Star Trek: 10 CORE Seven Of Nine Moments
Seven Of Nine remains one of the most enduring characters in Star Trek, but what made her this way?
When Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct to Unimatrix Zero One, stepped out of that alcove in Scorpion, Part 2, Star Trek: Voyager was changed forever. While the initial character biography was thin, Ryan managed to flesh out this drone to become one of, if not the, stand-out characters in this Trek spin-off.
Voyager began with an interesting premise that was quickly abandoned. While much of its first three seasons saw it struggle to find an identity beyond the shows that had come before, its focus on character building helped to lift it out of rehash territory. When Jennifer Lien's Kes sadly struggled to grow beyond 'the Mayfly' inspiration, Brannon Braga and Rick Berman decided to pivot.
The idea for the 'Borg Babe' could have fallen flat had the writers failed to do anything with the concept. Ryan, who was then primarily known for modelling, was cast in the thankless role of bringing this sex bomb to the screen. This was a character who, technically, betrayed the very things that helped Kate Mulgrew sign on to star as Captain Kathryn Janeway. Star Trek: Voyager wasn't going to be about scantily clad women serving as damsels in distress. Was Seven not a U-turn on this idea?
The answer to that is complicated. Certainly, casting Jeri Ryan was a success beyond measure, with her skill at giving Seven nuance helping to lift the character beyond the conceit. However, the writers clearly found a new direction for the show through the lens of Seven's arc. Her arrival ruffled feathers, but her journey helped Star Trek: Voyager go on to become the success that it was.
Here, we focus on those core moments that truly built this character into the iconic captain of the Enterprise-G.
10. Having The Worst Parents In The Galaxy
On the surface, Magnus and Erin Hansen appeared to be kind and loving parents. They ensured that young Annika was shown all the affection she deserved and did their best to take care of her, especially after she woke from nightmares. However, they are also directly responsible for introducing her to the greatest and longest nightmare of the child's life.
The Hansens' obsession with the Borg led them to veer off course from their chartered mission, as well as ignore several directives from Starfleet to turn back. They followed a Borg Cube into a transwarp corridor, flinging them across the galaxy, depositing them in the Delta Quadrant. Had they simply risked their own safety, that could have been understood, if not condoned, in the name of scientific exploration.
However, they did all of this with their six-year-old daughter on board the SS Raven with them. As helpful as their research ended up becoming, there is simply no excusing the fact that they put their child in danger, betting on their luck holding out to keep them all safe.
They developed a technology that allowed them to remain undetected aboard a Cube for over an hour. While this was a successful method of reconnaissance for a time, a simple malfunction led to the Borg discovering them. Their ship was quickly overwhelmed, they were taken away, and Annika herself was assimilated into the Collective. At that moment, Annika Hansen ceased to exist, at least in that form.
It truly was Seven of Nine who stepped forward to meet Janeway and Tuvok in Scorpion Part 2. While she would eventually find liberation from the Collective, the Hansens were lost.