female audience reaction to Seven of Nine

Discussion in 'Star Trek: Voyager' started by jefferiestubes8, Sep 15, 2012.

  1. jefferiestubes8

    jefferiestubes8 Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2009
    Location:
    New York City
    I want to know how did female fans feel about Seven of Nine when the series first ran on UPN? No not any male fan on TrekBBS but only female fans and girlfriends/wives who watched VOY with their other half.
    Way back in September of 1997 during "Scorpion, Part II"
    VOY Episode 4x01 when she first appeared and for the 4th season:
    Did they feel she was a strong female character replacement for Kes leaving the show? Did they feel she was just T&A eye candy for the male audience?

    How about during a first viewing on Netflix for new women audiences during the 4th season?
     
  2. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2004
    Location:
    Gov Kodos on Mohammed's Radio, WZVN Boston
    No doubt with a diversity of opinion.
     
  3. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2007
    Location:
    inside teacake
    I watched it via video rentals and was about a season behind initially, at least I remember when Endgame was released and that is what I was up to. I had read and seen nothing about VOY during this watch, I did not know what any fan reaction to anything was.

    7 of 9 became my all time favorite character in about 5 minutes. It never entered my head she was some T and A addition.
     
  4. NCC-1701-B

    NCC-1701-B Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Apr 4, 2009
    Location:
    Liverpool
    I don't know if I was too young at the time to have any actual proper thoughts on the issue (being only 19 now), but to me anyway, the first time I watched it through completely about 5 years ago, I thought the main point wasn't so much that she was just a replacement for Kes or to look good. But to me it was more like a combination of the fact she is female and borg. It was the first time we'd seen a female borg character. If this character was male, I think it might have been harder to make the relationship she had with Janeway as believable.

    I'm not so sure about this point, but I think people don't want to see a male character who is weak and vulnerable. I don't believe she was just eyecandy, her character also helped to develop many others, like Kim, Janeway and the Doctor. It explored the fact that it doesn't matter where you come from, you can still be accepted by others.

    This post might not read through too well, but after all, it's friday night ;)
     
  5. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2007
    Location:
    inside teacake
    Yes the reactions and relationships the other characters had to her brought out their own personality and contributed to their character arcs. The EMH had the same effect.
     
  6. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2007
    Location:
    In many different universes, simultaneously.
    Since I never liked Kes, I was looking forward to a new cast member.

    First visual impression: Wow - Star Trek Borg Barbie!

    Later impression: This is an intriguing character, and the actress can really ACT! While her physical attributes are rather noticeable, it's less so as the seasons went on and Seven's character and interactions with other people were explored. :)

    Seven is my favorite Voyager character, no question. I've always liked the characters who don't necessarily fit in, or know how to fit in. Seven is Voyager's answer to Spock, in my opinion. She has a hybrid nature, and is struggling and learning every single day how to balance the two aspects of herself, while trying to bridge the learning gap she missed when she went from a 6-year-old human child to an adult Borg, with almost no socialization skills to help her at first.
     
  7. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2001
    Location:
    Derry, Maine
    It pretty much became the Seven of Nine show when she arrived.

    It has always rubbed me the wrong way that they got rid of the cute sweet girl and replaced her with the cold hearted killer in season four.
     
  8. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2007
    Location:
    inside teacake
    Because cute sweet girls make such great tv.
     
  9. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2004
    Location:
    Gov Kodos on Mohammed's Radio, WZVN Boston
    [​IMG]
     
  10. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2001
    Location:
    Derry, Maine
    Jeri Ryan was a fine actress.

    But her character took over the show too much. TOS wasn't the Spock show, TNG wasn't the Data show, and DS9 gave everyone a ton of screentime.

    VOY was much more of an ensemble in the first three seasons, which I missed later on.
     
  11. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2007
    Location:
    inside teacake
    I do so miss Jetfire.

    Since this is a 7 of 9 thread I guess I can post my favorite 7 of 9 vid which captures her character development very beautifully.

    [yt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFO7sX6B7wI[/yt]

    Watch in HD if you can.
     
  12. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2007
    Location:
    inside teacake
    When your favorite character in the entire history of fiction takes over a show you don't complain.
     
  13. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2004
    Location:
    Gov Kodos on Mohammed's Radio, WZVN Boston
    Resistance is futile.
    [​IMG]
     
  14. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2007
    Location:
    inside teacake
    Some people don't care for 7?

    No problem, we can take care of that.

    [​IMG]
     
  15. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2001
    Location:
    Derry, Maine
    People!

    The show was called Voyager, NOT The Seven of Nine Show as some might believe. :p
     
  16. Christopher

    Christopher Writer Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 15, 2001
    Actually it didn't. I researched this for an article in Star Trek Magazine about the fourth season and Seven's arrival. I determined that in seasons 4-7, Janeway remained the character who was the (or at least a) focal point of the largest number of episodes, with Seven in second place. Seven's prominence roughly equalled Janeway's in season four, naturally enough since she was a new character whose personality, backstory, and relationships needed to be established, but in later seasons she was generally second in prominence to Janeway -- except in season 7 where the Doctor came second in the number of focus episodes and Seven was third.
     
  17. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2004
    Location:
    Gov Kodos on Mohammed's Radio, WZVN Boston
    The producers gave the audience what they (going by the ratings) wanted. As Christopher points out above, she wasn't alone in that.
     
  18. Dream

    Dream Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Dec 2, 2001
    Location:
    Derry, Maine
    The audience never wanted a Borg Barbie. The producers pretty much gave it to us whether we liked it or not. All I'm saying is how badly they handled her.

    Janeway might have just beaten Seven in screen time in later seasons, but my problem is Seven even coming in second in the first place. Seven being number two meant less screen time for everyone else outside the captain.

    I'm sure some of the actors that had been there from the start weren't happy with that and felt a little resentment.
     
  19. Gov Kodos

    Gov Kodos Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 23, 2004
    Location:
    Gov Kodos on Mohammed's Radio, WZVN Boston
    Borg Barbie, just in your mind.
     
  20. teacake

    teacake Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 20, 2007
    Location:
    inside teacake
    But we know who Janeway was thinking about the whole time she was in first place.


    [​IMG]