One of Seven of Nine's (Jeri Ryan) best relationships on Star Trek: Voyager would never have happened if it weren't for a season 5 episode. Despite joining Voyager's cast of characters halfway through the series' run, Seven of Nine quickly rose to become extremely popular. Thanks to Ryan's acting skills and the character's complicated, emotional journey from Borg drone back to humanity, Seven established herself as one of Voyager's most recognizable characters and went on to become hugely important to the Star Trek timeline as a whole after Voyager ended.
As she started to regain her humanity, one of the most enjoyable aspects of Seven's character was watching her navigate her relationships with the rest of the crew. Seven's mentorship with Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the Doctor (Robert Picardo) or her rivalry turned grudging respect for B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) added a lot to her story. However, Seven's best and most genuine friendship on Voyager was with one very unlikely character, and might never have happened if it hadn't been for a seemingly insignificant scene in season 5.
Seven Of Nine And Naomi Wildman’s Star Trek: Voyager Friendship Wasn’t Originally Planned
Seven and Naomi were never supposed to be as close as they got
Seasons 5-7 of Star Trek: Voyager saw Seven develop a friendship with Naomi Wildman (Scarlett Pomers), the young daughter of Ensign Samantha Wildman (Nancy Hower) and the first child born on the USS Voyager during its time in the Delta Quadrant. Given their age difference, Seven and Naomi were an unlikely pair, but Voyager's creative team did a great job making their friendship progression believable. This started in the season 5 episode "Once Upon a Time" with a very brief scene between the two in the mess hall where Naomi expressed her fear of Seven's past as a Borg.
The scene showed off Pomers' and Ryan's chemistry beautifully with barely any dialogue.
The scene wasn't particularly relevant to the episode's larger story, but Executive Producer Brannon Braga later told Cinefantastique that, "It was so charming that we would end up exploring that relationship for episodes to come." Braga's quote indicates that Seven and Naomi's friendship likely never would have happened if the creative team hadn't taken a chance on them. Luckily, the scene showed off Pomers' and Ryan's chemistry beautifully with barely any dialogue. Naomi's childish fear of Seven assimilating her was hilarious and heartwarming, and the scene set the seeds of Seven and Naomi's friendship and foreshadowed their eventual dynamic.
Why Seven And Naomi’s Friendship On Star Trek: Voyager Was So Great
Seven and Naomi were one of the sweetest relationships Voyager depicted
While Seven may have had more complex relationships with Voyager's adult characters, her friendship with Naomi stands out as one of the best aspects of them both. Thanks to Seven's time as a Borg, her emotional maturity and understanding of humanity were more on par with Naomi's than any other character. As a result, Seven and Naomi developed an almost sisterly bond, with Naomi's more outgoing and sweet personality complimenting Seven's outwardly cold exterior perfectly. Seven and Naomi truly made each other better every time they shared the screen.
Additionally, although Seven certainly learned a lot from people like Janeway and the Doctor, she benefitted from having a younger character as a teacher. Seven's friendship with Naomi paved the way for her to feel comfortable taking care of the Borg children Voyager's crew rescued in season 6, which became one of Seven's most important storylines later in the show. Seven and Naomi were good for each other as characters, and their dynamic was endlessly delightful, providing some much-needed comic relief to a few of Star Trek: Voyager's more serious episodes.
