As Star Trek: Picard has made clear, Seven of Nine changed quite a bit in the years after Star Trek: Voyager's final season was set, and quite a few viewers would argue it' was all for the better. Jeri Ryan would say the same, apparently, as on the heels of Seven being unofficially promoted to Captain, Ryan told me she had a greater appreciation for the character after a "rough four years" on Voyager.
I spoke to Jeri Ryan about the recent shocking events that unfolded in Star Trek: Picard's "Vox" and her overall thoughts about returning to the franchise after she once said that it took "several glasses of champagne" to convince her to return as Seven. I asked her about that bubbly admission, and Ryan confirmed that after her experience on Voyager, she planned to stay away from Trek for good:
Star Trek: Voyager fans loved Seven of Nine, understandably so, but Jeri Ryan struggled when she worked on the beloved series. The actress has talked over the years about tensions that formed with unnamed cast members on the set, with many having speculated some of the negative feelings were tied to co-star Kate Mulgrew. Whatever the specifics were, even if they're never addressed in full, it was enough to make her years on Voyager less than an ideal Trek experience.
Thankfully, Jeri Ryan didn't let any of those soured memories get in the way of reprising the role, and she's really happy with how Star Trek: Picard has played out so far, both for her character and for her as an actress. She confirmed to CinemaBlend that she felt the same kind of positivity about what plays out in the upcoming series finale. Of course, the actress didn't share any additional details on what's ahead for Seven, so we'll all have to tune in and see with our Paramount+ subscriptions.
After hearing Jeri Ryan's glowing praise for Seven of Nine's arc, I asked if these new developments for Seven gave her an overall greater appreciation for her Star Trek character. Ryan shared her honest thoughts, as well as her ideas about a potential future for the character that made her hesitant to return.
Readers may be aware of the much-criticized romance in Season 7 of Star Trek: Voyager between Chakotay and Seven of Nine. Beyond the fact that many fans were assuming and hoping Chakotay and Janeway would ultimately end up together, the Seven and Chakotay relationship was established over the course of just a few Season 7 episodes, feeling very jarring and playing against everything that came before it. Jeri Ryan confirmed that if that was the version of Seven that would have been offered for Picard, she wouldn't have taken the plunge.
Star Trek: Picard left behind the Chakotay romance and re-introduced Seven as part of the Fenris Rangers. She ultimately became romantically involved with Starfleet officer Raffi Musiker, and made her way into the squad. Jeri Ryan continued to talk about Seven and how much she's loved this latest run for the character:
Jeri Ryan has had a blast playing Seven of Nine, but it remains to be seen whether this upcoming finale will indeed feature her final performance for a while. Fans and Star Trek: Picard cast members have called on Paramount+ to greenlight a spinoff continuation to the series titled Star Trek: Legacy, but there's no indication at this time that Paramount as a whole is considering it. For now, that seems like it'd be the best chance at Ryan reprising her role in live-action, but who knows what unannounced upcoming Trek shows are on the horizon.
Catch the series finale of Star Trek: Picard on Paramount+ on Thursday, April 20th. After that, the wait is on until the premiere of Strange New Worlds Season 2 on June 15th. Now would be a great time to revisit Season 1 or even binge Picard all over again following its conclusion.