[I actually like Seven and Chakotay. She was obviously attracted to him(did you not see the insecure little smiles?and deep breaths?and frustrated huffs?)and he was so sweet and encouraging. ]
My issue is almost entirely in the HOW of the relationship – their hook up is offscreen, entirely. In terms of what we have seen onscreen, their relationship as it is established in Endgame is entirely out of left field. It’s telling and not showing. It just IS, don’t ask why or how.
Like, I can give you instances that play as foundation going back straight to Seven’s first episode – Chakotay is literally the first person who touches her humanity when he severs her link to the Collective. That COULD have been a way to build. But instead there is no build. Their relationship is contrived purely as narrative crutch – “Seven of Nine dies in the arms of her husband, Chakotay” is the only reason I really see the relationship existing, to give an extra note of tragedy to Admiral Janeway’s timeline, an extra push about changing the timeline.
The worst thing about it is that a handful of episodes prior to Endgame, Seven and Chakotay ARE paired up together for an extended period of time. And yet NOTHING happens. The episode is all about “oh no, we’re violating the Prime Directive YET. ONE. MORE. TIME. Play it again, Neelix!” There is nothing in that episode that truly serves as foundation.
And yet we had years of building to Tom and B’Elanna. Voyager writers, you were clearly capable, what the hell here?
I can see how Seven’s attraction to Chakotay goes back to at least Natural Law. The writers made that obvious with Human Error. So I see where people come from when they see some relationship between them. Because yes, at least coming from Seven there was the conscious decision to choose Chakotay as a mate, because she learned to see him in a different light in Natural Law. I don’t think she felt any attraction before that, because she just couldn’t understand his character and his (in her eyes primitive) heritage. But in Natural Law she learned that such a heritage isn’t irrelevant.
But, and this is a big BUT, we don’t see attraction coming from Chakotay towards Seven before the obvious hookup. Sure enough he encourages her to explore her humanity, to go out and mingle among the crew. But he does so in a fatherly way, the same way he does with other crewmembers.
He very clearly has issues with both, her hostile Borg upbringing and how she still sees herself as superior because of it and has a hard time reconciling her human nature with her Borg self. But he also understands her emotional immaturity.
He knows that emotionally Seven is still a child and there’s a deep conflict for him. Outwardly Seven shows arrogance and superiority that is annoying, but emotionally she is still the child she was when she was assimilated.
She’s less mature than Naomi.
Seven is like a terribly spoiled brat at maybe 7-10 years, who think they can do anything, have the right to anything but lack the emotional maturity to understand the ramifications of their actions upon others.
And yes, there seems to be a point where Chakotay’s attitude towards Seven changes from hostile to maybe nurturing. He follows Janeway’s example to nourish rather than admonish, to lead by example and show Seven how to be a responsible, ethical human. He becomes a friendly father figure, because he suddenly understands that Seven is not like this by choice. Yes, she is a grown woman with superior intelligence, but her mind hasn’t developed in a way that makes her able to deal with this emotionally.
So yes, Chakotay is sweet and caring towards Seven, but there’s no undertones of romantic or sexual attraction until the writers bring it in towards the very end.
If anything I would explain their relationship as the teenager who has an immature crush on the sexy father figure who’s been the male in her life who wasn’t overly sexually attracted but behaved in a loving and nourishing way. A mislead attraction.
And Chakotay is the caring father figure who has never even thoguht about her in such a way until she suddenly propositions him and there he finds himself kissing her and her boobs are everywhere and maybe he’s overwhelmed. But he realizes that it’s wrong and feels ashamed, because seriously considering Seven’s emotional maturity there’s definite undertones of pedophilia here.
I mean, there’s your reason he’s keeping this from everyone. THEY are keeping this from everyone. Chakotay isn’t telling Janeway, although she is supposed to be his best friend. Instead he’s sneaky and vague. And Seven isn’t telling the Doctor or Janeway, although they are her mentors and should help her through this. And especially Janeway is supposed to be Seven’s confidante, the one she turns to in times of doubt. But no, Seven also keeps it to herself and they sneak around. Because they both know it’s not entirely right.
And although a lot of their relationship seems to develop off screen, what we see on screen clearly show the nature and dynamic of their relationship.
And it is just so deeply wrong on so many levels.
Indeed. What Emmikat said…
bekjaneway 