Unveiling the Unparalleled Chemistry: How Seven of Nine Transcended Kes & The Doctor’s Star Trek: Voyager Relationship

Summary

The Doctor's relationship with Seven of Nine improved upon his friendship with Kes as Seven helped him discover his own humanity.

Despite her aloof and cold demeanor, Seven soon found herself at odds with the crew. However, the Doctor saw a kindred spirit in her and their friendship grew. Together, they brought out each other's strengths, facing both tragedy and comedy. Despite the challenges they faced, their friendship endured.

The Doctor's relationship with Seven of Nine in Star Trek: Voyager's fourth season was an improvement compared to his friendship with Kes in previous seasons. Kes's departure left the Doctor without a guide to humanity, and Seven's arrival did not allow her to seamlessly fill Kes's role. Unlike Kes, who was known for her capacity for love and warmth, Seven had recently been freed from the Collective and was emotionally distant. Her emphasis on efficiency over kindness and her curt manner made her clash with much of the crew. However, the Doctor, having once lacked social skills himself, was able to connect with Seven on a deeper level as they shared a similar sense of social unfamiliarity.

Why Seven Of Nine Improved On Kes & The Doctor's Relationship

The Doctor's relationship with Kes improved when he swapped his role within the relationship after forming a bond with Seven of Nine. Kes's kindness helped the Doctor see himself as a complete individual and go beyond his initial programming. The Doctor showed his kindness towards Seven by surgically removing her painful Borg parts, disregarding her objections. (Voyager season 4, episode 2 "The Gift") Once the physical traces of her trauma were gone, Seven appeared human again, even though she resisted the idea. However, she adapted, as Borgs are known to do.

Being an ex-Borg, Seven existed in a state between studying humanity and being a part of it. This prompted the Doctor to deeply examine his own sense of personhood, far more than Kes ever did. While Kes assumed that anyone, including the Doctor, would desire to be treated like a person, Seven maintained that she would always be Borg, as there were advantages to not being fully human. In Voyager season 4, episode 7 "Scientific Method," Seven and the Doctor's inorganic attributes made them resistant to the Srivani's experiments, leading to the birth of their friendship as they devised a plan to save the crew.

Seven and The Doctor Brought Out The Best In Each Other's Characters

The frequent need for cooperation and mutual understanding between Seven of Nine and the Doctor brought out the best in each other. Their unique combination of Seven's cybernetic parts and the Doctor's holographic nature led to situations that were impossible with the Doctor and Kes. Unfortunately, a transporter accident resulted in the creation of an advanced Borg drone from Seven's nanoprobes and the Doctor's emitter, leading to tragedy (Star Trek: Voyager season 5, episode 2 "Drone"). In a comedic turn of events, the Doctor's program was downloaded into Seven's Borg implants to bypass the Lokirrim taboo, resulting in humorous consequences (Voyager season 7, episode 7 "Body and Soul").

Unlike the organic members of the crew, the Doctor never judged Seven for her critical observations of human behavior, providing her the space to be vulnerable and imperfect, especially in their private moments (Star Trek: Voyager season 4, episode 25 "One"). Seven, on the other hand, indulged the Doctor's desire to assist her in adapting to life as an individual, leading to lessons on courtship and the emergence of the Doctor's feelings for her. This presented a challenge to their friendship, but it ultimately endured (Voyager season 5, episode 22, "Someone to Watch Over Me"). While Kes played a significant role in teaching the Doctor how to be a person, Seven of Nine helped him truly become himself, greatly improving their relationship.