Kate Mulgrew not a J/C'er!!!!

[kathrynjaneway]

I don't know if this rumor is true but I heard Mulgrew had a hand in writing "Endgame" and concerns with her character.

Who knows..

Yes, it's true. Kate actually said that at a couple of conventions. She was asked if she had been able to put any of her ideas into Endgame and she said she "had everything to do with it". So I agree that it seems that right up to the end Kate was against a J/C relationship.

 

[Galekarens]

I was at a convention right after Endgame was first aired. KM was there and spoke against J/C during the show, even tho a fan argued w/her about it, lol, but didn't address why it couldn't have happened at the very end. I kind of wonder why she would let her character get portrayed as almost a "has been" whose erstwhile boyfriend would dump her for a younger blond babe. Anyway, I also read she was at another convention and she was booed when she insisted Chakotay loved 7 at the end. It's kind of sad she wouldn't care what (many, I realize not all) fans thought about characters in a show they had supported for seven long years. (But anyway, J/C continues on in fan sites, so it still is alive in a number of people's hearts. Maybe that's what matters.)

 

[Zameaze]

One thing that no one talks about is the fact that Kate Mulgrew does not compare that well in terms of attractiveness to the other Voyager women. Janeway was just too old and stodgy for Chakotay, especially given his other choices. I've always felt this way, even when watching the series originally.

 

[Galekarens]

Well, actually Janeway was younger than Chakotay, but unfortunately at the end was portrayed a little as "older," which only shows TPTB didn't know what they were doing.
PS, at first I actually thought KJ could do better than C anyway, lol.

 

[JustKate]

I watched the series independent of one another. TNG > DS9 > Voyager. After watching the first two I was glad for the lack of contrived romances on Voyager especially in Janeway's case. My least favorite episodes of Trek focus on romantic interactions between crew members. I'm just personally not a fan. It's already a space drama. I don't want it to be an actual soap opera, you know? I think they broke that mold on Voyager in some ways. Once Kes was gone that whole love triangle involving Neelix was dead (not that I ever took it seriously anyway) and then it was all smooth sailing and mockery of Kim's aborted love life until the Torres/Paris thing happened which was acceptable since it was the only one... (until the completely senseless Chakotay/Seven thing in the finale).

I was glad of that. I'm still glad of it. I think they broke the mold by not having Janeway chasing tail all over the quadrant. The episode where she and Chakotay have to stay on the planet and the crew leave them behind? That's about as close to romance from Janeway as I ever wanted and on that note they delivered perfectly in my opinion.

I agree wholeheartedly. I hate the idea of a captain - any captain of any sex - getting involved with a member of the crew, as the regulars in the VOY forum know all too well because I have yammered on about it at tedious length. Particularly with his or her first officer. But don't worry, VOY forum regulars, I'll stop there, except to agree with Withers and say talk about a built-in soap opera formula. Bleah!

I think that's one of the reasons why they backed off on captain-crew member relationships in TNG. Yes, Picard had that sorta-relationship that never went anywhere (on screen) with Crusher, and also with that woman whose name I can't remember (the one in stellar cartography), but you notice after that, there are no more relationships with crew members. It's just too soap opera-y.

It was nice on those rare instances when they managed realistic relationships in Trek, and it would have been OK even with Janeway, but jeeeeeeez, only if it were done well, and IMO, there's not way it would have been done well between Janeway and Chakotay, not while they were in the DQ. It would either have become a soap opera, or they would have become the crew's mummy and dada, and either way, it would have been wretched.

Besides, I really loved the friendship that developed between them. That was far more interesting than any off-the-rack romance, in my opinion.

 

[Galekarens]

I agree that maybe while the series was being run a J/C romance might have made things complicated, but that doesn't mean there couldn't have been a J/C romance finally shown starting at the very end, instead of that out-of-left-field icky C/7 thing, but that's just MHO.

 

[DevilEyes]

One thing that no one talks about is the fact that Kate Mulgrew does not compare that well in terms of attractiveness to the other Voyager women.

They probably don't talk about it because it's a matter of taste, and some other people might not agree.

It's also beside the point, because sexual chemistry is not something you can generate simply by throwing two random attractive people together. "Oh look, isn't X cute? And so is Y? Let's have them hook up!" It either exists or it doesn't. With Janeway and Chakotay, it was there, whatever this or that viewer feels about the characters. With Chakotay and Seven, there was none.

Janeway was just too old and stodgy for Chakotay, especially given his other choices. I've always felt this way, even when watching the series originally.

I don't know about Janeway and Chakotay, but Kate Mulgrew is a year and a half younger than Robert Beltran.

 

[Zameaze]

Well, actually Janeway was younger than Chakotay, but unfortunately at the end was portrayed a little as "older," which only shows TPTB didn't know what they were doing.

Regardless of their actual age, I felt that she seemed too old for him. Just a subjective, personal reaction.

PS, at first I actually thought KJ could do better than C anyway, lol.

Hummm...good point: After all, she was the captain--that carries a certain amount of appeal for many.

 

[DevilEyes]

PS, at first I actually thought KJ could do better than C anyway, lol.

Hummm...good point: After all, she was the captain--that carries a certain amount of appeal for many.

You know, the first time I caught a VOY episode and saw Chakotay, I thought: "Wow, what a hot guy!" He was very handsome. But when I actually started watching the show and saw how dull and indifferent he was... my enthusiasm quickly evaporated. He's basically like a tall, good-looking piece of furniture. Not sexy to me.

 

[Zameaze]

You know, the first time I caught a VOY episode and saw Chakotay, I thought: "Wow, what a hot guy!" He was very handsome. But when I actually started watching the show and saw how dull and indifferent he was... my enthusiasm quickly evaporated. He's basically like a tall, good-looking piece of furniture. Not sexy to me.

I had much the same feelings when the series began. I thought what an interesting idea it was to have a character based on Native Americans. But then Chakotay turned out to be a very boring character indeed. Another opportunity blown by the writers.

 

[Galekarens]

Ha, I had kind of an opposite experience; at first thought Chakotay was ok, but not all that exciting, but he grew on me as the series progressed. Except then came Endgame, when he's portrayed as just a male going after the blond babe (not that there's really something wrong with that....but for years he seemed impervious to 7's "charms," then he's mooning over her). Just MHO! (But in my imagination he still appreciates KJ best, and no, am not a young thing dreaming of "hunks"...). PS, if KJ SEEMEd older, it might be how she looked - helmet hair, ugh, even the year before that looked better.

 

[Zameaze]

Agreed. What in the world were they thinking with Chakotay/Seven? A match that still gives me nightmares.

And I agree once again--whoever dressed Kate did her no favors: Frumpy hair and even her uniform looked frumpy. But maybe that was because she was on the same set as Seven who looked very feminine in her form fitting uniform.

 

[Galekarens]

Well, I didn't think KJ looked terribly "frumpy" until the 2nd half of the 7th season; it was if after Workforce (when she looked pretty hot, IMHO), that TPTB seemed to decide to "matronize" her more. And frankly, I still preferred her looks to plastic Ms. Seven and her amazing...whatevers. And, anyway, Chakotay wasn't exactly such a hunkorama any more by Endgame, but, hey, to each his/her own!

 

[Brit]

One thing that no one talks about is the fact that Kate Mulgrew does not compare that well in terms of attractiveness to the other Voyager women. Janeway was just too old and stodgy for Chakotay, especially given his other choices. I've always felt this way, even when watching the series originally.

Except that Kate Mulgrew isn't the one wearing the corset under her costume, which is more that you can say for both Robert Beltran or Jeri Ryan.

And who is to say old and stodgy isn't sexy to someone? There is way more to relationships than who might have the more "fashionable" exterior.

 

[Zameaze]

Except that Kate Mulgrew isn't the one wearing the corset under her costume, which is more that you can say for both Robert Beltran or Jeri Ryan.

ROTFL. That's too funny of a mental picture of Robert Beltran.

 

[kimc]

Except that Kate Mulgrew isn't the one wearing the corset under her costume, which is more that you can say for both Robert Beltran or Jeri Ryan.

They were BOTH wearing corsets? No wonder they looked so uncomfortable in their scenes together.

 

[exodus]

One thing that no one talks about is the fact that Kate Mulgrew does not compare that well in terms of attractiveness to the other Voyager women. Janeway was just too old and stodgy for Chakotay, especially given his other choices. I've always felt this way, even when watching the series originally.

I don't think it was her age but Chakotay seemed to be into more "racier" women. Chakotay didn't seem to seek many women for an emotional bond as much as for sexual satisfaction and their wild rebellious nature.

 

[Zameaze]

I don't think it was her age....

I still think that her age had a lot to do with it. "Hollywood" writers generally tells us that a woman over 40 is too old for a meaningful and exciting relationship.

...Chakotay seemed to be into more "racier" women. Chakotay didn't seem to seek many women for an emotional bond as much as for sexual satisfaction and their wild rebellious nature.

But then they write many, if not most, men that way. Women seem to like the "bad boys".

 

[kimc]

I still think that her age had a lot to do with it. "Hollywood" writers generally tells us that a woman over 40 is too old for a meaningful and exciting relationship.

Especially at the time "Endgame" was written. Luckily that is now starting to change. Since then shows like nuBSG have shown mature relationships like Adama/Roslin and Tigh/Ellen. Also, Meryl Streep has just starred in a romantic comedy and she's in her sixties.

...Chakotay seemed to be into more "racier" women. Chakotay didn't seem to seek many women for an emotional bond as much as for sexual satisfaction and their wild rebellious nature.

Which doesn't show Chakotay in the best of light, imo.

Women seem to like the "bad boys".

Personally I've always thought of that as an excuse for men to misbehave. "Women prefer bad boys so I don't need to behave responsibly." Whatever!

 

[exodus]

Which doesn't show Chakotay in the best of light, imo.

It doesn't make Chakotay any different than those that came before him, Like Kirk, Riker or Bashir.