As Star Trek: Picard has made clear, Seven of Nine changed quite a bit in the years after Star Trek: Voyager's final season was set, and quite a few viewers would argue it' was all for the better. Jeri Ryan would say the same, apparently, as on the heels of Seven being unofficially promoted to Captain, Ryan told me she had a greater appreciation for the character after a "rough four years" on Voyager.
I spoke to Jeri Ryan about the recent shocking events that unfolded in Star Trek: Picard's "Vox" and her overall thoughts about returning to the franchise after she once said that it took "several glasses of champagne" to convince her to return as Seven. I asked her about that bubbly admission, and Ryan confirmed that after her experience on Voyager, she planned to stay away from Trek for good:
I didn't have a great experience on Voyager. The working experience was not super pleasant for me. So that kind of colored my perception in a lot of ways. Because that was a tough four years, but I was always acutely aware of how good a character Seven was from an acting perspective and how rich she was. So this continuation of her story and starting out with the Fenris Rangers, I love it. I love everything about the way she's been developed. I truly do. This season especially, I think it hits all the right notes. It, it's just so true to the character, and I think that across the board for all the characters. And I think it's ultimately just a really nice payoff for the fans and for this character for this journey.
Star Trek: Voyager fans loved Seven of Nine, understandably so, but Jeri Ryan struggled when she worked on the beloved series. The actress has talked over the years about tensions that formed with unnamed cast members on the set, with many having speculated some of the negative feelings were tied to co-star Kate Mulgrew. Whatever the specifics were, even if they're never addressed in full, it was enough to make her years on Voyager less than an ideal Trek experience.
Thankfully, Jeri Ryan didn't let any of those soured memories get in the way of reprising the role, and she's really happy with how Star Trek: Picard has played out so far, both for her character and for her as an actress. She confirmed to CinemaBlend that she felt the same kind of positivity about what plays out in the upcoming series finale. Of course, the actress didn't share any additional details on what's ahead for Seven, so we'll all have to tune in and see with our Paramount+ subscriptions.
After hearing Jeri Ryan's glowing praise for Seven of Nine's arc, I asked if these new developments for Seven gave her an overall greater appreciation for her Star Trek character. Ryan shared her honest thoughts, as well as her ideas about a potential future for the character that made her hesitant to return.
Yes, absolutely. Absolutely. I mean, I was done. I was completely done. I was sure of it. I said goodbye to the character. I had no interest in continuing. Fans were saying, ‘Oh, I want to know what happens after you get back to earth.’ I'm like, ‘Why?’ I don't want to see her set up housekeeping and married to Chakotay and be a wife. I didn’t want to see that. I didn’t want to play that.
Readers may be aware of the much-criticized romance in Season 7 of Star Trek: Voyager between Chakotay and Seven of Nine. Beyond the fact that many fans were assuming and hoping Chakotay and Janeway would ultimately end up together, the Seven and Chakotay relationship was established over the course of just a few Season 7 episodes, feeling very jarring and playing against everything that came before it. Jeri Ryan confirmed that if that was the version of Seven that would have been offered for Picard, she wouldn't have taken the plunge.
Star Trek: Picard left behind the Chakotay romance and re-introduced Seven as part of the Fenris Rangers. She ultimately became romantically involved with Starfleet officer Raffi Musiker, and made her way into the squad. Jeri Ryan continued to talk about Seven and how much she's loved this latest run for the character:
But clearly, she has been just a revelation for me over and over again. I love every development that the writers have come up with. Um. She's a joy to play. The scenes are a joy to play, and the people that I'm playing with make it a joy to play as well. It's really been a delightful surprise.
Jeri Ryan has had a blast playing Seven of Nine, but it remains to be seen whether this upcoming finale will indeed feature her final performance for a while. Fans and Star Trek: Picard cast members have called on Paramount+ to greenlight a spinoff continuation to the series titled Star Trek: Legacy, but there's no indication at this time that Paramount as a whole is considering it. For now, that seems like it'd be the best chance at Ryan reprising her role in live-action, but who knows what unannounced upcoming Trek shows are on the horizon.
Catch the series finale of Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 20th. After that, the wait is on until the premiere of Strange New Worlds Season 2 on June 15th. Now would be a great time to revisit Season 1 or even binge Picard all over again following its conclusion.
