Random Thought: Was Janeway Killed Because She was So Polarizing?

[Frontier]

It just occurred to me the other day...

...Was the character of Kathryn Janeway killed off in Trek Lit because, through her time as Voyager's captain where she made choices that some did not agree with, she was deemed to be too polarizing and controversial a figure to continue on within the broader stories and universe of Trek Lit as it has become?

IE, Admiral Janeway presented a problem in that she's perhaps the most harshly critisized of all of modern Trek chracters, and in this more unified universe we're now in, where more characters cross between series, having an individual who is an Admiral and our most familair face at SFCommand also be someone whom some folks vocally dislike... so by getting rid of her, such a polarization is removed in the hopes of encouring people to cross-read between series and to be able to better stomach characters and events they might otherwise not like?

...Was Janeway Killed Because a Vocal Minority Disliked Her Enough to Threaten the Broader Scope of Modern Trek Lit, as Well As Perhaps It's Bottom Line Financially?

Was Janeway Assassinated?

 

[ryan123450]

Ummmmmmmm.........



No.


Janeway died because it made a good story, it continues to inspire good stories, and it will continue to do so. Simple as that.

 

[Steve Roby]

Another no vote here.

Besides, Archer made Janeway look good.

 

[William Leisner]

For this theory to work, one would need to argue that the chatterings of internet keyboard monkeys play a role, no matter how tiny, in the decision-making process of the editorial staff.

Therefore, the theory does not work.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I doubt that Janeway was killed because she was a polarizing figure.

Rather, when looked at soberly in retrospect, her death in Before Dishonor showed that no one was safe in Treklit. In that regard, Janeway's death was much like Chewbacca's death in Vector Prime. If Janeway, a canon character, could be pushing daisies in a book, then where would the bloodletting end?

 

[Icemizer]

Chewbacca's dead?!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

 

[Allyn Gibson]

There's a statue of limitations on spoilers. That happened ten years ago.

Fuck. Ten years since New Jedi Order started. *sigh*

 

[Christopher]

What everyone else said. Just because someone's a "polarizing figure" to a few obsessive geeks online doesn't mean there's some huge controversy over her among the fanbase. Usually those epic arguments on bulletin boards are just the same half-dozen or so people rehashing the same arguments over and over again for years on end -- maybe a different half-dozen on each board, but maybe some overlap between boards.

Besides, given the reaction to Janeway's death, I'm rather staggered that anyone could think it was done to avoid controversy.

 

[DarKush]

I doubt that Janeway was killed because she was a polarizing figure.

Rather, when looked at soberly in retrospect, her death in Before Dishonor showed that no one was safe in Treklit. In that regard, Janeway's death was much like Chewbacca's death in Vector Prime. If Janeway, a canon character, could be pushing daisies in a book, then where would the bloodletting end?

I'm sorry but I just don't believe that no one is safe in Trek Lit. I think Picard, Kirk, and Spock are probably pretty safe. Though Kirk died in Generations, Shatner quickly bought him back in his novels, plus there were a lot of novels detailing Kirk's past adventures, with his face plastered on the covers and the new movie gives the character a new life. In Trek Lit., they even bought back Tucker and gave us a glimpse of his future so that's a safe bet that he'll survive the Romulan War. I think Janeway, Sisko, and perhaps Archer were or are less safe maybe because TNG and TOS are more popular.

I'm torn about Janeway's death. On one hand I think its great that a major character bought the farm, even though I think her death was poorly handled in Before Dishonor. I never liked Janeway as much as I did while reading Full Circle, when I saw how much her absence affected the people around her. It made me appreciate the character a bit more.

But I have misgivings because I can't help but think Janeway got something of a raw deal. Even with Sisko, they bought him back though he's been sidelined in favor of Kira and Vaughn. I'm still thinking that enough wiggle room was left in Before Dishonor to bring her back, particularly with how the Caeliar absorbed the Borg. I just started reading Unworthy and I'm anticipating clues to Janeway's return/resurrection, if not in that novel then in future VOY books.

 

[David cgc]

Well, we know how Spock dies (or, rather, ends up missing) so, yes, he won't be killed off in the books.

 

[Allyn Gibson]

I'm still thinking that enough wiggle room was left in Before Dishonor to bring her back

This may no longer apply, as there's a new editorial regime, but...

Margaret Clark said repeatedly that Janeway's death in Before Dishonor was intended to be definitive, and as far as Pocket was concerned it was, but Paramount wanted an exit in case the books needed to bring her back to life for a future film. Thus, the "wiggle room" was by design, but it wasn't a thread to be pulled unless absolutely necessary.

 

[LightningStorm]

Another point to be made regarding the OP's theory is that killing Janeway was itself a polarizing decision. So, if the goal was to depolarize the audience how would making another highly polarizing decision accomplish this?

It wouldn't, so the answer must be, "No."

 

[Therin of Andor]

Yes, Janeway polarized viewers.

Yes, so did her death.

So... when selecting a target for a potentially polarizing death-in-a-novel, she was probably a better choice than a major character that is more universally popular.

You know, I seem to recall similar debate during pre-publicity for "Death in Winter", especially when the cover art came out, the editor and the author were playing coy, and TNG books were launching into a brave new direction. It began to look like Bev Crusher would be killed off "permanently" rather than sending her back to Starfleet Medical as the cut scene from "Nemesis" had suggested.

 

[Fer]

I have to agree with Allyn Gibson-- it drives home that no character is bullet-proof anymore. I'm sure like DarKush there will be those who never believe it (and I largely blame comic books for that, where characters are largely guaranteed to not stay dead), but for me, all bets are off. On-screen Trek may never come back to the Prime universe, so TrekLit is free to do whatever they want, and nothing cemented that for me as much as Janeway's death. (It certainly had me on the edge of my seat all through Destiny!)

In addition, I think that T'Lana and T'Ryssa Chen are rather polarizing characters, and they haven't been... uh, oh.

 

[C.E. Evans]

Not to sound cold or harsh, but with Janeway's death it was a "shit happens" kind of thing to me. After Generations and the finale of DS9, I became immune to Trek captains being killed off (although I did get Sisko back...mostly).

I went through what Janeway fans are now experiencing when Kirk died, so I do understand how they feel though. But life does go on and so does the Human Adventure, however...

 

[Joel_Kirk]

Chewbacca's dead?!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

I learned this a bit late myself....

 

[flemm]

For this theory to work, one would need to argue that the chatterings of internet keyboard monkeys play a role, no matter how tiny, in the decision-making process of the editorial staff.

What everyone else said. Just because someone's a "polarizing figure" to a few obsessive geeks online doesn't mean there's some huge controversy over her among the fanbase.

No language is too demeaning for unspecified people posting opinions on the internet, that is one thing we can all agree upon!

In fact, it is probably the one topic that has inspired near-universal agreement on the internet since Al Gore invented it

What a bunch of obsessive keyboard monkeys with worthless opinions! Ah! That was empowering!

 

[Thestral]

What everyone else has said, or perhaps more succinctly: .

Also, DarKush, it's worth noting that Kirk has stayed dead. Shatner's books are a separate continuity, and other Kirk appearances have been past adventures (as you said), or alternate realities - which is perfectly plausible for Janeway (see, for example, her two appearances in the Myriad Universes books). But in this particular continuity, Kirk is dead and not coming back.

 

[KLauderdale]

Chewbacca's dead?!?!?!? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

Yes, but . . . THEY SAVED CHEWIE'S BRAIN!

 

[wizkid]

Janeways death was handled fairly poor IMHO. To say that no one is safe is not the case either. Riker, Picard, LaForge, etc. are untouchable at this point. Without Data, it is hard enough reading TNG because to me it was like watching Kirk get knocked off. Whatever the reason they decided to do it, the bad feeling in the pit of your stomach despises it.

Trek Lit can't take another loss like Data and survive (sales). Janeway was a mid-major and I never liked her nor had many people I have known that watched the show. Her death was welcomed by me.

I am surprised Archer didn't get the axe first. Talk about needing to be author assasinated.