Why Seven of Nine Is Actually More Than Just Eye Candy
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- Опубліковано 11 лют 2020
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Studio execs: *Add Seven to turn up sex appeal*
Jeri Ryan: *Is a really good actress who carries some of the series best episodes*
She was also really fantastic on Leverage.
Good actresses who aren't eye candy almost never get the chance to show their chops in Hollywood.
@@xheralt Sad but true. Yay for Jeri Ryan being awesome all around!
Wow both her and Christian Kane I might have to watch Leverage at some time!
Seriously! She's a terrific actress.
Seven is the tradition of the character exploring what it means to be human in the vein of Spock and Data.
Let’s not forget that Data and Spock were both sex symbols in their respective times, too. There’s nothing wrong with characters having sex appeal and characters who are both smart and sexy have a long tradition (Dana Scully, Clarice Starling, Ellen Ripley, etc.). The thing with Seven was the naked (heh) attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator by sticking Jeri Ryan in a catsuit (see also Troi). Cast attractive actors if they’re the best fit for the role, by all means. But trust us to figure out for ourselves who and what is sexy. We don’t need Rick Berman to draw us a map...
The question of what it means to be human is the whole point of science fiction, to me. I think that's why Voyager seemed more stale before Seven. There was no character actively exploring what it means to be human, to feel emotion, to have a heart. Tuvok was just fine being a Vulcan. Torres was more about struggling with her Klingon self, which has its own issues. Seven really rounded out the cast by introducing that element to the show.
...and The Doctor
And in some ways, Odo.
@@wonderb0lt The Doctor was hamstrung by the crew's attitudes and his own limitations of being bound to Sickbay until season 3.
I really enjoyed Seven's connection with the Doctor, her friendship with young Naomi, and her reclaiming of her humanity. She was written so well.
Absolutely. I would say Seven and the Doctor were the best developed characters on the show
Jeri Ryan provides a show stopping performance in the seventh season episode Body and Soul.
The Doctor's programme is downloaded into Seven's Borg implants, resulting in his persona becoming the dominant one in her body. So we see Ryan doing a spot on impersonation of Robert Picardo's dry wit, gestures and eye rolling. Fantastic.
lol the cheesecake
Don't forget Season 5 when she experience multiple personalities. She took that roll and ran with it!!! Awesome performance on that episode.
I loved that episode. It showed what a good actress she is.
I'm in the middle of season 5 on my first watch through of voyager and now i really cant wait to see that.
@@gradplanner her ferengi is really good
She ended up being one of the most interesting characters in Voyager. When I found out she was going to be on Picard I was almost more interested in her story than his. She could have done anything with her life after returning home, and given her past, we know she is capable of doing almost anything.
Gotta say I'm loving Picard so far, but I'm sitting on the edge of my seat just waiting to see where she fits in. Super excited to get more of her character.
@@lucassmart1473 daaaaamn. Not gonna spoil anything. But damn.
Set your disruptor-pistols to `stun´!
I'm going to visit the writers with a phaser pistol because quite frankly...seven was neglected and turned into a macho commando there lol
And she's still gorgeous
One of the things which always impressed me about Seven was that she always came across as exceptionally self-possessed and self-confident. Her manner of speaking consistently projected this quality in her incisiveness, clarity of diction and focus. Whether she was right or wrong, she was going to press her point across without fear.
And to me, THAT all by itself is damned admirable.
I really love that about her.
I think Jeri Ryan absolutely made the character of Seven Of Nine. She's a fantastic actress.
Absolutely :) I don't have a problem with all the spandex on a borg, either. She is what she is. The unnecessary creep bait that bothered me was T'Pol on Enterprise. Like where is the logic in wearing pants so tight we can see what religion she is? (Definitely not a muslim :P) Jolene's a good actor too, tho. Both of them are good enough at playing their characters that my... erm... *concern for their genital comfort... 0_o* gets lost in being thoroughly entertained by the show :D
@@ericjay71 Bob Picardo and Roxanne Dawson would like a word.
She saved that show and after her she made Voyager one of my favorites .
When you talked about the episode “Prey” and how Seven saves the ship yet is punished for it, it makes me think of the episode “Hope and Fear.” Seven doesn’t want to go home when the crew thinks they have a new ship that can take them. Janeway argues with Seven using the “don’t abandon this crew when we need you argument”. Janeway states “We’ve given you a lot Seven, it’s time you gave something in return.” And seven, correctly responds “I have on many occasions. Now I refuse.” And she was definitely right to say that.
Seven "What you're doing to the doctor is wrong!"
Janeway "He's no better than a replicator."
Jean-Luc Picard's The Measure of a Man argument enters the conversation.
Aye. Every time the self-determination of the doctor is questioned I have to think about the result of that episode.
When you think about it, it makes total sense that Janeway was promoted after Voyager made it back to the Alpha Quadrant. She has all the makings of a crazy admiral (which I suppose we saw play out in the series finale).
Yeah that's a good point too. Janeway was definitely put in a position where she was tested in ways most other Starfleet captain never experience.
Promote her so she sits at a desk somewhere and can't cruise the galaxy causing trouble.
Seven and the doctor carried this show for me. For my teenage self, the fact she was just someone so cool and weirdly relatable finally gave me the “eyes” to see past someone being just “sexy”. Hell, it pretty much changed my entire outlook on the portrayal of women in mainstream media. I kinda wanna just say thanks to Jeri Ryan for that.
7 is eye-candy but anyone who thinks that that’s all she is is a fool.
I think she started out as eye candy. The character was introduced with the most cynical 'show boobies, get ratings' objective. She just didn't stay in that role - a combination of some good writing and a good actress turned the character into something a lot more than that initial intention.
Yup she really took that character to great levels. In fact there was one scene she actually managed to get a tear from me and while I get like that for movies that's quite a feat for a syndicated TV show to pull off. Not sure how many of you will remember this: (I sure do.) ua-cam.com/video/yGOYjj2JCN0/v-deo.html
And oh WOW I had forgotten how random the quality of the characters in Voyager is. Ryan really grew into this character and made it a stand-out. Not too uncommon for a series. And some actor/character combinations just knocked it out of the PARK. I'm looking at YOU, Emergency Medical Hologram dude! That sh*t hooked me in the first episode! But characters like Chakotay? Paris? And Kim? OMG why do they even exist?!? Did the writers even TRY to give them recognizable personalities and character arcs?
Vyl Bird yes, our ancient SJW cousins from the late 90s, including Kate Mulgrew and some forward thinking writers stood up to Harvey “Weinstein” Berman, and we thankfully ended up with a good character.
@@4saken404 And then there is Nee-who-shall-not-be-named.
Seven and the Doctor were my two favorite characters of this series BECAUSE they addressed problems from an outsider's point of view. Plus Jeri Ryan is a helluva an actress and Robert Picardo has spot on comedic timing.
I've said before and I'll say it again, Seven's parents were the worst
"Let's take our small child on a romp through Borg infested deep space! What could possibly go wrong?!" - 7s parents
They're not much worse than Janeway, though, the main differences being that Janeway is endangering her entire crew while Seven's parents only endangered their kid, with the caveat that her crew CHOSE to join starfleet and knew the risks they were taking, little Anika didn't (but, then, neither did Naomi Wildman, so, maybe Janeway is actually worse).
+[StarkRG]
Speaking of parallels between Anika Hansen and Naomi Wildman: am I the only Trek fan to think that the friendship (and more importantly perhaps, kinship) between Seven and Naomi is pretty much the best thing in Seven's tenure on the show?
Don't get me wrong, the friendship and kinship between Seven and the Doctor is a close second here, but the scenes with Seven and Naomi will always win out for me.
@@StarkRG Janeway is a victim of bad writing, yeah there's a better female captain out there now but just be aware a lot of the crit that gets tossed her way is still kinda sexist in nature, just watch for that. But otherwise, agree even if it was writer stupid she did a lot of eyebrow raising things for the dramz, really.
They were obsessed and selfish.
Jeri Ryan's reserved-but-still-emotional acting was spot on. You kind of got the impression that she didn't have emotions to start, but quickly came to realise she just doesn't display it with the same openness as most people. I thought her performance was not only excellent on its own, but also helped redefine how we see earlier less-than-emphatic characters like Spock and Data.
Don forget, she was human before she was assimilated. When she regained her humanity and individuality, she slowly but surely with the Doctors help, started to get more in touch with her emotions. So her emotions have always been there, it just wasn´t so easy for her to access, identify and embrace them because of all the Borg technology and conditioning, especially in the beginning.
Absolutely. Seven is way more sensitive and perceptive than she lets on, especially in the beginning. As someone with aspie tendencies who often struggles with perceiving and expressing emotions and with feeling like an outsider, I can identify with the Seven character.
Just a note about Kate Mulgrew. The writers didn't give her much leeway for emoting on camera. And it's understandable people of that era thought she didn't have much talent. But now that we've seen on her Orange is the New Black, it's obvious she could have held that show if Berman and the writers had given her character room to grow.
I've been listening to the Delta Flyers podcast and they did mention they usually weren't allowed to get too emotional, and also they weren't given leeway as far as their lines go. But Voyager fans seem to agree Kate Mulgrew is a good actress, I'm no judge of acting but I like Janeway even though she's not perfect (neither were the other captains).
One of my favorite moments from Seven, outside of Latent Image (excellent choice btw), actually came from Season 7. Repentance. Where she helped the prisoner Iko, though unwillingly at first, realise his humanity. And then when he appealed his conviction professing to be a different person and had his appeal denied, Seven felt it wasn't fair.
She felt that she was never actually punished for the actions that she took as a Borg, something that she pointed out were vastly far more in number than the single life that Iko took. And then Janeway reminded her of all the years she lost as a Borg and told her that was "punishment enough".
It was one of Janeway's better moments and I feel a good bit of character development for Seven as well.
Seven wasn't just a pretty face with sex appeal. The actress was a great actor, and one of the reasons she is in Picard series. Jeri Ryan saved Voyager from being the "hum drum" after first 2 seasons. Great video topic.
While all this is true, I also think it was less Voyager didn't already have good actors it's just most of the conflict of their situation was killed in the first episode. For example, the writers didn't want the Maquis in Starfleet uniforms right away but higher ups demanded a fast turn over. So all the potential conflict of having these two factions aboard the same ship while stranded in a strange land fizzled out rather quickly.
What Seven of Nine allowed them to do (and Jeri Ryan did an incredible job of it as an actor) is actually have a conflicted crew member who wasn't gonna just tow the line of Starfleet ideals the way an ENTIRE crew of Maquis almost did immediately. Yeah, there were a couple throw away conflicts but Voyager never really committed to the idea of Maquis and Starfleet in conflict aboard ship and moved as quickly as they could to the Star Trek status quo. I do think the show destroyed the Borg....or at least watered them down from the fearful villians of TNG, but they did it to save the show through the new opportunities presented through Ryan's character. A crew member who truly could rub up against the Starfleet idealism and question authority in a way no other character would dare to. All while experiencing personal growth herself.
"How many times does Seven have to save everyone's lives by doing something Janeway doesn't think she should do..." I know it's not exactly a perfect analogy, but this made me think of Alan Turing when I heard it.
Wow. That is deel af
You mean like Wesley Crusher?
I am autistic and wasn't diagnosed till I was an adult. While I didn't mind talking to people I found socializing frustratingly over-complex. It seemed like conversations were either meaningless or calculatively diplomatic. (Seriously, why in the hell do people ask "How are you?" as a figure of speech/greeting?) Seven's struggles at returning to humanity was educational and a goal post for me to follow. She strived for intelligence and shared my impatience for emotion getting in the way of progress. Yet, seeing her slowly realize that emotional interaction can actually "improve efficiency" and can be beneficial to you in the future was a great lesson for me. Equally having the crew learn patience with Seven and taking the opportunity to educate her on social skills was heartwarming as I've found that experience to be a rarity in the real world.
While many found her attractive I had very little interest in sex as once again it seemed overly complex. I found her "sexy" episodes especially with the whole Chakotay episode questionable. However, as I don't fit in well in such things I just accepted it as this must be what normal people like. Now that I'm adult I do realize sex in a relationship is important, but to this day I do not know how well they introduced her into intimate relationships was educational or just for sex appeal.
While Voyager did suffer from horrible writing the show was often lonely and had a member who struggled to not feel like an alien among her own kind. Those themes resonated with me in so many ways and I thank Jeri Ryan for playing such an important role in my childhood.
"and had a member who struggled to not feel like an alien among her own kind".....strong "Stranger in Strang Land" vibes there....not necessarily a direct comparasion but an apt one.
Thank you for opening a door to me about both your experiences and Seven’s. Not surprisingly, I saw Seven’s life on Voyageur through my own eyes and experiences and projection from my imagination. Yours however seems so much more accurate and genuine. Thank you for the courage enough to share: I for one am grateful...
I'm a late-diagnosed autistic person too, and I always felt the same ability to relate to Seven as you did. Feeling like an alien is very familiar, as is not understanding the purpose of seemingly pointless social customs. (I have no idea why people ask "How are you?" if they don't want an honest answer either!) I always admired her intelligence and dignity, and very much felt her frustration at having to deal with irrational problems like having emotions that aren't entirely controllable. It was also a much needed boost that the most attractive character on the show seemed to think much like I did!
I've always had a crush on Jeri Ryan😍. But besides that, I can't wait until Seven appears on Picard, I want to see what they do with her character after so many years.
The vulnerability Ms. Ryan expresses when Neelix was teaching Seven to eat was remarkable. She is a talented actress, for sure.
Regarding next month's topic, I think you touched on something relevant in this video:
Star Trek has always been didactic, but it's typically been "us" showing up to a planet to show them the error of their ways.
Even when the message is progressive or humanist is nature, it's often delivered in a paternalistic or colonialist package. I think that's why there is so much distaste in these circles for stories where the focus is on a flaw in Starfleet or the Federation. "Those are our guys! You gotta support the troops!"
Hear, hear
Also, the heroes are in the military and are usually shown as being heroic, very much a view favoured by conservatives.
You forget that GR's vision was that ST depicts an evolved humanity, not merely our present circumstances dressed up in snazzy uniforms. The Federation was supposed to be the idealized future of humanity. DS9, Discovery, and now ST:P are deliberately stomping all over that. Were we lied to when we were shown that one day, in the future, we will have overcome the more base aspects of our species? What are we to strive for? If we can't win the struggle against our lower natures then why bother trying? Sign me up for the Tal Shiar.
@@jaskevco I don't forget that vision, it's actually key to my point: believing themselves to be evolved beyond primitive savagery when they encounter a culture in conflict describes most episodes of TOS/TNG but also the Conquistadors, the British Empire, and the US during many an expeditionary war. I think it's too easy to just say "these problems don't exist in our society" without exploring how that could be beyond a handwave. Roddenberry era Trek was not only not interested in exploring this, but explicitly forbidden from doing so.
@@leonardotavaresdardenne9955 he never said 'Racism is bad' he said dont abandon innocent people just because they may be seen as an enemy and because you have your own problems. There is a nuance.
I propose a 50 year ban on any character in any media to mention the fable of the scorpion and the frog.
OK, we will replace it with Al Wilson song "The Snake"
I predict that everyone will agree that it's in our best interest to have such a ban, we'll get 25 years into the ban, and then someone will use it anyway, because it's in their nature.
@@bobcat3954
Noooooo!
I am surprised you never brought up how Kate Mulgrew hated the fact that Jeri Ryan was taking over every episode, especially when she felt she was breaking barrios as the first female captain not based around sex appeal.
And, if my understanding is correct, Mulgrew took it out on Ryan. Jeri Ryan has talked about how she would have this tremendous anxiety to be on set because of how Kate Mulgrew treated her.
Yeah, it was bad and Kate has since apologized for that.
It's too bad though if Jeri didn't stick up for herself more because sometimes that does the trick, but people put up with things they don't have to put up with because they're too nice.
One thing I liked about Jeri Ryan was that she really did a good job when they had her portraying Seven being co-opted by another personality. Once when the Doctor took over her body, and another time when she was a Ferengi for some reason. Delightful stuff.
Does anyone else COMPLETELY enjoy the framing of Seven's facial expression to Steve's question as Janeway to Seven, at 7:32 ?
It's a face that foreshadows so much about their characters' future tensions.
Also, one could argue that Seven's and Janeway's dynamics are a realization of ideas from the Q episodes, with regards to Janeway acknowledging that some day she would possibly want a child
You forgot that she is kinda lesbian bait. My gf and I ate the whole damn fishing pole...
Don't forget the fanfics lol.
I have no idea what lesbian bate looks like. Her I guess. I must be too old. lol. She's sexy, intelligent, direct, confident with a touch of vulnerability so you have a slight chance of not feeling completely useless around her and single.
@@Lhorez you literally just described lesbian bait lol
@@Iluvlollipops Wait... are you saying my ideal woman is a lesbian? Nooooooooooo! Not that I have a problem with lesbians per se. Except that they're not interested in me... :p
@@Lhorez there are 2 possibilities here lol. Either you are a girl, or you missed the word bait. Either way you have good taste in women.
I just finished a re-watch of Voyager and I cried, again, at the point when she says "I just want a uniform". Jeri is a brilliant actor who can sing like an angel and she's openly said that Transgender people are "more than valid".
So, she's smart, talented, funny and A REALLY GOOD PERSON.
It's strange that Janeway never got comfortable with the fact the Doctor was more than a computer program. Kess pointed out to her that the Doctor was a person and deserved respect and autonomy in season one!
Just that early episode where Janeway allows the Doctor to take control of his shutdown routine shows that she sees more in him than just a tool.
I see her arguing that way towards Seven as Janeway trying to convince herself that he is just that.
I would disagree, she clearly comes to care about him and treats him like a member of her crew. For example in the episode maestro, she's concerned about them being doctorless but also about his feelings and that he's leaving people who care about him.
And she argues that he's a person who can make his own decisions, when they have that Zoom trial (lol) over the doctor's rights to the Holodeck program that he wrote.
Seven and the Doctor were the best characters.
Seven is always right, which is why I like to think of her as "hot Wesley Crusher."
Come to think of it, I'd watch a show that was just Seven and Wesley travelling the galaxy together.
...I now want Wesley back in Picard as an unlikely friend for Seven. Only not that unlikely when you think about it, because precocious genius with awkwardness by the shovelful who is mostly human but sort of not and it happened artificially.
Call it "Seven-Nil."
@@ericjay71 I don't see it, myself. Like so many of us, I binged TNG in anticipation of Picard, and I was bracing myself for Wesley to be the irritating little shit people say he is... but he wasn't. He was badly written at times, but never badly acted, and Wheaton often did a very impressive job of polishing up the material he was given to work with so that he remained at least sympathetic.
But then, I remember hating Barclay for being a nasty intrusion of real life into my happy escapist fantasy, until I understood why he was so much more real to me than every other character on the show. I was never an annoying teenage boy who looked at Wesley and saw a mirror of my flaws.
Wesley is already kinda attractive from a purely aesthetic point of view.
Voyager did not over use the Borg, they had a main character who was Borg and so they became a more prominent element of the show. It's just like having a LOT of Klingon episodes in TNG or having the Founders become major recurring enemies in DS9. When you have a main character who is a particular thing, that thing becomes a big part of the show.
Lets be honest, the Borg plotline pretty much saved that show from season 4 on (I think). They have always been the exciting ultra-antagonist from the early days of TNG on.
Re: direct 70 year journey: Janeway knows that unless the crew starts having a lot more kids, they won't survive a 70 year journey. She is hoping that they will run into alien tech that will go home sooner.
When I was young, I find Captain Janeway actions very acceptable. But when I am older, I find her to make some serious big mistakes.
Ironically, I just watched last night the two episodes of Scorpion pt 2 and The Gift. I think the writing was superb for Seven, in that it captured the trauma quite well, although her performance could have been a little better.
Also, I have always enjoyed the mother-daughter dynamic that was always present between Janeway and Seven. They did an excellent job, and I think Kate Mulgrew really did portray the firm compassion of her character very well.
17:22 In the Gene Roddenberry era of Trek, "*we* have problems and need to change" was accomplished by showing us an alien civilization still struggling with a 20th century problem that our society still has, and these paragons of virtue, Humanity, the Federation and Starfleet, who have evolved past whatever social is they are facing, and playing a game of Compare and Contrast.
The implication was "20th century humanity has not grown out of this yet, but here's what we would look like if we did." Star Trek was always aspirational-- a goal to strive for. It was a way of calling out 1960s era Bullshit, without making the producers or indeed the audience too uncomfortable, but still getting people to think about the issue.
I guess we had lost our ability to grapple with subtlety by the time Voyager came around. If you can call "Let That Be Your Last Battlefield" subtle.
But yeah, keep in mind, there are certain sectors of the audience who don't like being told "you are bad and wrong and should not be -ist" but respond more positively to the message when shown "Here is a species who is like that. Aren't they awful? Of course, your hero The Captain, is better than that, though." and the message creeps in.
Tuning the torpedo to the exact shield frequency so it bypasses the shields, as it were.
.
Chickenator X well said my friend, well said. I’m personally reminded of a great story in the Holy Bible that does this perfectly. Which I wouldn’t be surprised if Gene Roddenberry was inspired by - by how he wrote Star Trek.
After King David slept with one of his officers wife. Got her pregnant 🤰 and killed her husband and married her himself to cover up his sin. God sent the Prophet Nathan to tell King David a story...
And omg! I’m astounded after all these years that I still remember the prophets name! I just checked Google to verify if I was right. Here’s the story.
2 Samuel 12
1
The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.
2
The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,
3
but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
4
"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."
5
David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
6
He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."
7
Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
8
I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.
9
Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
10
Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
11
"This is what the LORD says: `Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.
12
You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'"
13
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.
14
But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, [1] the son born to you will die."
A good friend of mine was watching Trek with her kids - when they got to Seven's costume reveal, her 8 year old daughter had this to say, "Seriously, Mom? They HAD to design a costume solely to emphasize the size of her boobs? Just *how many* years ago was this filmed?? Hrmph!"
That's one great 8 y/o there! She's gonna be a wonderful person when gets older. Tell your friend she's doing a great job with her kids! (If the opinion of some random internet person matters any ☺)
Seven and the Doctor's relationship (around opera) was one of my favourite bits of Trek, from any of the shows.
They were a cute pair.
Though Kes and The Doctor were also very cute together.
One of the things that I always noticed about Voyager is just how many characters on the show needed help in learning how to act in social situations, or how often the dialog turned to explaining normal human behavior to people who didn't understand it. I get the sense that the writers had a very specific idea of what sort of people were watching the show.
One of the reasons Seven was one of my favorites was because she was not around during the Tuvix situation, it was and is hard to forgive Janeway for that along with the rest of the crew (I think aside from B'Elanna Torres who was mysteriously absent) and Seven would have tried to protect Tuvix, as her protection of the Doctor proves.
Yes. I think she would.
I used to absolutely hate Seven when I first watched the show. Finally we had a Star Trek show with women being in competent, technical, and important roles - the captain and chief engineer for crying out loud! - both dressed and treated appropriately for their positions and abilities, both women I could aspire to become one day. And in comes Barbie doll. Couldn't stand it. It took rewatching the show as a grown up to appreciate the character and the actress. Today I can't wait to see her on Picard.
@@Hellserch no, don't get me wrong, I still despise the Barbie looks, the catsuit, the "let's teach Seven how to date," and - possibly worse of all - the let's pair her up with a man twice her age. Disgusting through and through. But today I'm also able to peel off this veneer and see she was also portrayed as smart, capable, logical, outspoken, and assertive. She is also one of the few Star Trek characters to grow and develop over time - a treat in of itself. And Jeri Ryan is to be credited for most of that; not only she did a great job playing her but she was also the one pushing the writers to give Seven more than one dimension. That's why I look forward to seeing her in Picard, because from the looks of it from the trailer what I hated of Seven is gone and what's left is the good that was always underneath.
I think you could argue that the character of Seven in ST:Voy even doubled down on giving us smart capable women to aspire to become - though I assume that wasn't the writer's intention when they picked her attire.
But Seven showed us that in the 24th century you can dress sexy while being smart and capable and not get reduced to your choice of clothing. (At least I can't remember a single instance where somebody doubted Seven's intellect bc of her catsuit.)
Oh god I was so offended when they brought her on during the original run that I stopped watching the show. I’m rewatching Voyager in it’s entirety now (after seeing her on Picard), and really other than the catsuit and ridiculous heels, she’s not written ‘sexy’ (and her implied relationship with Raffi throws a fun new light on any of the hetero stuff that was applied to her character on Voyager). I think the writers were probably mostly offended too by the obvious ploy of the studio or show runners to sex up the show.
Emilia Rinaldi - Sex appeal is what they wanted to sell the show with and this is why she is dressed like it and looks like it. One could say a very cheap marketing trick like women like this presenting bikes or all kinds of other things.
@@snowblood74 No it doesnt it is to sell a product in the 20th century just like bikes or other products that have women dressed and looking like barbies.
24:40 "She was never flat" - I see what you did there. Seriously though, Jeri Ryan deserved an award for the arc she took Seven on.
It became The Doctor and Seven of Nine show.
"... the only one who stands up for the Doctor!"--somewhere, Tuvix weeps.
Great video, Steve. I have no issue with actor or character, but there is something strange about how the writers and producers approached the character. They created a clichéd character--the sexy girl who doesn't understand her sexuality, but whom men prey upon--and patted themselves on the back because of it. Seven of Nine was effectively Wedekind's Lulu, the character whom Louise Brooks would become identified with in Pandora's Box. Then they focused most of their energy on that character. The character of Seven was able to develop, but they would not allow the same attention to focus on other characters. Indeed, Ron Moore's two episodes for Voyager were a Klingon episode (of course) and a Seven episode (again, of course). Kudos to Jeri Ryan. I don't know if the the writing staff deserves the same praise.
@@travcollier Sorry, but I would rather rely on the work of scholars, like Bram Dijkstra, who have been studying these archetypes and narratives for decades.
12:44 "All the stops and side-quests ain't making the trip any shorter."
That's a bad argument since many of them actually did, in fact, if it wasn't for some of those stops and side-quests they wouldn't have reached Borg space for at least another decade or two and Seven never would have been rescued from them.
Also, you never know when you run into serious trouble like severe damage to the ship, hostile aliens and what not, and in those situations a friend that's just a few lightyears around the corner is really helpful.e
They would have reached the Borg nebula sooner and numerous characters might have survived. Carey's widow and children might have appreciated him coming home and not being killed a week before they got home.
Jeri Ryan knew exactly how to push this series while at the same time accepting the "compromises" she was forced into. I can't imagine how hard it was for her to be in that position
She has talked about how the corset she regularly was in was so tight on her that she passed out at least once during filming because of how much it limited her breathing.
It's when Starfleet, and our intrepid heroes, are portrayed as flawed, and has serious issues they need to deal with, I find Star Trek to be the most interesting. That was the biggest reason I liked Lorca right up until his origin was revealed.
With regards to Seven. Yeah, I've always regarded her as eye-candy, sure. But I definitely agree, she was by far one of the more interesting characters on the show, alongside the Doctor. Harry, Tom, Chakotay and others were just...boring. B'lanna was stereotypically bland and boring, a poor imitation of Worf, I'd say. Neelix was...yeah...
And Janeway? I think this video describes her well enough. Tuvok was okay. But Seven, and the Doctor, was definitely the best part of the show.
Even B'lanna's "transporter split" episode was a rehash, and stereotypical. Klingon half = aggro, human = calm? Yawn. I mean c'mon, she's 1/2 Klingon and 1/2 Latina, that's fire on BOTH sides of the house! Would have been funnier if her Klingon half had been calm(er) and more controlled ;)
You just reminded me of how disappointed I was over Lorca... I was so convinced it was going to address the issue of PTSD and how trauma changes people. Instead it was another Mirror Universe fake-out...
@@SuspiciousKoala The PTSD thing would have been very interesting, yes, but my motivations for liking were different. But I agree that him being a mirror universe fake-out was very disappointing.
I definitely agree. Seven and the Doctor are my two favorite characters on the show.
i personally think her, the doctor, and as annoying as he is sometimes neelix are the only people with developed personalities on voyager.
I found myself highly pissed with the Hansons, Seven of Nine's parents. They took selfish risks of bringing their young daughter along upon research mission to study Borg up close and personal. She suffered because of their arrogance.
My goodness Steve! You've really been holding out on us. Thanks for that serenade ; P
You’re absolutely right, Seven is a great character -defined by growth and hampered by “questionable” choices in costuming.
I want to encourage you to keep making this kind of content. I love it!
Rick Berman is THE main reason why Voyager never got a chance to live up to her potential.
The amount of improvement the show could have had if the writers had even been able to agree to a consistent characterization of Janeway would have been massive!
The more i learn about Star Fleet, the more i sympathize with Maquis.
Interesting take. Seeing as Picard is going through the same journey now.🤔
The tragedy there is that it's not what Gene Roddenberry wanted. He envisioned humanity to be truly evolved and enlightened; but, unfortunately, with every subsequent new series, humanity is made to appear more and more contemporary; just as flawed and crude and selfish as humans are today.
I know it makes for more interesting story-telling, but I think it's a gross departure from the original concept.
@@JanetStarChild I can see your point, another thing I always took from Trek is that we must fully be united as people on a planet before we even think about space travel to gace othe cultures that may not be as happy to see us...lol.
Or as Thor said "experiment on the Tesseract lets the universe know that Earth is ready for higher forms of war!"
@@danielland3767
I don't really get the second part, as I'm not really immersed in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but I totally agree with your first point.
@@JanetStarChild lol, in the 1st Avengers movie, Thor warned Nick Fury about messing with a rock that had power to run a city but also was the power stone (gave the person who could hold it immense power, Q like if you will). That's what Thor was referring to, tapping into a Q like power can cause consequences that you are not ready for. Similar how Q humbled Picard & flung them into the Borg radar well before Starfleet was ready. Guinan knew who the Borg was which is why despised Q for doing what he did. I think her people got assimilated & she is tf he only survivor
Just rewatching this video when I should be working and totally didn't remember you opening the video with song! Nice voice, by the way- that plus your purr for Worf's sex appeal just raised you up a few notches in my respect category! Just delightful!
This is similar to a comment someone posted about Nog on your Aron Eisenberg tribute video: I like that Seven kept some Borg characteristics, and it was interesting how she grew to, well, adapt them to her new life. She still prized efficiency and sought perfection, but she learned that there can be value in disorder as well. Think about Seven's reaction to the children rebelling in "Ashes to Ashes" or the ideal life she made for herself on the holodeck in "Human Error". I wonder how much she'll have kept in Star Trek: Picard.
By the way, you've mentioned a couple of times now that you feel some Voyager episodes were "close to great". Which ones?
I’d argue that Janeway had simply learned the lesson that “the needs of the many are outweighed by the needs of the few...or the one”. Presumably it’s intro stuff at the Academy by now.
Starfleet officers are duty bound to protect the species asking for help, since it's essentially seeking asylum.
Janeway: "That's 'What the hell, CAPTAIN'!"
I think she would have said "That's 'What the hell, _Ma'am'..._ "
@@xheralt "Ma'am will do in a crunch but until then I prefer Captain."
Is nobody talking about Steve's singing? I think I'm in love.
Nice pipes Steve!
Steve I agree seven of nine was a great character. Probably one of the best characters on Voyager. Jeri Ryan's great acting along with really good writing took the character to places it was never intended to go. I think of Michael Dorn with Worf on the next gen. He was just supposed to be a bridge officer in a recurring role. But because of great writing and his acting skill. He made Worf became the third most popular character on the whole show behind Picard and Data. That's why I'm looking forward to seeing her on the Star Trek Picard. Because her story arc. Was so good. You want to see what's she like now 20 years later? As always great video
By the third season, the Maquis were either dead or had fallen in line which removed all the interpersonal conflict that Voyager was supposed to have. And it was clear that they started emulating TNG by bringing in Q and then the Borg, though I suppose the Borg was going to be inevitable. But you are right to compare 7 and Worf. Both were "adopted" into a new society at a young age and both struggled to return to the culture of their birth. The relationship between the Doctor and 7 would be one of the best, IMO.
Man I was in love with her growin up... ready to join the borg and everything.
😂😂😂😂
Herschell Bennett hmm good thing it is fiction. I’ll tell you what isn’t fiction the VERY LARGE growing population of colored people in America re-claiming the land through copulation with the sexy white woman. Gotta love mixed people. Let’s keep it that way🤣
My head canon for her outfit was that she's VERY practical minded and her clothing reflected that, what she wears covers what's necessary and does little more, granted that gets flimsy too since she would have had damn near anything replicated, or as you said just wore a standard Starfleet uniform, granted Tuvok was such a stickler for the rules maybe he didn't allow for that unless she could officially be sworn in as an officer.
Totally agree that Seven was the most interesting character on Voyager. I found her fascinating, how when separated from the Borg she in some ways reverted to the emotional maturity of the 6 year old she was the last time she was an individual. As, basically, a super smart 6 year old she didn't have the emotional maturity to function as a fully fledged member of the crew initially and required much more structure from Captain Janeway who served as her parent. That looked unfair sometimes, but I think it explains why Janeway's approach was so different with Seven, especially early on. ... It also explains why the Romance with Chakotay was so creepy :(
I actually really liked Jeri Ryan in the short-lived Dark Skies, so I loved her addition to Voyager. While I admit I had a crush on her at that time, I actually hated that catsuit for Seven.
You're *40???????* Damn steve
I thought that you were in your early thirties
@@cellokid5104 The difference between "early thirties and 40" is just a few years... which is nothing and passes without realizing.
Really enjoying The Ensigns' Log.
You 2 are amazing.
10:56 that part in Picard where Seven and Picard are talking and she asks him “did you get all of your humanity back?”
And he first says “yes!” But after a moment says more quietly “no…but I strive for it every day” was great.
Just started...love the song. Will edit with actual opinion when yer done. (Edit: Bravo! I loved your take on 7. Your videos make me wish I had plastic internet money)
"Again, pretty much like Worf." LOL! So, spot on in a beautiful sort of way. DS9 really changed what Star Trek could be with character archs an the like. Voyager had so much potential just left on the table trying to be another TOS or TNG. :( Seven was the character I hated to love; she had a catsuit and was Borg, but the character arch was something I wish all of VOY had. Alas, that is not the show we got though.
"She was never flat. "
I haven't seen a single episode, but from the pictures I judge this to be true.
Oh shoot, I recognize the captain. That's Red from "Orange is the New Black"😮
As a woman my issue with Seven was not that she walked around in a cat suit--much like Deanna Troi did--but that the show stopped being about the entire crew. It was basically Seven and Janeway or the Doctor! One year, I counted from the 22 episodes, Seven had roughly half the A storylines and about a third of the B storylines, leaving very little for secondary crew to do. Robert's and Garrett's characters were stereotyped, short changed and pigeonholed. Then fans are told that Trek is inclusive and portray minorities with dignity and respect. I call bullsh$t! Producers and writers cared more about pleasing men's sexual fantasy than actually cattering to minorities viewers who watched the show. Furthermore, women were never treated to well-buffed eye candy. No Kirk was out of shape for many episodes! That said, Jeri is a very capable actress. However, Kate is way ahead of her in many aspects! For the most part, Jeri has played to her type while Kate hits pay dirt in Orange is the New Black! Finally, we will never know Garret's and Robert's full potential because they were only given the rare moment to shine--much like the writers did to LeVar and Gates. Jeri is back! I am so happy the sister is rocking 52 likes she owns it! The writers and producers can't use her like they did in the past and the audience can now respect her as a character and not just as a sex symbol. That people on this site openly express their sexual desires towards Ryan is debilitating not only for the actress, but also for fans like me who have to read through comments that most people wouldn't date say to Ryan's face! Her character brought out some of the worst behavior in fans. Producers and writers justified their decisions to make Ryan a sex symbol for ratings. I am so glad that this epoche of Star Trek is over! People can now look up to Jeri without embarrassment as she shows the talent that was blinded by a skin tight cat suit!
Well said 👏
I agree. She's actually a very compelling character an a really talented actor. That said, my eyes do enjoy her presence.
Remember that one time travel episode where she got to wear a regulation Star Fleet uniform? *sigh*
And I thought I was the only one who saw Worf as the most interesting character on TNG.
The one problem I had with 7 of 9 was that she became close to a Mary-Sue character. There was nothing she wasn't good at and could run or adjust any part of the Voyager. Even her marksman skill at using a phaser pistol/rifle was tops. (Gotta hand it to the Borg, their education system was excellent.) I read somewhere that 7 of 9 was a special Borg, one that was being groomed to become a Queen. Don't think that's ever mentioned in the series though.
It always seemed to me that the Voyager writers had the most fun with Seven and the EMH. If an episode wasn't chiefly about either of those two, there was a pretty good chance it would be mediocre.
I have a very love hate relationship with Voyager, but I watched it for Seven. I remember her fan nickname was "Seven of Fine". Janeway was annoying as hell, but I was fascinated by Seven trying to recover her humanity. Jeri Ryan was great and I thoroughly admire her.
Your Star Trek videos are so well done!
The most interesting character up until Seven was the EMH. He also saw fairly significant character development. I like that you brought up the episode where they had erased his memory. It has a similarity to "Measure of a Man" from the Next Generation.
Steve, my dude, my man, I was also 17 when this went down. And I have to say, no one, NO ONE, has been able to articulate the way I felt about this version of "Trek" so accurately until you did today.
Thank you. I found this episode an amazing in depth look, and it also reminded me of how sad it was that the actual actors, Kate and Jeri, did not get along (mainly coming from Kate's side and not Jeri) and caused issues in filming.... And how great could this show have been if the solid writing for Seven of Nine could have been transferred to everyone on the show, instead of jumping the shark with, "oh no! something WORSE than the Borg!", and "let's put Seven with Chakotay!"
I mean, we were finally free of the Kes/Neelix nauseating (and a little abusive actually) storyline..... We could have had it all, man.
What a shame. But a masterful discussion of "Voyager" and "Seven". Thank you for your hard work.
Loved this! VERY well rounded ;)
The episode Body and Soul.
Execs: We need someone to flawlessly imitate the Doctor for an entire episode.
Jeri Ryan: Safeguard my fermented malt beverage.
I feel like Seven became what Harry Kim should have been, if the show had good writers
Harry really was much wasted potential.
Yes, he a a friendship with Tom Paris not unlike Bashir and O'Brian had in DS9, but while those grew and became more than they started out with, Harry never really was more than the Janeways assistant who brings her coffee.
And he had some episodes, but never more than what Geordi did on TNG, being there, throwing a thing into the discussion, being trolled by the alien of the week, and nothing else.
The conversations between Janeway and Seven about what constitutes freedom of choice are some of the best dialogues in Star Trek. Full stop.
Steve, you have a wonderful singing voice! Sing, sing, sing!
I knew I was out of my league with seven but I used to wonder “What about three of nine?”
One wonders why Janeway wasn't "accidentally" a casualty of "friendly fire" multiple times throughout the series.
Perhaps because Chakotay would have replaced her.
T'pol had a FAR more profound effect on my adolescent developing self than Seven of Nine.
But, that's just me.
I'll bet you loved Mirror universe T'pol even more then heh? :)
@@dalesheen1816 What about Mirror Hoshi?
She's the Borg Princess. As the Tertiary Adjunct to Unimatrix 01. The Borg Queen is the Primary Adjunct as overall in command of the Borg and then the 2nd Adjunct would be in charge of logistics and daily operations for Unimatrix 01. 7of9 being the Borg Field Commander and likely has the Queen protocol in which the Queen's unique hivemind character would take over her. So she's the Queen backup in case Unimatrix 01 falls. So if she goes to another galaxy&the Borg wants to start a new colony there, she'll then become the mini-Queen for the local hivemind.
An iunteresting fact tidbit is for all but two episodes of Voyager, Jeri Ryan was wearing a corset under her catsuit. Those were the two episodes where the Hirogen had taken ovwer Voyager and a recreation of a French village in WWII is projected throughout the ship.
The way she talked crap to people made me laugh. She would stare at people like "you can't be this stupid can you?"
I always got the feeling that Seven said that things that Vuclans always thought and wanted to say but never did. :P
I think the Year of Hell makes the case that Voyager's exploration and diplomacy are more of an asset than a liability.
Borg rhomboid, in the Mirror-Mirror universe:
"We are the Borg. Your vessel appears to be in distress. May we offer assistance?"
Also: "Forced Assimilation?! Assimilation must, of course, be voluntary. To do otherwise would lead to a very unhealthy hive consciousness."
Wow ! That 30 mins flew in !
Great show.
The episode that convinced me that Jeri Ryan’s character was gonna be more than simply an aesthetic selling point was "Infinite Regress", the 7th episode of the 5th season.
In this, the 101st episode of Star Trek: Voyager, Ryan's capacity to play a multi-faceted role won me over.
Seven of Nine begins experiencing a form of multiple personality disorder and alternate personalities begin to manifest themselves.
She is convincing in her acting of the various different personalities and how her character is struggling to maintain control.
Now compare Jeri Ryan’s acting with Bill Shatner's. The Shat had only one character, whether he performs as Kirk or T. J. Hooker.
B'Elanna, Seven and the Doctor are the most interesting characters of Voyager with Chakotay a close fourth, imo.
Whenever I rewatch Voyager I always gravitate to their episodes (especially B'Elanna's, being a mixed kid myself)
I'd love it if you could make a video about her and how she tried to negotiate her cultural heritage
That's actually very interesting to me. For me, B'Elanna and Chakotay are two of the least interesting characters in the show (but Seven and The Doctor are still tops), but I don't have that distinct point of "i can relate to this character" that you do. I'm about to entirely bury myself here though, but the then #3 and #4 characters for me on the show are Tuvok and Post-Kes Neelix. Yeah, Neelix can be annoying, but he was always unique in Trek to me as "just a regular guy with a big heart trying to help where he can"... it just took the writers a very long time to decide that's the direction they want to go with him, rather than "dude who is dating a two-year old girl and is trying and failing to play the potentially untrustworthy scoundrel" and I can completely understand why that terrible first impression would turn 90% of the fanbase against him.
@@kevingriffith6011 I didn't mind Neelix, wasn't my favorite for some of the reasons you mentioned. My favorite episode of his though is easily "Jetrel", I think that if the show had committed to his PTSD after the war or they had run into significantly more Talaxians and explored how their society has been developing, that could have really deepened his character.
I honestly thought it was bold of them to paint Neelix as an ex-Nazi/Japanese soldier living in a post-WWII world. They could have done a lot more if they had committed to it.
But hey, that's the story of the whole show, right?
@@kevingriffith6011 One thing I did like about Tuvok is we finally got to see what a full Vulcan was like on a regular basis. I really liked when he talked about his family back home.
@@Crick1952
I too liked Neelix.
His irritatingness enabled him to stand out and the writers figured out how to write him in the later seasons.
Seven and the Doctor got most of the character development and so most of the cast were screwed over.
My favourite Seven of Nine moment was in One Small Step.
In the episode Voyager encounters a graviton ellipse and probe readings suggest a vessel of earth origin is inside. An exploration recovery mission is launched in the Delta Flyer. This mission is led by Chakotay, flown by Paris, and has Seven along (reluctantly) for technical expertise. Seven is opposed to the whole endeavour and only goes because Janeway orders it.
The away team discover the wreck of the Ares IV, a ship from a manned mission to Mars dating from 2032. The away team attempt to recover the Ares IV, but the Delta Flyer is wrecked. The only hope of escape now requires that a component is recovered from the Ares IV to fix the flyer. As Chakotay is injured and Paris is needed to fly the Flyer, the task of boarding the Ares IV falls to Seven.
On board the Ares IV, Seven finds the body of John Kelly, the ships pilot, and bringing power back online causes Kelly's logs to start playing. As she works to recover the ion distributor from the Ares IV Kelly's logs continue to play thru. Kelly's final log entry reveals that he will transfer all remaining power to the ship's imager to continue recording for as long as possible. Kelly also states that his only regret is not finding out who won the world series.
After recovering the ion distributor Seven uses her tricorder to scan the Ares IV's database and Kelly's logs. She the removes her com badge, placing it on the body of John Kelly and has Paris beam her and Kelly to the Flyer. Once back the ion distributor is installed and the Flyer escapes the ellipse.
There then follows a ceremony on Voyager where Janeway gives a eulogy to John Kelly. After this Seven asks to say something and Janeway allows it. Seven notes that had she encountered Kelly when she was a Borg she would have found his technology unworthy of assimilation. She then states that her and Kelly are more like than one might think, comparing his desire to explore with her own quest to find perfection. She finishes by placing her hand on the torpedo casing and saying "The Yankees. In six games", thereby answering Kelly's one regret.
I seriously can't wait for the next one!
And of course, I loved this one.