Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Seven Of Nine
1. She Has Become A Beacon For Survivors Of Cults To Rally Behind
The Borg are nothing if not a metaphor for cults in society. They draw you in. They take over your mind and body. There is no hope of escape. Resistance is, in fact, futile. Then, along comes Seven of Nine to prove that, no, in fact, it most certainly is not.
Twitter user Star Spider penned a piece for Vice in which they detailed their path to recovery after escaping a cult. They had spent much of their twenties as a member of, then prisoner of, this group that did all that it could to erase their individuality. After escaping, they realised that they were now completely unable to function as an individual.
This is reflected in the use of language that Seven uses during her removal from the Collective. Throughout the events of Scorpion, she predominantly uses 'We' to identify herself, while from The Gift onwards she starts using the singular 'I', as she regains a measure of individuality.
Through years of therapy, Star Spider identified with the journey that Seven goes through after her liberation from the Collective. First, there is anger. Then, a dubious attempt to endure this individuality. Later comes regret, before acceptance. In Seven, they were able to see many elements of their own journey, leading them toward, if not total recovery, then a place much closer than where they had left.
In Star Trek: Picard, Seven asks Jean-Luc if he truly feels that he has recovered from his assimilation. He confesses he doesn't. Together, they acknowledge the need to keep on fighting. As fitting a message for anyone to rally behind as there can be.