B'Elanna and Seven have a run in when Seven takes it upon herself to shut down some of the ship's systems in order to fix something without informing engineering, causing B'Elanna to scramble to find the cause of the shut down. B'Elanna eventually realises that Seven is simply unaware of how the ship operates and informs her that she had trouble adapting to working on a starship at first, too.
In this episode, Seven gets her first real opportunity to use her Borg nature to help Voyager. The Doctor adjusts one of her Borg nodes so she can see alien intruders who are cloaked out of phase and performing medical experiments on the crew.
As a side note, I think it's pretty funny that the aliens' manipulations that made Janeway super grumpy backfire when Seven takes of the aliens hostage and Janeway gets very threatening and scary.
*Costume Update* Seven of Nine is wearing another form fitting mock turtleneck suit with raglan sleeves in a sort of glittering greyish brown.
29 October 1997
08 October 1997
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.
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.
01 October 1997
Revulsion
Seven of Nine is assigned to work with Harry to upgrade their astrometric sensors and create an astrometric lab. Harry is nervous to work with her, because last time they worked together she rendered him unconscious and tried to contact the Borg. Not to mention he has a growing crush on her. One of my favorite lines from Seven ever occurs when Harry nervously tells her he has always wanted to learn Borg, and she doesn't laugh at his feeble joke. She responds with "I am familiar with the concept of humor. It may not be apparent, but I am frequently amused by human behavior." BURN. She also makes her first mistake, albeit a minor one, and surprisingly takes it in stride, declaring her humanity must be reasserting itself. Harry tries to make small talk with her, and it proves to be a waste of time, since her free time is mostly spent "contemplat[ing] my existence." Seven seems almost meek in this episode, at least at first. As she gets to know Harry, though, she becomes more assertive; her voice becomes less soft and she seems more certain.
Seven of Nine experiences her first acknowledgment that she has become weak when she slices her hand open while working with Harry. Harry is concerned that she feels vulnerable, but I'm not convinced. She seems to get over these little things pretty quickly in the early days. He tries to woo her while they work, but instead of exploring a budding romance, he learns that she considers beauty and comfort irrelevant, and is treated to her diagnosis of his condition: she figures he is in love with her and wants to copulate and then demands he take off his clothes. She's game to exploring her humanity, but doesn't understand the way human relationships work, thereby putting Harry off from helping her explore. Harry asks to be reassigned from working with Seven, but Chakotay rather cruelly forces him to carry on.
I think some of the character inconsistencies in Seven's character are mostly due to the fact that her character is still in development. Perhaps the writers aren't so concerned with continuity at this early stage, but in retrospect, she seems simultaneously unconcerned and unaware of her new humanity and frightened that she is becoming weak.
Seven of Nine experiences her first acknowledgment that she has become weak when she slices her hand open while working with Harry. Harry is concerned that she feels vulnerable, but I'm not convinced. She seems to get over these little things pretty quickly in the early days. He tries to woo her while they work, but instead of exploring a budding romance, he learns that she considers beauty and comfort irrelevant, and is treated to her diagnosis of his condition: she figures he is in love with her and wants to copulate and then demands he take off his clothes. She's game to exploring her humanity, but doesn't understand the way human relationships work, thereby putting Harry off from helping her explore. Harry asks to be reassigned from working with Seven, but Chakotay rather cruelly forces him to carry on.
I think some of the character inconsistencies in Seven's character are mostly due to the fact that her character is still in development. Perhaps the writers aren't so concerned with continuity at this early stage, but in retrospect, she seems simultaneously unconcerned and unaware of her new humanity and frightened that she is becoming weak.
17 September 1997
Day of Honor
Seven begins her life on Voyager with a subdued request. She asks Chakotay for a duty assignment in engineering in a low, soft, almost meek voice. Chakotay agrees, and B'Elanna Torres, the chief Engineer is not happy about it. Thus begins their rocky relationship.
Janeway asks Seven of Nine how she would like to be addressed, offering her her given name, Annika Hansen. Seven of Nine responds with a modicum of concern, saying that she has been Seven of Nine for as long as she can remember. Janeway concedes by offering to call her just "Seven" which, as you can see, I have already begun doing, and it was likely an unnecessary scene to add, as it would seem like a natural transition. Seven deems the designation "imprecise but acceptable." She seems to be getting some of her Borg arrogance back.
B'Elanna makes no secret that she does like Seven from the very beginning. As they are working together in Engineering, Voyager encounters a ship that needs their assistance. Most of their resources and people were destroyed by the Borg. B'Elanna asks Seven in a hostile tone whether she feels any guilt for the billions of lives she helped destroy. Seven evaluates the question and responds with a decisive "no." She senses the friction, however, and excuses herself to go wait in her alcove until she is needed.
Later in the episode she shows herself to be practically immune to the way others treat her, with disdain, disgust, anger, and even fear: she still perceives the world like a Borg drone, although she does admit to Janeway she is finding it difficult to integrate into Voyager's crew. She even offers to give herself up to the aliens when they become hostile and are holding Voyagers warp core hostage, but Janeway begins her long crusade of trying to integrate Seven into the family by refusing to let her go. Later, Seven single handedly saves the day by using her knowledge to help make the damaged alien ship self-sufficient, and Janeway very cheesily lauds her for her first "unexpected act of kindness."
*Costume Update* In this episode, Seven of Nine wears a shiny silver suit with raglan-type sleeves and a mock-turtle neck.
Janeway asks Seven of Nine how she would like to be addressed, offering her her given name, Annika Hansen. Seven of Nine responds with a modicum of concern, saying that she has been Seven of Nine for as long as she can remember. Janeway concedes by offering to call her just "Seven" which, as you can see, I have already begun doing, and it was likely an unnecessary scene to add, as it would seem like a natural transition. Seven deems the designation "imprecise but acceptable." She seems to be getting some of her Borg arrogance back.
B'Elanna makes no secret that she does like Seven from the very beginning. As they are working together in Engineering, Voyager encounters a ship that needs their assistance. Most of their resources and people were destroyed by the Borg. B'Elanna asks Seven in a hostile tone whether she feels any guilt for the billions of lives she helped destroy. Seven evaluates the question and responds with a decisive "no." She senses the friction, however, and excuses herself to go wait in her alcove until she is needed.
Later in the episode she shows herself to be practically immune to the way others treat her, with disdain, disgust, anger, and even fear: she still perceives the world like a Borg drone, although she does admit to Janeway she is finding it difficult to integrate into Voyager's crew. She even offers to give herself up to the aliens when they become hostile and are holding Voyagers warp core hostage, but Janeway begins her long crusade of trying to integrate Seven into the family by refusing to let her go. Later, Seven single handedly saves the day by using her knowledge to help make the damaged alien ship self-sufficient, and Janeway very cheesily lauds her for her first "unexpected act of kindness."
*Costume Update* In this episode, Seven of Nine wears a shiny silver suit with raglan-type sleeves and a mock-turtle neck.
10 September 1997
The Gift
The Gift
The episode The Gift comes immediately after the conclusion of Scorpion, Part II. Janeway and the Doctor make the difficult decision to operate on Seven of Nine in order to save her life by removing her Borg implants, despite the fact they strongly suspect she will not be pleased to become human again. They were right. She is disdainful of the inefficient way that Voyager operates.
At the same time, Kes begins to transform into some higher being, which causes major problems with the ship when she begins to break down her surroundings beyond the sub-atomic level. As the Captain says, "I've got an Ocampa who wants to become something more and a Borg who's afraid of becoming something less."
Seven, after having many many temper tantrums about feeling alone, small, and weak separated from the collective, and after attacking Ensign Harry Kim and contacting the collective, has been temporarily subdued. 83% of her Borg implants are removed and she begins to accept the inevitability of her situation once we (finally!) lose Kes at the end of the episode when she hurls the ship about 9,000 light years safely away from the Borg, and away from herself. Seven tentatively thanks Janeway and the Doctor for their efforts and pronounces her new, extremely form-fitting suit to be "sufficient." A note on the suit: although the costume designer admits that the whole point of Seven and her suit was to sex up the flailing Star Trek series, the form fitting design can almost be justified if we all just pretend it was made that way to help heal her skin after all the implant removal.
The episode The Gift comes immediately after the conclusion of Scorpion, Part II. Janeway and the Doctor make the difficult decision to operate on Seven of Nine in order to save her life by removing her Borg implants, despite the fact they strongly suspect she will not be pleased to become human again. They were right. She is disdainful of the inefficient way that Voyager operates.
At the same time, Kes begins to transform into some higher being, which causes major problems with the ship when she begins to break down her surroundings beyond the sub-atomic level. As the Captain says, "I've got an Ocampa who wants to become something more and a Borg who's afraid of becoming something less."
Seven, after having many many temper tantrums about feeling alone, small, and weak separated from the collective, and after attacking Ensign Harry Kim and contacting the collective, has been temporarily subdued. 83% of her Borg implants are removed and she begins to accept the inevitability of her situation once we (finally!) lose Kes at the end of the episode when she hurls the ship about 9,000 light years safely away from the Borg, and away from herself. Seven tentatively thanks Janeway and the Doctor for their efforts and pronounces her new, extremely form-fitting suit to be "sufficient." A note on the suit: although the costume designer admits that the whole point of Seven and her suit was to sex up the flailing Star Trek series, the form fitting design can almost be justified if we all just pretend it was made that way to help heal her skin after all the implant removal.
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