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Star trek: voyager’s kes/seven of nine swap was more unique than you know.

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The Complete Star Trek Timeline Explained

I’ve always hated that star trek: voyager brought kes back in season 6, resident alien season 4's story hints at repeating linda hamilton's iconic 40-year-old action movie.

• Kes and Seven of Nine's swap in Star Trek: Voyager was unique due to the franchise's consistent casts.
• Other character swaps in previous Star Trek shows didn't accomplish their switch in the same way, usually leaving it off-screen.
• Modern Star Trek series, like Discovery and Picard, have a different approach to swapping characters, focusing on serialized narratives.

Although it wasn't the franchise's first character swap, Star Trek: Voyager 's Kes (Jennifer Lien) and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) switch was more unique than character changes in other Star Trek projects. Voyager 's cast of characters stayed mostly the same throughout the show's run, except for the departure of Kes and the introduction of Seven at the start of season 4. The swap happened over season 4's first two episodes, "Scorpion, Part II" and "The Gift," and was accomplished well, all things considered.

During "The Gift," Kes's latent mental abilities began to evolve rapidly thanks to Species 8472, to the point where she was a danger to the USS Voyager and her crew. As a result, Kes voluntarily left the ship and ascended to a higher plane of existence. She left behind Seven, who had just been rescued from the Borg Collective, and was convinced by Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) to embrace her transition back to humanity at the end of the episode. While it may seem surprising, this type of on-screen, narratively accomplished transition was rare for Star Trek TV shows .

Star Trek's timeline spans a thousand years of Starfleet and the United Federation of Planets, with alternate realities and time travel galore.

Star Trek: Voyager’s Kes/Seven Of Nine Swap Was Different From TNG And DS9

Voyager accomplished its character swap in a unique way.

Previous character swaps in other Star Trek projects had either happened off-screen or not been about switching one unique character for another . The two biggest character changes that happened in the franchise before Voyager were Dr. Pulaski (Diana Muldaur) taking over for Dr. Crusher (Gates McFadden) in season 2 of Star Trek: The Next Generation and Ezri Dax (Nicole de Boer) replacing Jadzia Dax (Terry Farrell) on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . Both of these swaps had some similarities to Voyager 's Kes/Seven swap, but Voyager was distinct from both in a few important ways.

The on-screen, plot-supported switch of two characters hadn't happened in a Star Trek series before Voyager , and continued to be rare in the 1990s era of the franchise.

Dr. Pulaski's transition to and from the cast of Star Trek: TNG happened entirely off-screen both times. She was introduced without much fanfare in the first episode of season 2 and was gone by the first episode of season 3 in the same fashion. Likewise, although Ezri Dax was a different character from Jadzia Dax, she was also more of an extension of Jadzia than a completely unique character. The on-screen, plot-supported switch of two characters hadn't happened in a Star Trek series before Voyager , and continued to be rare in the 1990s era of the franchise.

Why Modern Star Trek Takes A Different Approach To Main Cast Rotation

Modern star trek series do things differently.

Unlike the classic Star Trek shows, however, newer series take a much different approach to swapping characters in and out of their main casts. Both Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Picard went through several drastic main cast changes during their respective five and three seasons. While some key members of Discovery 's core cast of characters remained the same, many other members came and went, especially after the show's time jump to the 32nd century. Similarly, Picard completely overhauled its main cast in season 3 to bring in the former stars of Star Trek: TNG .

This seems to be the result of focusing on a serialized narrative rather than episodic storytelling . If certain New Trek characters were or were not important to the central plot of a season, they would be swapped in or out to accommodate. This is less the case with Star Trek: Strange New Worlds , but even that show's more episodic narrative has seen some cast changes, like the death of Hemmer (Bruce Horak) in season 1. Modern Star Trek made a lot of changes to the franchise, and regular cast swapping similar to Star Trek: Voyager is one of them.

Star Trek: Voyager

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The fifth entry in the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Voyager, is a sci-fi series that sees the crew of the USS Voyager on a long journey back to their home after finding themselves stranded at the far ends of the Milky Way Galaxy. Led by Captain Kathryn Janeway, the series follows the crew as they embark through truly uncharted areas of space, with new species, friends, foes, and mysteries to solve as they wrestle with the politics of a crew in a situation they've never faced before. 

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Whatever Happened To Jennifer Lien from ‘Star Trek: Voyager’?

By Nick Lee | November 26, 2023

In the cosmos of “Star Trek: Voyager,” Jennifer Lien captivated audiences as Kes, but her life post-Hollywood has veered into a less stellar orbit. This article explores the tumultuous journey of Lien, whose path diverged sharply from the bright lights of her Starfleet days.

Background Info

Jennifer Anne Lien was born in Palos Heights, Illinois, on August 24th, 1974. Growing up in a rough Chicago neighborhood, Lien turned to acting as an escape, honing her craft at the Illinois Theater Center and the Professional Children’s School before her brief but notable stint in Hollywood.

Early Career

Jennifer Lien’s first paid acting job was in a bubble gum commercial playing a set of twins. Her first uncredited television appearance was as a student in the 1990 drama series Brewster Place, starring Oprah Winfrey. That same year she provided dubbing work for the french horror film Baby Blood.

In 1991 she moved to New York and joined the soap opera Another World cast as Hannah Moore. This is primarily considered to be her first major credit, and she would make appearances in 35 episodes of the show from 1991 to 1992. 

Acting Career

Jennifer Lien’s acting career began with a bubble gum commercial and an uncredited role in Oprah Winfrey’s “Brewster Place” in 1990, followed by voice work in the French horror film “Baby Blood.” Moving to New York in 1991, she gained recognition in “Another World” as Hannah Moore, leading to roles in TV series like “Phenom” and voice acting in “Duckman” and “Superman: The Animated Series.”

Her film career included notable parts in “American History X” and “SLC Punk,” but she is most famous for playing Kes in “Star Trek: Voyager” from 1995 to 2000.

Despite being a beloved part of the early Voyager ensemble, she was written off due to the writers’ challenges with her character and her own personal struggles, later making a final appearance in 2000 after being replaced by Jeri Ryan’s Seven of Nine.

Legal Troubles

After the birth of her son, Jennifer Lien retired from acting to pursue a career in nutrition, successfully transitioning into this new field. However, her post-acting life has been marred by legal troubles.

In April 2015, Lien faced allegations of ramming a police cruiser, resisting arrest, and charges of reckless endangerment and aggravated assault.

A more serious incident followed in September 2015 in Tennessee, where she was accused of indecent exposure towards children, involving a dispute where she allegedly exposed herself and later resisted arrest while unclothed, also reportedly threatening the officers. Further issues arose in 2018 with multiple driving violations in Tennessee, leading to the revocation of her driving license.

What is Jennifer Lien Doing Now?

As of now, Jennifer Lien remains retired from acting, having stepped away from the limelight that once shone on her during her Hollywood days. She has chosen a path of privacy, maintaining a life far removed from the public eye.

There have been no recent news updates, interviews, or public appearances, and she is notably absent from social media platforms. This silence and absence of information have left her current endeavors and lifestyle largely a mystery to both fans and the media. In this quietude, Lien seems to have found a personal space, disconnected from the world that once knew her as a star in the Star Trek universe.

Amidst this privacy, we hope that she is doing well both physically and mentally, and we extend our wishes for health, happiness, and success to her and her family.

Personal Life

Jennifer Lien is married to writer and filmmaker Phil Hwang, though details of their marriage remain private. Phil, known for works like “Superboy: The Tween Years” and “Outcall”, shares a son, Jonah Hwang, with Jennifer, born on September 5th, 2002. Jonah has embarked on his own acting journey, with appearances in TV series such as “Shameless", “Henry Danger”, and “Crown Lake”.

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About Nick Lee

Nick is a Senior Staff Writer for Ned Hardy. Some of his favorite subjects include sci-fi, history, and obscure facts about 90's television. When he's not writing, he's probably wondering how Frank Dux got 52 consecutive knockouts in a single tournament. More from Nick

Star Trek: Voyager - Why Jennifer Lien's Kes Left in Season 4

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Star Trek: Voyager premiered in 1995 and as the fifth installment in the franchise. The show, which ran for seven seasons, follows the adventures of Captain Katheryn Janeway ( Kate Mulgrew ) and the crew of the USS Voyager, who are stranded 70,000 light-years from Earth in the Delta Quadrant. On their journey home, the crew meets many allies and enemies , including an Ocampan named Kes (Jennifer Lien) and a Talaxian named Neelix (Ethan Phillips), who later became valued members of the crew. However, in the show's fourth season, Kes is written out the series and replaced by Jeri Ryan's popular character Seven of Nine , an ex-drone rescued from the Borg Collective by Voyager. Here's who Kes was and why she left the show.

Who was Star Trek: Voyager's Kes?

Kes is a telepathic humanoid species with a nine-year lifespan called an Ocampan. Kes lived in the Delta Quadrant and are cared for by an entity known as the Caretaker. When the Voyager crew encounters her, Kes is a captive of an aggressive species of warriors known as the Kazon. With help from Neelix, the crew rescues Kes and welcomes her as one of their own. It took some time for Kes to adjust to this new life in space, but she was always willing to lend an ear to any crew member who needed it, and she sometimes accompanied Janeway and the other officers on away missions due to her knowledge of the Delta Quadrant. Kes wanted to contribute to the crew, so she introduced the hydroponics bay and grew fruits and vegetables. She also began studying medicine under the ship's holographic Doctor (Robert Picardo), and her kindness and positive outlook helped the Doctor develop a friendlier nature.

Related:  Star Trek: The Next Generation - Why Denise Crosby's Tasha Yar Left After Season 1

One of Kes' most significant storylines came from her acquisition of various mental abilities thought long lost by her people, including telepathic visions and telekinesis. The ship's science officer, a Vulcan named Tuvok (Tim Russ), helped Kes study and hone her newfound powers. When Voyager enters Borg space, the crew encounters both the Borg but also a lifeform called Species 8472, which inhabited an area of fluidic space and engaged in a war with the Borg when they attempted to invade and assimilate them. Kes makes a telepathic connection with Species 8472, who probe her mind and unlock even more abilities for the Ocampan. Unfortunately, this proved too much power for Kes to handle, and she began to destabilize, accidentally destroying parts of the ship. Janeway  helps Kes escape from Voyager , and the Ocampan uses the last of her powers to push the ship beyond Borg space and over 9,000 light-years closer to home.

Why did Jennifer Lien leave Voyager?

Lien left the show because Kes's character wasn't working the way producers Rick Berman and Jeri Taylor initially envisioned. According to Taylor, the studio also weighed in on her fate. "The studio felt that we had too many characters," she said in Braving the Unknown , a special feature on the fourth season DVD. The size of the cast became a problem when Voyager introduced Seven of Nine to help boost declining ratings. During the 2014 VegasCon, producer Brannon Braga said Kes' departure was a failure of imagination on the writers' part. "We were running out of things to do with Kes. We had to make room in the budget for a new character in the cast so there was a pragmatic reason but it was primarily a creative decision," he said.

An angry and older Kes would later return in Voyager's sixth season. In an episode called "Fury," Kes attempts to change the timeline, blaming Voyager for leaving her alone and frightened in the Delta Quadrant. In the end, Janeway (and a younger version of Kes) helps her see what a valued member of the crew she was during her time on the ship and that leaving her behind was a difficult decision. Kes and Janeway have an emotional  goodbye, and she departs the ship once and for all to return to her people.

Keep Reading: Star Trek: The Next Generation - Why Diana Muldaur's Katherine Pulaski Left After Season 2

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The "Star Trek: Voyager" unique character Kes (played by Jennifer Lien) offered many interesting opportunities for the series, but unfortunately, it didn't come to fruition.

Kes, known for her telepathy and nine-year lifespan, was written out of the series after three seasons, a departure the cast and crew lamented.

At the time, the reasons for Lien leaving the show were a little murky. Writers confessed to feeling they wrote themselves into a corner with her character.

However, later producers disclosed that her increasingly unstable mental health forced them to let her go. Producer Jeri Taylor expounded on this in a 2020 book about the series.

Taylor explained, "She wouldn't talk or let us offer to help." With no other foreseeable options, showrunners decided to write her out of the show.

Unfortunately, problems persisted for Lein after “Voyager.” She was arrested for indecent exposure in 2015 and again in 2018 for driving on a revoked license.

The Story Of Why One Of Star Trek: Voyager's Most Divisive Characters Left The Show

In January 1995, Paramount launched the United Paramount Network, a brand-new TV station with a massive lineup of original shows. Its original 1995 lineup included thrillers like "Marker," "Deadly Games," "Nowhere Man," and "The Watcher," as well as sitcoms like "Platypus Man," and "Pig Sty." The UPN's flagship program was a brand new "Star Trek" series called "Star Trek: Voyager," the fifth series in the franchise and the first to launch after the end of "Star Trek: The Next Generation" the year before. The premise essentially mixed "Star Trek" with "Lost in Space," throwing a ship called the U.S.S. Voyager clear across the galaxy, about 75 years from Earth. Facing limited resources and no backup from Starfleet — none of the local aliens had ever heard of the Federation before — the ship faced a long journey home. 

In the pilot episode, the crew of the Voyager took on a pair of local aliens. There was the Talaxian chef Neelix (Ethan Phillips) and his Ocampa girlfriend Kes (Jennifer Lien). Neelix was a jolly hobbit-like character who didn't ever quite understand Starfleet's formalism and propriety. Kes was a gentle, compassionate character who brought a sense of conscience to the show. She was mildly psychic, but was still too young to master her powers. Controversially, her species only had a lifespan of nine years, and while Lien was 20 when "Voyager" debuted, Kes' stated age of two led some to feel Neelix was committing pedophilia. 

Despite being part of a beloved media franchise, "Voyager" floundered in the ratings for its first three seasons. For the fourth season, Kes was replaced by the character Seven of Nine, a statuesque ex-Borg played by Jeri Ryan. Ratings improved thereafter, and Seven became the show's most important character.

But why was Kes targeted?

Why was Kes targeted?

The concept for Kes was interesting. "Star Trek: The Next Generation" had lasted seven seasons, and it seemed that "Deep Space Nine" was heading down the same path. If "Voyager" was to follow suit, coming to a conclusion after seven years, then a character who lives nine years would provide an interesting arc. Kes was to be an adolescent at the beginning of the series but would die of old age by the end. An entire person's life would be presented in microcosm, and the crew would have to see Kes through a century of life experience in only seven years. Kes, meanwhile, would have to confront the fact that the Voyager crewmates around her don't appear to be aging at all. 

Kes also provided "Voyager" with a vital sense of ethics. Captain Janeway ( Kate Mulgrew ) was action-oriented and had something of an authoritarian streak . When presented with aliens or ethical dilemmas, Kes was the one who encouraged open-mindedness and empathy. She was the one who first suggested that the ship's holographic doctor (Robert Picardo) might be alive. Picardo once said that he loved Kes as a character , as he taught her medicine, and she taught him humility. Kes wasn't a cold-hearted diplomat, but a calming, gentle presence. She would also eventually develop more agency as the show progressed, dumping Neelix and developing her growing psychic powers. 

On a special feature on the DVD for the fourth season of "Voyager," producer Jeri Taylor said that Paramount thought that the show had too many characters, a fact that fans had postulated for years. The story goes that either Jennifer Lien or Garrett Wang, who played Ensign Harry Kim was going to be fired and replaced. 

People Magazine saved Kim. Lien was not so lucky.

The People Magazine of Destiny

In the third season of "Voyager," increasingly desperate measures were being taken to snag a flagging audience. Guest stars from previous "Star Trek" shows ( Jonathan Frakes , John De Lanice, Dwight Schultz) appeared. The crew's usual holographic hangout of a pool hall was replaced by a bikini beach. It smacked of desperation. 

The show's producers were also at a loss as to how to write stories for Kes and Harry Kim. This was confirmed at a convention in 2014 when "Voyager" co-creator Brannon Braga said: "We were running out of things to do with Kes. We had to make room in the budget for a new character in the cast so there was a pragmatic reason but it was primarily a creative decision." 

So someone was going to be cut, and the cast was going to be reworked. When it came to deciding between Kes and Harry Kim, however, People Magazine saved one of them. A 1997 issue featured a photo of Garrett Wang, declaring him one of the magazine's "Most Beautiful People."  That seems to have given Wang a reprieve and led to Jennifer Lien being fired. 

The "farewell" story for Kes involved her psychic powers. They were growing too strong too quickly, and Kes felt she had to leave the ship to protect her friends. Mulgrew admitted on the "Voyager" DVD that she loved working with Lien, and that when Captain Janeway bid farewell to Kes, the tears were quite real. 

Braga was pitched the idea of adding a Borg to the cast as the intriguing new character replacement. His co-creator Rick Berman said, according to Braga on a featurette for the home release of season 4, to "Make it a Borg babe," and Seven of Nine was created. Given that Jeri Ryan was constantly dressed in a skintight catsuit and corset , she was clearly invented for prurient reasons. 

Jennifer Lien's career

Seven of Nine soon became the primary focus of the series.  Robert Picardo once noted that she was so popular, she began to usurp the kinds of stories that would have once been handed to the Doctor. He also missed having a character like Kes to balance the Doctor, and Picardo suggested that Seven of Nine could perhaps be used in a similar way. No such luck. Seven of Nine became her own entity. Ratings for "Star Trek: Voyager" improved and improved. It, too, lasted seven seasons. 

Jennifer Lien did return to play Kes in a time-travel episode called "Fury" (May 3, 2000). By then, Kes was a destructive, middle-aged psychic. "Fury" was meant to give Kes better closure, but the episode wasn't terribly good. Some even consider it to be one of the worst episodes of the series. 

Lien, meanwhile, gave up on acting shortly thereafter. She would voice a character in the "Men in Black" animated series through 2000, but when her son was born in 2002, she retired altogether. Sadly, Lien's mental health suffered, and, in the mid-2010s, was arrested for several crimes, including ramming a cop car , mooning the neighbors , and driving under the influence . Many of those charges were later dropped. 

Lien did attend a few "Star Trek" conventions after 2000 but has largely retreated from associations with the franchise. The Ocampa are rarely mentioned in extant Trek lore, and Kes is rarely referred to. When the "Voyager" cast reunited in 2020 for a public appearance, Lien was absent. The reasons for her absence can only be conjectured. 

One can merely hope that she's living the life she wants, and is content at home.

Ive Always Hated That Star Trek: Voyager Brought Kes Back In Season 6

• Kes' return in Star Trek: Voyager season 6 was unnecessary and negatively impacted her character's reputation.
• "Fury's" convoluted storyline and lackluster climax further tarnished Kes's image.
• Kes never reached a desirable level of popularity due to vague powers and a poorly conceived romantic relationship.

I love Star Trek: Voyager , but I've always hated that the show brought Kes (Jennifer Lien) back in season 6 after her departure. Kes was a series regular on Voyager for the show's first three seasons, but to me, it always felt like Voyager didn't quite know what to do with her . Perhaps because of this, and her diminishing popularity, Kes left Voyager at the beginning of season 4 to make way for Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), a character that the show overall had more success with.

However, Kes made one final appearance after her official departure, this time as the villain in Voyager season 6, episode 23, "Fury." The episode began with an astonishing premise, seeing a vengeful and angry Kes return to the USS Voyager only to travel back in time to try and rescue her younger self from her former crew . With some help from Captain Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and other members of Voyager 's cast of characters , Kes was able to remember herself and her love for her friends, but despite an uplifting ending, bringing the character back was a mistake.

Every Voyager Character Who Has Returned In Star Trek (& How)

Star Trek: Voyager's beloved characters have returned in Star Trek: Picard, Star Trek: Lower Decks, and especially Star Trek: Prodigy.

Star Trek: Voyager Season 7 Ruined Kess Ending By Bringing Her Back

Kes's original ending was just fine without another cameo.

To me, "Fury" ruined Kes's original departure from Star Trek: Voyager , mainly because there was no reason to bring her back in the first place. I've always felt that Kes's official exit was, in many ways, beautifully handled. Voyager did not go the traditional route and simply kill Kes, but rather gave her a heartfelt exit that allowed her some genuine goodbyes with the characters she was closest to before she evolved into a higher plane of existence. Kes's final scenes on Voyager were a dignified closure of her storyline.

In a season of generally strong episodes, "Fury" stood out like a bad seed, and further tarnished Kes's reputation as a character.

However, "Fury" reintroduced Kes as an out-and-out villain, something that came entirely out of left field and was, in my opinion, unwarranted. Likewise, the episode suffered from a convoluted storyline and lackluster climax, making the whole thing feel rushed and the more genuinely emotional scenes unearned . In a season of generally strong episodes, "Fury" stood out like a bad seed, and further tarnished Kes's reputation as a character. This is too bad since I'm not sure Kes needed any more help to be thought of as controversial.

Why Kes Is Such A Controversial Star Trek: Voyager Character

Kes never reached a desirable level of popularity.

There is no doubt that Voyager largely failed Kes, both in terms of the character's setup and subsequent storylines . In my opinion, Jennifer Lien did her best given what she had to work with, but Kes suffered from a too-vague set of telepathic powers and a badly conceived romantic relationship with Neelix (Ethan Phillips) . It's clear throughout Voyager season 1-3 that the creative team tried to find a way to make Kes work, but their efforts were either bizarre or fizzled out every time.

Likewise, Kes's ridiculous return and the fact that Seven of Nine was exponentially more popular as a character have continued to hurt her reputation long after Voyager ended. This mishandling of a character who should have been given a better shot is disappointing from an otherwise great show like Voyager , but I suppose on some level it was inevitable. Not all characters always work out, and despite her terrible last appearance, Star Trek: Voyager did do its best by Kes in terms of her initial departure.

Star Trek: Voyager

Cast Jennifer Lien, Garrett Wang, Tim Russ, Robert Duncan McNeill, Roxann Dawson, Robert Beltran, Kate Mulgrew, Jeri Ryan, Ethan Phillips, Robert Picardo

Release Date May 23, 1995

Genres Sci-Fi, Adventure

Network UPN

Streaming Service(s) Paramount+

Franchise(s) Star Trek

Writers Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Showrunner Kenneth Biller, Jeri Taylor, Michael Piller, Brannon Braga

Rating TV-PG

Where To Watch Paramount+

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Published May 14, 2020

5 Great Kes Moments From Star Trek: Voyager

The Voyager nurse fit a lot of action into her short life.

StarTrek.com | ShutterStock/Talulla

As Voyager ’s young nurse, Kes had the odds stacked against her from the get-go. For some fans, while the idea of a species with a nine-year lifespan was creative and intriguing, there was something that felt a little icky about Neelix and Kes’ relationship as she was technically just two years old.

But, ultimately, Voyager was a show that did it’s darndest to do right by all its women characters —led by the powerful example of Kate Mulgrew — and during her three-and-change seasons on Voyager , Kes had some strong and memorable episodes. Let’s take a look at the five best ones, in chronological (air) order.

“Eye of the Needle”

StarTrek.com

This episode was really about the discovery of a Romulan guarded wormhole that led to the Alpha Quadrant, but the B-story made it a big one for Kes and the Doctor.

Long before the mobile emitter, and long before he was included in briefings, the Doctor was stuck in Sickbay with a crew that viewed him as a piece of equipment. He was left on for hours with nothing to do, turned off when he was in the middle of researching treatments, spoken about as if he wasn’t in the room, and treated with disdain by the crew members he cared for. And Kes was the only one to notice. Not only did she notice, she lobbied Captain Janeway on his behalf, tapping into one of Star Trek ’s biggest themes: who counts as a person?

Janeway was initially resistant, but Kes was convincing, and in the end, Janeway gave the Doctor autonomy over his program and asked what else he needed to perform his very essential duties. And Kes also convinced the Doctor himself that he didn’t have to just accept things as they were, that he was entitled to expect better.

At the same time, we learned that Kes has an eidetic memory and an aptitude for medical science. Two years old? Pshaw.

Another B-story for Kes, but also an important one with the Doctor. Kes was always sympathetic to him, but she was never blinded to his flaws. When he told a pregnant Samantha Wildman that her “discomfort” was due to her baby putting pressure on her sciatic nerve and she should “learn to live” with it — which sounded familiar to so many pregnant women — Kes got mad.

She snapped in frustration, “I just wish once in your life you could know what it's like, how it makes you feel vulnerable and a little afraid!” The Doctor was initially bewildered, but took her comment to holographic heart, and gave himself a 29-hour Levodian flu.

But this only made him more smug about how self-indulgent sick people can be, so Kes took things a step further and added a few hours to his illness without telling him. Ha! Thanks to Kes, he found out what it was really like to be sick, with all the fear and uncertainty that comes with it.

Kes didn’t just teach him a valuable lesson, she did the entire crew a huge favor that would affect the rest of their voyage.

Kes spent most of “Warlord” possessed by a 200-year-old tyrant named Tieran. That must have been a blast for actress Jennifer Lien, who got to threaten, murder, manipulate, and seduce all manner of people, giving her more screen time than ever before. She made the most of it.

But this was also a great episode for Kes the character;  it was because of her strength and resilience that Tieran failed. He thought he could control her body and her telepathic powers, but she fought him so relentlessly that the dude was afraid to go to sleep because he knew she’d take over. “I'll find every little crack in your defenses,” she told him. “You'll feel yourself crumbling from within, your sanity slipping away. I won't stop until you're broken and helpless. There's nowhere you can go to get away from me. I'll be relentless and merciless, just like you.” A little girl, she ain’t.

The events of this episode changed her. Voyager gets accused (unfairly, in my opinion) of having hit the reset button every time something big happened, but it’s clearly not true here. She’d committed terrible acts she had to come to terms with, but more than that, she started to understand her own power. “You are no longer the same person,” Tuvok told her, “and the course of your life will change as a result.”

“Before and After”

In addition to being a prequel of sorts to the great two-parter “Year of Hell,” this was hands down the best Kes episode ever. It begins with Kes as an old woman — at the ripe old age of nine — in the final stages of life. We quickly learn that she’s a grandmother… and then that she’s married to Tom Paris, and their daughter is married to Harry Kim! What? What!

Yes, there was a lot to digest in this one: Chakotay was captain because Janeway was killed by the Krenim, B’Elanna was killed alongside her, Neelix was fine with Kes’ marriage to Tom, and the Doctor had hair.

On the surface, this episode is about something happening to Kes, but when you look closer, it’s about Kes taking charge of her destiny even when it seems like it’s spinning beyond her control. Every time she involuntarily jumped back in time, she didn’t waste a second. At every step, she gathered information, focusing on the science and the tangible details that mattered, from the exact temporal variance of the Krenim torpedo to the information that her temperature dropped every time she shifted to a new time period. Once again, this wasn’t a character who got pushed around.

She also gets bonus points for living through every woman’s worst nightmare: suddenly finding yourself in the throes of giving birth with no idea how you ended up there. Eek!

In season six, long after her departure from Voyager, Kes returned, hell-bent on revenge for what she believed was Janeway and Voyager ’s cruel abandonment of her. She was mad, and she wasn’t going to take it anymore! She used power from the warp core, killing B’Elanna in the process, to leap back to an earlier time so she could rescue her young “innocent” self and hand Voyager over to the Vidiians. I TOLD you she was mad.

Like in “Before and After,” we got a peek into one possible timeline… and this was a dark one, with a bitter, angry Kes who was eventually saved and redeemed by her younger self. We often talk about what we’d tell ourselves if we went back in time, but in this case, it’s the wisdom from the past that was necessary to inform the future, and a fascinating glimpse at the Kes that could have been. (And was, but then wasn’t.)

As Captain Janeway would say, “The future is the past, the past is the future, it all gives me a headache.”

Laurie Ulster (she/her) is a freelance writer and a TV producer who somehow survived her very confusing adolescence as the lone female Star Trek fan in middle school. She's a writer/editor and was the Supervising Producer on After Trek.

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The Gift (episode)

Kes's telepathic and latent psychokinetic powers begin to grow rapidly while Voyager 's newest crewmember, the former Borg drone Seven of Nine, deals with her new individuality.

• 1.2 Act One
• 1.3 Act Two
• 1.4 Act Three
• 1.5 Act Four
• 1.6 Act Five
• 2 Log entries
• 3 Memorable quotes
• 4.1 Production history
• 4.2 Story and script
• 4.3 Cast and characters
• 4.4 Production
• 4.5 Effects
• 4.6 Continuity
• 4.7 Reception
• 4.8 Video and DVD releases
• 5.1 Starring
• 5.2 Also starring
• 5.3 Uncredited co-stars
• 5.4 Stunt doubles
• 5.5 Stand-ins
• 5.6 References
• 5.7 External links

Summary [ ]

Voyager , still with Borg modifications

The USS Voyager , after having faced the Borg and Species 8472 , travels at maximum impulse across Borg space . Parts of its hull still glow green due to the Borg modifications that were made to it.

Seven of Nine demands to be returned to the Borg

Cargo bay 2 has been de- assimilated , except for five Borg alcoves which remain. Regenerating in one of them is the former Borg drone Seven of Nine . Captain Kathryn Janeway , Lieutenant Tuvok , and The Doctor enter the bay and walk up to her. The Doctor reports that her Human physiology is quickly reasserting itself but is warring against the Borg implants. He is unsure which side will win in the end. Remarking that it is time to tell her what has happened to her, Janeway orders her awakened.

Upon waking from regenerating Seven is greatly distressed to find that she can no longer hear the Collective . When Janeway explains that her link to the Collective was severed, she angrily demands to be returned to the Borg. Janeway refuses and tries to engender in her an appreciation for her newfound individuality. She promises to help her through the transition, guiding her back to life as a Human.

Seven demands that if Janeway will not return her to the Borg, she wishes to be left on the nearest planet with a subspace transceiver , to contact them herself. Janeway responds that it is too late for that as she progressed too far in the resurgence of her Human systems and needs medical care. As if to confirm this, a searing bolt of pain shoots through her head; an implant there is being rejected and must be removed at once. She demands The Doctor suppress her Human immune system but he tells her the same thing Janeway did: the process has progressed too far.

" NO! " she shouts angrily, lashing out. " We are Borg! WE ARE BORG ! " Janeway and Tuvok restrain her and The Doctor sedates her. Janeway looks at Seven with compassion and uncertainty.

Act One [ ]

Seven of Nine is again in sickbay . The Doctor scans her head, acknowledging the implant that is being rejected and quickly formulates a plan on how to proceed in removing it. But as he moves around the bed, he bumps into Tuvok. Despite his angry protestations that he is in the way, Tuvok refuses to leave, implacably responding that Seven is a security risk. The Doctor insists that this is not so while she is unconscious and not able to go anywhere and asks Tuvok to get out of the surgical bay. Tuvok simply backs away a few steps. Exasperated, The Doctor returns his attention to Seven of Nine.

Kes is startled by her psychokinetic powers

He tells Kes to anesthetize her cranial nerves in preparation for the operation. Kes turns toward the hypospray on a table away from her and the device flies into her hand to The Doctor's amazement. Kes herself looks rather startled. She explains, as Tuvok, who saw the feat, comes toward them, that she simply looked at the hypospray and it came to her. Tuvok inquires if she has been experimenting with her psychokinetic abilities. She tells him that she has not but has been feeling rather strange of late, having a lot more energy and less sleep than usual.

The Doctor scans her and reports that her brain's telepathic centers are being hyper-stimulated. He also notes, with alarm, that they are acting just as they were when Species 8472 was communicating with her. Tuvok immediately asks her if they are doing so again but she says no. He hypothesizes that she is simply experiencing an after-effect of that contact. The Doctor promises to examine her fully but right now they have to see about Seven of Nine. They get back to work, as Tuvok watches.

Janeway is seated at her desk in her ready room , reading something on her desktop monitor while sipping coffee . Commander Chakotay enters and gives her a status report: two teams are working round the clock to remove the Borg armor from the hull but progress is slow; Lt. jg B'Elanna Torres is having difficulty cleaning out the plasma relays , so warp drive is currently unavailable. He relays her request for all crew members with a level 3 engineering rating or higher to help. Janeway grants the request. On the tactical side, he reports that the long-range sensors have detected the transwarp signatures of Borg vessels that passed by recently. Janeway notes this as Voyager is not yet beyond the danger of being found and assimilated .

Annika Hansen's data file

Talk of the Borg segues into talk of Seven of Nine. Janeway considers that former drone could help them with the removal of the Borg modifications. Chakotay does not believe she will be willing to but Janeway disagrees, believing she will, if only she can reach her. She shows him what she was reading on her monitor, it is the data file of the Human who Seven of Nine used to be. The file cites her name as Annika Hansen . It further states her parents were scientists and explorers but did not want to work under Starfleet . They, with their daughter, were last recorded as being in the Omega sector . They left without filing a flight plan , heading in the direction of the Delta Quadrant and were never heard from again.

Chakotay again notes that Seven was assimilated as a child and raised by the Borg. They are all she knows and getting her to embrace her Humanity may prove impossible. Janeway insists on trying however, as they have no choice. She states that " tossing her back to the wolves " is out of the question. The Doctor then calls her to sickbay.

The Doctor begins de-assimilating Seven of Nine

In sickbay, The Doctor begins removing the rejected implant. He gives it to Kes to put in storage and suggests to Tuvok that he can lock it down with a force field as a safety measure. Tuvok agrees and leaves to do so with Kes, as Janeway enters. The Doctor concernedly tells her that Seven of Nine's Human physiology is now reasserting itself even more aggressively. Her exo-plating and implants are all being rejected – her life is in danger. To save her, they must be removed. But this causes an ethical dilemma for him as she would certainly not want them removed and he is obligated to respect that. He asks for Janeway's input.

Janeway silently considers the point but decides that even though she was raised by the Borg to think like a Borg, beneath the Borg technology, she is Human , whether she is ready to accept that or not. Until she is ready to accept that fact, someone has to make her decisions for her. She orders The Doctor to continue with the procedure. He acknowledges and, as Janeway leaves, returns to the job of removing the first rejected implant.

Unconventional, but effective, surgery

He calls Kes to assist him and decides on the next implant to begin removing, after this current one. Suddenly Seven of Nine begins to convulse. A console beeps an alarm. He rushes to it to see what the problem is and finds that she is going into neural shock , though he cannot find the source. He orders Kes to try to stabilize her, naming the device to use. But Kes stands rooted, her eyes focused intensely on the former drone.

The Doctor tensely repeats his instruction but she tells him to wait because she can literally see the problem (with the colliculi ). A Borg implant attached to her trochlear nerve is causing the shock. Astonished, he asks her if she can tell him how to remove it without severing the nerve. Kes does more than tell him: she removes it herself, using her psychokinetic powers. The implant is seen being plucked off the nerve as if by an invisible hand, then disintegrated. The Doctor, scanning, reports that the implant is deteriorating, then it is gone. Seven of Nine stabilizes immediately. The Doctor congratulates her on her 'unconventional but effective' surgical procedure.

Act Two [ ]

Seven of Nine's ocular implant

In sickbay, The Doctor proudly shows Janeway the ocular implant he has developed to replace Seven of Nine's Borg eyepiece . He is particularly pleased with how perfectly it matches her organic eye. Janeway is impressed and asks to see her, which he agrees to. While he goes to get a hypospray to revive Seven, Janeway talks to Kes about her blossoming abilities. She reports feeling extremely energetic and focused, noting that her telepathic abilities have never been so potent. Tuvok, still present because of Seven of Nine, cautions that her psychokinetic abilities are untrained and thus unpredictable. He recommends taking her through a series of guided meditations to help her discover the limits of these abilities. Janeway agrees and Kes is very enthusiastic to get started. They head for Tuvok's quarters immediately with Janeway's leave.

" What have you done to me?! "

Janeway and The Doctor watch Seven of Nine slowly wake up. Much of her exo-plating has been removed, as well as many of her cranial implants. All that is left of her eyepiece is its attachment around her orbital socket and its visual mechanism in her eye socket. Her skin now has only traces of the pale gray coloration; it is mostly now a shade within the usual range of Human dermal pigmentation. She sits up and looks at herself and is horrified by what has been done to her.

Looking up, her gaze falls on Janeway. She gets off the table and strides up to her. Through gritted teeth, she tells Janeway she should have let "them" die because "this drone" cannot survive outside the Collective. The Doctor happily begs to differ and begins to proudly elucidate on how her Human systems are thriving. But before he can explain further, Janeway looks at him to be quiet. His mouth closes in mid-sentence and he leaves them alone.

Janeway again tries to reach an understanding with Seven. Janeway tells her she is trying to understand what she is going through and that she is obviously frightened and in pain. Seven of Nine retorts that Janeway is an individual who cannot understand what it means to be Borg. Janeway agrees but tells her she can imagine: Seven was part of a vast collective consciousness of trillions of minds joined as one, without any indecision or disputes – the ultimate example of unified will and strength. She sympathizes with her for having lost that. This reaches Seven somewhat. She laments the silence in her mind, insisting that she needs that collective voice. Janeway seizes the opportunity, telling Seven she is now part of a Human collective. She insists that Seven can find some of the unity she needs among the crew. They are individuals but they work together as a unit.

She watches intently as Seven of Nine considers her argument. But Janeway's hopes are dashed when she responds that this is insufficient. Janeway ends her effort for now, simply insisting it will have to do. Seven is ordered to assist in engineering to remove the Borg modifications to Voyager , which are preventing the ship's warp drive from functioning.

In engineering, Torres is working with her staff, assisted by Ensign Harry Kim , to try to get the warp drive online. They have finished cleaning the plasma intake manifolds of Borg technology and are ready to try to restart the warp core . They begin and the reactor begins to hum as the matter and antimatter react with each other. The power level begins to rise but then, once again, it stalls. A scan indicates the problem is caused by two intake manifolds: despite having already been cleaned once, they are again blocked. Torres, in frustration, compares the offending Borg technology to weeds: you think you've got them all but then, seemingly from nowhere, they spring up again.

Just then, Janeway and Seven of Nine enter, accompanied by a security officer. Immediately Seven of Nine informs them they have neglected to remove the autonomous regeneration sequencers , Borg devices that regenerate other Borg technology should it be tampered with. Janeway introduces her again to Kim and Torres and informs them of the reason for Seven's presence. Torres at once directs Seven to start with the plasma intakes. She begins telling her where they are but Seven rudely finishes her sentence, describing the location and telling Torres, " We fully recall the engineering specifications of your vessel ".

Torres' first confrontation with Seven of Nine

Torres, immediately put off, comes right up to her face and angrily asks her if she remembers what it looked like before she " turned it into a Borg circus ". Seven of Nine responds affirmatively, returning her glare. Janeway intercedes, ordering them to get to work. Torres acknowledges the order as Seven of Nine follows.

Tuvok and Kes are in the Vulcan 's quarters , beginning the first of his suggested guided meditation lessons. Using the flame of his lit meditation lamp , he trains her to practice controlling her psychokinesis by having her psychokinetically strengthen and weaken the flame, altering the combustion at the subatomic level. Things proceed well and he is ready to move on to something else. But she tells him to wait; by maintaining her concentration on the flame, she can see it beyond the subatomic level.

" It's beautiful! "

This is incomprehensible to him because known science dictates that there is nothing beyond the subatomic. But she insists that there is and she can see it. Concerned, he suggests stopping. She insists on continuing, wanting to try to control this level of reality. Her eyes stare at the lamp and, as Tuvok watches, it begins to warp and jiggle, as if something living were moving beneath its surface. It then returns to normal and Kes looks at him triumphantly. He looks back at her, amazed.

In engineering, Torres shows Seven a Borg linkage in a wall panel and cites them as causing the blockage in the plasma intakes. She complains that they reappear every time they are removed. Seven identifies it as one of the autonomous regeneration sequencers. Kim, impressed, asks her how the Borg came up with this technology. She responds that it was assimilated from a species they designated 259 . Torres, however, is neither impressed nor interested in how the Borg got it. She impatiently demands Seven show her how to remove them. Seven outlines the procedure and Torres directs her and Kim to a plasma intake control in a Jefferies tube access room, to remove the sequencers installed there.

Kim fails miserably at making friends with Seven of Nine

Kim and Seven of Nine enter the access room. A security officer waits outside. As they work at an open circuit panel, Kim tries to make conversation with her. He is ignored, until he asks her about the area of space Species 259 is native to. She coldly responds that it is beyond his comprehension. He insists, so she tells him about it but it is beyond his comprehension. He sheepishly withdraws and goes to another panel to work. But as she works, the imager from her removed eyepiece sees something in the circuit panel normal Human eyes cannot: the tiny labeling of a Starfleet communications node among the panel's circuitry.

She calls Kim back to assist her and, as he comes, she backhands him so hard that she knocks him right out of the room, into the security officer. She then shuts the door. At the bridge's conn station, Lt. jg Tom Paris alerts Janeway of an unauthorized attempt to access the ship's subspace transmitter . Janeway instantly knows who it is and knows if she succeeds, they are doomed. At once, she alerts security, who immediately converge on the room, along with Torres. But they discover she has put a Borg force field over the door, so they cannot touch it, let alone try to open it. On the bridge, Janeway orders Chakotay to disable the transmitter. But it is too late as she has access to it.

In Tuvok's quarters, Kes suddenly senses that something is wrong. She probes the sensation and telepathically sees Seven as she attempts to use the transmitter to contact the collective. She tells Tuvok, who immediately heads for the door to Engineering. But Kes stops him, saying she believes she can stop her. Her eyes get a far-away look as she concentrates. Seven, in the room, suddenly hears a strange noise. She looks to her right and goes wide-eyed as she watches a part of the wall begin to warp and wobble, as if there were something moving under it.

The distortion moves toward her until it moves into the circuit panel she is in front of. A bolt of energy flashes forth from the panel, striking her in the chest. She is thrown back and lands unconscious on the floor. In his quarters, Tuvok hails the bridge and asks for a status report. Janeway responds that a strange explosion occurred in the Jefferies tube access room where Seven of Nine was, stopping her before she could send the transmission; they do not know what it was. Tuvok, looking at Kes, responds that he thinks he has the answer.

Act Three [ ]

Janeway and Tuvok walk down a corridor toward the brig , where Seven of Nine has been placed. He has two pieces of bad news for her. First, Seven of Nine did manage to send a partial signal, possibly enough for a Borg ship to track. Second, Kes' act that stopped Seven, destabilized the access room at the molecular level and the effect weakened the hull structure throughout the entire deck . Kes wants to explore her abilities further but Tuvok is concerned that that would not be safe, for her or the ship.

They arrive at the brig. Janeway has Tuvok wait at the door while she goes to Seven of Nine's holding cell. The former drone is pacing up and down inside like a caged tiger. She turns to Janeway, stares at her and lashes out at her: " So, this is Human freedom. " But Janeway says that she is not angry, just disappointed. She really thought Seven was willing to help them. Seven responds that she did intend to help but she saw a chance to contact the Collective and took it. She insists to Janeway that her attempts to "assimilate this drone" will fail. She can change 'their' physiology but not 'their' nature. " We are Borg ," she insists. Janeway sees that this is not the right time to attempt to reach her and merely responds that she has met Borg who were de-assimilated. In time, they accepted their return to individuality and so will she.

Seven of Nine, however, considers this: individuality means choices, including the choice to return to the Collective if she so wishes. She asks Janeway if she will allow her to do that. Janeway attempts to avoid a direct answer but Seven correctly assumes the answer is " No ." She angrily calls her hypocritical, imprisoning 'them' in the name of Humanity, yet denying 'them' the most basic Human right of choosing one's fate.

Janeway firmly responds that she does not have that right, as she is unable to make rational choices. The Borg took that ability from her the moment they assimilated her. Until she is convinced she has re-developed it, she will make that choice for her: Seven will stay on Voyager . Seven responds that Janeway is then no different from the Borg. Janeway stares at her silently as Seven turns and walks towards the back of the cell.

Kes' transformation begins to manifest itself

In the mess hall Neelix is treating Kes to a glass of her favorite Talaxian champagne . They have not had a moment with each other since they ended their relationship months before. He sees her burgeoning mental powers as something to celebrate as she has always wanted to be something more than what she was. They talk about their former relationship, and he inquires about what is happening to her. With quiet excitement, she explains it to him, telling that it is as if she is now able to see into a place where the distinction between matter , energy and thought no longer exists.

Neelix is amazed. She further elucidates that merely by looking at an object, she can see the space between the atoms of its matter being filled with something else; something unknown. As she speaks, she begins to stare at the table and as Neelix watches, it begins to warp and jiggle. He becomes very alarmed, rising and asking her to stop. She says no, but the lapse in concentration allows the effect to get out of control. It reaches Neelix and throws him backward, hard. Horrified, Kes rushes to him but, halfway there, falls to her knees, dazed.

On the bridge, Kim reports strange energy readings coming from the deck the mess hall is on. Janeway hails Neelix but gets no response. Kim further reports that the bulkheads in that section are coming apart. Chakotay orders him to increase the deck's structural integrity field . Janeway motions to Tuvok to accompany her and they head for the turbolift .

They arrive at the mess hall to an unnerving sight. Kes is on her knees, a beatific smile on her face, looking upward, hands upward expansively. Her upper body is glowing with an ethereal light, shifts between translucence and opaqueness. Neelix stares, dumbfounded. The phenomenon ends and she slumps down. The officers and Neelix exchange concerned looks before going to her aid.

Act Four [ ]

Kes has been taken to sickbay. In his office, The Doctor reports on her condition to Janeway and Tuvok, saying that he has run every conceivable diagnostic test but cannot figure out what is happening to her, or how to stop it. Tuvok informs them that the ship's sensors indicate that her body actually destabilized at the subatomic level and then re-stabilized. The Doctor concernedly points out that the next time it happens it may not re-stabilize, something has to be done. Janeway orders Tuvok to increase power to the ship's structural integrity field, to avoid a possible hull breach should it happen again.

She then advises The Doctor that this is now beyond medical science. Particle physics is now involved and perhaps an answer as to how to treat Kes can be found there. He agrees and decides to check the relevant database on the subject. Janeway instructs him to keep her informed. She leaves and he goes out to speak to Kes, who is sitting on a bio-bed. He tells her that, until he can come up with another diagnostic procedure, she can return to her quarters. However, she responds that she would like to stay for a while and help with the research, and because she misses him, not having seen much of him over the last few days. He smiles and agrees.

In the brig, Seven of Nine paces slowly in her cell. She stops and stares at the entrance. Her face is filled with anger and frustration. With enraged yells, she repeatedly throws herself at the force field that seals the entrance, startling Ensign Ayala , the officer on duty. He hails the captain, telling her she needs to come immediately.

Janeway arrives and finds a very different Seven of Nine from before. She is no longer defiant but stoop-shouldered, defeated and anguished. With her head down, heartbroken, she quietly mutters that her designation, "Seven of Nine", is now irrelevant. The others are gone. " I am… one ," she finishes sadly. Janeway, with genuine sympathy and concern, agrees with Seven that she is indeed now one. " But I cannot function this way! Alone! " Seven of Nine laments with a sob.

Janeway assures her she is not alone, she will help her. Seven desperately responds that, if this is true, she will not do this to her. She pleads to be taken back to her own kind. Janeway insists that she is already among her own kind: Humans. " I don't remember being Human. I don't know what it is to be Human! " she cries out.

" Her name was Annika Hansen… "

Janeway picks up a PADD on the brig console and proceeds to deactivate the force field. Seven of Nine threatens to kill her if she comes in. Janeway stares at her and tells her she does not believe that. The field shuts off and she enters. Ensign Ayala moves to follow her in but Janeway signals him to remain outside. He does, covering her with his phaser. She slowly approaches Seven and holds out the PADD to her. On it is an image of a smiling young girl. In a quiet, wistful voice, Janeway tells Seven the child's name: Annika Hansen. She speaks about the child, asking questions intended to bring up long-buried memories, while drawing closer to her. Janeway asks questions about her siblings, her friends and her favorite color.

Seven of Nine stares at the image for several seconds. " Irrelevant! " she suddenly shouts, slapping the PADD out of Janeway's hand. She again pleads to be taken back to the Borg. Janeway quietly, but firmly, responds that she cannot do that.

Seven bends over as if sick, sobbing and gasping, holding her head, bemoaning the silence in her mind. " So… quiet! One voice…! " she wails. Janeway responds with conviction that one voice can be stronger than a thousand voices. Seven's mind, she stresses, is independent now, with its own unique identity. Seven accuses Janeway of forcing that identity upon her that it is not her identity. Janeway forcefully responds that it is her identity. She tells her that she now has back what the Borg stole from her, her existence.

Resistance is broken

Seven yells out that she doesn't want to live that kind of life. Janeway urges not to resist turning away from her Borg identity. Seven retorts that she won't and swings wildly at Janeway, catching her in the midsection. Janeway's mouth goes wide with pain but she catches Seven of Nine as the former drone nearly falls down from the force of her swing. She helps her to the cell's bunk as Seven begins to cry. Even with the pain from Seven's punch, Janeway holds onto her shoulders, sitting behind her, comforting her as she weeps with the agony of what she has lost and the fear of what she has gained. She has finally reached her.

Act Five [ ]

A fond farewell

Kes is in her quarters, waiting for Janeway. She has come to a decision. Janeway enters and sits with her. Smiling gently, Kes tells her that she has been thinking about all that's happened and now knows that the time has come for her to leave Voyager . She wants to further explore what is happening to her but she cannot do that on Voyager as it could destroy the ship and all aboard.

Janeway is stunned by Kes' decision, this was the last thing she was expecting Kes to say when she was hailed. She desperately tries to convince her to stay, telling her that The Doctor is already working on a new approach to treating her. Kes responds that her condition is not an illness but a transformation, and she has to explore it. Janeway, close to tears, knows her mind is made up. In a breaking voice, she tells her how much she will miss her. They embrace warmly.

Suddenly Kes begins to fade in and out, as she did in the mess hall. " It's starting ," she announces. At once, Janeway hails the bridge and orders Chakotay to have a shuttle prepared for launch and for Tuvok to meet her. She tells them what is happening: Kes is leaving them. Chakotay and the bridge officers are as stunned as Janeway but he acknowledges, as Tuvok heads for the turbolift.

Voyager 's hull destabilizes

Janeway and Kes move quickly along the corridor, heading for the shuttle bay. Janeway helps Kes along but it soon becomes obvious they will not make it. Her body's molecules begin to destabilize again, this time permanently. Electronic panels and components, affected by her power, explode in the wake of their passage. Janeway tries to have a site-to-site transport done to take them directly to the shuttle bay but Kim reports that Kes' destabilizing molecules prevent the transporter from locking on. With no choice but to continue on foot, they hurry.

The ship's hull is seen to be warping and shaking. On the bridge, Paris reports that the hull is destabilizing on a molecular level. Tuvok meanwhile, steps out of a turbolift near the shuttle bay and meets Janeway and Kes in the corridor. Kes desperately tells him she cannot keep going. He mind melds with her to help her stave off the transformation for just a bit longer. The meld succeeds but the effect will not last long and he urges Janeway to hurry with her.

On the bridge, Kim reports hull breaches on three decks. Chakotay orders him to deploy emergency containment fields. Janeway hails, informs them Kes is aboard the shuttle and orders the launch sequence started. Chakotay acknowledges and a shuttle is seen speeding out from the shuttle bay and away from the ship. Janeway and Tuvok return to the bridge. She asks Kim if he can hail her; he responds he has been trying. But then it no longer becomes necessary; Kes contacts them. " It's happening " she tells them. Kim reports her atomic structure is completely destabilizing. On the shuttle, a joyous smile is on Kes' face as her body fades, for the final time.

Just before she, and the shuttle, fade completely in an explosion of white light, she says one more thing to them: " My gift to you. "

" My gift to you. "

Voyager begins to tremble. Torres hails the bridge from engineering and reports the warp core is again online. But she is shocked when she checks the matter / antimatter reaction efficiency. It is going at 120%, far beyond what the core was ever built to produce. Voyager is seen going to warp speed… and then even faster, faster than any Federation starship could possibly go. On the bridge, Paris cannot even name the warp factor at which they are traveling. Kim tensely reports the ship is coming apart.

" Our speed is… that's impossible! "

This continues for several more seconds and then, suddenly, it slows down, dropping back to impulse. Paris reports that they have dropped out of " whatever it was we were in ." Janeway orders an on-screen view of their location. She asks Paris where they are. He reports, incredibly, that they are 9.5 thousand light years from where they were. The bridge officers are speechless. It is Janeway who, with a thankful smile, tells them what has happened: Kes has used her powers to move them safely beyond Borg space, taking ten years off their journey.

Seven of Nine has been de-assimilated

In Cargo Bay 2, Seven of Nine stands, looking at herself. Her exo-plating is absent, replaced by a silver cat suit. Her skin is now fully back to its normal, pre-assimilation, Caucasian pigment. Her previously bald head, with its Borg implants, is now crowned by blonde hair, secured in a French twist at the back. Except for the curving attachment over her left eye socket, the rest of her eyepiece has been replaced by the life-like ocular implant The Doctor crafted for her. The eyepiece attachment, a star-shaped attachment on the right side of her face just before her ear, and the silver, skeletal outline of the exo-plating that covered her left hand are the only visible traces of Borg technology that can be seen on her.

Janeway and The Doctor enter, accompanied by a security officer. The Doctor tells her he has removed 82% of her Borg implants but the rest are tied into her vital functions. He proudly takes credit for designing her attire and re-stimulating the growth of her hair. He leaves to go and familiarize himself with the Borg alcoves. He tells her that she will still need to regenerate to maintain her remaining Borg systems and he will be monitoring her regularly to ensure these systems stay working properly. Janeway smiles slightly as she informs her that she will consider allowing her access to the rest of the ship once she is sure she will not try to get them assimilated again. Seven of Nine assures her that will not happen. Janeway is happy to hear this. She leaves, giving her a combadge and telling her to contact her if she needs anything. Seven of Nine turns to go to her alcove. But just before Janeway leaves the cargo bay, Seven gives her the answer to one of the questions she had raised in the brig about the child, Annika Hansen. Her favorite color, she tells her, was red.

A flame for Kes

Tuvok, in his quarters, carries his lit meditation lamp to a window. He holds it up briefly as if offering it and places it on the ledge, in honor of his former student. He and the lamp are both seen from outside as the ship continues on toward home, most of the Borg modifications on its hull now absent, Borg space now, thankfully, behind them.

Log entries [ ]

• " Captain's log, supplemental. Warp drive is still off-line and we don't know whether the Borg have detected us. Kes' psychokinetic abilities continue to damage the ship's structural integrity, and as a result our defenses have been compromised. "

Memorable quotes [ ]

" I guess the Borg meet a lot of people, don't they? " " … " " Stupid question… So, what's it like out there, in Galactic Cluster 3? " " Beyond your comprehension. " " Try me. " " Galactic cluster three is a trans-material energy plane intersecting twenty-two billion omnicordial life-forms. " " Ah… Interesting. (Kim walks away, looking utterly defeated)

" I've got an Ocampan who wants to be something more and a Borg who's afraid of becoming something less. Here's to Vulcan stability. "

" I'm just giving you back what was stolen from you; the existence you were denied; the child who never had a chance; that life is yours to live, now . " " I don't want that life! " " It's what you are . Don't resist it! "

" Red. " " What? " " The child you spoke of, the girl. Her favorite color was red. "

" She threw us safely beyond Borg space. 10 years closer to home. "

" I also took the liberty of stimulating your hair follicles. A vicarious experience for me, as you might imagine. "

" My gift to you… "

Background information [ ]

Production history [ ].

• Production number: 011-40840-170
• Final draft script: 4 June 1997 [1]
• Day 1 – 6 June 1997 , Friday – Paramount Stage 16 : Class 2 shuttle interior; Paramount Stage 9 : Sickbay , cargo bay 2
• Day 2 – 9 June 1997 , Monday – Paramount Stage 8 : Bridge ; Paramount Stage 9: Sickbay
• Day 3 – 10 June 1997 , Tuesday – Paramount Stage 9: Medlab, corridor , Kes ' quarters
• Day 4 – 11 June 1997 , Wednesday – Paramount Stage 9: Chief medical officer's office , sickbay, corridor; Paramount Stage 8: Captain's ready room , Tuvok 's quarters
• Day 5 – 12 June 1997 , Thursday – Paramount Stage 9: Brig , engineering
• Day 6 – 13 June 1997 , Friday – Paramount Stage 8: Mess hall ; Paramount Stage 9: Engineering, Jefferies tube
• Day 7 – 16 June 1997 , Monday – Paramount Stage 9: Cargo bay 2, Kes' quarters, sickbay
• 2nd Unit – 16 July 1997 , Wednesday – Paramount Stage 9: Engineering, Kes' quarters, sickbay; Paramount Stage 8: Mess hall
• 2nd Unit – 17 July 1997 , Thursday – Paramount Stage 8: Captain's ready room; Paramount Stage 9: Jefferies tube, brig
• 2nd Unit – 21 August 1997 , Thursday – Paramount Stage 16: Jefferies tube
• Airdate: 10 September 1997

Story and script [ ]

• This episode was originally to be the fifth installment of Star Trek: Voyager 's fourth season . However, due to a change in scheduling, the episode ultimately became the second of that season. Bryan Fuller recalled, " It was supposed to be episode five of season four. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 67)
• This episode's development began with the decision to write the character of Kes out of Star Trek: Voyager . Executive Producer Jeri Taylor commented, " We knew we would probably want to eliminate her in some interesting way. " ( Braving the Unknown: Season Four , VOY Season 4 DVD ) The task of plotting the installment around Kes' departure was tried out on Bryan Fuller . Although he later joined Voyager 's writing staff in a full-time capacity, Fuller was, at the time of the episode's origin, a freelance writer who had pitched several ideas to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine . He recalled, " They were looking for writers on Voyager , so I got called in to rewrite a story; actually, to come up with a way to kill off Kes. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 18 ) It was Co-Executive Producer Brannon Braga who requested that Fuller work on the episode. " He was like, 'Ok, come up with a bunch of ideas to kill off Kes,' " remembered Fuller. " I came up with several of them, and worked on that a little bit. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 171 , p. 50) The fledgling writer suggested a means of departure for the character during a pitching session with Braga. Fuller recounted, " I came in and I pitched that her powers were getting away from her and she's evolving into this next phase of the Ocampan evolutionary process. They were like, 'That's great. We're going to do that.' " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 67) Although Fuller initially hoped the episode would be his first teleplay credit, the change in production order instead resulted in staffer Joe Menosky writing the script, turning the episode out under an extreme time crunch. ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 18 ; Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 67) Fuller nevertheless concluded, " It was kind of cool to be included in the writing-off of the character. " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 171 , p. 50)
• The analogy that Janeway makes between the Borg and wolves, in this episode, was much in keeping with the way that members of Star Trek: Voyager 's writing staff came to think of the Borg, after considering them as analogous to an addictive drug from which Seven was undergoing cold turkey as well as a cult that Seven was no longer a member of. Joe Menosky explained, " Both of those images are negative. You'd have a main character, who in the back of your mind you're thinking, she's an ex-drug addict, an ex-cult member. We were really thinking about that, and we came up with the idea of the wild child, the wolf child, the little girl who was raised by wolves in a forest and is finally reclaimed by Humanity. She always was Human, but for a formative period of her life she was also a wolf. " Not only was this parallel to Seven obvious to Menosky but he also believed that the Borg were like wolves because, although they could both be seen as very dangerous and frightening, there was also something potentially awe-inspiring about their collective state, such as a wolf pack. Continuing to muse over the merits of this analogy, Menosky related, " That gave us something that was a little ambiguous and it didn't make [Seven] a victim so much. It gave her also an edge of arrogance and haughtiness. That was the image that we settled on. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 78)

Cast and characters [ ]

• The mid-season replacement of a main cast member in a Star Trek series, such as swapping Kes for Seven of Nine, was a very rare event. Robert Beltran noted about Star Trek 's production personnel, " I guess they had never done what they did with Jennifer Lien […] – replaced a regular in mid-season. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 38 , p. 22)
• Joe Menosky recognized a correlation between Janeway's interactions with the departing Kes and the captain's relationship with the newly arrived Seven of Nine. " There was a parallel with Janeway having to keep things together, going from the new person on board, Seven, to the person who was entering this strange transformation of her own and leaving, " Menosky observed. " Janeway was dead in the center of those two relationships, the coming and the parting. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 78)
• Due to his work on this episode, Bryan Fuller at first gravitated towards the character of Kes. " I initially really bonded to Kes, " said Fuller, " because I spent so much time thinking about how does this character go away and leave the show, and make room for another character? " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 171 , p. 50)
• This was the last regular episode of Star Trek: Voyager that starred Jennifer Lien as Kes. Bryan Fuller noted that the reason for this episode's change in production order was "because of Jennifer Lien's schedule." ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 67)
• Around the same time as this episode was produced, the series' regular cast took Jennifer Lien out to dinner and she had a poignant discussion with Janeway actress Kate Mulgrew on the same night. Mulgrew later remembered, " I drove her home and said, 'This could be serendipity, Jen. You're so unusual and so deep and fine. I believe it's the beginning of a stellar career.' " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 33 , p. 20)
• However, Kate Mulgrew also initially struggled with emotionally accepting the fact that Jennifer Lien was leaving, such that Mulgrew believed she could relate to Janeway's feelings here. At the time, Mulgrew commented, " It's as much a sorrow for me as Kate as it is for Captain Janeway. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 33 , p. 20) In addition, the sense of loss that Mulgrew felt impacted on her, during the making of this episode. She confessed, " I was very upset and I found it very difficult to get through that episode, really difficult. " ( Braving the Unknown: Season Four , VOY Season 4 DVD )

During the filming of this episode, Jeri Ryan 's "half-Borg" make-up is given a last-minute touch-up

• Actress Jeri Ryan found the look of Seven of Nine in the majority of this episode to be detestable. Ryan commented, " In the second episode, I look half-Borg, which is only slightly less horrific than full Borg. " Despite this, Ryan was not pre-warned of how she would look in this episode, nor in the previous one (" Scorpion, Part II "). (Voyager Time Capsule: Seven of Nine , VOY Season 4 DVD ) She stated about this installment, " I didn't realize I would be doing an episode […] mostly as a Borg. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 38) Indeed, Ryan had assumed that, by this point in the series, Seven would already be mostly Human. ( Star Trek: Communicator  issue 115 , p. 24; The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine , p. 38)
• Jeri Ryan ultimately thought highly of this episode. " It's a very good show and a very good script […] They did an excellent job with the debate between Seven and Janeway, " opined Ryan. " They made the argument not so black and white. Janeway's choices are not clear-cut, and there are no absolutely right or wrong answers. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 39) She elaborated, " I applauded the fact that the writers had the guts to make it a gray issue as opposed to a black-and-white one. They didn't make Janeway completely right sitting on her white horse and the Borg completely evil, because they're not. They had a lot of courage to do something like that and I thought it was terrific. " ( TV Zone , Special #29, p. 18) Ryan also cited this episode as one of her favorites from the fourth season of Voyager (along with " Prey ", " The Killing Game " two-parter, and " Hope and Fear "), enthusing, " I loved 'The Gift' […] because that was where you first really saw Seven making the transition from Borg to semi-Human. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 40 , p. 35) However, in another interview, Ryan specified that her approval of this outing was "not because it was Seven's big transition episode but just because I thought it was a beautifully written story." She went on to remark, " I felt the writers took a great deal of care with the scenes involving Janeway and Kes and Janeway and Seven. " Ryan particularly liked the scene in the brig when Janeway tells Seven she has no choice but to become Human and Seven replies by telling Janeway she is therefore no different from the Borg. " That is my favourite [scene] of anything we've done […] I just love that, " the actress enthused. ( TV Zone , Special #29, p. 18)
• Tuvok actor Tim Russ listed this episode, midway through the fourth season, as one of five episodes that he characterized as "the defining moments for Tuvok". He further remarked, " The scene in 'The Gift,' where you see Tuvok reacting to Kes having left the ship wasn't perhaps a defining moment, but it was important. I didn't have as much to do in that episode as I thought I might. Her departure ended up being very abrupt. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 17 )
• Ethan Phillips thoroughly enjoyed this installment and, like Tim Russ, found one scene in particular to be highly important. Shortly after working on the episode, he described it as "the best show we've done in the last three years." Phillips continued by explaining, " I don't have much to do in it, but I have one scene with Kes where we acknowledge for the first time between ourselves and for the audience that we're just friends now. So that's an important scene. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 33 , p. 39)
• Another member of the regular cast whose opinion of this episode was very high was Kate Mulgrew. She stated, " 'The Gift' shall be, I believe, heartbreaking […] This is a very good episode. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 32 , p. 8)

Production [ ]

Anson Williams and Jeri Ryan

• Although actor-turned-director Anson Williams had helmed a Voyager episode before this one (namely, the third season's " Real Life "), this was the first episode on which he worked with Jeri Ryan, who was somewhat surprised upon first learning that Williams was scheduled to direct this installment. " When I saw the call sheet and saw that it was going to be directed by Potsie Weber [Anson Williams], I realized that I was working my way through the Happy Days cast, " she said, half-jokingly. " My final episode of Dark Skies [in which Ryan had regularly starred, prior to joining the cast of Star Trek: Voyager ] featured Ralph Malph ; Don Most did a guest-starring role on that show. So, maybe I'll work my way up to Richie Cunningham [ Ron Howard ]. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 39)
• Although the makeup for Seven of Nine's full-Borg appearance took two and a half hours to apply, Jeri Ryan found that the process of having her half-Borg makeup applied took half an hour longer. She explained, " Actually, […] that took three hours, because all the seams were exposed around the bald cap. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 76) She also remarked, " All the seams on the latex head showed because some of the appliances had been taken off. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 37 , p. 18)
• During the making of this episode, Jeri Ryan and Anson Williams had a discussion in the engineering set on Paramount Stage 9 . ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 37 , p. 15)
• Jeri Ryan found embarrassment with performing the moment when Seven thrusts herself at the brig's force field. " There was a scene when Seven of Nine was in the brig, " Ryan recalled, " when, I guess, she sort of half-boarded this plane. And I had to sort of throw myself up against the force field that holds you in the brig. Well of course, there's nothing there, really, so force-field acting was always one of the most embarrassing moments on the set, because you just stood there and did this and looked like a complete idiot! " ( Star Trek Magazine  issue 119 , p. 46)
• Kate Mulgrew's sadness regarding Jennifer Lien's departure made the filming of one particular scene of this episode challenging for Mulgrew: Janeway's farewell to Kes. " [It was an] awful moment when I had to say goodbye to Jennifer Lien, " Mulgrew sadly remembered. " You can well imagine; I had to 'act' what I was in fact feeling, and this is a treacherous terrain. " ( Braving the Unknown: Season Four , VOY Season 4 DVD )

The filming of this episode's penultimate scene

• The silver bodysuit that Seven of Nine wears in this episode's penultimate scene was uncomfortable for Jeri Ryan but more bearable than the makeup and costume she had donned for the rest of the episode. At the time, Ryan said of the silver bodysuit, " It's very, very tight […] It's not a comfortable costume. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 36) However, she also stated that it was "infinitely" more comfortable than the full- and half-Borg looks. " Compared to the Borg costume it was a walk in the park, " she added. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 76)
• After the introduction of the silver bodysuit in this episode's penultimate scene, Seven of Nine would go on to appear in that outfit and similar ones throughout most of the rest of the series. The silver variant worn here was a rarely used version, however. The speed at which Seven's appearance changed, she having been introduced in the previous episode ("Scorpion, Part II"), made sense to Brannon Braga. He noted, " I think she had to change, because you can't ask that actress to come in nine hours a day and wear 30 pounds of make-up. I also think seeing her as a Borg would have got tiresome after a while. She's still part Borg, but we've made a choice to let her beauty shine through more than the Borg. " ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 34 , p. 14) Although Star Trek scribe Ronald D. Moore was aware of the reasoning for the majority of Seven's Borg appliances being removed, he did not approve of the decision to discard them. " Why can't she look like a Borg? Why does she have to be this supermodel with a couple of pieces of tech on her head? It's just silly. It just belies the whole function of bringing her aboard, " Moore commented. " If you're gonna bring her aboard because she's a Borg, that's a threat and an odd thing. You want her to be in the face of the crew. " [2]
• Working with Anson Williams on this episode was "a dream" for Jeri Ryan. ( TV Zone , Special #29, p. 18) She enthused, " Anson was wonderful. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , p. 39)
• During the filming of the first day of this episode, Friday 6 June 1997 , Kate Mulgrew had a UPN photoshoot. The call sheet for this day features her timetable. She was picked up at 12:00, had her hair and makeup done between 12:20 pm and 2:00 pm, the photo shoot between 2:00 pm and 3:30 pm, was picked up for the transport to the Paramount Pictures studios at 3:30 pm, and was back in makeup/hair for filming her scene on this day at 4:00 pm.
• On the third day of production, Tuesday 10 June 1997 , the call sheet features background actor Michael Braveheart with a makeup call at 6:30 am. He was dressed and appeared as a Klingon during an official event.

Effects [ ]

• Stock CGI footage of magnified, burning atoms was reused here, after having previously been shown in the second season Voyager installment " Cold Fire [!] ." ( Delta Quadrant , p. 195)

Dan Curry 's freehand-drawn digital artwork

• For the sequences where Kes is seen to be physically destabilizing, several effects elements were composited together, such as an example of random digital artwork. Visual effects producer Dan Curry remembered, " We wanted something a little strange and a little alien to kind of feather into Kes as she's going through her transmutation. So […] in Photoshop, I just did a freehand drawing of odd tissue and veiny things, inspired by water buffalo placenta. And then we would occasionally double expose that into Kes as she's kind of fluctuating in and out of our physical reality. " Another element used was liquid nitrogen, which was utilized to show the physical fluctuations of not only Kes but also some of the items she has an effect on, such as the mess hall table in the scene between her and Neelix. " We just trickled it over black velvet on an incline plane, and it broke up in these wonderful little waves and we were able to use that as a keying element, " Curry recalled of the liquid nitrogen. " Because it's white over black, you have enough contrast that you can create basically an electronic stencil, through which you can print other information. And that's a piece of the puzzle that went into Kes' transmutation. " ( Red Alert : Amazing Visual Effects , VOY Season 4 DVD )
• Foundation Imaging created the the pull-out shot at the end of this episode, which required that Voyager be extraordinarily detailed. CGI Effects Director Ron Thornton recollected, " Because we were going to be so close to Voyager at first, we had to put detail in all the windows around it. We couldn't just use the white lights that had been on the miniatures. We were actually able to move around Voyager , and you can see people and things in the ship's windows, which makes a lot of difference. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 16 )

Continuity [ ]

• Janeway states that she has met Borg who were "freed from the collective". This is most likely a reference to Riley Frazier and the other drones released from the collective, as seen in VOY : " Unity ".
• According to The Doctor, this episode takes place "a few days" after Kes's contact with Species 8472 during " Scorpion ".
• This is the second episode in which the main characters from all seasons (including both Kes and Seven of Nine) appear, the first being the previous episode, " Scorpion, Part II ", and the third and final episode being " Fury ", the only episode after this one to feature the character of Kes. After completing this episode, Jeri Ryan said about her relationship with Jennifer Lien, " We rarely crossed paths and I don't know if that was an intentional scheduling thing or not, in order to make the transition easier. We only had two scenes together in the two episodes that overlapped. She was very nice, but I did not get to associate with her much. " ( The Official Star Trek: Voyager Magazine  issue 14 , pp. 37-38)
• Voyager loses its 5th shuttlecraft in this episode, having previously lost four shuttles in " Initiations ", " Non Sequitur ", " Parturition " and " Unity ". In this episode the shuttle is not destroyed, but instead left with Kes in the Delta Quadrant.
• Janeway speculates that Seven might have been among the first Humans to be assimilated by the Borg when she travelled to the Delta Quadrant as a child. The Star Trek: Enterprise second season episode " Regeneration " would later establish that Humans (belonging in their own time) had been assimilated much earlier, on Earth while exploring the remains of a long-buried Borg crash. This is following the events of Star Trek: First Contact , which depicts the first assimilations of Humans in the timeline.
• This episode features the first large-scale jump Voyager makes toward home – in this case, 9,500 light years. Janeway describes this as 10 years closer to home, implying an equivalent speed of 177 million miles per second. This is much slower than the 4 billion miles per second implied to be Voyager 's maximum speed in " The 37's ". At that speed, assuming it could be maintained continuously, a distance of 9,500 light years would take half a year to travel.
• Like TNG : " Family ", this episode deals with the ramifications of a Borg-related two-parter whose second part features a Human character (a regular of the series) being separated from the Borg. (The TNG two-parter is " The Best of Both Worlds " and " The Best of Both Worlds, Part II ", in which Picard is assimilated and then separated from the Collective, whereas the VOY two-parter is "Scorpion" and " Scorpion, Part II ", wherein Seven of Nine is separated from the Collective).
• Kes' statement that she can see into a place where the distinction between matter , energy , and thought no longer exists is analogous to Wesley Crusher's statement in his conversation with the Traveler in TNG : " Where No One Has Gone Before ". Here, he states that space, time, and thought are not the separate things they appear to be.
• When Seven of Nine throws herself at the brig force field, Ayala calls to the bridge, identifying himself as ensign. When he was made a part of the Voyager crew, he was given the provisional rank of lieutenant junior grade.

Reception [ ]

• Due to being somewhat regretful about Kes' departure, Joe Menosky had mixed feelings about this outing. " For my own taste, the scenes between Seven and Janeway are OK, " he commented. " I just did not like the story of what becomes of Kes. " ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 78)
• The episode was personally approved of by Jeri Taylor. " I think that it worked, " she said. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 36 , p. 13) Taylor also characterized the installment as one of numerous "'quiet' shows" and said that – although it has not even "a single phaser shot in it" – the episode was "enormously popular." ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 40 , p. 15)
• Ultimately, Bryan Fuller was relieved that he was not the person who wrote the episode's script. " I'm glad I didn't, really, " he admitted, " because [Joe Menosky] did such an amazing job; it was so touching. " ( Star Trek: The Magazine  Volume 2, Issue 2 , p. 67)
• This episode achieved a Nielsen rating of 5.6 million homes, and a 9% share. [3] (X)
• Cinefantastique rated this episode 3 out of 4 stars. ( Cinefantastique , Vol. 30, No. 9/10, p. 77)
• Star Trek Magazine scored this episode 3 out of 5 stars. ( Star Trek Monthly  issue 36 , p. 60)
• The unauthorized reference book Delta Quadrant (p. 197) gives this installment a rating of 7 out of 10.

Video and DVD releases [ ]

• UK VHS release (two-episode tapes, CIC Video ): Volume 4.1, 2 February 1998
• As part of the VOY Season 4 DVD collection

Links and references [ ]

Starring [ ].

• Kate Mulgrew as Captain Kathryn Janeway

Also starring [ ]

• Robert Beltran as Chakotay
• Roxann Dawson as B'Elanna Torres
• Robert Duncan McNeill as Tom Paris
• Ethan Phillips as Neelix
• Robert Picardo as The Doctor
• Tim Russ as Tuvok
• Jeri Ryan as Seven of Nine
• Garrett Wang as Harry Kim
• Jennifer Lien as Kes

Uncredited co-stars [ ]

• John Austin as operations division officer
• Erica Bryan as Annika Hansen (photo)
• Cullen Chambers as operations division officer
• Damaris Cordelia as Foster
• Tarik Ergin as Ayala
• Kerry Hoyt as Fitzpatrick
• Zach LeBeau as Larson
• Rad Milo as operations division officer
• Louis Ortiz as Culhane
• Heather Rattray as operations division officer
• Jennifer Riley as science division officer
• Richard Sarstedt as William McKenzie
• Pablo Soriano as operations division ensign
• Noriko Suzuki as operations division officer
• Chester E. Tripp III as operations division officer
• Unknown actor as Ayala (voice)

Stunt doubles [ ]

• George Colucci as stunt double for Ethan Phillips
• Al Goto as stunt double for Garrett Wang
• Unknown stuntwoman as stunt double for Jeri Ryan

Stand-ins [ ]

• Cameron – stand-in for Jeri Ryan
• David Getz – photo double for Ethan Phillips
• Sue Henley – stand-in for Kate Mulgrew
• Susan Lewis – stand-in for Roxann Dawson
• Lemuel Perry – stand-in for Tim Russ
• J.R. Quinonez – stand-in for Robert Picardo
• Keith Rayve – stand-in for Robert Duncan McNeill and Chester E. Tripp III
• Jennifer Riley – stand-in for Jennifer Lien
• Richard Sarstedt – stand-in for Robert Beltran and hand double for Robert Picardo
• Hallie Singleton – hand double for Jennifer Lien
• Deborah Stiles – hand double for Kate Mulgrew
• Simon Stotler – stand-in for Ethan Phillips
• John Tampoya – stand-in for Garrett Wang

References [ ]

47 ; 2354 ; 2368 ; 2371 ; aesthetics ; anetrizine ; assimilation ; atom ; autonomous regeneration sequencer ; bio-synthetic gland ; Borg ; Borg alcove ; Borg Collective ; Borg drone ; Borg space / Borg territory ; brain ; brig ; cell ; cellular flux ; circus ; Class 2 shuttle ( unnamed ); colliculus ; color ; communications node ; cooking ; cranial nerve ; deck ; Deep Space 4 ; Delta Quadrant ; Drexler outpost ; dissection ; engineering specifications ; esophageal tract ; ethically obligated ; eye ; facial expression ; fashion ; Federation ; Federation database ; flame ; flight plan ; freedom ; Galactic Cluster 3 ; hair follicle ; Hansen, Erin ; Hansen, Magnus ; hull breach ; immune system ; insertion juncture ; internal sensor log ; Intrepid -class decks ; intruder alert ; iris ; Jefferies tube ; kilometer ; level 3 engineering rating ; logic ; master ; medical care ; medical science ; medical tricorder ; meditation lamp ; microconnector ; milligram ; mind meld ; motor cortex ; nanoprobe ; nervous system ; neural shock ; neurotransceiver ; neurosequencer ; Ocampa ; Ocampan ; ocular implant ; Omega sector ; omnicordial lifeform ; onion ; organelle ; particle physics ; peeling ; plasma intake manifold (aka intake manifold ); plasma relay ; psychokinetic ability (aka psychokinetic powers ); quantum substructure database ; Raven , USS ; red ; respiratory system ; security team ; sedative ; sequencer conduit ; serotonin ; soul ; Species 259 ; Species 8472 ; spinal column ; structural integrity field ; subatomic level (aka subatomic ); subatomic particle ; surgical bay ; Talaxian champagne ; telepathic ability ; Tendara colony ; toast ; transmaterial energy plane ; transwarp signature ; trochlear nerve ; unnamed nebula ; unnamed star ; Vulcan ; Vulcan master

External links [ ]

• " The Gift " at Memory Beta , the wiki for licensed Star Trek works
• " The Gift " at Wikipedia
• " The Gift " at The Companion
• " The Gift " at the Internet Movie Database
• " The Gift " at MissionLogPodcast.com
• 1 USS Voyager (NCC-74656-A)
• 2 Daniels (Crewman)
• 3 Star Trek: Prodigy

Jennifer Lien

Script and continuity department.

IMDbPro Starmeter Top 5,000 508

• Contact info

• 1995–2000 • 70 eps

• 1993–1994 • 22 eps

• Vitani (voice)

• Agent L (voice)
• 38 episodes
• 70 episodes

• Inza Nelson (voice)

• Elise (voice)

• Movie Actress (voice)
• 22 episodes

• Valerie Fox (voice)

• Hannah Moore
• 35 episodes

• executive producer
• script revisor (uncredited)

Personal details

• 5′ 3″ (1.60 m)
• August 24 , 1974
• Chicago, Illinois, USA
• Phil Hwang ? - present (1 child)
• Jonah Hwang
• Dolores Lien
• Other works Played the valedictorian (The Buffoon And The Valedictorian) and other characters on the Adam Sandler comedy CD: "They're All Gonna Laugh At You!"
• 6 Interviews
• 2 Magazine Cover Photos

Did you know

• Trivia In 2003, Lien left acting to pursue a medical career.
• Quotes [when asked how easy or hard was it to say, "I really don't want to act anymore"] It was pretty easy. It was actually becoming something that didn't fit into my life anymore. I still love acting, but I don't like that life anymore. I can't.

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What Voyager 1's near-death experience says about the future of space exploration

From more than 15 billion miles away, NASA engineers last April  began repairing a space probe that is headed to the constellation of Ophiucus, though it won't arrive for some 38,000 years. NASA launched Voyager 1 in 1977 and it has already outlived expectations, but the space agency hopes to continue receiving data from the probe until at least 2030. Yet after Voyager 1 experienced a computer glitch in November, it began transmitting incomprehensible data (which isn't entirely unusual for it), prompting NASA to initiate those long-distance fixes.

After some uncertainty if any of it would work, the repairs succeeded . Even better, when Salon spoke with NASA about the problem of fixing distance spacecraft, the experts were optimistic about its future and what it says about space exploration in general.

To understand why, it is first necessary to break down what happened to Voyager 1 in the first place. In November, the space probe sent a signal that did not include any data. Engineers figured out that the issue was either with the flight data subsystem (FDS) or the telemetry modulation unit (TMU). By the last week of February, NASA sent a "poke" to Voyager 1 to prompt the FDS to send a memory readout with data; not only did this succeed, but NASA soon uploaded a separate command that caused Voyager 1 to reply with a full memory readout that helped them identify the specific issue with the FDS.

"The team confirmed that the issue is with the FDS," NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory media relations specialist Calla Cofield told Salon. "A chip responsible for storing 256 words of the FDS memory has a stuck bit (the code is stuck at a 0 or a 1), indicating the part failed, either due to age or due to external particle damage. This section represents about 3% of the FDS memory. The team would need to relocate the portion of the software code stored on the damaged chip."

During the April mission, NASA transmitted a command to the Voyager 1 to both relocate the portion of the impacted FDS software code and redirect references to that code to other places in the spacecraft software.

"On April 20, the team received engineering data from the spacecraft, indicating that the command was a success," Cofield said. "All indications suggest the spacecraft is fine after five months of no contact."

The team began once again receiving scientific data from Voyager 1 on May 19, and by June all of the science instruments on Voyager 1 had resumed sending usable data. Even so, Cofield added that "housekeeping [is] still ongoing with the spacecraft."

Of course, this is not the end of the issue; Voyager 1 is not the only space probe out there that may some day require repairs. Currently there are two other space probes that have left the Solar System and remain operational, Voyager 2 and New Horizons. Additionally NASA has sent out two other probes that are now defunct, Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11. Can the lessons which allowed NASA to repair Voyager 1 be applied to these and other distant space craft?

Want more health and science stories in your inbox? Subscribe to Salon's weekly newsletter Lab Notes .

"The future is less about repairs than about finding ways to work around problems," Bob Rasmussen, a member of the Voyager flight team, said. "We know several life-limiting factors and have strategies for preserving capability as long as possible. We can’t predict outright failures though, so we need to deal with them as they arise."

This is not to say that Rasmussen is entirely hopeful about NASA's ability to salvage malfunctioning probes. In 2019, the agency had to turn off a heater for the cosmic ray subsystem instrument in Voyager 2 to conserve the probe's power. In April NASA further kept Voyager 2 chugging along by tapping into a small reservoir of backup power that is used to fuel the onboard safety mechanism. By doing this, NASA believes it can keep the craft powered with enough juice that they will not need to shut down a scientific instrument until 2026.

Voyager 1 and 2, meanwhile, are always on the verge of a more lasting breakdown . Even if all of their systems perform optimally going forward, the spacecrafts are still not expected to survive past the 2030s. If anything, the fact that they lasted this long is a testament to the skill and dedication of the 1970s engineers who built them. Unfortunately, there could be a day when more than one of their vital systems simply ceases to properly function.

"Worst case is that both can fail at any time," Rasmussen said. "Not all failures are recoverable. For many, we would never be able to tell what happened, because contact would simply cease."

Rasmussen added that the best case scenario is that Voyager 1 continues to function for another five to 10 years. "We have a long-term strategy for gradually reducing activities as power wanes and for using degraded modes of operation," Rasmussen said. "But we also know what happens to best laid plans."

On a tragic note , June was also the month in which Ed Stone, the man who pioneered the Voyager missions and led their missions for half a century, died. In their obituary for former Jet Propulsion Laboratory director, NASA wrote that Stone was "a trailblazer who dared mighty things in space" and "took humanity on a planetary tour of our  solar system  and beyond, sending NASA where no spacecraft had gone before."

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