Should she send her back to the Collective, which is the former drone's explicit demand? Or should she make the decision for her, considering that Seven's judgment is impaired? Janeway's dilemma is very similar to Picard's in "Suddenly Human". Regarding Seven of Nine, on the other hand, Janeway has the choice and faces an ethical problem.
Unfortunately there is no real discussion of how to deal with Kes's transformation because time is pressing. Also, "The Gift" successfully preserves some of the tension from "Scorpion" and does not simply wrap up the events of the exciting two-part episode. Even though it still feels a bit rushed and a bit contrived, it is a good idea that Seven's arrival on the ship mirrors Kes's departure. Notwithstanding the real-world reason that a fast way for Jennifer Lien to leave the show was needed, it may have been separated from the Seven of Nine story.Īfter watching "The Gift" again, for the first time in many years, I changed my opinion. It felt contrived how both takes place simultaneously. In my view, Kes's as well as Seven of Nine's transformation would each have warranted an episode of their own, or could have taken a longer time. I used to be dissatisfied with how the two threads were packed into one episode. Seven of Nine becomes a new crew member in the end, whereas Kes leaves the ship for good. Seven of Nine's condition stabilizes in the course of the episode, whereas Kes's gets more and more uncontrollable. Seven of Nine returns to her human nature, whereas Kes approaches a new plane of existence. It consists of two story threads with opposite developments. Meanwhile, Seven of Nine's Borg implants have been largely removed and her human appearance reestablished. Before she enters another realm of existence, she hurls the ship through the whole Borg territory, 9500 light years closer to the Alpha Quadrant. Being in cellular flux and a danger for the ship, Kes leaves Voyager in a shuttle. Tuvok tries to help Kes gain control of her new powers, but her transformation goes beyond his comprehension. Seven of Nine agrees to help remove the Borg technology from Voyager, yet she tries to contact the Collective and can only be stopped with Kes's abilities. When she goes into a shock, Kes uses her greatly improved psychokinetic powers to detect and destroy the Borg implant in Seven of Nine's brain that is responsible for the condition. Janeway decides to remove them, even as the drone vehemently protests. After Seven of Nine's link to the Borg Collective has been severed, her human immune system begins to fight her implants. Stardate not given: Janeway's crew works hard to get rid of the remaining Borg technology, which prevents the ship from going to warp.