Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Kathryn Janeway
7. Will They/Won't They?
Ever since audiences were introduced to the characters of Voyager there grew a yearning for a romantic relationship to develop between Captain Janeway and Commander Chakotay.
This was not an idea that fans simply plucked from nowhere, however. The early seasons of Voyager approached the relationship between these characters in a way that very much felt like the build-up to something more intimate. From a suggestive conversation about “pairing off” in Elogium, to the entirety of season 2’s Resolutions - which saw the pair stranded together on a planet, seemingly, forever.
The greatest catalyst for this “ship”, however, lies with the actors. The blatant on-screen chemistry between Kate Mulgrew and Robert Beltran is palpable, and yet, the greatest reason for this relationship never coming to fruition also lies with the actors.
Kate Mulgrew was adamant that Captain Janeway would not be engaging in any form of “inappropriate” activities with her subordinates. As the first female captain, she felt a responsibility to portray a respectable leader who was accepted by the demographic audience for her strength and sacrifice, as opposed to being reduced to nothing but sex appeal or a weak woman led by her emotions and desires.
That said, more recently, Mulgrew has acknowledged a far deeper connection between the pair, which transcends that of simple attraction. When asked by a young fan at German Film and Comic Con 2024 - “Is Captain Janeway in love with Chakotay?” - Mulgrew replied, “Yes, but I couldn’t tell anybody”. Not only does this confirm what fans have been observing for 30 years, but it also highlights the sacrifice Janeway made to prioritise the safe return home for her crew.