Seska
- Thread starter Jared
- Start date
I believe that was the original intention.
I know State of Flux was one of the first stories they bough so I imagine that it was.
I know State of Flux was one of the first stories they bough so I imagine that it was.
It might have been their plan, but I wouldn't be so sure, although in a thread I may have started years ago a clever sod revealed that they had asked Martha a similar question at a convention and she had replied that there was no forewarning from anyone that she was playing anything other than a Bajoran before she got the script for State of Flux.
No one told Sigid that he was playing a Changeling pretending to be Doctor Bashir for half a season either.
It's very rare that the producers knew what was going to broadly happen next week since they made their episodes that they could almost be played in any order, and that if a punter missed half a dozen episodes that they wouldn't be in any trouble whatsoever recovering the plot.
paramount made it clear that accessibility was far more important than continuity and a running backstory.
No one told Sigid that he was playing a Changeling pretending to be Doctor Bashir for half a season either.
It's very rare that the producers knew what was going to broadly happen next week since they made their episodes that they could almost be played in any order, and that if a punter missed half a dozen episodes that they wouldn't be in any trouble whatsoever recovering the plot.
paramount made it clear that accessibility was far more important than continuity and a running backstory.
Tidus79001
Lieutenant Commander
I can answer this question for your, or rather I should say that Martha Hackett who played Seksa has already answered this in the "Saboteur Extraordinaire: Seska" special feature clip included on the Star Trek: Voyager season 2 DVD's bonus features.
You can view the "Saboteur Extraordinaire: Seska" special features bonus clip in its entirety at the link below:
[youtube]eu4sDJJP21k[/youtube]
Tidus79001
Lieutenant Commander
I agree. I'm sure that's what they had planned for her all along.
Watching Voyager again with the knowledge that Seska is actually a Cardassian, there really seems to be something Cardassian about her ... the sneaky way she speaks is more Cardassian than Bajoran, maybe that's what gave them the idea to actually make her a Cardassian.
Okay, A Cardassian is above the law because they believe that they're superior beings.
Meanwhile a Bajoran is transparent to the law because no matter what they do, they will be unavoidably beaten, tortured and executed.
In either case, whether Seska was Bajoran or Cardassian she would have stolen that soup.
Meanwhile a Bajoran is transparent to the law because no matter what they do, they will be unavoidably beaten, tortured and executed.
In either case, whether Seska was Bajoran or Cardassian she would have stolen that soup.
She was one of the more interesting characters. It's a pity the writers decided to write her out rather than keeping her as a divisive force on Voyager. If she had said at any time take me with you I don't want to stay here; Janeway being Janeway she would have taken her along no matter what.
Especially if that child had turned out to be Chakotays.
There had to have been a point where Seska was going to have to cut her losses and sign back up on Voyager since, at the time Cardassia and the Federation were Allies after a fashion. It's just a pitty that she died before she hit rock bottom.
Janeway went back for those Ferengi who were just idiots.
Seska was dangerous.
There had to have been a point where Seska was going to have to cut her losses and sign back up on Voyager since, at the time Cardassia and the Federation were Allies after a fashion. It's just a pitty that she died before she hit rock bottom.
Janeway went back for those Ferengi who were just idiots.
Seska was dangerous.
Watching the second season again, there was a rut early on and of course "Threshold" is terrible but otherwise it's been a surprisingly good season for me. Strong characterization and several arcs? Huh.
One thing I never understood with the character of Seska was why she left the ship? What could she hope to accomplish in the DQ, as a female in a male dominated species that weren't terribly technologically advanced?
I always think she would have been far better left aboard, a Cardassian in the midst of a Starfleet and a Maquis crew, lots of tension and butting of heads. Also, it would be an excuse to see more of Martha Hackett.
I always think she would have been far better left aboard, a Cardassian in the midst of a Starfleet and a Maquis crew, lots of tension and butting of heads. Also, it would be an excuse to see more of Martha Hackett.
You need a hundred people minimum to run Voyager.
If Chakotay mutinied he could get what? 40 crewmen to side with him if Janeway stayed this side of batshit for the interim... Seska needed to find a crew she could trust. Not necessicarily trust to be competent or wash, but she could control a few hundred kazon if she took them back to the AQ or she could stay and control a few million, and one day her decendants would welcome the advance of the Cardassian frontier into the Delta Quadrant.
Besides, her first plan was to play both sides and remain on Voyager as she traded technology for intelligence and a secret defensive line. How difficult would Janeways mission have been if there had secretly been a few dozen Kazon city ships in front of her course home mopping up and pacifying assholes, gods and idiots, while Seska was remotely oversing the construction of half a dozen Galor Class war ships in the some near by Kazon controlled shipyard?
If Chakotay mutinied he could get what? 40 crewmen to side with him if Janeway stayed this side of batshit for the interim... Seska needed to find a crew she could trust. Not necessicarily trust to be competent or wash, but she could control a few hundred kazon if she took them back to the AQ or she could stay and control a few million, and one day her decendants would welcome the advance of the Cardassian frontier into the Delta Quadrant.
Besides, her first plan was to play both sides and remain on Voyager as she traded technology for intelligence and a secret defensive line. How difficult would Janeways mission have been if there had secretly been a few dozen Kazon city ships in front of her course home mopping up and pacifying assholes, gods and idiots, while Seska was remotely oversing the construction of half a dozen Galor Class war ships in the some near by Kazon controlled shipyard?
I suspect it was because in some of the first episodes, she's given screen time and has that feisty attitude. She's always ready to start mutiny or on that edge. So it's clear they were headed in a certain direction with her. There's no doubt to me that this was set up from the start, and the main reason we had so much Kazon interaction. God they were a dumb species with hideous hair.
I agree, but Janeway probably would have had one of her "moments" and killed her or left her with the Kazon anyway.
I loved the character and would have loved to see her return some time later rather than what did happen. Janeway would not have been able to turn her away and would have taken her on as a rehabilitation project. Seska had all that angry Ensign Ro charm plus being a conniving and desperate person.
Where is that poor babe now I wonder.. so far from his mother's people.
Where is that poor babe now I wonder.. so far from his mother's people.
Martha about Seska
http://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/trektalk/hackett.htm
http://www.littlereview.com/getcritical/trektalk/hackett.htm
Good article.
I never had that Kazon antipathy some seem to and I would have loved to have seen Seska's character be a more recurring one. Maybe the Kazon were too derivative or dull for Voyager but Seska certainly wasn't! I distinctly remember my first Voyager viewing (rented videos) being quite disgusted over how blandly Chakotay seemed to react to this incredible event of his lover turning out to be a WHOLE OTHER SPECIES and a spy. I was quite psyched about Chakotay as a character up to that point but I pretty much lost interest in him with that.
Sure it might have seemed soap opera-y to have the baby be Chakotay's but with good writing and (some would say) good acting it could have made him an wonderfully developed character.. how much would that torment him having his half cardassian child out there somewhere in the Delta quadrant, do his loyalties lie with Voyager and getting her home or with finding his child.
Really a lot of potential there with not just Seska as a wonderful character but with a continuation of the Maquis storyline (what did the others think of this betrayal??), exploration of Seska's power hunger, Chakotay's life turned upside down on the deepest personal level.
Well, that would have truly been another kind of show because it's not like that kind of story was being told anywhere in the series.
Sure it might have seemed soap opera-y to have the baby be Chakotay's but with good writing and (some would say) good acting it could have made him an wonderfully developed character.. how much would that torment him having his half cardassian child out there somewhere in the Delta quadrant, do his loyalties lie with Voyager and getting her home or with finding his child.
Really a lot of potential there with not just Seska as a wonderful character but with a continuation of the Maquis storyline (what did the others think of this betrayal??), exploration of Seska's power hunger, Chakotay's life turned upside down on the deepest personal level.
Well, that would have truly been another kind of show because it's not like that kind of story was being told anywhere in the series.
Easy, she's the only Cardassian in the DQ. They have no idea how deceitful and manipulative her race is. That gives her the upper hand on Voyager. The crew of Voyager knew what she was and not to trust her at all, so she could do very little on Voyager while in the brig. A con artists greatest gift is to manipulate stupid people.
Second, nearly EVERYBODY Voyager met in the DQ was a con. artist. Seska is just as much at home with that commonality with the species of the DQ, than Voyager is. Janeway never expected dishonesty, that's why Voyager was always caught off guard. People like Seska, Quark & Garak expect EVERYONE to be a liar ALL THE TIME. Seska still has the advantage.
Just for that reason alone, they should have kept Seska alive and off Voyager. It would have been interesting by season 6 or 7 to see if she does get home before them or if all her lies catch up to her and she needs Voyager as a sanctuary.
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