Let me start by saying that I’ve never been a fan of Voyager. I was excited by the concept, but not the execution. I wish it was a much more serious look at survival in a harsh expanse of space with little hope of rescue and the need to conserve supplies. However, I’ll never fault or criticize those who love the show and its characters. For me, Seven of Nine was the personification of the show, an interesting concept spoiled by creative decisions made for the sake of ratings and pandering to the lowest common denominator. Now, could this character have been handled differently if ratings were not a concern?
The way I see it, having a character that is freed from the Borg influence could have proven to be a dramatic journey though emotional and physical tragedy. Imagine having your mind and body essentially raped by a bio-mechanical race? Imagine being freed of as much of their invasive technology as possible, but retaining some or all of your memories of years of assimilation? Would your first thought to be to dress a skin-tight cat-suit? Probably not.
Why not have Seven portrayed as person deeply affected by this invasive event? What if she proved herself to be a highly intelligent and important member of the crew, but one who avoids all physical contact? I would have liked to see her start out emotionally distant, hidden behind layers of clothes and a fleeting gaze—uncomfortable to make even eye contact. Over the course of a season or two, she would form important friendships with certain characters and slowly open up, shedding layers of clothing as if lowering her defenses. Eventually she’d feel confident enough to make physical contact with a select few of people such as a friendly pat on the back or even going as far as to hold hands. Perhaps, several seasons later, even falling in love with one of her shipmates?
I think there’s so much dramatic value that could be mined by such a character. If this show was re-imagined in today’s TV world of more mature themes then those of the mid 90’s, would this portrayal be interesting? What do you think?
The way I see it, having a character that is freed from the Borg influence could have proven to be a dramatic journey though emotional and physical tragedy. Imagine having your mind and body essentially raped by a bio-mechanical race? Imagine being freed of as much of their invasive technology as possible, but retaining some or all of your memories of years of assimilation? Would your first thought to be to dress a skin-tight cat-suit? Probably not.
Why not have Seven portrayed as person deeply affected by this invasive event? What if she proved herself to be a highly intelligent and important member of the crew, but one who avoids all physical contact? I would have liked to see her start out emotionally distant, hidden behind layers of clothes and a fleeting gaze—uncomfortable to make even eye contact. Over the course of a season or two, she would form important friendships with certain characters and slowly open up, shedding layers of clothing as if lowering her defenses. Eventually she’d feel confident enough to make physical contact with a select few of people such as a friendly pat on the back or even going as far as to hold hands. Perhaps, several seasons later, even falling in love with one of her shipmates?
I think there’s so much dramatic value that could be mined by such a character. If this show was re-imagined in today’s TV world of more mature themes then those of the mid 90’s, would this portrayal be interesting? What do you think?
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I hope Discovery goes a different route.
