Thanks to Seven of Nine, Captain Janeway evolved as a more interesting character on Star Trek: Voyager, according to Voyager producer Brannon Braga.
Summary
- Seven of Nine’s addition to Voyager made Captain Janeway’s character more interesting as she took on the challenge of restoring Seven’s humanity.
- Janeway’s determination to make Seven human again revealed her unwavering commitment to her crew and showcased her strong willpower.
- Seven of Nine’s conflicting beliefs and values forced Janeway to address Starfleet ideals and helped define her character as a Starfleet captain.
Star Trek: Voyager producer Brannon Braga says that the addition of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) in Voyager season 4 made the character of Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) more interesting. Captain Janeway was already a commanding presence on the USS Voyager, thanks in no small part to Kate Mulgrew’s ability to present Janeway as a strong, intelligent woman who cared deeply for her crew. As Seven of Nine was brought on, Mulgrew had raised concerns that including a sexy young woman in the cast of Voyager might detract from Janeway as an authority figure, or undo the social progress reflected in Star Trek‘s first leading female captain.
Brannon Braga, a producer and writer on Star Trek: Voyager, disagreed with the concept that Seven of Nine and Captain Janeway are characters in service of opposing agendas. Braga explained how he saw the relationship between Janeway and Seven in The Fifty-Year Mission: The Next 25 Years by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman. Read his quote below:
To me, Seven of Nine was actually contributing to Janeway. The paradigm of the wild child raised by wolves, or in this case the Borg, and having Janeway make this her project, her doomed project to make her human again. I think it made Janeway’s character a little more interesting.
Star Trek: Voyager’s Best Captain Janeway & Seven of Nine Episodes
Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) had essential roles on Star Trek: Voyager. Here’s a look at their best episodes.
Conflict With Seven of Nine Revealed Janeway’s Determination
Janeway would make Seven human again through sheer force of will if she had to.
Captain Kathryn Janeway is perhaps the Star Trek captain most determined to accomplish missions through sheer force of will alone, and nowhere was that more apparent than in Janeway’s relationship with Seven of Nine. Janeway was absolutely determined to see the crew of the USS Voyager home safely by any means necessary, but the conceit of Voyager alone wouldn’t reveal Janeway’s character through conflict. After Seven’s arrival, Janeway was just as determined to restore Seven’s humanity, not because Seven asked for it — in fact, Seven wanted to return to the Collective — but because Janeway believed so strongly in the value of the human lifetime taken from Seven by the Borg.
Seven of Nine forced Janeway to address Starfleet ideals directly by introducing conflict that pushed against them and pointing out the places where Federation values contradicted themselves. Is one’s agency as an individual more important than the value of one’s life? Is learning about an alien society more valuable than protecting Voyager’s crew? Is Seven’s life only important to Janeway if Seven agrees with Janeway’s views? Each of these questions and more were addressed by Seven of Nine’s journey to humanity, and each conflict further defined Kathryn Janeway as a Starfleet captain and character on Star Trek: Voyager, as Janeway’s values were revealed in the answers.
