SEVENTH HEAVEN
JERI RYAN ON WHAT TO EXPECT FROM SEVEN OF NINE IN SEASON TWO OF STAR TREK: PICARD
How do you feel about how Seven has evolved?
I loved it! I love this character. I love her resilience, her strength. I love how she’s persevered through everything that she’s been through, because she’s been through hell and back. I love her struggle, her continued struggle, trying to embrace her humanity, trying to fight against the darker impulses of humanity. I love the way she’s been developed. I love her journey and I’m really enjoying playing with her.
How did the production on season two differ?
The time travel storyline, that part was very different. I think part of it probably was, in a way, to make it easier to deal with the reality of shooting a series during a pandemic. But part of it was just story-related, that the characters were all separated. So the whole cast as a group was not together for most of the season, we were split up into pairs, so Michelle’s character and my character were together basically all season, and we had a ball! We were shooting in downtown Los Angeles, present day, which was very, very different for Star Trek. The practical challenges that come with that, of trying to keep things under wraps before that news had broken, when we’re literally shooting during rush hour on the streets of downtown Los Angeles. We’re shooting on a bus and we’re pulled over to the side of the road so that they can adjust lights and make-up and things like that, and I’m looking at people walk by with their cellphones, taking cellphone pictures. That gets a little hard to keep secret for long.
Do the time travel elements change Seven?
Her Borg implants are gone – she wakes up and she’s human, she’s fully human. That’s the biggest part of Seven’s journey in season two, learning how to reconcile her half-borg nature and her human nature and experience what life might have been like had she remained human. It’s about identity and embracing her humanity and selfacceptance. And seeing how the world and people react to her differently.
What do you think is the enduring appeal of this particular character?
I think Seven is a perfect example of what Star Trek has always done really well with some of the classic characters: Spock, for example; Data, notably. They are sort of just
outside of humanity. Star Trek, as a whole, holds a mirror up to society. That’s what it’s always done. But these characters specifically, because they’re just slightly on the outside, do that in a particularly, I think, impactful way. Seven, particularly, because she is half-human, and she’s got that constant struggle within herself. A lot of people with some autism spectrum issues and things like that, who kind of always felt on the outside themselves, I’ve heard from a lot of them that they relate to these characters. Because they share those struggles, they see that awkwardness and that discomfort with social interactions and they really relate to them and they feel represented.
We hear that you and Michelle suggested the characters should be a couple…
It was actually Jonathan Del Arco, who played Hugh, and Michelle. I sort of dropped a seed and then they picked it up and ran to the producers with it. We were at the network party at Comic-con and we took a picture together, Michelle and I, that Johnny took. I said, “Well, there’s the hottest lesbian couple that never existed” and they both went, “Oh my god, that’s it. That’s perfect!” They grabbed the phone and ran to Michael Chabon and his wife, and pitched the idea and they loved it. I think it makes perfect sense for these characters. I think it’s great.
Does it change the way that you play Seven?
I wouldn’t say the relationship changes the way I play Seven, but it is another facet to see. This is a relationship with two very damaged people who are trying to figure out if they can heal themselves enough to actually be together, if that makes sense. It’s an unusual thing, in Star Trek, to pick up in the middle of a relationship. This is not the beginnings and the flirtation and all of that – you see that just for a glimmer in the finale of season one. Then there’s a time-cut, and we’re dropped into the middle of this relationship. We skip the whole honeymoon phase, and we are into the complexities of an adult relationship, in the trenches, you’re in the middle of it. How do you navigate a whirlwind romance that’s born from primarily adrenaline, and now you have to navigate the day to day while you’re also saving the world? It’s fun and we’re able to tell more
This is a relationship with two very damaged people who are trying to figure out if they can heal themselves
inclusive stories that really reflect society.
Wasn’t it discussed on Voyager that Seven might be queer?
Absolutely. I know that Jeri Taylor, who was one of the showrunners at the time, was very interested in making Seven gay or bi or pansexual, and that was shut down. But it’s the character that would have made perfect sense – absolute perfect sense – from the get-go because she didn’t even grow up human. Why would she have any sort of preconceived notions about sexuality or any of it? It’s the perfect character to explore that storyline with.
How does the experience of making Picard differ from making Voyager?
It’s different in so many ways. We’re doing a 10-episode season as opposed to a 26-episode season. The hours are much more civilised. [Laughs] I had a handful of 20-hour days on Voyager, including make-up and prosthetic removal and things like that. That was a brutal schedule. It’s a happy set, it’s fun to be around. We’re all excited to be there. It’s been very, very refreshing and really cool to revisit this character again and to see her interact with these other characters.
What was it like having John de Lancie and Whoopi Goldberg joining the family?
It was really fun. I spent more time with John than I did with Whoopi, but they’re both first of all incredibly talented actors and wonderful people, so just really fun to hang out with in general, and legendary characters in this world. So it was really fun to have them back and just hanging out with John between shots and hearing some of his stories of Next Gen stuff was fun [laughs]. They’re fantastic. And I think they’re both terrific additions.
What’s the most interesting piece of merchandise that you’ve seen your face on?
Well, the life-size statue is sort of offputting… You get used to the other stuff but the life-size statues… Like, where are you putting it, exactly? What do you do with that? Yeah, that one’s a little unsettling, I’m not gonna lie.
Is there anything that you can tease about season three?
Seven’s on a bit of a different journey. It’s not so much about the struggle of reconciling her Borg and human half. Well, in a way, that’s not even true, because that does sort of continue too but in a different… I can’t tell you! But I love it. I’m having so much fun with it again. From what I understand of what the storyline is going to be as it wraps up, it’s pretty exciting. I don’t think the fans will feel let down.
Picard season two premieres on Prime Video on 4 March, with new episodes every Thursday.