I'm Glad Star Trek: Picard Abandoned This Awful Seven Of Nine Borg Queen Storyline

I'm glad that Star Trek: Picard abandoned the storyline about Borg Queen Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) after the end of Star Trek: Picard season 1. The idea of Seven of Nine becoming Star Trek's Borg Queen was hinted at in Star Trek: Picard season 1, episode 8, "Broken Pieces", when Seven enters the Queencell on the Artifact, a reclaimed Borg Cube. In the Queencell, Seven allows herself to be re-assimilated and temporarily become the Artifact's Borg Queen, reactivating thousands of dormant Borg drones to help defend the Artifact and its population of xBs from the Romulan Zhat Vash.

After the lackluster response to Star Trek: Picard's first two seasons, Star Trek: Picard season 3 felt like a completely different show. Picard seemed to abandon storylines set up in seasons 1 and 2 in favor of a fun, action-oriented, character-focused Star Trek: The Next Generation cast reunion aboard the USS Titan-A. While I was disappointed by the way that Star Trek: Picard just dropped interesting characters like Romulan Starfleet Cadet Elnor (Evan Evagora) and the actual new Borg Queen, Agnes Jurati (Alison Pill), I definitely didn't mind the new direction that Picard steered Seven of Nine in.

I'm Glad Seven Of Nine Didn't Become Star Trek: Picard's Borg Queen Permanently

Going Back To The Borg Would Have Undermined Seven Of Nine Reclaiming Her Humanity

I'm glad Seven of Nine didn't become Star Trek: Picard's Borg Queen permanently, because joining Starfleet showed Seven's character development from Star Trek: Voyager actually mattered. Even though Seven struggled to fit in, Star Trek: Voyager prepared Seven of Nine for Starfleet. As First Officer of the USS Titan-A, Seven of Nine challenged Captain Liam Shaw's (Todd Stashwick) too-safe calls and xB prejudice. Commander Seven was an outspoken leader, inspiring Starfleet officers to discover their personal power before Picard season 3's final showdown, like Voyager's crew helped Seven. Seven of Nine could never have done that as the Borg Queen.

Captain Seven's Starfleet career made so much sense because Seven of Nine's entire Star Trek story is about being liberated from the Borg. Even if Seven of Nine became Queen of a different kind of Borg Collective, like Agnes Jurati did in Picard season 2, going back to the Borg would have undermined the difficult steps Seven of Nine took to distance herself from the Borg and reclaim her humanity. Fortunately, Seven herself seemed to know this, since she was reluctant to re-join any Borg Collective, even temporarily, before she became the Artifact's Borg Queen in Star Trek: Picard.

Seven Of Nine Becoming A Starfleet Captain Fits Star Trek's Message Perfectly

Seven's Story Is About Empathy & Hope Beating Prejudice & Fear

Seven of Nine becoming a Starfleet Captain at the end of Star Trek: Picard season 3 fits the message of Star Trek perfectly. Ever since Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Borg were an exception to Star Trek's idea that enemies could be defeated through compassion or communication. You can't reason with a force of nature hellbent on assimilation—unless you're Star Trek: Voyager's Captain Kathryn Janeway (Kate Mulgrew). Janeway recognized that Seven of Nine was a victim of the Borg, and helped Seven rediscover herself by seeing the person under the exo-plating and programming. And it worked.

Because of Captain Janeway's approach to healing, instead of blaming Seven, I always saw Seven of Nine's liberation from the Borg Collective as someone escaping a cult or an abuser. That metaphor keeps working in Picard, when the Battle of Wolf 359 is still in living memory, and Borg drones being de-assimilated is relatively new. Obvious xBs like Seven are regarded with fear and suspicion. But becoming a Starfleet Captain after being a Borg drone means Seven of Nine is thriving as an individual despite what the Borg did to her, or how others see her.

Star Trek: Legacy Can Bring Seven Of Nine's Arc Full Circle

Seven Became Captain After Star Trek: Picard Stopped Being So Hopeless

If it happens, Star Trek: Legacy would bring Seven of Nine's Star Trek character arc full circle, because simply earning the Captain's seat isn't the end of Seven's story. For most Star Trek captains, earning their own command is only the start of their most well-known adventures. Seven of Nine's story is a hopeful reminder that none of us has to be defined by the terrible things that happened to us. I want to see how Captain Seven's command of the USS Enterprise-G changes Star Trek's galaxy for the better.

When Star Trek: Picard began, it was unnecessarily dark compared to the Trek golden age. Starfleet suffered and lacked resources, making them reluctant to explore the galaxy. Seven of Nine didn't just watch her adopted son Icheb (Casey King) gruesomely die; she euthanized him herself. In this edgy, bleak version of Star Trek, becoming the Borg Queen might have actually been the best Seven of Nine could have hoped for, which would have been a disservice to Seven as a survivor—and I'm so glad Star Trek: Picard abandoned that idea to make Seven Captain of the Enterprise instead.