In the sixth episode of the fourth season of Voyager, I SHOULD HAVE SEEN THAT TWIST COMING. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to watch Star Trek.
Trigger Warning: For talk of trauma and PTSD.Â
My god, what an INCREDIBLE episode of this show, and there’s now no doubt in my mind: Seven of Nine is one of the coolest things this show has ever done. I know I’ve spoken of how her character has a familiarity in the Star Trek universe, given that we’ve had characters similar to her in the past. Plus, this is a character who was once human becoming human again, and “The Raven” is the first time that Seven experiences something akin to a memory.
I mean, it is a memory, but it’s clogged up in her Borg nature, in the complicated machinery and biology that draws her right to that Federation ship that started this whole mess. Bryan Fuller’s story is ambiguous and confusing at times, but it has to be. Trauma is often not a neat package or an organized thing, and “The Raven” portrays that complication beautifully. But what’s so heartbreaking about all of this is that Seven was, at the start of the episode, closer than ever to the crew. Granted, she has a long journey ahead of her, but the steps she’s taken over the previous four episodes felt huge and significant. And now, she is most likely right back at the beginning, her goodwill shot by her Borg programming. Yes, people like Janeway and Harry are probably still going to have her back and support her, and I hope that she can gain some trust back.
But she was learning about creativity. About relaxation. About how to eat foods again. And then, all of it is pushed to the side because of visions of something that made no sense. Why was a raven attacking her? Why was someone using her original name? Why would Seven ever have a fear of being assimilated? I wondered if this vision or dream was a sign of anxiety, that she was worried she might one day have to return to the Borg. So much of this episode was about how she was trying to culturally assimilate, so maybe it brought up her memories of assimilating other cultures as a Borg drone.
Yet once it was suggested that Seven was dealing with PTSD, it clicked. As someone with PTSD, I almost couldn’t believe that I didn’t recognize some of the signs, INCLUDING THE FACT THAT SEVEN WAS TRIGGERED. The external stimuli here was the homing mechanism, but it still counts. That mechanism unloaded all of the horrifying memories that Seven had around her kidnapping, the murder of her parents, and her assimilation into the Collective. Of course, to an outsider, it just seems like Seven has finally “snapped,” that she’s going back to the Borg and taking out everyone in her way. Even more disturbing, that’s what Seven believes she is doing, too! She has no other reason to believe that the homing mechanism has any other explanation.
Well, initially. But as Tuvok points out later in the episode, even Seven doesn’t seem to truly believe that. She doesn’t appear ready to assimilate Voyager or its inhabitants. If she is truly a Borg, why would she make exceptions? Why spare anyone? Isn’t the assimilation the most important aspect of Borg culture? It’s the only thing that matters: gaining as much technology, knowledge, and power. So who is Seven if she doubts even the tiniest shred of this?
There’s a moment early in this episode where Seven says she has no reason to be afraid of the Borg. And for the first time in the show, she remembers why everyone is so terrified of them. They tore her life apart. How many other lives have they ruined? Countless, y’all, and Seven is starting to realize what that actually means. It’s a necessary part of her growth and her understanding of her sense of self, even if it is horrifying.
My god, this episode was fantastic.
The video for “The Raven” can be downloaded here for $0.99.
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