Seven of Nine
Encyclopedia
Seven of Nine is a fictional character on Star Trek: Voyager
, portrayed by actress Jeri Ryan
. Born human, she was assimilated by the Borg
at the age of six. Eighteen years later, Voyager left Borg space with Seven on board, after attempts to negotiate passage through Borg space proved only semi-successful. After The Doctor
had removed the majority (82%) of her cybernetic implants, her human organs began to reassert themselves, but Seven still required a cortical node to control the remainder of her cybernetic implants. Although her link to the Collective had been severed, Seven of Nine retained the ability to sense nearby Borg activity.
acknowledged that she had hardly even seen Star Trek, and had no idea what the Borg were. To prepare her, the producers gave her a copy of Star Trek: First Contact
and the Star Trek Encyclopedia
.
Seven of Nine made her debut in the episode Scorpion: Part 2
(September 3, 1997) where she was introduced as a representative of the Borg
in its alliance with the Voyager crew against the threatening Species 8472
. After the resolution of the alien threat, she attempted contact with the Borg collective and also tried to assimilate the crew. During this process, she was severed from the collective and forced to adapt to being an individual. In the following years, the Voyager writers wrote several plot lines revolving around Seven's exploration of the positive and negative sides of human individuality. The cyborg nature of the character is seen as representing a challenge to "simple conceptions of connections/disconnections between bodies."
Ryan maintained that the main topic about Seven was "humanity" and stated that her character was pivotal to the success of the show, because she "brought conflict to the show, which was sadly lacking. ... The Voyager crew was just one big happy family." After the addition of the former Borg drone to the starship's crew at the start of the fourth season of Voyager, the shows' weekly viewer ratings increased by more than 60%. Ryan's arrival on the show was accompanied by a massive publicity campaign in TV magazines and newspaper supplements. Maintaining Star Trek tradition, "Seven of Nine was an outsider who could comment on humanity and all of its follies as well as serve as a foil for Janeway’s
character." She also remarked that "combining non-human qualities with an attractive human appearance," as in Seven's character, was a great move by the producers. In terms of portrayal, she said that "keeping a straight face" while showing suppressed emotion was an enjoyable challenge. Regarding her infamous form-fitting one-piece costume, Ryan commented that it was extremely impractical and uncomfortable, but worth the reward of portraying a character like Seven.
During the course of the series, Ryan portrayed Seven as a logical, matter-of-fact, extremely blunt young woman with difficulties expressing human emotion. Seven sometimes behaved condescendingly towards "human weaknesses" and "human inefficiency", but slowly grew loyal to the crew she later called her "collective." A recurring theme writers established was flashbacks of her life before her assimilation. By the end of the series (2001), Seven develops social skills and engages in a romantic relationship with Chakotay
. At this time it was also discovered by the Doctor that part of Seven's inability to feel and express emotion was due to the programming/design of Borg "cortical implants." A Borg drone that felt and/or expressed emotions was seen by the collective as "defective" as these feelings were a sign of "individuality." Hence the cortical implants were designed to suppress emotions, and if this failed, to deactivate (i.e., kill) a drone who felt/showed emotion.
with distinct rib-lines and a high stiff neck, was criticized by veteran Star Trek writer/producer Ronald D. Moore
, who felt she should have a more Borg-like appearance. Her outfit also annoyed some who felt that it was an attempt by the show's creators to make her sexually appealing to male viewers, without any storyline purposes intended. Within the show, the rationale was given that the catsuit had been designed by the Doctor with certain properties that would help her maintain her human skin once her Borg exoplating had been removed; the further explanation was that Seven would feel more comfortable wearing clothing which mimicked that exoplating. The silver suit was later replaced with dark red, purple, brown and blue catsuits, all with low collars. In an interview with Michael Logan, Jeri Ryan told TV Guide
that the high, stiff collar had pressed against her carotid artery
and caused her to pass out, so the lower neckline was a necessity.
One exception is the Starfleet uniform she wears in "Relativity
". She is seen in other forms of attire in episodes such as "The Killing Game" (1940s-era civilian clothing on the Holodeck) and "Someone to Watch Over Me
" (cocktail dress
).
Star Trek: Voyager
Star Trek: Voyager is a science fiction television series set in the Star Trek universe. Set in the 24th century from the year 2371 through 2378, the series follows the adventures of the Starfleet vessel USS Voyager, which becomes stranded in the Delta Quadrant 70,000 light-years from Earth while...
, portrayed by actress Jeri Ryan
Jeri Ryan
Jeri Lynn Zimmermann Ryan is an American actress best known for her roles as the liberated Borg, Seven of Nine, on Star Trek: Voyager; Tara Cole on Leverage; and Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke on Boston Public. She was also a regular on the science fiction show Dark Skies and the legal drama series...
. Born human, she was assimilated by the Borg
Borg (Star Trek)
The Borg are a fictional pseudo-race of cybernetic organisms depicted in the Star Trek universe associated with Star Trek.Whereas cybernetics are used by other races in the science fiction world to repair bodily damage and birth defects, the Borg use enforced cybernetic enhancement as a means of...
at the age of six. Eighteen years later, Voyager left Borg space with Seven on board, after attempts to negotiate passage through Borg space proved only semi-successful. After The Doctor
Doctor (Star Trek)
The Doctor, an Emergency Medical Hologram Mark I , is a fictional character from the television series Star Trek: Voyager, played by actor Robert Picardo...
had removed the majority (82%) of her cybernetic implants, her human organs began to reassert themselves, but Seven still required a cortical node to control the remainder of her cybernetic implants. Although her link to the Collective had been severed, Seven of Nine retained the ability to sense nearby Borg activity.
Character development
After being cast, actress Jeri RyanJeri Ryan
Jeri Lynn Zimmermann Ryan is an American actress best known for her roles as the liberated Borg, Seven of Nine, on Star Trek: Voyager; Tara Cole on Leverage; and Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke on Boston Public. She was also a regular on the science fiction show Dark Skies and the legal drama series...
acknowledged that she had hardly even seen Star Trek, and had no idea what the Borg were. To prepare her, the producers gave her a copy of Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact
Star Trek: First Contact is the eighth feature film in the Star Trek science fiction franchise, released in November 1996, by Paramount Pictures. First Contact is the first film in the franchise to feature no cast members from the original Star Trek television series of the 1960s...
and the Star Trek Encyclopedia
The Star Trek Encyclopedia
The Star Trek Encyclopedia: A Reference Guide to the Future is an encyclopedia of all the in-universe information from the Star Trek live-action television series and films. The Encyclopedia was written by Michael Okuda and Denise Okuda, with Debbie Mirek, and illustrated by Doug Drexler...
.
Seven of Nine made her debut in the episode Scorpion: Part 2
Scorpion (Star Trek: Voyager)
"Scorpion" is a two-part episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the cliffhanger between the third and fourth seasons composed of the 26th episode of the third season and the first episode of the fourth. It introduced Seven of Nine and Species 8472 to the series, and is generally regarded as the two most...
(September 3, 1997) where she was introduced as a representative of the Borg
Borg (Star Trek)
The Borg are a fictional pseudo-race of cybernetic organisms depicted in the Star Trek universe associated with Star Trek.Whereas cybernetics are used by other races in the science fiction world to repair bodily damage and birth defects, the Borg use enforced cybernetic enhancement as a means of...
in its alliance with the Voyager crew against the threatening Species 8472
Species 8472
Species 8472 is a fictional extraterrestrial race in the science fiction television series Star Trek: Voyager. They inhabit another dimension called fluidic space. These beings are rendered by animation from Foundation Imaging, Inc...
. After the resolution of the alien threat, she attempted contact with the Borg collective and also tried to assimilate the crew. During this process, she was severed from the collective and forced to adapt to being an individual. In the following years, the Voyager writers wrote several plot lines revolving around Seven's exploration of the positive and negative sides of human individuality. The cyborg nature of the character is seen as representing a challenge to "simple conceptions of connections/disconnections between bodies."
Ryan maintained that the main topic about Seven was "humanity" and stated that her character was pivotal to the success of the show, because she "brought conflict to the show, which was sadly lacking. ... The Voyager crew was just one big happy family." After the addition of the former Borg drone to the starship's crew at the start of the fourth season of Voyager, the shows' weekly viewer ratings increased by more than 60%. Ryan's arrival on the show was accompanied by a massive publicity campaign in TV magazines and newspaper supplements. Maintaining Star Trek tradition, "Seven of Nine was an outsider who could comment on humanity and all of its follies as well as serve as a foil for Janeway’s
Kathryn Janeway
Kathryn Janeway, played by Kate Mulgrew, is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise. As the captain of the Starfleet starship USS Voyager, she was the lead character on the television series Star Trek: Voyager, and later, a Starfleet admiral, as seen in the 2002 feature film Star Trek...
character." She also remarked that "combining non-human qualities with an attractive human appearance," as in Seven's character, was a great move by the producers. In terms of portrayal, she said that "keeping a straight face" while showing suppressed emotion was an enjoyable challenge. Regarding her infamous form-fitting one-piece costume, Ryan commented that it was extremely impractical and uncomfortable, but worth the reward of portraying a character like Seven.
During the course of the series, Ryan portrayed Seven as a logical, matter-of-fact, extremely blunt young woman with difficulties expressing human emotion. Seven sometimes behaved condescendingly towards "human weaknesses" and "human inefficiency", but slowly grew loyal to the crew she later called her "collective." A recurring theme writers established was flashbacks of her life before her assimilation. By the end of the series (2001), Seven develops social skills and engages in a romantic relationship with Chakotay
Chakotay
Chakotay , played by Robert Beltran, is a character in Star Trek: Voyager. He is the First Officer of the USS Voyager.-Character biography:...
. At this time it was also discovered by the Doctor that part of Seven's inability to feel and express emotion was due to the programming/design of Borg "cortical implants." A Borg drone that felt and/or expressed emotions was seen by the collective as "defective" as these feelings were a sign of "individuality." Hence the cortical implants were designed to suppress emotions, and if this failed, to deactivate (i.e., kill) a drone who felt/showed emotion.
Attire
The character's attire, a form-fitting silver CatsuitCatsuit
A catsuit is a close-fitting one-piece garment that covers the torso and the legs, and frequently the arms. They are usually made from stretchable material, such as lycra, chiffon, spandex , leather, latex, PVC, or velour, and frequently close using a zipper at the front or back.Catsuits, which...
with distinct rib-lines and a high stiff neck, was criticized by veteran Star Trek writer/producer Ronald D. Moore
Ronald D. Moore
Ronald Dowl Moore is an American screenwriter and television producer best known for his work on Star Trek and the re-imagined Battlestar Galactica miniseries and television series, for which he won a Peabody Award for creative excellence in 2005 and an Emmy Award in 2008.-Early life and...
, who felt she should have a more Borg-like appearance. Her outfit also annoyed some who felt that it was an attempt by the show's creators to make her sexually appealing to male viewers, without any storyline purposes intended. Within the show, the rationale was given that the catsuit had been designed by the Doctor with certain properties that would help her maintain her human skin once her Borg exoplating had been removed; the further explanation was that Seven would feel more comfortable wearing clothing which mimicked that exoplating. The silver suit was later replaced with dark red, purple, brown and blue catsuits, all with low collars. In an interview with Michael Logan, Jeri Ryan told TV Guide
TV Guide
TV Guide is a weekly American magazine with listings of TV shows.In addition to TV listings, the publication features television-related news, celebrity interviews, gossip and film reviews and crossword puzzles...
that the high, stiff collar had pressed against her carotid artery
Carotid artery
Carotid artery can refer to:* Common carotid artery* External carotid artery* Internal carotid artery...
and caused her to pass out, so the lower neckline was a necessity.
One exception is the Starfleet uniform she wears in "Relativity
Relativity (Voyager episode)
"Relativity" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 24th episode of the fifth season. The episode has an average rating of 4.6/5 on the official Star Trek website .- Plot :...
". She is seen in other forms of attire in episodes such as "The Killing Game" (1940s-era civilian clothing on the Holodeck) and "Someone to Watch Over Me
Someone to Watch over Me (Voyager episode)
"Someone to Watch Over Me" is an episode of Star Trek: Voyager, the 22nd episode of the fifth season. The main plot is about The Doctor and Seven of Nine, a hologram and an ex-Borg, learning to deal with romance...
" (cocktail dress
Cocktail dress
A cocktail dress or cocktail gown is a woman's dress worn at cocktail parties, and semi-formal, or "black tie" occasions.The length of cocktail dresses varies depending on fashion and local custom. The length ranges from just above the knee to touching the ankle...
).
Other appearances
- Seven of Nine also appears in the video game Star Trek Voyager: Elite Force. She joins the Hazard team on a mission to a Borg Cube.
- In Star Trek OnlineStar Trek OnlineStar Trek Online, often abbreviated as STO, is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game developed by Cryptic Studios based on the popular Star Trek series created by Gene Roddenberry. The game is set in the 25th century, 30 years after the events of Star Trek Nemesis...
, Seven of Nine is mentioned in the loading screens as the former commander of a Federation Borg Task Force. This task force was disbanded, which caused Seven of Nine to resign from Starfleet.