female audience reaction to Seven of Nine

[jefferiestubes8]

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?

 

[Gov Kodos]

No doubt with a diversity of opinion.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

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.

 

[NCC-1701-B]

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

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

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.

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.

 

[Timewalker]

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?

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.

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.

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.

 

[Dream]

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.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Because cute sweet girls make such great tv.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Because cute sweet girls make such great tv.

 

[Dream]

Because cute sweet girls make such great tv.

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.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

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.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Because cute sweet girls make such great tv.

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.

When your favorite character in the entire history of fiction takes over a show you don't complain.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Because cute sweet girls make such great tv.

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.

When your favorite character in the entire history of fiction takes over a show you don't complain.

Resistance is futile.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Some people don't care for 7?

No problem, we can take care of that.

 

[Dream]

People!

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

 

[Christopher]

It pretty much became the Seven of Nine show when she arrived.

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.

 

[Gov Kodos]

The producers gave the audience what they (going by the ratings) wanted. As Christopher points out above, she wasn't alone in that.

 

[Dream]

The producers gave the audience what they (going by the ratings) wanted. As Christopher points out above, she wasn't alone in that.

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.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Borg Barbie, just in your mind.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

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.

But we know who Janeway was thinking about the whole time she was in first place.