The success of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) as a character in Star Trek: Voyager isn't just because of her sex appeal. Star Trek: Voyager made an important leap forward for women in Star Trek with the franchise's first female captain leading a Star Trek series, Kate Mulgrew's Captain Kathryn Janeway, as well as Lieutenant B'Elanna Torres (Roxann Dawson) as the USS Voyager's Chief Engineer. Joined by Kes (Jennifer Lien), the three women in Star Trek: Voyager's cast were female Star Trek characters whose intelligence, creativity, and curiosity mattered more than their physical appearances.
When Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine was brought on to save Star Trek: Voyager's flagging ratings in its fourth season, Seven's sexual appeal and skin-tight costumes seemed to undermine the feminist strides that Star Trek: Voyager had already taken. There's no doubt that Seven of Nine, as a sexy ex-Borg drone turned human, did succeed in the goal of attracting new viewers, but Seven's undeniable sex appeal didn't actually detract from Voyager as a feminist show. In true Star Trek fashion, there was much more to Seven of Nine as a character than what she looked like.
Seven Of Nine Was A Trojan Horse On Star Trek: Voyager
Seven Of Nine's Struggle To Fit In Made Her Relatable To Many Groups
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Nana Visitor refers to Seven of Nine as "a true Trojan horse" in her book, Star Trek: Open A Channel: A Woman's Trek, which recounts Star Trek history through a lens that examines the franchise's female characters. As Visitor keenly observes, fans latched onto Seven of Nine as Star Trek: Voyager's outsider, regardless of what she wore, which confirms that Seven is a much more nuanced character than her sexualized appearance might initially suggest. Seven being sexy was just a way to lure viewers in before surprising them with the compelling story arc of a complex character arc unlike any other on Star Trek: Voyager. Read Visitor's quote below:
"As I watch the show now, and interview so many people to whom Seven was important, I see she served as a true Trojan horse. The sexiness brought more people to the show, where they could come for the costume but stay for a well-acted and developed character. Seven was an avatar many different groups of people could claim as their own in the same way Spock, Data, and Dax were , but maybe for even a wider group: She was an abused child; she was a survivor of trauma; she was a victim of a cult; she was queer; she was neurodiverse; she was every woman who has been valued for her appearance but is so much more; she was anyone who struggled to find their true self and fit into a world where they felt othered."
Rather than being a step backwards for Star Trek: Voyager as a feminist show, Seven of Nine was a female character who defied conventional 90s TV stereotypes by daring to be complex. Seven was sexy and intelligent, physically attractive and socially uncertain, longing for her old Collective and figuring out how to be an independent individual. Seven of Nine and Janeway's best episodes of Star Trek: Voyager together automatically passed the Bechdel Test, and pushed both characters to be stronger and more interesting. Being sexy was only the start of Seven of Nine's story, which would continue even after Voyager ended.
Seven Changed But Stayed Interesting In Star Trek: Picard
Star Trek: Picard Brings Seven Of Nine's Character Arc Full Circle
In Star Trek: Picard, Seven of Nine was a changed, but still interesting character, who no longer needed the allure of a tight-fitting catsuit to draw viewers in. Now attired in the practical gear of a Fenris Ranger peacekeeper, Seven of Nine faced a difficult life in the Alpha Quadrant, fraught with extreme prejudice against ex-Borg that resulted in Seven's rejection from Starfleet and the death of her protégé, Icheb (Manu Intiraymi). Even after being accepted by Starfleet in Star Trek: Picard season 3, Commander Seven of Nine faced microaggressions and outright hostility from Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick).
Star Trek: Picard proved that Seven of Nine's ultimate success came from Seven being a complex character with an arc that bends towards hope, especially for those who identify with Seven's difficulty navigating life as an independent individual. In the 21+ years since the USS Voyager's return, Seven of Nine learned to mask her authentic ex-Borg personality with a carefully crafted human persona that kept her alive. By showing how Seven of Nine cracked that mask and discovered her true voice, eventually becoming Captain of the USS Enterprise-G, Star Trek: Picard completes the arc Seven started on Star Trek: Voyager.
