The Raven

This episode is a pivotal moment in Seven's evolution. She begins the episode in the Leonardo da Vinci simulation with Captain Janeway. Janeway seems to be forcing her to try her hand at sculpting. Seven is not amused, and disdainfully pronounces the activity "truly unproductive." Her voice is sharper, lower, and with less timidity than in previous episodes. She is clearly no longer afraid to offend members of Voyager's crew by her lack of familiarity with human nuances. However, she does experience fear and frustration (and her voice gets softer) when she begins seeing visions of the Borg because something is happening to her and she doesn't know what it is.

While Neelix helps her eat her first meal, she blithely informs him that 39 Telaxians were easily assimilated by the Borg, and that the crew made excellent drones. Her hesitance while learning to eat is endearing, though, and her subsequent behavior is then even more jarring. Just as she is taking her second swallow, she freezes, has a vision that the Borg are calling her back to the collective, and threatens Neelix with assimilation.

She doesn't actually assimilate him, though. In fact, she doesn't really hurt him at all. Later in the episode while she is on a shuttle headed for a Borg homing beacon, Seven starts to threaten Tuvok with assimilation, but changes her mind mid-sentence, telling Tuvok she doesn't want him to be assimilated. She tells him he can take the shuttle back to Voyager and asks him to say thank you to Captain Janeway. Tuvok shows his sentimental side and points out how human she is becoming. He says he'll go with her to where the Borg ship is, because he does not believe it is an actual Borg ship and therefore doesn't pose a threat.

Turns out he's right, of course. The nanoprobes in Seven's blood have been activated by a signal emitted from the partially assimilated vessel that she and her parents were taken from 18 years ago. She begins having flashbacks, speaking as though compelled in a small, childish voice. Once she figures out that the Borg aren't calling her back, I think she realizes there is no easy way out of her problems adjusting to life as part of Voyager, and is suddenly resolved to return with Tuvok to the only family she has left. When they return, Seven's voice is back to being soft and vulnerable sounding as she discusses her experience with Janeway. Janeway offers Seven access to the Star Fleet files on her parents, but she rejects the offer for the time being.

*Costume Update* In this episode, Seven is wearing a brownish form-fitting one piece jumpsuit with a lower, squarish neckline. It's not nearly as shiny as the silver one, but it does have a sort of shimmery, multi-hued quality to it.