Although Star Trek: Voyager is sometimes maligned by the Star Trek fanbase, it has its moments of brilliance. Fans of the series often point to the beloved character Seven of Nine, former Borg turned Starfleet crewmember, as one of the best aspects of the show. Her journey from being a drone separated from the collective, to an independent and strong-willed individual, captured the hearts of many viewers.
Seven of Nine had been a part of the Borg collective since she was a child, and had to learn how to be human again. All the members of the crew aided her in pursuing her individuality, but one in particular formed an unexpected kinship with Seven. The ship's Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH), known throughout the series simply as the Doctor, became one of Seven's closest confidantes. He helped her learn how to be human, how to be an independent individual, because he had to go through the same learning experience.
Star Trek: Why Was Tom Paris Demoted On Voyager?
While Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant, pilot Tom Paris was demoted from Lieutenant to Ensign. Here's what led to his drop in rank.
The Doctor's Character Arc
The Doctor | |
|---|---|
Species | Emergency Medical Hologram (EMH) |
Played By | Robert Picardo |
Appears In | Star Trek: Voyager (1995-2001) |
When he was first activated, the Doctor had very little patience for the organic beings around him. He was short-tempered, terse, and constantly annoyed when crew members forgot to deactivate him. However, the crew's medical officer died when Voyager was transported to the Delta Quadrant, leaving the Doctor as the only medical personnel onboard. Much to his chagrin, he had no choice but to become a part of the Voyager family.
Kes, who assisted the Doctor in sickbay as a nurse, made it a goal to help the Doctor improve his bedside manner. A kind and compassionate individual, Kes encouraged the Doctor to put himself in his patients' shoes, and try to empathize with them. With her help, not only did the Doctor's bedside manner improve, but he also began to understand the complexities of human emotion. The best early example of the Doctor's growth is in the Season 2 episode "Lifesigns," in which he develops romantic feelings for a Vidiian patient that the crew rescued from a shuttle. With Kes' guidance, he plucks up the courage to express his feelings to her, and the two share a tender evening on the holodeck before the Vidiian woman must return home.
Over time, the Doctor came to treasure his autonomy and individuality. In the show's first episode, he was annoyed when others forgot to deactivate him; a few seasons in, he found it frustrating when others deactivated him against his will. He developed independent interests and discovered a love of music, particularly opera. He was, in all ways except for biological structure, human.
Seven of Nine's Learned Humanity
Seven of Nine | |
|---|---|
Species | Human (former Borg drone) |
Played By | Jeri Ryan |
Appears In |
|
Ex-Borg Seven of Nine first appeared at the end of Season 3, and joined the crew as a full member at the beginning of Season 4. Having been a Borg drone for eighteen years, she had a hard time adjusting to life on Voyager. She lacked understanding of social niceties, and found the behavior of autonomous beings confusing and frustrating. Having been Borg, she often considered her own methods and ideas superior to those of others, which rubbed many crewmates the wrong way. However, one crew member never seemed to mind Seven's brutal honesty, lack of tact, or superior attitude. And that was the Doctor.
The Emergency Medical Hologram could relate to Seven in ways that the rest of the crew could not. After all, he had once had a similar attitude. Part of his tolerance for her also came from his wry sense of humor — the Doctor was quick to deflect Seven's blunt comments with witty remarks. Gradually, he began to develop a bond with Seven, determined to help her discover her humanity as Kes had helped him discover his.
An Unlikely Friendship Forms
At the beginning of her time on Voyager, Seven is distant from most of the crew, including the Doctor. This changes, though, when the two are forced to spend time together. In the season 4 episode "One," Seven and the Doctor are the only two people awake on Voyager as the rest are put into medically induced comas for their safety. The ship is traveling through a dangerous nebula, and only the hologram and the ex-Borg can withstand its effects. During the month-long journey, the two of them experience all the ups and downs of any two people who are close with each other. They pass time together, and they help each other through difficult moments. They fight, and they make amends.
The Doctor encouraged Seven to acknowledge her emotions, and in turn, she came to trust him as a friend and a confidante. When she has memories of being assaulted in the season 4 episode "Retrospect," he supports her by reminding her that anger is normal and, in her situation, a healthy response. When Seven expresses an interest in further developing her social skills in the season 5 episode "Someone to Watch Over Me," the Doctor coaches her on the intricacies of dating. He even develops a crush on her himself as he teaches his friend about romance — and although she doesn't reciprocate, their friendship stays strong.
The season 7 episode "Body and Soul" is a cornerstone in the relationship between the two. Seven demonstrates her genuine concern for the Doctor when they are captured by aliens with laws against holograms. As they attempt to decompile the Doctor's program (which would, in essence, kill him), Seven uploads his program into her cybernetic components, saving his life. Being in control of Seven's body allows the Doctor to experience a whole new world of sensations — even if that wasn't necessarily Seven's intention. She initially disapproves of the Doctor's overindulgence on food and wine while in her body, as she is aware of his actions. They bicker over the relative merits of hedonism versus efficiency, but ultimately, sharing a body allows them to concoct a plan to escape.
At the end of the episode, the two have escaped their captors and the Doctor is back in his holographic body, mourning the loss of his ability to eat and drink. In sickbay, Seven comes to visit him with a plate of foie gras and two glasses of wine. She acknowledges that she has been missing out on some of life's pleasures, and offers to describe the sensations of the meal so that he may enjoy it vicariously. She raises a glass and proposes a toast with her friend:
To shared experiences.
Many of Seven's crewmates were instrumental in helping her connect with her humanity. Janeway introduced her to arts and to healthy competition through sports; Harry Kim offered nonjudgmental friendship. The Doctor, though, was the only one who had also gone through the process of learning to be human. He was in a unique position to empathize with Seven, and was the only one who could truly see the matter from her perspective.
Like the Doctor, Seven's progress shows in subtle ways over the course the show. In her early days on the crew, she occasionally seeks opportunities to return to the collective. By Season 5, however, she finds the idea abhorrent. Like her friend, she grows to cherish her autonomy. The Doctor and Seven of Nine are very different people, but ultimately, their shared experience united them on Voyager's long journey home.
