Series: Star Trek: Voyager
Season 4, Episode 2
Original Air Date: September 10, 1997
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| via Memory Alpha |
Kes's psychokinetic powers have been supercharged since Voyager's recent encounter with Species 8472. Tuvok tries to help her control them but it quickly becomes evident that the student has surpassed the master. In fact, he's worried Kes may now pose a danger to herself and the ship - a fear that quickly appears well-warranted. Meanwhile, Seven of Nine is adjusting to being disconnected from the Borg collective and it ain't pretty. Captain Janeway, feeling a strong sense of responsibility for both women, is pulled all over the place emotionally.
"The Gift" is the best Voyager episode so far. I promise I'm not going to just say that each week. It's not a recency bias. This installment and the previous two represent a profound transition in the series and the writers definitely stepped up their game. I watched this particular story differently this time as I think I'm able to see Janeway for the first time in a parenting role.
During COVID lockdown, we binged Star Trek as a family: the entire DS9 series (now close to a quasi-religion for the kid) and Voyager to about this same point. So, 6ish years ago. Since then, our child has gone through their own profound transition from late adolescence to early adulthood. The Kes-Janeway relationship is the best reflection of our current stage: the understandable need for independence coupled with the instinctive parental wish to protect. I've sought the same balance with my own parents for decades. It's part of being in a family.
Seven of Nine, on the other hand, does not relate as obviously to our own experience but plenty of families go through similar struggles. And facing separate dilemmas with two separate children isn't so unusual either. Again, it's all part of being in a family. The creatives have worked hard at creating a sense of family on the ship. Family isn't always easy.
One does wonder about the ethics of separating Seven from the collective. I understand the practical side but Seven is not wrong to point out the moral inconsistencies. Neither the Borg nor Janeway gave her a choice. The writers have said they were striving for a drug addiction or cult extraction parallel and in either context, I suppose it makes sense. Janeway is loyal to Annika Hansen, the human child who was abducted and assimilated by the Borg, eventually becoming the drone known as Seven of Nine. Our captain is driven by the desire to free Annika and give her back her independent life.
The ethical question is, of course, exactly why the story is so fascinating.
"The Gift" is Jennifer Lien's final episode in the principal cast. Kes will be back for a one-shot deal in Season 6. At the time, the reasons for letting her go were kept quiet. In the years since, Lien's long history of mental illness is well-documented. The truth: they were going to have to let someone go in order to make room for a new principal cast member. Originally, Harry Kim was to be the one but once People Magazine named actor Garrett Wang one of its 50 Most Beautiful People in 1997, his stock increased. Because of her broader struggles, Jennifer Lien had become unreliable and as a result, Kes became expendable.
It's a shame. The character herself was amazing, easily one of my top 3 from the first three seasons. My choice to jettison would have been Neelix but I guess the value of comic relief - and perhaps the greater industry clout of a more established, male actor? - spared him. And Lien's story is a sad one. Her career petered out after Voyager and there have been legal troubles in more recent years.
There's no question that Seven of Nine made Voyager a better series. But there was a cost. A big piece of the show's heart left with Kes.
And her departure leaves the McCoy chair open in my Star Trek Legacy Pantheon game. To this point Kes has proven to be a worthy successor to Counselor Troi with her exceptional empathy. According to my own rules, I have to make the choice for her replacement based on what is apparent to this point rather than what I know is coming. So while I know Tom Paris will take on Kes's responsibilities in sickbay, I have to admit that Neelix has shown more empathy for his crewmates to this point in the series. So, the lineage:
McCoy = Troi = Kes = Neelix (née Guinan line)
Production Notes
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| via Memory Alpha |
Robert Blackman took over the reins as Star Trek's head costume designer with NextGen's third season, immediately earning praise from the cast. In Patrick Stewart's words, "The new uniforms don't hurt." Actor comfort had not been the top priority for Blackman's predecessor, William Ware Theiss.
Blackman held the job through the last five seasons of The Next Generation plus the entire runs of Deep Space Nine, Voyager and Enterprise. He was also head of costume design for two Trek movies: Generations and First Contact. Blackman was nominated for 10 Emmys for his work on Star Trek, winning twice, both for NextGen episodes. He also won an Emmy for the excellent Pushing Daisies.
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