10 Star Trek Characters Who Don't Deserve The Hate
5. Kes
Kes is easily one of the most underused characters in the franchise, with the most wasted potential. The idea of this 'Mayfly' species was fascinating. What would life look like to a race who must do everything in only nine years? It was a totally new way of understanding the universe and it was almost never addressed.
Then there was the issue of simply ignoring Kes as a character for most of Jennifer Lien's time on the show. She was introduced as a resourceful young woman who helped Janeway save her crew, then quickly was established as 'the nurse'. She rapidly became a sidekick for the EMH, often bringing his plight to others' attention.
With Kes, there is a stronger argument to hate what the writers turned her into, rather than the character herself. Lien was rarely given a chance to shine - Warlord, Before & After, The Gift, and Fury all served as notable exceptions.
Yes, even Fury. Though the episode was a poor attempt at wrapping up her storyline, she gets more to do in those forty minutes than she did in most of the third season, and Lien excels as the older, jaded version of Kes.
There is a lot to like about the character - despite the best efforts of how the character was depicted.