal by transporting them onto their own vessel.

Unfortunately, the Hansens' recklessness finally catches up with them. A subspace particle storm disables their multi-adaptive shielding, allowing the Borg to detect them. In the season 4 episode "The Raven" we see the Borg eventually capture Annika and her parents, assimilating them into the Borg Collective. The U.S.S. Raven itself is damaged and left on a moon for eighteen years.

Growing up in Unimatrix Zero

While being assimilated by the Borg seemingly robs Annika of her childhood, we later learn that she receives a form of reprieve. In the Star Trek: Voyager season 6 episode "Unimatrix Zero," it's revealed that Annika is one of the rare people with a recessive genetic mutation that allows her to access the virtual Borg construct known as Unimatrix Zero. In contrast to the grim, mechanical world of the Borg, Unimatrix Zero is a very pleasant environment that resembles an idyllic garden.

Drones with the one-in-a-million mutation can enter this virtual reality whenever they regenerate or are kept in maturation chambers. Even better, the drones regain their lost memories and stolen individuality, allowing them to continue with some form of their lives. Annika gets to grow up in Unimatrix Zero over the next eighteen years during her regeneration cycles. She forms many friendships and even falls in love with a man named Axum.

Mercifully, the Borg drones forget everything they do in the real world whenever they come to Unimatrix Zero. This allows Annika to have a somewhat normal childhood and young adulthood without the emotional scars of her Borg activities.

Life as a Borg drone

In the real world, Annika's life as a Borg drone is anything but pleasant. After spending time in a Borg maturation chamber, Annika emerges rebuilt as a half-organic, half-mechanical being meant to assimilate other life forms into the Borg Collective. She is given the designation Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One and obeys the orders of the Borg Queen without question.

Over the next several years, Seven of Nine assists in the capture and assimilation of many alien species. As a member of the Borg Collective, she gains access to the knowledge of thousands of civilizations, making her smarter and more efficient. Unfortunately, she only uses this knowledge to continue assimilating other species.

In the Star Trek: Voyager season 6 episode "Survival Instinct," we learn that Seven of Nine had a chance to escape the Borg in the year 2368 when she and three other drones crash landed on a planet. This caused their link to the Collective to be severed and the drones to begin recovering their individuality.

However, this also caused Seven of Nine to revert back to the frightened child she was when she was first assimilated. Unwilling to become an individual after spending so much time in the Collective (and unable to access the personality she developed in Unimatrix Zero), Seven fused the drones into a miniature hive mind and let them be recaptured by the Borg.

Seven of Nine assists Voyager

In 2374, the Starfleet vessel U.S.S. Voyager attempts to make it through a section of Borg space in their efforts to return to the Alpha Quadrant after being stranded in the Delta Quadrant. Remarkably, they discover the Borg are battling an alien race known as Species 8472 which poses both a threat to the Borg Collective and the rest of the galaxy. Seeing an opportunity to protect her crew, Voyager's captain Kathryn Janeway ( Kate Mulgrew ) forges an alliance with the Borg by offering them the technology to create weapons against Species 8472. In exchange, the Borg seemingly give Voyager safe passage through their space.

The Borg attempt to temporarily link Janeway and her second officer Tuvok (Tim Russ) to their hive mind, but Janeway refuses to allow the procedure. Instead, she suggests the Borg provide Voyager with a representative to speak for the Collective. The Borg agree and assign the role to Seven of Nine. Seven assists in the creation of some new photon torpedoes modified with Borg nanoprobes. However, once the Borg win their battle, Seven attempts to assimilate the Voyager crew into the Collective.

In response, Janeway's first officer Chakotay (Robert Beltran) uses a neuro-transmitter to link with Seven, unlocking some of her human memories. This distracts Seven long enough for the crew to knock her unconscious. In the aftermath, Seven of Nine's link to the Collective is permanently severed and her human biology begins reasserting itself.

Seven of Nine joins Voyager

No longer a Borg drone but now a traumatized woman unable to reassert her individuality, Seven of Nine demands that Voyager return her to the Borg to be reassimilated. In the season 4 episode "The Gift," Janeway refuses and points out that Seven's reawakening human organics are rejecting many of her Borg implants. While Voyager 's holographic Doctor (Robert Picardo) is able to save her by removing most of her cybernetic components, Seven feels violated. She misses the voice of the Collective and attempts, unsuccessfully, to contact the Borg.

Although Seven of Nine considers Voyager 's crew hypocritical for claiming they want to give Seven back her freedom but denying her the choice to return to the Borg, she realizes she can't exist as an individual without help. Deciding that interacting with Captain Janeway and the Voyager crew may be the only way she can adapt to her new status, she agrees to work with Voyager .

Unknown to the Voyager crew, severing Seven of Nine's link to the Collective also eliminates her ability to return to Unimatrix Zero. As a result, the Annika Hansen who got to grow up in the virtual construct is essentially erased, although aspects of her memory and personality still exist in Seven of Nine.

Regaining her humanity

To help Seven of Nine adjust to her new individuality, the Doctor further modifies her appearance. Although he cannot remove all of her cybernetic components, he reveals in "The Gift” that he has extracted 82% of the implants, granting her an almost complete human appearance. He also stimulates her hair follicles and designs a silver catsuit to help her skin regenerate. As a result, Seven of Nine is now a very beautiful woman, although her personality remains cold and robotic.

Seven also retains vast knowledge from her time in the Borg Collective, making her an invaluable resource. However, her interpersonal skills are poor and after a short stint in Engineering in the season 4 episode "Day of Honor," she asks to be assigned to Astrometrics, a lab for stellar cartography where she maps and catalogues interstellar bodies. This means Seven works largely in solitude. She also needs to regenerate in an alcove located in one of Voyager 's cargo bays, further emphasizing her isolation.

However, Seven also makes attempts to look out for her crewmates and grow as an individual. When Voyager 's guide Neelix (Ethan Phillips) is fatally injured in the season 4 episode "Mortal Coil," Seven shows the Doctor how to use nanoprobes from her blood to revive him. And where she once considered the Borg a superior form of life, she begins realizing how traumatizing their actions are to others — including herself — as she experiences flashbacks of her own assimilation in "The Raven."

Seven of Nine and Captain Janeway

As the person who chose to have Seven of Nine remain on Voyager , Janeway feels responsible for encouraging Seven to embrace her individuality. As Seven's captain, however, Janeway often has to set limits when Seven's willful choices go against Starfleet regulations. This causes Seven to frequently call out Janeway on her contradictory stance, setting up a unique dynamic between the two women .

In the season 4 episode "Prey," Captain Janeway orders Seven to help a wounded member of Species 8472 escape a deadly Hirogen hunter. Instead, Seven beams both the hunter and his prey — an enemy of the Borg — onto the Hirogen ship. While Seven claims her actions helped save Voyager, Janeway revokes many of Seven's privileges on the starship for the ex-Borg's insubordination. In response, Seven points out that although Janeway claims she wants Seven to be an individual, she also punishes her when Seven doesn't comply with Janeway's point of view.

Despite this tension, Seven develops a great deal of respect for Captain Janeway, who in turn learns to place more trust in Seven. She even gives Seven command of Voyager in the season 4 episode "One" when the rest of the crew must go into stasis. They may not always see eye-to-eye, but both are willing to see the other's point of view and support each other.

Seven of Nine and the Doctor

From the beginning, Voyager 's holographic Doctor functions as a Pygmalion to Seven's Galatea . Just as the mythical sculptor Pygmalion crafted Galatea, his ideal woman, from clay, the Doctor is responsible for physically restructuring Seven from a Borg drone into a functioning human woman. He also assists in Seven's emotional development, even encouraging her to date people in the season 5 episode "Someone to Watch Over Me." And like Pygmalion, the Doctor develops romantic feelings for Seven of Nine but is crushed when she doesn't reciprocate.

Seven remains the Doctor's greatest flame and appears in many of his daydreams in the season 6 episode "Tinker Tenor Doctor Spy." He also bases a character after her for his holo novel in "Author, Author." And while Seven never falls in love with the Doctor, she does consider him a close friend and regularly accepts his guidance and support.

Despite their lack of a romantic relationship, the Doctor and Seven technically become closer than most couples when the Doctor temporarily takes over Seven's body in the season 7 episode "Body and Soul." Being able to eat and feel like an organic being proves intoxicating for the Doctor, although Seven isn't thrilled when he becomes sexually aroused while in her form. Nevertheless, she understands his longing for physical sensation and later describes a meal for him so he can enjoy it vicariously.

Seven of Nine and Tuvok

While Seven develops relationships with almost all of the bridge crew, her friendship with Lieutenant Commander Tuvok is particularly striking. As one of the few Vulcans aboard Voyager, Tuvok possesses an outsider's perspective similar to Seven's. Seven also respects Tuvok's logic and honesty, leading the two to have many conversations about human customs and interpersonal relationships.

Although Vulcans are known to suppress their emotions, Tuvok and Seven become friends after Tuvok helps Seven deal with her emotional trauma when she experiences flashbacks to her assimilation in "The Raven." Later episodes show them exchanging views on attitudes toward death and participating in research missions together.

In the two-part season 4 storyline "Year of Hell," Tuvok is blinded while attempting to protect Seven from a torpedo explosion. In response, Seven devotes herself to helping Tuvok with his daily tasks, even offering to help him shave. While these events are erased when Voyager resets the timeline, they show how Seven can form very powerful connections with people she respects.

Seven the den mother

Despite her aloof reputation, Seven forms several attachments with children aboard Voyager and finds herself falling into the role of surrogate mother more than once. Naomi Wildman (Scarlett Pomers), the first child born on Voyager , is initially scared of Seven but later bonds with her in the season 5 episode "Infinite Regress" when Seven manifests personalities from past Borg victims, including a girl Naomi's age. Seven ends up mentoring Naomi and lets her know she thinks of Naomi as family.

Seven actually has a "son" with the Doctor in the season 5 episode "Drone," when her nanoprobes interact with the Doctor's mobile emitter and a hapless ensign's DNA. The combination results in a benevolent drone who calls himself "One" and sees Seven as a mother figure. Seven develops an attachment to One and is greatly distressed when he chooses to sacrifice himself to save Voyager .

However, Seven's closest relationship is with Icheb (Manu Intiraymi), a young man genetically engineered by his parents to possess a virus capable of killing the Borg. Intentionally given to the Borg to be assimilated, Icheb and five other young drones are found and adopted by Voyager . Seven assists all of them with readjusting to life as individuals and develops a particularly strong bond with Icheb, who donates his cortical node to save her life in the season 7 episode "Imperfection." By the Star Trek: Picard episode "Stardust City Rag," Seven openly states she sees Icheb as her son .

Return to the Borg

If any episode truly emphasizes how far Seven has come from her time as a Borg drone, it's the season 5 two-part story "Dark Frontier." Taking place in 2375, a year after being separated from the Borg Collective, the story has Seven come face-to-face with the Borg Queen herself. In a chilling revelation, Seven learns she was deliberately granted freedom by the Collective to develop a perspective that would help the Borg create a virus for assimilating humanity. The Queen actually tries to force Seven to help build the weapon along with other drones.

In contrast to how she was presented originally, Seven refuses to re-assimilate into the Borg, preferring to retain her individuality. She also shows compassion for the species the Borg attempts to assimilate and begs for their freedom. She even identifies herself by her human name — Annika Hansen — and is horrified when she sees her father, still alive, as a Borg drone.

Return to Unimatrix Zero

Seven experiences another powerful reunion in the season 6 episode "Unimatrix Zero." In 2377, three years after her liberation from the Borg Collective, Annika Hansen's lover Axum manages to reconnect with her and allow her to re-enter Unimatrix Zero. However, Seven can't access her old memories at first and doesn't remember she once had an entire life in the virtual construct.

Over the course of the two-episode storyline, Seven's original Annika Hansen personality appears to resurface. She remembers the names of old friends, appears as a fully human woman, and becomes noticeably more relaxed than her Seven of Nine persona. Although Axum doesn't disclose their former relationship, Seven eventually pieces together her lost memories and realizes she's still in love with him.

Voyager manages to liberate the Borg inhabitants of Unimatrix Zero although the crew's efforts end up destroying the virtual sanctuary. Tragically, Axum reveals his drone form is stationed in a remote sector of the Beta Quadrant, making a real-life reunion impossible. In the end, Seven manages to salvage more of her Annika Hansen persona, but loses the people she grew up with.

Possible future and romance

Seven's newfound interest in exploring human emotion leads her to pursue a serious romance with Voyager 's first officer, Commander Chakotay. Initially, Seven only interacts with a holographic simulation of Chakotay in the season 7 episode "Human Error." When her attempts to experience strong emotion cause a Borg implant in her brain to hurt her, she chooses to have surgery to remove the implant in the series finale, "Endgame," and begin dating the real Chakotay.

At one point in "Endgame," an older Admiral Janeway from an alternate future travels to the present and informs Captain Janeway that the Chakotay and Seven of Nine of her reality married while serving on Voyager. However, Seven dies on an away mission and when Voyager returns to Earth in 2394, Chakotay dies shortly after. By traveling to her past, Admiral Janeway is able to bring Voyager home by the year 2377, erasing her own timeline.

On his Instagram ,  Star Trek: Picard  showrunner Michael Chabon stated that the Seven and Chakotay relationship likely ended by 2399. Regardless, Seven's choice to have her emotion-limiting Borg implant removed may have allowed her to explore a fuller range of emotions, explaining how her personality dramatically changed by the events of Star Trek: Picard.

Return to the Alpha Quadrant

Returning home to Earth may have been Voyager' s main mission, but the homecoming comes with some major downsides for Seven of Nine. Although the Voyager crew accept Seven as one of the family, other worlds are less welcoming. People hold many prejudices against the Borg for the planets and people they destroyed. This extends to "xBs" or people like Seven who were liberated from the Borg Collective and are struggling to regain their lost individuality.

Fortunately, the xBs gain an ally in Hugh (Jonathan del Arco) a former Borg drone who regained his individuality in the season 5  Star Trek: The Next Generation episode "I Borg." By 2399, Hugh becomes a Federation citizen and the executive director of a Romulan Borg Reclamation Project. In the Star Trek: Picard episode "The End is the Beginning," Hugh reveals that the xBs are now the most despised people in the galaxy. By working with the  Romulans , who seek to profit off the xBs by removing their implants and learning from the technology, Hugh hopes the xBs can be treated with more humanity during their recovery. While Seven knows of Hugh, she does not work with him.

Joining the Fenris Rangers

Seven of Nine joins a vigilante organization in the Romulan Neutral Zone known as the Fenris Rangers. Operating in the largely lawless Quris sector in the Beta Quadrant, the Fenris Rangers soon find themselves overrun when a power vacuum attracts many smugglers and warlords to their territory. Her experiences (and her newfound ability to process more emotion) radically alter Seven's personality. No longer the uptight professional she was aboard Voyager , Seven now adopts a more sarcastic and edgy persona. She also abandons her famous catsuits and starts dressing in leather jackets and sweaters.

Seven receives an additional traumatic experience when she loses her "son" Icheb  (Casey King). After successfully enrolling in and graduating from Starfleet Academy, Icheb becomes a lieutenant assigned to the science vessel U.S.S. Coleman by 2386 . He also assists Seven and the Fenris Rangers by participating in reconnaissance missions for them. Unfortunately, one of the Rangers –- a friend of Seven's named Bjayzl –- is secretly a black-market dealer in Borg parts who sees an opportunity to profit off Icheb.

After learning of Icheb through Seven, Bjayzl lures Icheb into an ambush and transports him to a facility where his implants are forcibly removed, leaving him in agonizing pain. Seven tracks down Icheb and kills the doctor torturing him, but she's forced to fatally shoot Icheb to end his suffering. The experience scars Seven who feels less hopeful about the universe from that point on.

Meeting Jean-Luc Picard

By 2399, Seven is still working with the Fenris Rangers. In the Star Trek: Picard episode "Absolute Candor," she helps the ship La Sirena in a battle with a Romulan Bird-of-Prey and is beamed aboard the La Sirena when her ship is destroyed. Seven ends up meeting retired Admiral Jean-Luc Picard ( Patrick Stewart ), who was once assimilated into the Borg Collective himself. Now seeking to rescue Soji (Isa Briones), a synthetic woman from the Borg Reclamation Project, Picard asks for Seven's help in rescuing one of Soji's creators, Dr. Bruce Maddox (John Ales), who had been captured by Bjayzl (Necar Zadegan).

Seeing an opportunity to take her revenge on Bjayzl, Seven agrees to help Picard's crew. In the episode "Stardust City Rag," Seven lets herself be used as bait to draw out Bjayzl and helps Picard save Maddox. Shortly after, however, she beams down to Bjayzl's nightclub and vaporizes her former friend before shooting her way out through Bjayzl's security team.

Seven displays strong differences from her earlier persona. Where she once got drunk on a single glass of champagne in the Star Trek: Voyager season 5 episode "Timeless," by the time of Star Trek: Picard she downs an entire glass of bourbon in a single gulp. Despite her cavalier attitude, she admits she's still working on regaining her humanity "every damn day of my life."

The new Borg Queen

At the end of "Stardust City Rag," Seven leaves a communication chip with Picard, offering her help in case he ever needs a vigilante. In the episode "Broken Pieces," Picard's Romulan friend Elnor (Evan Evagora) uses the chip to contact Seven, who makes her way onto the Romulans' damaged Borg vessel — known as the Artifact — just in time to save his life. When the Romulans begin jettisoning the Borg drones into space and killing the xBs, Seven decides to save them by connecting herself to the drones in a mini-Collective, effectively transforming herself into a new Borg Queen.

The experience unnerves Seven, who fears she won't want to let the drones go once she re-experiences Borg life. However, she's able to resist temptation and disconnect everyone (including herself) from the new Collective once they take control of the Borg cube. Still realizing she has work to do, she directs the Artifact to follow Picard's crew to the planet Coppelius. She reunites with Picard and helps him contact Starfleet, but stays behind to help the xBs.

Joining a new crew

In the final scene of the Star Trek: Picard episode "Et in Arcadia Ego, Part 2," Seven of Nine apparently joins Picard's new crew aboard the La Sirena to wander the galaxy. She's also seen holding hands affectionately with Picard's former first officer, Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd). This, along with some hints about Seven's past relationship with Bjayzl, indicates that Seven of Nine may now identify herself as gay or bisexual.

Jeri Ryan has announced that she will return as Seven of Nine in season 2 of Star Trek: Picard. She also admited in her Twitter feed that she enjoys playing Seven more on Picard than she did on Voyager.  Seven's dramatic evolution from her original incarnation on Star Trek: Voyager to her present form on Star Trek: Picard indicates that this former Borg drone will continue to change in surprising ways as her story continues.

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Seven of Nine's 12 essential 'Star Trek' episodes that you should watch

Seven of Nine is great in every episode she's in. Here are 12 of her finest hours.

Credit: CBS

Jeri Ryan 's Seven of Nine is one of the most popular Star Trek characters out there. We first met her at the beginning of Season 4 of Star Trek: Voyager , where she is full-on Borg, though she's soon removed from the Collective and becomes part of the Voyager crew. Getting used to living outside of the Collective, however, was something that took her years to adjust to, but adjust she does, especially if you look at how far she's come from her introduction to her time on Star Trek: Picard .

Here are 12 essential Seven of Nine episodes that are worth (re)watching to see the many facets of her character, as well as her journey over the years.

1. "Scorpion, Parts 1 and 2" ( Voyager  Seasons 3 & 4)

"Scorpion" is a two-parter that spans the end of Season 3 and the beginning of Season 4 of Star Trek: Voyager . While Seven of Nine doesn't show up in the Season 3 finale, the events of that episode set up for her introduction at the beginning of Season 4. Part 2 is Seven's origin story, for lack of a better phrase — it starts off with her as full-on Borg acting as the Borg's liaison to Voyager as they establish an uneasy alliance to save themselves from Species 8472's attacks. Voyager and the Borg ultimately defeat Species 8472 together. Seven of Nine is still all Borg, however, and — as the Borg are wont to do — breaks the alliance and tries to assimilate the ship. Fortunately, Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) thought this might happen, and has Torres (Roxann Dawson) fry Seven's connection to the Collective. Seven is now separate from the Borg, but as we'll see in later episodes, she'll have a long road in adjusting to life as a human.

2. "The Gift" ( Voyager  Season 4)

"The Gift" is the episode immediately after "Scorpion," and focuses on Seven as she adjusts to life separate from the Borg. Seven had been Borg for all of her adult life and wants to return to the Collective. Janeway, however, is having none of it. In "The Gift," we learn some of Seven's backstory — her human name is/was Annika Hansen and her parents were scientists murdered when she was assimilated — and we ultimately see her come to terms with being an individual rather than one of many drones.

3. "The Raven" ( Voyager  Season 4)

We get more into Seven's history later on in Season 4 in "The Raven," where Seven has flashbacks to her past, specifically the day the Borg assimilated her as a child. The episode also takes Seven and Tuvok (Tim Russ) to the Raven, the remains of the ship that belonged to Seven's parents. There, Seven relives the emotional trauma of seeing her parents die as well as her own assimilation by the Borg. It's an emotional moment for her, and a turning point on her journey to understanding and embracing her humanity.

4. "One" ( Voyager  Season 4)

"One" is Season 4's penultimate episode, and leaves Seven and the Doctor (Robert Picardo) as the only conscious beings on Voyager. The starship is flying near a nebula that would harm the rest of the crew unless they stay in stasis for a month. During the weeks-long journey, things get tough for Seven, especially after the Doctor is confined to Sickbay when his programming malfunctions. It's a psychologically intense episode, and one that shows how Seven perseveres no matter what is thrown her way.

5. "Infinite Regress" ( Voyager  Season 5)

In "Infinite Regress," Seven's Borg tech picks up an infected Borg neural interlink that causes her to exhibit multiple personalities, from a meat-loving Klingon to a young, bubbly child. The breadth of Ryan's acting here is impressive, and it also touches on how Seven must face the atrocities she committed when she was Borg.

6. "Someone to Watch Over Me" ( Voyager  Season 5)

This episode in the back half of the fifth season has the Doctor teaching Seven how to date after others in the crew didn't appreciate her watching their dating habits from afar. "Someone to Watch Over Me" is a humorous episode, although a bit bittersweet at the end when the Doctor realizes he has feelings for Seven and that those feelings are unrequited.

7. "Relativity" ( Voyager  Season 5)

"Relativity" is one of the best Trek episodes out there, full-stop. It's one of the franchise's many time travel stories, and this one centers around Seven as she repeatedly goes back through time trying to stop someone from planting a temporal bomb on Voyager. There's also a scene of Seven playing ping pong, and the episode is worth watching for that alone.

8. "Child's Play"( Voyager  Season 6)

Later on in Voyager , Seven develops a maternal relationship with Icheb, a child who — like Seven — used to be part of the Borg Collective. In "Child's Play," Voyager has found Icheb's parents, something that raises complex feelings for Seven. The episode also emphasizes how much Seven has changed in just two seasons — she has effectively become Icheb's parent, and a good one at that.

9. "Unimatrix Zero, Parts 1 & 2" ( Voyager  Seasons 6 & 7)

"Unimatrix Zero" is another two-parter that spans two seasons. In it, Voyager is once again in a conflict with the Borg. Unimatrix Zero is a virtual realm that some Borg drones visit when they are regenerating (aka, sleeping). There, they are their pre-assimilated selves, something that the Borg unsurprisingly does not like. Seven was able to visit Unimatrix Zero when she was a Borg drone, and in this episode she travels back there, where she is Annika, and has a lover who is still Borg. It's yet another side to Seven, and a heartbreaking one when Unimatrix Zero is destroyed.

10. "Body and Soul" ( Voyager  Season 7)

"Body and Soul" is another humorous episode featuring Seven and the Doctor. In it, the Doctor's programming is installed into Seven's Borg tech, allowing him to control Seven's body. This translates on-screen to Ryan impersonating Picardo's Doctor. It is, in a word, delightful.

11. "Stardust Rag City" ( Picard  Season 1)

Much to the delight of Trek fans, Seven of Nine came back to the Trek universe in Star Trek: Picard . Seven has changed a lot since the Voyager finale — she's now dressed in comfortable, functional clothes instead of catsuits, for one, and she's become much more comfortable with her humanity. She's also understandably ruthless in this episode when she goes after the person who murdered her de facto son, Icheb. It's a tough episode for her character , but tells us a lot about how Seven has changed (and not changed) since we last saw her.

12. "Assimilation" ( Picard  Season 2)

In the second season of Picard , Seven finds herself in an alternate reality where she was never assimilated. This new reality isn't so great (although she is President of the totalitarian xenophobic government on Earth), and she, along with a few of Picard's other friends, goes back to the year 2024 to try to fix the mishigas that Q has cooked up. In "Assimilation," the third episode of Season 2, we see Seven appreciating how she's treated now that she doesn't have any Borg gear. It also features her trying to be flirty and bubbly with her girlfriend Raffi (Michelle Hurd) as she tries to get a befuddled security guard to do them a favor.

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Published Feb 7, 2023

Star Trek 101: Seven of Nine

Rediscover the ex-Borg before her return for the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard!

StarTrek.com

Seven of Nine returns for the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard , premiering on February 16.

Portrayed by Jeri Ryan , the series regular joins LeVar Burton, Michael Dorn, Jonathan Frakes, Gates McFadden, Marina Sirtis, Brent Spiner, and Michelle Hurd star alongside Patrick Stewart in the highly anticipated Star Trek original series. Ahead of the series' return, we'll be revisiting the iconic role Ryan portrayed over the years.

Who is Seven of Nine?

"I am no longer Borg, but the prospect of becoming human is... unsettling. I don't know where I belong." — Seven of Nine, Star Trek: Voyager , " Hope and Fear "

Seven of Nine first appeared in the fourth season premiere of Star Trek: Voyager , " Scorpion, Part II ."

The daughter of human Federation exobiologists Magnus and Erin Hansen, the ex-Borg drone was born Annika Hansen on the Tendara Colony. At a very young age, she was captured and assimilated by the cybernetic species known as the Borg, who renamed her Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One.

Seven was liberated by the crew of the U.S.S. Voyager in 2374. She joined the crew and returned to the Alpha Quadrant with the starship in 2378. After her time on Voyager , she joined the Fenris Rangers, helping instill justice in lawless and dangerous regions of the galaxy.

Seven was assigned as the Borg liaison to Voyager when the Collective formed a temporary alliance with Janeway to defeat their mutual enemy, Species 8472. But you can't just trust a Borg; after they got rid of Species 8472, Seven tried to hand Voyager over to the Collective. Janeway responded by destroying Seven's link to the Borg and removing most of her high-tech hardware.

Seven initially resisted Janeway's attempts to restore her humanity, but eventually she came to accept her new life.

Key Episodes

" Scorpion " - The Borg drone designated as Seven of Nine

" Drone " - Seven of Nine's nanoprobes fuse with The Doctor's mobile emitter.

" Dark Frontier " - The Borg Queen attempts to lure Seven of Nine back to the hive.

This article was originally published on February 14, 2017.

Star Trek 101, co-authored by Paula M. Block and Terry J. Erdmann, serves two functions — succinctly introduce Star Trek newcomers to the basic foundations and elements of the franchise and refresh the memories of longtime Trek fans.

Star Trek: Picard streams exclusively on Paramount+ in the U.S. and is distributed concurrently by Paramount Global Content Distribution on Amazon Prime Video in more than 200 countries and territories, and in Canada, it airs on Bell Media’s CTV Sci-Fi Channel and streams on Crave.

Stay tuned to StarTrek.com for more details! And be sure to follow @StarTrek on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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Seven Of Nine's Arrival On Star Trek: Voyager Came With Some Growing Pains

Sometimes, the greatest and most famous characters on a television show are the ones who were added part-way through the series. That's absolutely the case with "Star Trek: Voyager" and its breakout character, liberated Borg drone Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). Joining the show in season 4 , Seven's sex appeal was obvious, but she rose beyond the expectations for a fan-service character. Her journey back to something resembling normalcy after being assimilated made her one of the few characters on the show with concrete character development, and Ryan played the part excellently. Instantly popular, she practically became the show's star, especially in advertising. 

Of course, not all of Ryan's castmates took kindly to having the spotlight diverted from them, and this led to some friction behind the scenes.

Reintroducing the Borg

In "Voyager," the titular ship is stranded in the Delta Quadrant of the Milky Way galaxy. Two crews, Voyager's own and members of the rebel movement the Maquis, must join forces to get back home to the Alpha Quadrant. The Delta Quadrant had been established as home to the Borg , but the writers held off on giving their heroes such a challenge during the first two seasons. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" established a single Borg Cube could wipe out a Federation fleet; showing a single, lone Starfleet vessel besting them week after week would've strained credibility. Plus, villains as scary as the Borg are best served in small doses.

The Borg first appeared on "Voyager" during season 3 episode "Unity," which features a group of drones disconnected from the larger collective. This premise wasn't exactly a novel idea; "TNG" episodes "I, Borg," and "Descent" had previously used "drones cut off from the larger Borg" as a way to tell a Borg story minus apocalyptic stakes. However, the episode had a significant, albeit indirect, impact on the larger direction that "Voyager" charted.

According to "Star Trek Voyager: A Celebration" (by Ben Robinson and Mark Wright), when writer and producer Brannon Braga was watching a promo for "Unity," an idea for a disconnected Borg drone joining Voyager's crew came to him. His producing partner Rick Berman was also for the idea, but steered the concept away from a "cybernetic looking creature" like Braga initially envisioned. Instead, the character would give "Voyager" new sex appeal.

The two-part season 3 finale and season 4 premiere "Scorpion" introduced Seven of Nine. In these episodes, USS Voyager forms an alliance with the Borg against extra-dimensional invaders known as Species 8472. The collective chooses Seven as a representative to communicate with Voyager. When the alliance is over, she turns on the crew, who respond by severing her link to the collective. Now an individual for the first time since childhood, Seven is slowly assimilated by Voyager.

Ryan speaks up

"Scorpion" marks a sea change for "Voyager." From there on out, the Borg became the main villains of the series. Plus, as Seven came onto the show, Kes (Jennifer Lien) departed . For many years, rumors swirled that the price of Jeri Ryan joining the show was another cast member getting the boot; however, based on interviews with the cast and crew conducted for "A Celebration" by Robinson and Wright, Lien's personal problems, including substance abuse, were affecting her performance and this was the real reason for her leaving.

Still, that left Ryan in the always awkward position of the new guy, not helped by her being the effective replacement for someone the rest of the cast had acted alongside for three years. During an appearance on the "girl on guy" podcast in 2013, Ryan recounted the ups and downs of her "Voyager" experience; the transition was far from easy:

"That's hard when the new kid comes in and suddenly it's all about them. That was tough, and it was particularly tough for some more than others, which was not real fun ... basically, until I started dating [Brannon Braga]. Once I was dating the boss, funny how things suddenly cleaned up. But it was really, really tough the first couple of years. and there were many days when I was nauseous before going into work because it was that miserable. Just unnecessarily, intentionally unpleasant."

While Ryan doesn't single anyone out in her comments, behind-the-scenes gossip indicates there was one main party responsible for this unpleasantness: Captain Janeway herself, Kate Mulgrew.

Ryan vs. Mulgrew

One of Seven's most important relationships is with Captain Janeway, who becomes a mentor to her. One of the best "Voyager" episodes, "Dark Frontier," is essentially about Seven being torn between two mother figures: Janeway and the Borg Queen (Susanna Thompson). However, according to the cast and crew, Mulgrew and Ryan's relationship was a different story. Rather than taking Ryan under her wing as Janeway did Seven, Mulgrew alienated her.  

"The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years: From The Next Generation to J. J. Abrams: The Complete, Uncensored, and Unauthorized Oral History of Star Trek" (by Edward Goss and Mark Altman) contains interviews with numerous "Voyager" cast and crew who shed light on the situation. In a nutshell, Mulgrew's treatment of Ryan was motivated by her frustrations that her character — a strong, empowered woman — was being upstaged by a role designed for maximum sex appeal. 

Speaking to Goss and Altman, Berman described the situation between the two actresses as such: 

"Kate was sort of the Queen of 'Star Trek'... She hung out with astronauts, she hung out with Hillary Clinton, and she was the spokesman for women in leadership roles, and for a lot of things. All of a sudden, this busty, gorgeous, blond babe appears who took away everybody's breath. I literally once remember some press being on the stage and just sort of pushing by Kate to get to Jeri."

In a separate interview for "The Fifty-Year Mission," Garret Wang (Harry Kim) added:

"Kate's anger was not directed toward Jeri Ryan, it was directed toward the character of Seven of Nine. She was the female captain, and now you bring in this borderline T-and-A character. When the writers/producers said no [to getting rid of Seven]... her anger was turned toward the actress playing the character, Jeri Ryan."

Mulgrew's attitude toward Ryan was steeped in her own frustrations, rather than being based on anything Ryan had done. Since the show concluded, Mulgrew has since cleared the air. In her own interview with Goss and Altman for "The Fifty-Year Mission," Mulgrew gave a more direct mea culpa:

"Let's be very straight about something. This is on me, not Jeri. She came in and did what she was asked to do. No question about that, and she did it very well. It's on me because I'd hoped against hope that Janeway would be sufficient. That we didn't have to bring a beautiful, sexy girl in. That somehow the power of my command, the vicissitudes of my talent would be sufficient unto the day, because this would really change television, right? That's what dug me the hardest, that to pick up the numbers they did that... that hurt me."

Seven overshadows the supporting cast

Mulgrew wasn't the only one who felt usurped by Ryan's role on the show. Speaking to StarTrek.com , Robert Beltran (Commander Chakotay) said:

"When the Seven of Nine character made her entrance, the focus changed... That was fine with me, but I think writers have an obligation to fill out all the characters if they're regular characters on a series. I think several of the characters were diminished — Chakotay and Tuvok and Kim and Neelix."

Beltran isn't wrong, but the mishandling of those characters predates Seven's introduction. Characterization was never the show's strong suit on "Voyager." Mulgrew at least had strong acting chops to compensate for the inconsistent writing of Janeway, but many of her co-stars couldn't compare, leaving their characters to fall into broad archetypes.

By the time Ryan came onto the show, "Voyager" had totally failed to use the most exciting part of its premise — the Starfleet and Maquis schism. When interviewed for "The Fifty-Year Mission," writer Ron Moore (of "TNG," "Deep Space Nine", and briefly "Voyager") opined, "When the Maquis put on those Starfleet uniforms at the end of the pilot, the show was dead." Season 3 episode "Worst Case Scenario" (a pre-Seven episode, I might add) features a holodeck simulation of a Maquis mutiny on USS Voyager. The episode reeks of the writing staff trying to have it both ways: introduce exciting new character conflict  and preserve the status quo. Yet, the mutinous holographic Chakotay comes alive more than his real self ever does. With Chakotay reduced to a yes man, Seven wound up a better foil to Janeway than he ever was.

Not coincidentally, the one character who adapted best to the presence of Seven on "Voyager" who had been working well before her introduction: the Doctor (Robert Picardo).

My Fair Seven

"Star Trek" has a long tradition of characters learning what it meant to be human: Spock, Data, and Odo. At first, it seemed the Doctor would fill this role on "Voyager." An Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) modeled on Dr. Lewis Zimmerman (also played by Picardo), the Doctor has to become Voyager's full-time medical officer after his human counterpart is killed in the pilot. His character avoided being a rehash of Data (an artificial intelligence seeking to become more) thanks to his cranky bedside manner (which had more in common with Doctor McCoy) and Picardo's charming performance. 

However, once Seven was introduced and Kes was written out, Picardo became concerned. As he explained to StarTrek.com , 

"Kes had really been The Doctor's mentor. Officially, he's mentoring her as a medical assistant, but she has been mentoring him and developing his humanity. My concern was that she's been his emotional sounding board, his confessor. The moment she's gone, The Doctor is just going to go back to being a buffoon and a windbag."

When Picardo brought his concerns to Brannon Braga, the writer suggested the actor find a way for the Doctor and Seven to connect. Picardo elaborated,

"I ... suggested that we take the relationship that the Doctor had with Kes and we turn it around. So the Doctor thinks that the best person to teach Seven of Nine how to become human again is him ... Eventually, that culminated in 'Someone to Watch Over Me,' akin to Professor Higgins falling in love with his pupil in 'My Fair Lady.' That suggestion afforded me four seasons of great scenes with Jeri Ryan."

Instead of usurping the Doctor's role as she had some of the other cast, Seven brought his character full circle. Therein lies the benefit of having three-dimensional characters: it's easier to make their relationships with each other compelling.

Settling old wounds

Since "Voyager" concluded, it seems that Mulgrew has come to regret how she treated Ryan and has gained a new appreciation for what Seven brought to the show. At a Las Vegas "Star Trek" convention in 2018, Mulgrew praised Seven's character and Braga's writing of her relationship with Janeway, "Seven of Nine is what [brought] Janeway to life, as a deeply human woman, I believe. And I am deeply grateful for that."

While it's hard to excuse Mulgrew's behavior, one can empathize with the root of her frustrations. Despite the bullying she endured from Mulgrew, Ryan doesn't seem to regret her time on "Voyager" and is proud of Seven. In an interview with the Huffington Post,  she said:

"I don't have a problem with Seven's overtly sexual physical appearance, if only because of the way she was written and developed. If it was a crappy character, then OK. But she was so nuanced and beautifully written."

Indeed,  Ryan returned as Seven in "Star Trek" Picard." One only hopes her transition back into the role was easier than when she first jumped into it.

One (episode)

• View history
• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.1 Story and script
• 4.2 Cast and characters
• 4.3 Production
• 4.4 Visual effects
• 4.5 Continuity and trivia
• 4.6 Reception
• 4.7 Video and DVD releases
• 5.1 Starring
• 5.2 Also Starring
• 5.3 Guest star
• 5.4 Co-stars
• 5.5 Uncredited co-stars
• 5.6 Stand-ins
• 5.7 References
• 5.8 External links

Summary [ ]

Seven's social skills lesson

Seven of Nine stands apprehensively in the USS Voyager 's mess hall , watching other crewmembers as they sit, eat and interact. She approaches a table, at which Lieutenant jg B'Elanna Torres and Ensign Harry Kim are sitting. She begins to engage them in conversation but all she does is confuse Kim and antagonize Torres. Her manner is brusque, her questions demanding personal information instead of asking, and she does not wait for the answers.

The Doctor says "freeze program." The interaction had been a holographic exercise designed to teach the former Borg drone social skills. He discusses with Seven her conduct which, far from making friends, would alienate a lot of people. Seven is very uncomfortable with the exercise and, against his wishes, leaves the holosuite, demanding that the doctor perform his weekly physical examination.

On the bridge , Captain Kathryn Janeway and the bridge officers watch the viewscreen , looking at a Mutara class nebula. The nebula is so large that long-range sensors cannot see beyond it and they can only see a distance of several light years ahead. Going around the nebula will take far too long, therefore Janeway orders a course through it. Soon everyone on the bridge begins to wince with pain, then convulse in agony as burns and sores appear on their faces, necks and hands.

Act One [ ]

In intense pain, Janeway orders Lt. Tom Paris to reverse course out of the nebula immediately. Paris tries but collapses before he can. Lieutenant Commander Tuvok manages to get to the helm and execute the order. Janeway calls sickbay for emergency medical help. The Doctor is there with Seven, dealing with a barrage of crew-members who are in the same state as the bridge officers. However, he and Seven are unaffected. He dispatches Seven to the bridge with dermal regenerators .

It's too late for this officer, as he's already been burned to death by the radiation.

Seconds later, as Voyager moves away from the nebula, the agony suddenly stops. Seven arrives and administers aid with the regenerators. It is too late for one officer though as his face was burned beyond recognition.

Janeway, after having ordered all-stop, meets with Seven in the astrometrics lab , where Seven brings up a sensor scan of the nebula, showing Voyager 's position outside of it. She reports that the nebula is at least one hundred and ten light years wide. It will take Voyager over a month to travel through, a trip the crew would certainly not survive. Janeway realizes that going around the nebula would add a year onto their journey, which is not a welcome idea. Janeway is determined that, after all the crew and ship have been through and traveling 15,000 light-years, this nebula won't stop them.

She speaks to The Doctor in sickbay about the effects the nebula had on them. He has found that it has massive amounts of subnucleonic radiation which caused the burns and agonizing pain. He tells her there is no way to inoculate against the effects. Janeway asks how then they can protect themselves and he suggests putting the crew into stasis for the duration of the flight through the nebula while he remains online to monitor everyone. Janeway questions this course of action but The Doctor responds that he has looked at all options and this is the only way. Janeway asks him who will monitor the ship's systems and make necessary course adjustments while all of the crew is put in stasis. The Doctor promises Janeway that he is capable of keeping on top of everything, but she assures him it is not a question of trust; they have no idea what effect the radiation will have on his holomatrix, so he needs a backup in case he goes off-line. The Doctor reminds her of only one other crewmember that was unaffected, Seven of Nine.

Janeway speaks to Seven about running the ship with the crew in stasis

Janeway goes to speak to Seven and finds her in cargo bay 2. Janeway explains to Seven what The Doctor has told her, stressing the seriousness of the task as the lives of the crew will be in her hands. Seven assures her that she is fully capable of this responsibility. Janeway however, still has doubts as most Humans do not react well to long-term isolation. Janeway does acknowledge that, as a former drone, this must be even more difficult for her. She wonders if she could handle it if The Doctor goes offline due to a malfunction. Seven looks rather uncertain but insists she can do it. Janeway accepts her assessment but stresses that The Doctor is in command of the ship. She leaves to inform the senior staff of her decision.

In the briefing room , Janeway outlines the plan to the senior officers. The officers are uneasy about this but Janeway gives the crew The Doctor's assurances that it is quite safe to be put into stasis, pointing out that he and Seven will monitor their vital signs several times every day. They will go into stasis and when they wake up, they will be on the other side of the nebula feeling like they had just taken a quick nap. Everyone has concerns, Janeway included, but she reminds them that crews have been in stasis a lot longer than month and knows they can make it. She dismisses them until 1700 hours, at which time they will be put into stasis and prepares to make a ship-wide announcement. Commander Chakotay remains behind to discuss his own concerns regarding leaving Seven in charge. He reminds Janeway of Seven's insubordinate and rebellious track record ever since she came to Voyager, how she has openly disagreed and argued with her decisions at times and even disobeyed direct orders. Janeway understands his concerns but points out that not only do they not have any other choice but that she also really believes that, in spite of her insolence, Seven really wants to do well and prove herself to the crew.

The crew enters stasis

At 1700 hours, on Deck 14 , one-by-one, all crewmembers are put into stasis chambers . Paris is anxious but The Doctor assures him that all will be well. Should an emergency occur in which he revives and needs to get out, Janeway informs him, he can unlock the unit from the inside. Still very nervous, he goes in. Janeway, as captain, is the last to be put into stasis.

Act Two [ ]

Voyager traverses the nebula

Voyager is ten days into its journey through the nebula. Seven has created an efficient routine that sees her performing duties of maintenance, monitoring the crew and regenerating at specific times. She enters the dark, empty mess hall, where she has the computer replicate one of her preferred nutritional supplements , which she sits and drinks. She then goes to the bridge and makes a course adjustment. Walking down a corridor, she finds Paris on the floor, unconscious. Apparently, he let himself out of his stasis unit. She calls The Doctor who checks out his vital signs and returns him to his stasis chamber.

But the isolation is wearing on both of them. After eating cheese, they begin to bicker. The Doctor insists they go to the holodeck for another social lesson but Seven angrily insists she has no time for frivolous pursuits. They continue to argue about the other becoming increasingly irritating. The Doctor finally orders Seven to follow him to the holodeck to continue her social lessons.

During the lesson, Seven is much more successful at maintaining a "normal" conversation, but, to The Doctor, her approach is no more than a cop-out. Instead of "mixing" and mingling with her fellow crewmembers, she engages in a discussion about warp theory , using the captain and others to find a way to fix technical issues The Doctor and Seven are experiencing during their time in the nebula. This annoys The Doctor yet again, leading to more bickering.

Then the computer sounds a warning about an emergency problem with the antimatter , which could lead to a warp core breach . They rush to engineering but find it is a false alarm. The subnucleonic radiation from the nebula has begun to affect the bio-neural gel packs that comprise the computer's processing circuitry. As a result, the computer is detecting false signals relating to the warp core .

Act Three [ ]

They enter the Jefferies tube system and investigate the extent of the affected gel packs. When they find one, they remove it and The Doctor prepares to take it to sickbay for study. Then, to his horror, his signal begins to cut in and out: the radiation is affecting his mobile emitter . He tells Seven they need to return to sickbay immediately, as if the emitter goes offline while The Doctor is outside sickbay his program may be deleted. He and Seven race back there and fortunately make it back before the mobile emitter goes offline. The Doctor is saved but Seven confirms that the emitter has been damaged by the nebula in the same way as the gel packs. The Doctor can no longer leave sickbay and so it will be up to Seven to take care of everything on the ship, as they must make sure Voyager is able to get through the nebula in one piece without being crippled by the radiation. Seven is visibly disturbed by the prospect of being by herself almost all of the time, but resolutely promises The Doctor she will continue on alone if she must.

Twenty-nine days into the nebula, Seven, now working by herself, continues her daily routine. However, she is now clearly showing the effects of her prolonged isolation. Meanwhile, the ship's systems are requiring more and more maintenance to ensure they don't break down completely. On the bridge, she tries to have the computer make a course correction, but now even the sound of the computer's voice, which she had depended on for company, seems ready to fail. The computer takes several seconds to respond, then, when it does, the voice is slow and eventually cuts out altogether. The computer tries to make the correction but fails. Seven does it manually, then has the computer diagnose itself. It reports that one third of the gel pack relays are non-functional. She has it perform a rerouting of processor signals to bypass the affected gel packs. Then she finds that they still have about six days and five hours to go through the nebula. She takes heart because this does not seem too long. While on her way to engineering, she hears anguished cries from Paris, who seems to have escaped his stasis chamber again but when she goes to Deck 14, she notices that all is as it should be.

Seven deals with Trajis Lo-Tarik

Shortly after, she receives a proximity alert informing her of an approaching ship . The pilot introduces himself as Trajis Lo-Tarik , stating that he is in need of a microfusion chamber, asking her whether she would consider a trade. He says he is trying to cross the nebula as well. Seven is reluctant but he does have liquid helium which she needs, therefore, she agrees to meet for an exchange. She meets him in one of the cargo bays where he expresses curiosity about her name. She explains that it was her Borg designation. The visitor states that he has never heard of the Borg and asks if she is alone on this ship. Seven explains the situation and that everyone has been put into stasis. He makes small talk, which, despite her professed disdain for such, she is glad to respond to. He is alone on his ship and he, just like Seven, is resistant to the radiation; the radiation has forced him to rebuild his engines twice to keep going, but he is determined to be the first of his kind to get through it. He tells her that given that she has been going through the nebula for over three weeks, she is doing quite fine because no one has ever managed to cross the nebula. He then goes on to ask her how she is handling the loneliness, the isolation in this vast space because he has heard that the drones can't stand being alone, severed from the Collective . This alerts Seven because he had just told her that he never heard of the Borg before. She asks him to leave and when he becomes pushy, asking to get something to eat, she ensures him that he will not be accommodated, pointing a phaser at him. He keeps harassing her and frightening her about the consequences of loneliness. While escorting him to the transporter room , she hears Paris again. She looks around, but sees nobody. Then she turns to Lo-Tarik who is gone. She runs in the direction he may have headed and sees a shadow moving. She calls The Doctor and informs him about an intruder.

Act Four [ ]

In the sickbay, The Doctor informs Seven that he has scanned for but found no alien lifeform aboard or the apparent ship he came from. He still cannot leave sickbay and instructs her to arm herself and track Lo-Tarik down by herself. She looks uncertain, but when The Doctor asks her compassionately if she is frightened, she grits her teeth and calls upon her Borg heritage for Borg do not know fear.

She moves cautiously through the corridors, armed with a phaser rifle . She hears the echoing voices of crew-members calling for help. She also hears Lo-Tarik call her over the comm, taunting her, asking again about her unusual name. When she does not answer, he mockingly makes her race to Engineering by threatening to collapse the structural integrity around the warp coils . In Engineering, he informs her of his location: the bridge, where he can do just about anything over there. She hallucinates, seeing Paris and Kim crawling in agony, then going up in flames. When she rushes to them, they vanish. Lo-Tarik continues to taunt her. But she turns the tables on him, cutting off oxygen to the bridge. She listens with satisfaction as he gasps for oxygen, then goes silent. She informs The Doctor, who congratulates her. He has fixed his mobile emitter, and is marching briskly to engineering to join her.

Lo-Tarik is unaffected by Seven's phaser rifle shot

The doors open, but to her surprise, in steps an unharmed Lo-Tarik. She fires at him but he is unaffected, merely stepping forward, mocking her as a weak former Borg drone whose days of power are long gone; someone who thought she could be Human but failed at it miserably. He tells her that she is Borg, that this is what she was meant to be: one of many. But now she is alone, weak, pathetic. The Doctor approaches her who appears to be talking to empty space. She tells him about Lo-Tarik but The Doctor assures her that no one is there and that she is hallucinating. That is when she realizes that she was imagining Lo-Tarik just as she has been imagining Paris and the others crying for help. The Doctor has an explanation from his examination of the radiation-affected gel packs: they degraded the packs' synaptic relays ; the radiation is doing the same to her Borg implants, altering the neurotransmitter level in her sensory nodes . The Doctor offers to try to modify her implants to stop the hallucinations. She agrees, remembering a time as a drone when she was cut off from the Borg Collective for several hours, and the fear she had felt; the same fear and panic she is experiencing now.

Then suddenly, the primary EPS conduits overload and The Doctor again begins to malfunction, since his mobile emitter is tied to the EPS conduits. The computer warns that secondary systems are failing and The Doctor tells Seven that she has to repair the EPS conduits and that everything depends on her now. She frantically states that she cannot function alone, but The Doctor says that she has to. He will not be damaged, but he will go offline and will remain off until they are out of the nebula. The Doctor stresses that everyone is depending on Seven to survive, before his program finally fails. Terror-stricken and shaken to the core, Seven is now truly alone on Voyager .

Seven is now alone

Act Five [ ]

Days pass. Seven, despite her terror, continues to work, keeping the power on and the ship moving. Her only company now is her hallucinations; hallucinations which echo her own fears about being Human. Now with only seventeen hours before Voyager clears the nebula, she works in Astrometrics and is joined by an imagined, radiation-burned Ensign Kim, who mocks her efforts.

Seven is mocked by a hallucinated drone

She heads for the bridge, but she sees corridors lit Borg-green, and a Borg drone following her, coldly berating her for leaving the Collective. It tells her that her decision to leave the Collective was foolish because now she is alone, only one, Human, weak, pathetic – part of an imperfect Human race; that she will and cannot survive without the Collective. She says that she will adapt as an individual but the Borg keeps repeating that she is only one, alone, pathetic, one among many, weak for a Borg cannot be one, she will die as one, detached, isolated. She insists that she is an individual and finally escapes the Borg who keeps repeating to her that she will die alone. In a turbolift , Lo-Tarik appears and urges her to go back to the Collective, stating that the Borg drone just now was right about her. She sees the doors open to the inside of a Borg vessel . She hears the echoing, multi-track resonant voice of the Collective, telling her that resistance is futile. She resolutely ignores it all and continues to the bridge.

On the bridge, she hallucinates Captain Janeway and several senior officers, all burned from radiation, talking to her, mocking her, putting her down as she attempts to keep things together. She will never hold up, they say; the crew will die because of her failure, she will fall apart before they leave the nebula they say. Janeway takes the blame sardonically: she trusted her, she says, but she should have known better.

The computer warns that propulsion is going offline. The mocking crew turns to her again, wondering if she can do it. The computer tells her that they have another forty-one minutes to go until the ship clears the nebula. Janeway says that it is too long and that she won't make it. Seven tries rerouting power from every non-essential system and environmental controls to the engines, but to it doesn't help and the propulsion systems fail leaving Voyager dead in space. Desperate to get the ship moving again, she has an idea. The hallucinated officers discuss it in mocking tones: she is going to have to reroute power from the stasis chambers to the engines. But, they sneer, that will kill some of the crew, although they doubt that this would bother her too much, after all, she has already killed a few million, would a few more matter? Seven has the computer reroute power from ten of the stasis units to the propulsion system and resume course. This works and the engines come back online. The crew laugh at her, because now the crew members she disconnected will die, but they all knew it anyway, they knew she didn't care about them.

Then she races to Deck 14. A "Janeway" hallucination meets her there, mocking her decision. She sees the ten affected chambers, smoking, their occupants writhing in death-throes. "Janeway" taunts her to save them, if she can. With only eleven minutes until Voyager clears the nebula, Seven orders the computer to cut life support on all decks and reroute available power to the affected units. The computer acknowledges and the stasis units reactivate. "Janeway" taunts her with the fact that Seven has now ensured her own death: no oxygen, no heat. Finally, as heat and oxygen rapidly vanish, Seven sinks down in a corner, defiantly saying that she is Seven of Nine, that she is alone, but that she will adapt. She passes out.

Seven recovers in the sickbay

A flash of white light.

She awakens to find herself surrounded by The Doctor, Captain Janeway and Chakotay; not hallucinations this time but real, informing her that she was successful in getting the ship through the nebula. Chakotay tells her that she is the one they nearly lost. When they left the nebula, The Doctor came back online and found her, restarted life support and woke the crew. A very pleased Doctor tells her she did well and that he is proud of her. She whispers that she is glad she was able to help.

Later, Seven enters the mess hall and looks around as crew-members sit, eat and interact. Not a simulation but real this time. She sees B'Elanna, Tom, and Harry sitting together and asks whether she may join them. Utilising her social lessons with The Doctor, she tells them that she felt the need for companionship. Paris jokes that after a month with only The Doctor for company he can understand that. She tells Kim and Torres about how The Doctor had to put Paris back in his stasis unit four times after he got out. They laugh and rib him good-naturedly. He responds that he has never liked closed spaces and Seven, her own experience still fresh in her mind, notes that maybe he just disliked being alone.

Log entries [ ]

• Personal log, Seven of Nine

Memorable quotes [ ]

" Describe the nature of your sexual relationship with Lieutenant Paris! "

" We've come 15,000 light years. We haven't been stopped by temporal anomalies, warp core breaches, or hostile aliens. And I'll be damned if we're going to be stopped by a nebula. "

" The Doctor will be in command. You will follow his instructions just as you would follow mine. " " Follow the orders of a hologram? "

" Look at the fact that here's someone who's butted horns with you from the moment she came on board; who disregards authority and actively disobeys orders when she doesn't agree with them. " " And this is the person I'm giving responsibility for the lives of this entire crew. I suppose you want me to tell you I'm not crazy. " " In a nutshell. "

" Holodecks are a pointless endeavor, fulfilling some Human need to fantasize. I have no such need. " " What you need is some editorial skill in your self-expression. Between impulse and action there´s a realm of good taste begging for your acquaintance. " " I find your self-expression ponderous. " " And I can't put up with this for another month! "

" Come on, Tom. Sleepy time. " " What if we… had to get out in a hurry? " " You can unlock the unit from inside, Tom. " " Do I detect a hint of claustrophobia, lieutenant? "

" Why do they have to design these things like coffins? " " Should we replicate you a teddy bear? "

" Seven of Nine to The Doctor. " " Go ahead. " " Lieutenant Paris has left his stasis unit and is unconscious. " " I'll be right there. Apparently, he's more claustrophobic than I thought. "

" If you had even the slightest sense of humor, you'd realize I was making a small joke. " " Very small. "

" It's not unheard of for people to come out of stasis and start wandering. Leave it to Mr. Paris to be just as much trouble now as when he's awake. "

" These tubes certainly weren't designed with creature comfort in mind. "

" I can complain if I want to, it's comforting. " ... " Well, this journey certainly has not lacked excitement. I can´t complain about being bored. " " Since you find it comforting, you´ll undoubtedly find something else to complain about. " " No doubt, you really should try it. "

" Seven, are you… frightened? " " I am Borg. "

(Doctor's program flickers, begins to degrade) " I have to get back to sickbay! " (program flickers again) " Hurry! " " I am hurrying. " " If the mobile emitter goes off-line while I'm out of sickbay my program may be irretrievable! " " Don't panic. It's counterproductive." " That's easy for you to say. You're not facing cybernetic oblivion! " (program flickers yet again) " If that happens again, I'm a goner! "

(The Doctor gives a sigh of relief) " Home, sweet sickbay, I never thought I'd be so happy to see these walls. "

" I am Seven of Nine, I am alone. But I will adapt, I will… "

(The computer's voice slows and deepens, returns to normal, then deepens again) " Warning. Deuterium tank levels are fluctuating beyond acceptable tolerances. " " The computer sounds like it needs a stimulant. "

" I hope you're not afraid of the dark. "

" Neelix, this soup is great. What is it? " " It's my secret recipe. I've never told anyone what's in it. " " Why does that make me nervous? " " Oh, come on, Tom. Where's your sense of adventure? " " Not in my stomach. "

" I… felt the need for companionship. " " Well, after a month with only the Doc for company, I can understand that. "

Background information [ ]

Story and script [ ].

• The original pitch for this episode came from James Swallow , who was given the opportunity to pitch for Star Trek: Voyager after having submitted numerous unsuccessful story ideas to Star Trek: The Next Generation , Deep Space Nine , and Voyager . ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 17) The unauthorized reference book Beyond the Final Frontier (p. 319), incorrectly suggests Swallow's work on this installment was rooted in an idea by John Devins.
• The pitch that eventually became this episode had the working title "Perchance to Dream" and primarily featured The Doctor. It was jokingly compared, by staff writer Bryan Fuller , to the horror film The Shining . ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 17) Fuller was actually the person who bought the pitch. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 18) He recalled, " Some responses [to the plot idea] were 'Uhhh… Okay', until I said 'But! You can do this…! We can have scenes with creepy corridors, spooky hallucinations!' " Co-executive producer Brannon Braga was another writing staffer who instantly recognized that the story had potential. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 19)
• At the end of January 1998 , James Swallow received a telephone call from pre-production coordinator Lolita Fatjo , who notified him of the purchase of one of his pitches. " Just like that, the words I had been waiting to hear for years came beaming across the world to me from California , " Swallow reminisced. " The dulcet tones of Lolita Fatjo […] told me, 'Congratulations, Jim! We want to buy your story!' […] I, after almost a decade of dogged struggle, had finally achieved a personal goal – to help create a little piece of the Star Trek universe. " Also, Swallow was the first British writer to sell a story to Star Trek , a fact that Fatjo later informed him of. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 17)
• Voyager 's writing staff decided to do a different take on the story and chose to alter the episode's protagonist to Seven of Nine. Bryan Fuller related, " We saw how much more interesting it would be to have somebody who was part of a collective with millions of voices in her head every day, taken down to abruptly having no voices in her head and surrounded by a hundred-odd crewmen, and then to only be with one other crewman, and then finally to be on her own. How frightening would that be? " The writers additionally came up with the idea of Seven having fearsome hallucinations due to her mental state in such isolation. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 19) The change of lead character to being Seven had taken place by two months after the pitch's conception. Another development that occurred by the same time was that the submitted plot idea had become the basis of a story entitled "One", assigned to be scripted by executive producer Jeri Taylor . ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 17)
• The ultimately-used title of this episode was previously a working title for the second season outing " Tuvix ". [1]
• A preliminary beat sheet for this installment was written by Jeri Taylor while the episode was in development. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 18) The beat sheet had the episode's first scene taking place in sickbay, rather than on one of Voyager 's holodecks, and the only characters said to be involved in the scene were The Doctor and Seven of Nine. The Mutura-class nebula was not present in the story yet, with the topic of banter on the bridge (during the teaser ) having not been decided either. Instead, the cause of the crew's maladies was said to be " a vast bio-degenerative field, which was undetected because of TBD. " The effects on the bridge crew started with an extreme headache suffered by Tom Paris, not by Harry Kim. In the beat sheet's version of the first act, Paris' pained effort to operate the controls needed to back Voyager away was successful, so Tuvok was uninvolved in trying to guide the ship out of the nebula. Sickened junior officers crawled into sickbay but, in the episode itself, they are already there when they are first seen. Voyager was then to be shown, turning in the opposite direction of its original heading, though the episode establishes the course change without directly showing it happening. Seven's subsequent arrival on the bridge was not in the beat sheet and, instead, Janeway began to investigate why exactly the crew had suffered, a scene whose equivalent in the episode is apparently the discussion between her and Seven in astrometics. Once the cause of the illnesses was determined on the bridge, a meeting of the senior staff was held in the briefing room and their discussion included dialogue much like some of the conversation that, in the episode, The Doctor and Janeway have in sickbay; for example, The Doctor suggested that the entire crew be put into stasis and that Seven join him, the same advice that he gives Janeway in the episode. The beat sheet continued with a concerned Janeway making her way to Deck Fourteen, where Seven assured the captain that she herself would be fine and that she wouldn't suffer from cabin fever. Typically, a similar conversation is in the episode, even though the captain's journey to Seven's domain is omitted. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 17)
• This episode's final draft script was submitted on 13 February 1998 . [2] The teleplay continued to be revised thereafter, with one of the script revisions being made on 10 March 1998 . A page that was revised on that date was the first of the script, detailing the start of the episode's teaser . This part of the teleplay underwent no further changes. The page included Harry Kim stating that his birthplace was New Mexico , although this was ultimately changed to South Carolina . ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 17)
• Robert Picardo contributed some dialogue that his character of The Doctor says to Seven of Nine in one of their arguments here. " I asked to add the lines, 'What you need is some editorial skill in your self-expression,' " remembered Picardo. " 'Between impulse and action, there is a realm of good taste begging for your acquaintance' […] They put that in, because the lines that I had, I wasn't enjoying. " Another reason why Picardo suggested the dialogue was because he imagined that, while The Doctor was criticizing Seven for lacking certain social graces, the holographic character would probably use a selection of well-chosen words to demonstrate what he was trying to communicate to her. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, pp. 84-85)

Cast and characters [ ]

Jeri Ryan relaxes during a break from the filming of this episode's penultimate scene

• Seven of Nine actress Jeri Ryan enjoyed performing in this installment, despite being sick during the episode's production. She was also attracted to its plot, later referring to it as "an interesting story." Concerning Seven's plight of aloneness here, Ryan stated, " It was a neat concept for an episode. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 19)
• Director Kenneth Biller was pleased to collaborate on this installment with Jeri Ryan, who Biller described as "great to work with." He recognized, however, that the episode was challenging for Ryan. Biller commented, " It was basically her all day, every day […] [with] grueling hours. She was very present and very there the whole time. This was a very difficult show emotionally for her, where she has to slowly come unraveled. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 110)
• Bryan Fuller was highly satisfied with Jeri Ryan's work here, referring to it as "amazing." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 19)
• Ken Biller observed that, by this point in the series, Torres actress Roxann Dawson had more-or-less recovered from having been pregnant, earlier in the fourth season. " By the time I was directing ['One'], she'd already had the baby, and she was raring to go and ready to get back to work, " noted Biller. " So as a director I really didn't have the problem of having to shoot around her belly. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, pp. 91 & 95)
• Robert Picardo was delighted with the dialogue that he himself added to the episode. " I thought [it] was a pretty funny Doctor dress-down, " he enthused. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 84)

Production [ ]

• In this episode, the stasis room was a redress of the Voyager cargo bay set and the stasis units were reused from the second season episode " The Thaw ". ( Star Trek: Voyager Companion  (p. 246)) According to the unofficial reference book Delta Quadrant (p. 245), the stasis units were also previously used in " Resolutions ", an episode that is slightly later in Star Trek: Voyager 's second season than "The Thaw".
• This was the second of two Star Trek episodes directed by Ken Biller, who normally operated as a member of Star Trek: Voyager 's writing team. He previously helmed the earlier fourth season outing " Revulsion ".
• In the morning of 3 February 1998 , a production meeting for this installment was held, attended by Ken Biller. By the time the lunch interval ended on that day, Biller had departed from the meeting and was ready to join the other members of the series' writing staff in a story break session that resumed after lunch, concerning the season finale, ultimately entitled " Hope and Fear ". ( Star Trek: Action! , pp. 10 & 11)
• One of the sets for this episode was under construction on 9 February 1998 , on Paramount Stage 16 (which simultaneously housed Star Trek 's permanent cave set as well as a set used for both the Museum of Kyrian Heritage in the earlier fourth season episode " Living Witness " and the Son'a surgical facility in the film Star Trek: Insurrection ). ( Star Trek: Action! , pp. 13 & 15)
• According to James Swallow, this episode was "shot in the last two weeks of February [1998] ." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 17) The episode was in production – on several stages of the Paramount Pictures lot – by 16 February 1998 . ( Star Trek: Action! , pp. 16 & 20) Ken Biller specified that the scenes of this episode involving Jeri Ryan were filmed over a period of seven days. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 110)
• While the episode was in production, Robert Picardo took some time to be interviewed for Cinefantastique , sitting in the Voyager engineering set. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 84)
• Ken Biller found that the duration in which he directed this episode was "great." ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 18 , p. 18) He said further, " It was a really good episode to direct because it had some fantasy sequences, and some scary, atmospheric stuff […] There are significant portions of the episode that don't really have any dialogue, which is always fun for a director, because you try to tell the story through the pictures. That was really a challenge. " Some difficulties of the episode's making concerned Biller's direction of Jeri Ryan. " There were moments when we had to make a decision about exactly how vulnerable she was going to be and how much fear she would show, " Biller said. " There were times when maybe she wanted to go a little further than I did, and I would have to remind her that we still have to give ourselves some place to go, so that you don't reach your most unraveled state until the end of the picture. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 110)
• The production of the shot in which a regenerating Seven of Nine dreams of being alone in a frozen wasteland involved the use of bluescreen . " We shot Jeri Ryan on a bluescreen stage, " visual effects supervisor Mitch Suskin recalled, " and did a dolly-back and a crane-up to pull back and away from her. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 81)
• On the night of 26 February 1998 , filming on this episode was ended shortly before midnight. ( Star Trek: Action! , p. 28) On the following day (which was scheduled to be the last day of production on the installment), some second unit photography for the episode was filmed on the Voyager bridge set (on Stage 8 ). This involved some hand-held camera work, usage of bluescreen, low level lighting and special effect smoke, as well as heavy burn make-up for several of the regular cast (specifically, Kate Mulgrew , Robert Duncan McNeill , Robert Beltran , Tim Russ , and Garrett Wang ). ( Star Trek: Action! , pp. 27 & 28) The footage filmed was both the scene in which Seven is tormented by illusory members of the senior staff on Voyager 's bridge and part of the scene before that, with Seven in a turbolift. In the knowledge that "One" had filmed late on the previous night, Winrich Kolbe – who was assigned to direct "Hope and Fear" – was waiting patiently, at 9 am, for a break in the filming of this episode. At 11:30 am, such a break began (as was scheduled), allowing Kolbe a twenty-five-minute meeting with his key department heads. Filming of this installment continued soon thereafter, initiated by a crew call at noon. ( Star Trek: Action! , p. 28) Even though unit production manager Brad Yacobian made a "guess-timate" that the season finale would begin shooting at 3:30 pm, the production of this installment continued past that point and finally wrapped at 4:30 pm. ( Star Trek: Action! , pp. 28 & 32) The performers who had donned makeup to look incinerated visited the makeup trailer before the next installment entered production. ( Star Trek: Action! , p. 28)

Visual effects [ ]

• The Borg interior that Seven sees through a pair of turbolift doors was a single frame of a visual effect sequence from Star Trek: First Contact . ( Delta Quadrant , p. 245)
• To complete the shot of Seven apparently standing alone in an icy wilderness, the appropriate bluescreen footage of Jeri Ryan was, in Mitch Suskin's words, "match-moved into a 3-D painting element" – specifically, a matte painting done by Eric Chauvin . Snow that covers Seven's feet, in the shot, was actually part of this painted environment. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 81)
• 27 April 1998 was the eighth day in a row in which visual effects supervisor Ronald B. Moore was situated in the compositing bay at visual effects house Digital Magic and was also a day on which he was completing his work on the visual effects shots of this episode. Moore had hopes of completing his work on this installment by the day's end despite repeatedly being interrupted from that work, such as by a ringing telephone. ( Star Trek: Action! , p. 85)
• Mitch Suskin was happy that the visual effects work of this episode was somewhat unusual for the series. " Even though the effects we are doing on 'One' are a little bit out of the ordinary, " he commented, " it's nice for us to have the difference. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 81)

Continuity and trivia [ ]

• A similar storyline to this occurs in the Star Trek: Enterprise episode " Doctor's Orders ", when Doctor Phlox is forced to take control of the ship on his own – to pilot it through a nebula – but begins to hallucinate.
• This episode also has many similarities to two other Voyager episodes – " Persistence of Vision " in season 2, and " Bliss " in season 5 – which feature The Doctor working closely with another crew member ( Kes in the former, Seven once again in the latter) while most of the crew is incapacitated in some way.
• In their first foray into the nebula, when the crew starts getting burns, Janeway orders Paris to reverse course but Paris is unable to reach the panel. It is unclear why Paris or Janeway do not use voice command. When the crew is in stasis, Seven uses voice commands to ask the ship to correct the course.
• The death of a bridge crew member from radiation marks the 19th confirmed death of Voyager crew since the pilot episode " Caretaker ", the previous deaths having occurred in the Kyrian encounter depicted in " Living Witness ". This would put the crew complement as of the end of this episode at 140, given the crew complement of 148 that was most recently established in " Distant Origin " and " Displaced ", and the deaths that have occurred since.
• Janeway remarks in this episode that Voyager has traveled a total of 15,000 light years toward home since being stranded in the Delta Quadrant.
• Seven mentions having been temporarily disconnected from the Collective for two hours. Flashback scenes in " Survival Instinct " may also refer to this same event.
• The Doctor continues wearing the mobile emitter despite being on the holodeck . Previous episodes have shown that he can be transferred to the holodeck without issue. However, The Doctor has previously mentioned, in " Revulsion ", that he is free to "take a stroll", and may have simply preferred to walk to the holodeck, using his emitter to navigate the ship's corridors.
• This episode marks the final appearance of the type 3 phaser on Star Trek: Voyager , a form of rifle that was introduced in Star Trek: First Contact . All phaser rifles subsequently shown on the series are the compression phaser rifle .
• Bio-neural gelpacks make an appearance in this episode for the first time since the third-season episode " Macrocosm ".
• At one point, Seven reads Paris' body temperature as 97.6. This is a rare use of the Fahrenheit scale.
• In the atlas Star Trek: Star Charts , the Mutara-class nebula of this episode has been named the Swallow Nebula in James Swallow's honor.
• Torres (albeit, a holographic version) mentions at the beginning of this episode that she joined the Maquis after Chakotay saved her life. This was previously established in Jeri Taylor 's book Pathways and marks the only mention in the series of Torres' motivations for joining the group.
• Kate Mulgrew , Robert Beltran , and Garrett Wang all play three versions of their respective characters in this episode: the "real" one, a holodeck recreation, and an illusion in Seven of Nine 's mind.
• This episode's title, at three letters, beat the record for the shortest in Star Trek history held by " Miri " for nearly 32 years. It held the record for just three years, when it was beaten by " Q2 ", which also held it for three years before it was beaten in turn by " E² ".
• The way Seven of Nine criticizes The Doctor's small joke closely resembles some dialogue between Pavel Chekov and Spock in TOS : " The Trouble with Tribbles ".
• After Seven of Nine says, " I am Borg, " a few notes from " Scorpion "'s musical score (by Jay Chattaway ) play.

Reception [ ]

• Both James Swallow and Bryan Fuller liked how this episode ultimately turned out. Swallow referred to the final version of the installment's teleplay as "a dynamic and taut script." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 17) Fuller remarked, " What we got was a great episode […] I think it's one of the strongest episodes of the [fourth] season. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 42 , p. 19)
• One story possibility that was temporarily considered for the following episode, the fourth season finale "Hope and Fear", was discarded precisely because it was thought to be too close to the plot of this episode, especially this installment's plot point about the crew being vulnerable to the nebula. ( Star Trek: Action! , p. 6)
• This episode achieved a Nielsen rating of 3.9 million homes, and a 6% share. [3] (X)
• Cinefantastique rated this episode 3 out of 4 stars. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 109)
• Star Trek Monthly  issue 47 , p. 62 scored this episode 3 out of 5 stars.
• The unauthorized reference book Delta Quadrant (p. 247) gives the installment a rating of 7 out of 10.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 4.13, catalog number VHR 4634, 28 December 1998
• As part of the VOY Season 4 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway / Kathryn Janeway (hologram)

Also Starring [ ]

• Robert Beltran as Chakotay / Chakotay (hologram)
• Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres / B'Elanna Torres (hologram)
• Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips as Neelix / Neelix (hologram)
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor
• Tim Russ as Tuvok
• Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
• Garrett Wang as Harry Kim / Harry Kim (hologram)

Guest star [ ]

• Wade Williams as Trajis Lo-Tarik

Co-stars [ ]

• Ron Ostrow as Borg Drone
• Majel Barrett as Computer Voice

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• Tarik Ergin as Ayala (hologram)
• Kerry Hoyt as Fitzpatrick (hologram)
• Unknown actor as burned ops ensign

Stand-ins [ ]

• Brita Nowak – stand-in for Jeri Ryan

References [ ]

14 Beta 7 ; ability ; antipsychotic ; bio-neural circuitry ; bio-neural gel pack ; blood pressure ; body temperature ; Borg ; Borg Collective ; Borg drone ; cardiopulmonary system ; cargo bay ; Chi 14 ; claustrophobia ; closet ; cloaking device ; coffin ; command processor ; dermal regenerator ; electro-optic modulator ; EM stress parameters ; EPS conduit ; Federation ; force field ; game ; gestation ; gesture ; headache ; heart ; helium ; holodeck ; inoculation ; Intrepid -class decks ; irritable ; Jefferies tube ; level 4 diagnostic ; Maquis ; maintenance duty ; manual override ; microfusion chamber ; mobile emitter ; Mutara class ; nanoprobe ; nebula ; neurode ; organic tissue ; oxygen ; parisses squares ; phaser rifle ; photon torpedo ; plasma conduit ; plasma vent ; potato salad ; pulse ; radiation burn ; self-expression ; sense of humor ; sensory nodes ; sexual relationship ; short tempered ; soup ; South Carolina ; stasis chamber ; stimulant ; subnucleonic radiation ; subspace field matrix ; suspended animation ; tennis ; turbolift ; volleyball ; warp core breach ; warp field

External links [ ]

• "One" at StarTrek.com
• " One " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " One " at Wikipedia
• " One " at MissionLogPodcast.com , a Roddenberry Star Trek podcast
• " One " at the Internet Movie Database
• "One" script  at Star Trek Minutiae
• 2 ISS Enterprise (NCC-1701)

10 Best TV Body Swap Episodes, Ranked Worst To Best

• Body swaps can add a fresh twist to TV shows, allowing familiar characters to be shown in a new light.
• The nature of a body swap can vary, with some stories using fictional technology and others relying on mystical explanations.
• Body swaps aren't limited to live-action shows; animated properties also explore the narrative possibilities of this concept.

Body swap episodes are always an interesting addition to a TV show, and some can execute the concept very well. This form of story telling doesn't just allow familiar characters to be shown in a new light, but the show's actors are also given the rare opportunity to play a different character within the same world. Certain body swap stories tend to stick to the classic template, whereas others enjoy reworking the idea.

The nature of a body swap can depend on various factors , one of which being the nature of the show in question. Some TV writers make use of fictional technology to achieve the feat, whereas others use more mystical explanations for how characters trade places. The trope isn't limited to live-action, with animated properties also exploring the narrative possibilities that can arise from a body swap story.

American Dad! - Season 9, Episode 19, "Da Flippity Flop"

Klaus betrays stan, american dad.

Release Date 2005-02-06

Cast Jeff Fischer, Patrick Stewart, Seth MacFarlane, Wendy Schaal, Scott Grimes, Rachael MacFarlane, Dee Bradley Baker

Genres Animation, Comedy

Body swaps aren't limited to people , as proven by "Da Flippity Flop." Klaus, the family fish in American Dad! is already a man trapped in the body of an animal. The episode involves endless requests from Klaus for Stan to use his connections at the CIA to restore Klaus to his original body. The use of fictional technology is the lesser-explored route in body swap episodes, so the use of CIA resources pushes the story into the realm of science-fiction.

When things don't go to plan, Klaus ends up swapping bodies with Stan instead, putting his friend's form through a series of unsanitary and abusive acts. The swap is unique due to the fact that Klaus is trying to reclaim his body at no one's expense. However, his intense desire to be human again results in a forced swap with Stan instead, leaving Stan trapped in the body of a fish and then the rotting cadaver that was once Klaus. The episode highlights one of the worst things Klaus has ever done .

Farscape - Season 2, Episode 9, "Out Of Their Minds"

Multiple characters are affected.

Stories involving a body swap can be difficult to follow, and even more so when it's more than two characters changing places. When Moya is hit with an alien weapon, the essence of her various crewmembers all switch places. However, the switch-up doesn't just happen once, as each member of the Farscape cast is landed with the task of portraying multiple characters throughout the episode. "Out Of Their Minds" is a rare breed of body swap episode due to the constant changing of which character is in whose body, but that same reason is what makes the episode work so well.

The 20 Best Body-Swap Movies, Ranked

Star trek: strange new worlds - season 2, episode 5, "spock amok", spock changes places with his beloved, star trek: strange new worlds.

Release Date 2022-05-05

Cast Bruce Horak, Celia Rose Gooding, Jess Bush, Melissa Navia, Ethan Peck, Babs Olusanmokun, Rebecca Romijn, Christina Chong, Anson Mount

Genres Sci-Fi, Action, Adventure

Strange New Worlds reveals a lot about Spock before the events of Star Trek: The Original series . One of the more interesting revelations is that he once traded places with T'Pring, to whom he was engaged. Following a mishandling of the pair's psychic abilities, the couple are landed not only with the issue of being in the wrong bodies, but also being landed with one another's diplomatic and professional burdens. Strange New Worlds is not the first Star Trek show to attempt a body swap episode, but this one stands out among the other Strange New Worlds season 1 episodes due to its especially comedic and dramatic moments.

Smallville - Season 4, Episode 6, "Transference"

Clark's resilience is put to the test.

Release Date 2001-10-16

Cast Sam Jones III, Allison Mack, John Schneider, Laura Vandervoort, Michael Rosenbaum, John Glover, Justin Hartley, Erica Durance, Tom Welling, Sam Witwer, Cassidy Freeman, Eric Johnson, Annette O'Toole, Callum Blue, Jensen Ackles, Kristin Kreuk, Aaron Ashmore

Genres Drama, Romance, Adventure

In an act of heroism gone wrong, Clark Kent swapping places with Lionel Luther becomes the ultimate trial. Oftentimes, the only way to strip Clark of his powers is with Kryptonite, but Smallville found a new way to put the famed hero on the back foot . Trapped in prison within Lionel's body, Clark's immense level of fortitude serves as a preview of his future as a superhero. Against all odds, Clark wins the David and Goliath story by outwitting the man in his body and switching back, showing that not all of his talents come from his alien heritage.

The X-Files - Season 6, Episodes 4 & 5, "Dreamland"

The show avoided the obvious choice, the x-files.

Release Date 1993-09-10

Cast Gillian Flynn, Robert Patrick, Mitch Pileggi, David Duchovny, Annabeth Gish

Main Genre Sci-Fi

Choosing which characters should change places is an important decision when a body swap episode is being put together. In The X-Files , a frontrunner for the reversed pair should have been partners Mulder and Scully. In the end, the show avoids being predictable and makes Mulder swap places with Michael McKean's character, Morris Fletcher, in an accident that causes the two men to trade places.

Fletcher is only in a handful of episodes of The X-Files , and the "Dreamland" episodes mark his debut. By making a show regular trade places with an unfamiliar face, it becomes unclear how Mulder will convince Scully that he's telling the truth about them changing places. However, the creative choice ultimately paid off, and the writers managed to create one of the more memorable stories in The X-Files.

Doctor Who - Season 2, Episode 1, "New Earth"

Cassandra gets around.

Release Date 1963-11-23

Cast Alex Kingston, Peter Capaldi, Jenna Coleman, David Tennant, Matt Smith, Jodie Whittaker

Genres Mystery, Sci-Fi, Adventure

It's always exciting when a TV show brings back a villain, especially when they're used in a new way. As a character, Lady Cassandra is one of the weirdest aliens of new Who . "The Last Human" is little more than a stretched-out piece of skin, so it's difficult to see Cassandra as a true threat. "New Earth" reveals a new piece of technology she's acquired, which allows her to inhabit the body of another. The episode not only allows for Cassandra's return but also for her progression as a character.

Rose is the unfortunate victim of the machine , and while it's bad news for Rose's character, it allows her actress, Billie Piper, to play a different role in Doctor Who. Piper is given the opportunity to showcase her talent for comedic acting , which isn't something she's often afforded on the show. As Cassandra transfers from Rose to the Doctor later in the episode, David Tennant also gets the chance to show his interpretation of Cassandra.

The 10 Most Heartwarming Body-Swap Comedy Movies

Justice league unlimited - season 3, episode 8, "the great brain robbery", lex luther and the flash change places, justice league unlimited.

Release Date 2004-07-31

Cast George Newbern, Susan Eisenberg, Kevin Conroy

Genres Sci-Fi

Swapping bodies with a friend is one thing, but doing so with a sworn enemy is a completely different beast. In "The Great Brain Robbery," Lex Luthor and the Flash each find themselves behind enemy lines , and each has very different experiences while in the wrong body. The episode is effective in its exploration of the difference between good and evil, as the motivations of both men differ wildly while in each other's shoes.

Star Trek: Voyager - Season 7, Episode 7, "Body And Soul"

Voyager's doctor inhabits seven of nine, star trek: voyager.

Release Date 1995-05-23

Cast Jennifer Lien, Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo

Genres Sci-Fi, Adventure

As body swaps go, Star Trek: Voyager's take on the trope is a little more one-sided than most . Voyager's holographic doctor downloads his program into Seven of Nine's cybernetic implants when their shuttle comes under fire from an unfamiliar race. The race in question is prejudiced against holograms, leading to the Doctor hiding in Seven of Nine's mind and taking control of her body. As a hologram, the Doctor is not usually privy to certain sensations, and he makes full use of doing so while in Seven's body.

Jeri Ryan delivers an especially impressive performance as Seven of Nine in "Body and Soul," as she is actually portraying the Doctor, imitating his mannerisms and speech patterns. Given the fact that Seven is generally quite a stoic character, seeing her act in a much more animated fashion is a unique opportunity for viewers of Star Trek: Voyager. Seven cannot swap places with the Doctor, as he does not have a physical form to inhabit, so Voyager adds a sci-fi spin to the classic body swap tale.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer - Season 7, Episode 7, "Who Are You?"

Faith causes havoc in buffy's life, buffy the vampire slayer.

Release Date 1997-03-10

Cast James Marsters, Charisma Carpenter, Seth Green, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Nicholas Brendon, David Boreanaz, Dan Rubin, Alyson Hannigan

Genres Supernatural, Drama, Comedy, Action, Horror

This episode raises certain questions that could arise from a body swap. A prominent one comes from the fact that Riley sleeps with Faith while she's in Buffy's body. Although technically infidelity, Riley could argue otherwise. This isn't the only issue Faith causes throughout the episode. While Buffy spends the majority of the story in Faith's body just trying to return to her friends, Faith takes seemingly every chance she can get to disrupt as many of Buffy's relationships as she can. "Who Are You?" is one of the more bitter displays of body swapping , and an example of how certain individuals would capitalize on the opportunity.

Community - Season 4, Episode 11, "Basic Human Anatomy"

Troy and abed pay homage.

Release Date 2009-09-17

Cast Chevy Chase, Jim Rash, Yvette Nicole Brown, Danny Pudi, Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Ken Jeong, Joel McHale, Gillian Jacobs

Genres Comedy

Although Community isn't the first show to draw inspiration from Freaky Friday , it's rare that the body swap movie is referenced so heavily. Community is famous for its meta edge and self-aware approach to storytelling, and "Basic Human Anatomy" is a prime example of the show's style. Troy and Abed act out the swapping of bodies from Freaky Friday by each holding a copy of the DVD, and while it initially does nothing, it forces a more conscious approach from Troy.

"Basic Human Anatomy" is something of an outlier when it comes to body swap episodes, as Troy and Abed don't actually switch bodies . Instead, the two friends impersonate one another to an impressive degree, mimicking each other's cadence and body language. The occurrence reveals itself to be nothing more than a gag when Abed, impersonating Troy, tells Britta the switch is so Troy can avoid breaking up with her. While the break-up technique is something of a juvenile approach, it's consisten with Troy's character, and a good foundation for one of the best Community episodes. The false swap is also one of the best moments of Troy and Abed's friendship.

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Episode list

Star trek: voyager.

S1.E1 ∙ Caretaker

S1.E2 ∙ Parallax

S1.E3 ∙ Time and Again

S1.E4 ∙ Phage

S1.E5 ∙ The Cloud

S1.E6 ∙ Eye of the Needle

S1.E7 ∙ Ex Post Facto

S1.E8 ∙ Emanations

S1.E9 ∙ Prime Factors

S1.E10 ∙ State of Flux

S1.E11 ∙ Heroes and Demons

S1.E12 ∙ Cathexis

S1.E13 ∙ Faces

S1.E14 ∙ Jetrel

S1.E15 ∙ Learning Curve

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