While the ratings were indeed a concern as that season unfolded, I would once again suggest, that the introduction of the Borg as an adversary (too frequently used perhaps), was not a result of that situation. It would strain credulity to maintain that the show runners did not intend to have them emerge as major protagonists, if not a near constant threat, at some point in the series. What other reason really would be needed to justify this aspect of the show's long term plan, than the fact that the DQ was the Borg's home? Indeed, it would have seemed quite strange if the way that Voyager played out, one saw them only infrequently or hardly at all. Now, the idea of an ex-Borg joining the cast, was not preordained from the beginning, and its genesis certainly was tied in with the idea that the concept would be a ratings winner. I think though, whether male or female,
it would be hard to argue against the appearance of that character being one of very significant physical allure. I wouldn't have been surprised, that if male, the get-up that the now mostly human figure would have been given (or saddled with depending on one's point of view) might have been as equally provocative as Seven's, studly even.
As you point out, which must give you some degree of satisfaction, Seven's introduction gave the show only a very brief ratings push and certainly didn't turn out to be a long term problem solver, if you will.
One point that I made some time ago, but not in recent defenses of the Chakotay-Seven relationship, is that however jarring it seemed to a vast majority of the viewers, it served an essential purpose, that unfortunately appears to have been viewed as needing to be met in very conventional manner. Early on, there was the thought that Seven might ultimately die, in a sacrificial gesture that might have saved the ship or insured its safe return to Earth, as a means of illustrating the culmination of her reintegration into the human family. Once that concept was scuttled, I believe that it became necessary to find another marker, that would, upon the successful completion of Voyager's journey, and her reintroduction to her home planet, would signify that parallel completion of her own lengthy and difficult path. What would that be? Well it wasn't exactly thinking outside the box and it certainly had been pointed to as a primary goal for her to attain for quite some time. While not minimizing the fulfillment that allowing herself to finally and without reservation be emotionally open to another person, this means of writing her final chapter is somewhat disappointing, perhaps simply because of its predictability and lack of imagination.
If one accepts the premise that this was the means the show runners had settled on to conclude her story, it was just a matter of a process of elimination, as to who was going to catch the bouquet. The choice was pretty obvious, but just consider the other contenders. Kim? No, his primary concern was to get back home to Mom and Dad as soon as possible. The Doctor? His future lay in the pursuit of creative and boundary breaking endeavors, and besides he still didn't have a name. That left Chakotay, and for all the those who cite this match's gross incongruity, I think that it does make sense in more than a few ways, upon which I've elaborated before, and would only further remark at this point, that the only other individual that would plausibly and truthfully make more sense, would have been Axum, and as the saying goes, that would be a whole other story.
and we got the Chakotay-Seven thing out of nowhere at the end of the series. They couldn't even come up with a decent end episode with a decent homecoming for our heroes. Instead we got that confusing mumbo-jumbo in "Endg..." ooops sorry "Endshame".
