Star Trek: Voyager
Summary
Star Trek : Voyagerwould have been different in its latter seasons if Kes ( Jennifer Lien ) had stayed on the USS Voyager instead of departing inVoyagerseason 4 , when her seeming alternate Seven of Nine ( Jeri Ryan ) arrive . There ’s no narrative reason both Kes and Seven could n’t have existed at the same time , especially since the differences between Kes ' optimistic innocence and Seven ’s come off efficiency could have made for an interesting conflict that would still serve the purpose of invigoratingVoyager ’s lagging storylines .
Kes ' other development wasbogged down by her relationship with Neelix(Ethan Phillips ) , but after the pair break up , they ’re both destitute to pursue independent character discharge . While Neelix becomes more interesting , Kes never gets a fortune to do the same , despite hints of a potential dark turn for Kes that would have made her a memorableStar Trek : Voyagervillain . Kes ' presence in recent seasons would also give Captain Kathryn Janeway ( Kate Mulgrew ) an edge in battling adversarialDelta Quadrant alienslike the Borg , Hirogen , and Species 8472 . It ’s saturated speculation , but consider the possibility of an substitute timeline where Kes delay on Voyager .
Related : Star Trek : Voyager Cast & Character Guide
10The Ocampa Become Important Star Trek Aliens
Star Trek : Voyager ’s premiere , " Caretaker " , makesa high-minded show of establishing the Ocampa as a fresh slipstream ofStar Trekaliens . Janeway knows that destroy the Caretaker array will strand Voyager on the other side of the galaxy , but she does it to protect the Ocampa , mean they ’ll play a major part inVoyager . The Ocampa post inVoyagerseason 2 , episode 10 " Cold Fire " would be the first of many , with each dependency ’s polish being wildly unlike thanks to the Ocampa ’s short life-time creating Brobdingnagian generational shift . Kes could learn something new at each stop , and develop a centripetal Ocampa philosophy with the good of each .
9Star Trek: Prodigy Features Kes' Descendants
Star Trek : Prodigyis in many ways a sequel toStar Trek : Voyager , with its initial Delta Quadrant setting and internalization ofVoyagercharacters Admiral Janeway , Captain Chakotay ( Robert Beltran ) , and the Doctor ( Robert Picardo ) . Kes ' nine - year life-time mean she would have kick the bucket on byProdigyseason 1 in 2384 , but Kes ' bid to be a mother is part ofVoyagerseason 2 , instalment 4 " Elogium " , and in the alternating future tense fromVoyagerseason 3 , episode 21 " Before and After " , Kes has a girl . Lien could join theStar Trek : Prodigycastvoicing Kes ' girl or granddaughter , or unexampled actors could play Kes ' descendants .
8Kes Champions the Doctor’s Hologram Rights Campaign
Kes ' friendly relationship with the Doctoris one of her first onStar Trek : Voyager , and arguably the best . Through Kes ' compassionateness and intellect , the Doctor get to recognize his own humanity , and begins the unconscious process of expanding beyond his initial Emergency Medical Hologram programming , with subroutines for hobbies , personality shifts , and cryptical emotion . Kes would undoubtedly stick out by the Doctor in every step of his phylogeny , andaccelerate the Doctor ’s campaign to advocate for hologram rights , which could pass off early thanVoyagerseason 7 .
7Kes' Telepathy Makes Species 8472 More Sympathetic
Thenon - humanoid Species 8472is the mysterious resister to the Borg that ca n’t be assimilated . Kes is responsible for discerning Species 8472 ’s mortal motives inVoyager ’s time of year 3 finale " Scorpio " , and able to facilitate telepathic communication with them , but their natural hostility makes negotiation impossible . Kes advance the ability to transcend the limitations of normal matter inVoyagerseason 4 , sequence 2 " The Gift " , which would countenance her to participate fluidic space and forgather Species 8472 on their own term . Doing so might make them more receptive to communication and lead to an eventual pacification between Species 8472 and the Federation .
When Species 8472 recreates Starfleet Academy inVoyagerseason 5 , instalment 4 " In the Flesh " , Janeway and Chakotay are able to broker peace with them , so it is possible .
6The Hirogen Make Kes a Primary Target
Star Trek : Voyagerseason 4 , episodes 18 & 19 " The Killing Game " run into the predatory Hirogen using Voyager ’s own holodeck technology to turn the Voyager gang into ignorant prey with no memory of their rightful identities . In the original episode , the Doctor reconfigures Seven ’s Borg implants to jam the Hirogen neuronal interface responsible for the memory wipe ; in this version , Kes ' Ocampa powers could let her know something is n’t right , which would remind investigation . The power to see through the Hirogen ruse would paint a target on Kes ' back , leading to the Hirogen pursuing Kes specifically .
5Neelix Admits His Relationship with Kes Was Creepy
Kes ' existent issue toStar Trek : Voyagercomes inVoyagerseason 6 , episode 23 " Fury " , in which an older Kes wrongly blame Janeway for acquire reward of young Kes not know better . Similarly , an older and wiser Kes might realize that her early relationship with Neelix reallywasa situation in which Kes was taken advantage of due to her inexperience . Aconversation between Kes and Neelixaddressing how messed up their romanticistic relationship was would help him understandNeelix take advantage of their business leader imbalance , and possibly even apologize for it .
4Kes Grows Old & Dies Before Reaching the Alpha Quadrant
WhenStar Trek : Voyagerstarted , Kes being a fellow member of a species that only know nine years created an interesting conundrum . IfVoyagerwere to run for seven years , likeStar Trek : The Next Generationhad , the two - year - oldKes would grow into sometime age and die before the end ofVoyager . " Cold Fire " introduces Ocampa who live to be past 15 years sure-enough , so a narrative failsafe existed , but the construct of Kes ' whole life being experience over the run ofVoyageris a fascinating hope that could be fulfilled if Kes remain on Voyager . It ’s made more heartbreaking if Kes dies before Voyager reach the Alpha Quadrant .
3Kes Helps Janeway Defeat the Borg With Psychokinetic Power
InStar Trek : Voyagerseason 4 , episode 2 " The Gift " , Kes is capable to perform delicate operating room to psychokinetically slay Seven of Nine ’s more incorporate Borg implant . In this case it ’s a welfare that permit Seven become more human , but this eccentric of hunky-dory control could also be used offensively , to disable Borg drones at a space . As Kes ' Ocampa power grow secure , she could rule herself up to of shut down an full Borg Cube , and possibly even theBorg Queen(Susanna Thompson , Alice Krige ) . Captain Janeway would have few qualms about using Kes as a weapon if it intend saving the extragalactic nebula from the Borg for good .
2The Dark Side of Ocampa Power Makes Kes a Voyager Villain
Star Trek : Voyagerseason 2 , episode 10 " Cold Fire " showsKes ' telepathic powergrowing unassailable when she present in to her baser emotions , andVoyagerseason 3 , episode 10 " Warlord " shows Lien ’s skill at playing wickedness . The hints at a gloomy side to Kes could have been explore ina genuinely interesting character arc of Kes ' descent into selfish villainy , and eventual rise as a stronger and more balanced individual . Kes ' theoretical redemption arc would dovetail nicely with Seven ’s exist one , as both characters substantiate the push button and pull between selflessness and individuality .
1Kes Staying on Voyager Affects Seven of Nine
Kes ' ability to see the good in others early on brought out the doc ’s man , so it ’s reasonable to opine that Kes would attempt to play the same role for Seven of Nine , afterSeven is liberated from the Borg Collectiveand grapple with her own humanity . Seven is unlikely to be as receptive to Kes ' assay friendship , especially if Kes is responsible for for level other Borg drones who were still firmly entrenched in the Collective . Seven has a tendency to point out contradiction in others ' behaviour , so she ’d call Kes out on the lip service of respecting all life while essentially murdering an entire cube of drones with a individual thought .
Seven of Nine and Kes would likely have a fraught relationship , owing to the difference in their individual philosophies , but Kes ' potential crook after have in to darker tendencies would also give Seven an chance to see a Starfleet - vogue redemption story from the outside , with a reflection that could accelerate Seven ’s own acceptance of herself . If Kes does n’t go dark , Kes would impress Seven ’s development with an crying friendship that ’s gentler than Neelix ’s scratchy delight , more insightful than the Doctor ’s studied advice , and more patient than Janeway ’s stubborn guidance .
The exact reason forLien ’s difference fromVoyagerremains a enigma , with an original explanation that Kes was a difficult fictional character to compose for with few floor prospects , and more late report suggesting writing Kes offVoyagerwas in religious service of Lien ’s struggles with genial health . Perhaps in an substitute timeline , a different version ofStar Trek : Voyagerexists where Kes remain aboard until her end , but in this existence , all we can do is theorize on what that might be like .
Star Trek : Voyageris available to well out on Paramount+ .
