Brannon Braga on the Borg in Voyager + his thoughts on the show

[FrontierTrek]

Hi all. I recorded a special interview with Voyager's executive producer and writer Brannon Braga. Some interesting points came out including his belief that "Timeless" is one of his crowning achievements from the show and that he thinks had it been a TNG episode it would have been a "classic". Plus - his original desire to kill Seven of Nine in "Endgame".

Also, Braga's thoughts on overusing the Borg as a villain and how it became detrimental for the show.

Here is Part 1: http://trekcore.com/blog/2013/03/exc...erview-part-i/

And Part 2: http://trekcore.com/blog/2013/03/exc...rview-part-ii/

You can either watch them or read the transcripts! Hope everyone enjoys and feel free to leave comments or discuss

[tomalak301]

I was taken aback with his comments regarding killing off Seven in the finale. I really wonder how that would have worked, and if it had made the finale a better episode. I can see they were trying to bring in a tragic element to Seven with Human Error, but the thing is the events in that episode and that whole implant thing felt like it came out of nowhere. Killing off Seven might have made HE more impactful but that's only one episode out of the 25 in the seventh season. Still, it was interesting to think about.

[James T. Vader]

Brannon Braga: Luckiest man in television history

[CorporalClegg]

How is he lucky?

[USS Firefly]

He was dating Jeri Ryan I believe

[Guy Gardener]

Really? You're sure James didn't mean that Branon was lucky to be able to make TV when he's practically devoid of talent?

Dating Jeri is not the same as dating Seven, no matter how many props they stole from the set.

Meanwhile...

Chakotay: "You time traveling BITCH! You just had to plant your ancient wrinkled ass in my life and steal my wife and steal my happily ever after!? So the hell what if we only had two years together! It'd be better than this! Shes DEAD! SHES DEAD And I have to look at your ugly smug know it all face twice over apologizing for detonating her personality in the center of the god damned collective because the stupid ends justify the stupid means... This was your damn plan all along, shoot her full of that virus and then feed her to the Queen, it was never about my happiness, her happiness, you're just a bitter old twisted hag that can't stand to see any one in her crew happy for a single damn second!"

Admiral Janeway: "She had to die. It was the only way to save the galaxy form a Borg Apocalypse. And besides, Chakotay. You and I, we could never finally be together while hr ghost was standing in between us, I could compete when she was flesh and blood but you sainted her after death and closed your heart to all new comers, and I am not a damn new comer, I am your destiny and I am your one truest love no matter how that Borg twisted your value system, we are going to grow old together in each others arms or I going to blow up this bloody damn ship."

Chakotay: "And what about you Kathryn, is that how you feel as well, the same as this prune of a woman? Great minds think alike!? You're going to let her manipulate you like this and take me into the future to use as some sort of sextoyboy?"

Captain Janeway: "Well I thought that you would make a good father, if we were going to stay out there much longer I was considering having a child with you, but no, I do not have any romantic feelings for you at all, so I'm as surprised as you are that FutureMe, turned the universe upside down and murdered a woman I considered my daughter all to just dupe you into the sack, but she destroyed the Borg. A fair wage for a fair days work. If I wasn't about to kill her, I'd be inclined to insist that you shuffle off to the 25th century with her."

[Brit]

Guy Gardener wrote:

---

" I could compete when she was flesh and blood but you sainted her after death and closed your heart to all new comers."

And that is what a lot of people assumed, but "what if" Chakotay's withdrawal was due to guilt. What if he was the one that "killed" her. We've seen him lose his father, we've even seen him lose Kathryn in "Before and After," we've seen him get over a lot. Maybe this was something else.

[Turd Ferguson]

Guy Gardener wrote:

---

Really? You're sure James didn't mean that Branon was lucky to be able to make TV when he's practically devoid of talent?

Dating Jeri is not the same as dating Seven, no matter how many props they stole from the set.

Meanwhile...

Chakotay: "You time traveling BITCH! You just had to plant your ancient wrinkled ass in my life and steal my wife and steal my happily ever after!? So the hell what if we only had two years together! It'd be better than this! Shes DEAD! SHES DEAD And I have to look at your ugly smug know it all face twice over apologizing for detonating her personality in the center of the god damned collective because the stupid ends justify the stupid means... This was your damn plan all along, shoot her full of that virus and then feed her to the Queen, it was never about my happiness, her happiness, you're just a bitter old twisted hag that can't stand to see any one in her crew happy for a single damn second!"

Admiral Janeway: "She had to die. It was the only way to save the galaxy form a Borg Apocalypse. And besides, Chakotay. You and I, we could never finally be together while hr ghost was standing in between us, I could compete when she was flesh and blood but you sainted her after death and closed your heart to all new comers, and I am not a damn new comer, I am your destiny and I am your one truest love no matter how that Borg twisted your value system, we are going to grow old together in each others arms or I going to blow up this bloody damn ship."

Chakotay: "And what about you Kathryn, is that how you feel as well, the same as this prune of a woman? Great minds think alike!? You're going to let her manipulate you like this and take me into the future to use as some sort of sextoyboy?"

Captain Janeway: "Well I thought that you would make a good father, if we were going to stay out there much longer I was considering having a child with you, but no, I do not have any romantic feelings for you at all, so I'm as surprised as you are that FutureMe, turned the universe upside down and murdered a woman I considered my daughter all to just dupe you into the sack, but she destroyed the Borg. A fair wage for a fair days work. If I wasn't about to kill her, I'd be inclined to insist that you shuffle off to the 25th century with her."

If that dialogue exchange had taken place, Endgame would easily trump What You Leave Behind and All Good Things... as my favorite Star Trek finale

[teya]

The whole "Chakotay died of a broken heart" meme was never actually stated. All the Admiral said was that "he was never the same after Seven's death."

Well, guess what, folks? When your spouse dies, you never are the same again. Doesn't mean you've given up on life, doesn't mean that you withdraw, doesn't mean that you're gonna die of a broken heart. It just means that you're never the same.

I was widowed 10 years ago at the age of 46. Yes, that death did change me.

ETA: As for the "it wasn't easy living all these years without her...," again I think the interpretation of one line has been taken out of context and grossly exaggerated.

[Guy Gardener]

Why did he live without her?

Is Kathryn Janeway the only person in the 24th century allowed to travel through time?

Earlier in Timeless he gave up the love of his life, Tessa, as time travel destroyed the universe around him just so that "a version of Chakotay" and his friends could be lost in the ass end of no where again.

[teacake]

Brit wrote:

---

And that is what a lot of people assumed, but "what if" Chakotay's withdrawal was due to guilt. What if he was the one that "killed" her. We've seen him lose his father, we've even seen him lose Kathryn in "Before and After," we've seen him get over a lot. Maybe this was something else.

I always figured he somehow caused her death.

Then again in the books he turns into a babbling shell of a man for a few years (?) following Janeway's death that he didn't cause. Maybe there's just been so many deaths in his life that he's due to crash at the next big one?

Also rather hilariously C/7 breaks up seemingly within minutes of returning home. They never get married.

[Brit]

teacake wrote:

---

I always figured he somehow caused her death.

Then again in the books he turns into a babbling shell of a man for a few years (?) following Janeway's death that he didn't cause.

And that is just about the worse plot line in "Full Circle," although I think Seven of Nine going crazy is just about as bad in the book.

I don't often agree with Teya, but I do here. I can totally see how the loss of a long time partner is something to get past, but they usually do even though it does change you. I don't think Chakotay would go off the deep end like that.

Oh and Guy, Tessa wasn't the love of Chakotay's life LOL. That's how he easily gave her up.

[Guy Gardener]

Then why did he keep saying "No" every-time Kim asked for a threesome?

[Brit]

Guy Gardener wrote:

---

Then why did he keep saying "No" every-time Kim asked for a threesome?

Are you saying you would have said yes. LOL

[CorporalClegg]

Apologies for redirecting the thread from group sex (one of my favorite topics), but I really love your avatar Brit. Exquisite work.