Summary
- Seven of Nine, portrayed by Jeri Ryan, became one of Star Trek's most beloved characters due to her compelling portrayal and character development.
- Despite being added to appeal to male viewers, Seven became a fully realized character who was not defined by her appearance or outfits.
- In Star Trek: Picard, Seven's character continues to evolve, ultimately becoming a Starfleet Commander and potentially the lead in a spinoff series.
Star Trek: Voyager and Star Trek: Picard's Seven of Nine has become one of Star Trek's most beloved and enduring characters, largely due to Jeri Ryan's compelling portrayal. Introduced in Voyager season 4, Seven of Nine was part of the Borg Collective before Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and the Voyager crew severed her connection to the other drones. At first, Seven found her transition back to humanity difficult, but with the help of Janeway and her crew, Seven eventually made her home on Voyager. Since Seven had lost her entire childhood to the Borg Collective, Captain Janeway served as a mentor for her, helping her relearn how to be human.
With her skin-tight unitards and obvious attractiveness, part of the reason Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine was added to the Voyager cast was to appeal to male viewers. Despite this, Seven became a fully realized three-dimensional character who was not defined by her appearance or the outfits she wore. She proved to be an inspired addition to the cast after the departure of Jennifer Lien's Kes, and she appeared in one hundred episodes across four seasons of Voyager. Seven of Nine made her triumphant return to the Star Trek franchise in Star Trek: Picard season 1, where she provided help to Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart).
Jeri Ryan & Seven Of Nine’s History On Star Trek: Voyager
Seven of Nine was born with the name Annika Hansen on a Federation colony known as Tendara. Her parents were exobiologists who followed the Borg into the Delta Quadrant to study them. Although Seven's father had developed a shield to hide their ship from the Borg, an ion storm caused it to malfunction and the Borg found them. The Borg then assimilated Annika and her parents when Seven was only six years old. Designated Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One, she lived the next twenty-four years as a Borg drone before being liberated by Captain Janeway and the crew of the USS Voyager.
Seven struggled to adapt to her new life away from the Borg, but she soon became an essential member of the Voyager crew. With her knowledge of Borg technology, Seven developed the astrometrics lab and helped Voyager shave years off of its journey back to the Alpha Quadrant. Star Trek: Voyager showrunner Brannon Braga had the idea to add a Borg to Voyager's crew, and other members of the behind-the-scenes team loved the idea, including Executive Producer Rick Berman. They eventually decided they wanted a female Borg crew member, and Jeri Ryan became one of three actresses being seriously considered for the role. Ryan, of course, secured the role, and the rest is history.
What Jeri Ryan Has Done Outside Of Star Trek
Although Jeri Ryan is best known for portraying Seven of Nine, she has had a prolific career outside of Star Trek. Jeri Ryan began her entertainment career on the runway, finishing as third runner-up in the Miss America Pageant in 1990. She made her acting debut on an episode of Who's the Boss in 1991 and appeared in several episodes of television throughout the 1990s before landing the role of Seven of Nine in 1997. She continued to appear in other television shows and films while on Voyager, including portraying Valerie Sharpe in Wes Craven's Dracula 2000. After Star Trek: Voyager ended in 2001, Ryan became a regular on David E. Kelley's Boston Public as Veronica "Ronnie" Cooke, a role written specifically for her.
Jeri Ryan appeared in seven episodes of The O.C. as Charlotte Morgan and in two episodes of Boston Legal, alongside Star Trek icon William Shatner. Ryan costarred on the legal drama Shark as District Attorney Jessica Devlin and appeared in three episodes of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and eight episodes of Leverage. Ryan also costarred in Body of Proof and appeared in five episodes of Helix and twelve episodes of Bosch, before returning to the role of Seven of Nine on Star Trek: Picard in 2020. She currently has a recurring role on AMC drama Dark Winds as Rosemary Vines.
Seven of Nine In Picard & Jeri Ryan’s Star Trek Future
When Seven of Nine swoops in to help Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart) in Star Trek: Picard season 1, she is part of the peacekeeping group known as the Fenris Rangers. Although she initially wanted to join Starfleet after Voyager's return from the Delta Quadrant, her application was rejected, despite the protests of Admiral Janeway. In Picard season 1, Seven aids former Borg Drones on the now derelict Borg Cube known as the Artifact. When Seven reconnects with Picard in season 2, she travels with him and his team back to the 21st century to restore the future that Q (John de Lancie) had altered. At the end of Star Trek: Picard season 2, Jean-Luc grants Seven a Starfleet field commission, allowing her to become Acting Captain of the USS Stargazer.
In Star Trek: Picard season 3, Seven has risen to the rank of Starfleet Commander and serves as the First Officer on the USS Titan-A under the command of Captain Liam Shaw (Todd Stashwick). Seven helps Admiral Picard and Captain William Riker (Johnathan Frakes) commandeer the Titan to rescue Dr. Beverly Crusher (Gates McFadden) and her son Jack Crusher (Ed Speleers). Despite disobeying orders, Seven eventually earns the respect of Captain Shaw, and he recommends she be promoted to Captain.
Seven of Nine becomes Captain of the newly rechristened USS Enterprise-G at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3, setting her up as the lead for the potential spinoff, Star Trek: Legacy. As her Number One, Seven selects Commander Raffi Musiker (Michelle Hurd), and the two may continue the romantic relationship they shared in Picard season 2. Although Star Trek: Legacy has yet to be greenlit (likely in part because of the ongoing SAG-AFTRA/WGA strikes), fans have shown a clear interest in the show. Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine has been an incredibly compelling character since her introduction in Star Trek: Voyager, and many would love to see her adventures continue as Captain of the Enterprise.