Recap / Star Trek: Voyager S4E2 "The Gift"

We hardly knew ye.

The crew has to face the question of what to do with Seven of Nine, who is still a threat while they're in Borg space. Captain Janeway wants to integrate her into their Ragtag Bunch of Misfits, but can she succeed with someone who no longer remembers what it is to be human? Meanwhile, Kes undergoes a sudden and dramatic increase in her mental powers, forcing her to leave Voyager.

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This episode contains the following tropes:

• Ascend to a Higher Plane of Existence: Kes.
• Backhanded Compliment:
  • The Doctor doesn't like Tuvok (guarding Seven) crowding his Sickbay.
    Tuvok: Perhaps [Kes] is experiencing an after-effect of some kind.
    EMH: A reasonable diagnosis…for a security officer.
  • Tuvok gets his comeback in later.
    EMH: Store it in a bio-stasis chamber. It may still be active. If you think there's a risk, Mister Tuvok, you can throw one of your little forcefields around the chamber.
    Tuvok: A prudent security measure…for a doctor.
• Beyond the Impossible
  Kes: Something's happening. I can see further, beyond the subatomic.
  Tuvok: Kes, there is nothing beyond the subatomic.
  Kes: But I can see it, Tuvok. It's a new level of reality. It's beautiful.
  • And then there's Kes propelling Voyager to Ludicrous Speed.
• Big "NO!": Seven of Nine, in her last attempt to resist being deassimilated, as she hits Janeway in the brig.
• Biomanipulation: Kes can cure you with her mind.
• Bittersweet Ending: Kes leaves the ship and transforms into an energy being, but uses her powers to push Voyager beyond Borg space and 10 years closer to home.
• Body Horror: Inverted from the usual; this is Seven's reaction to the removal of her Borg exoskeleton.
• Brought Down to Normal: Seven of Nine feels lost once severed from the Hive Mind. Most of her Borg armor and implants have to be removed as her human immune system reasserts itself.
• Call-Back: Seven of Nine discovers that her birth name was Annika Hansen, which may or may not be a nod to Admiral J.P. Hansen, who led the Federation's doomed fight against the Borg at the Battle of Wolf 359 in TNG's "The Best Of Both Worlds: Part II".
• Circling Monologue: Janeway does a half circle around Seven when making her Patrick Stewart Speech.
• Cuddle Bug: A teary-eyed Janeway hugs Kes before she leaves, and even holds Seven after the ex-drone gives her a blow that clearly damages some ribs.
• Deus ex Machina: Kes hurls Voyager nine-and-a-half thousand light years, out of Borg space and ten years closer to home.
• Does This Remind You of Anything?: Seven is similar to a cult member, or a child raised by sexually-abusive parents.
• Double-Meaning Title: Though it's never spelled out, the title of the episode could be taken to refer, not just to Kes' ascension or her sending Voyager out of Borg space and much closer to home, but also to what Janeway is offering Seven of Nine in regaining her individuality and personality, and finding a home among the ship's crew. Seven, naturally, sees it as more of a curse and will take quite some time to change this view or establish any such emotional connections.
• Fate Worse than Death: Seven's response to her forceful assimilation into human society. "You should have left us to die!"
• Foreshadowing:
  • The Back Story of the Hansen family, for "The Raven" and "Dark Frontier".
  • On first meeting Seven of Nine, Harry babbles awkwardly and B'Elanna butts heads, setting up their default interaction with their newest crewmember for the rest of the series.
• Friendship Moment: The episode makes sure to give Kes private moments with Neelix (former Love Interest), the Doctor (best friend), Tuvok (The Mentor), and Captain Janeway (Team Mom) before her departure.
• Future Spandex: By the end of the episode, Seven is dressed in her famous silver catsuit. Handwaved by having her Form-Fitting Wardrobe be the same color as the silver "dermaplastic grafts" the Doctor was using to help her skin regenerate.
• Game Changer: Seven joins the main cast, while Kes leaves. Before doing so, however, Kes pushes Voyager 10,000 light years closer to Earth, not only bypassing Borg space but ensuring that they'll never encounter any of their early-series adversaries such as the Kazon or Vidiians again (outside of time-travel episodes).
• Grievous Harm with a Body: Seven knocks Harry into the security officer who is helpfully standing with his back to her.
• Headbutting Heroes: Seven with Captain Janeway and B'Elanna Torres.
• Humanity Ensues: Not without difficulty.
• I'll Kill You!: Seven of Nine is confined to the brig after she turns violent. Janeway lowers the Forcefield Door.
  Seven: What are you doing?
  Janeway: I'm coming in.
  Seven: I'll kill you.
  Janeway: I don't think you will.
• Infinite Supplies: There goes another shuttle.
• Ironic Echo: Janeway gives the Borg catchphrase "You must comply" when letting Seven know she's the Borg Queen now.
• The Lancer: Chakotay points out that integrating Seven into the crew may be impossible, as she has been so long in the Collective.
• Madness Mantra: "One…one…one… My designation is Seven of Nine, but the others are gone. Designations are no longer relevant. I am one."
• Mind Meld: Tuvok melds with Kes to stabilize her Power Incontinence long enough to get to a shuttle.
• Mood Whiplash: On being woken by the crew Seven starts to speak in her usual arrogant manner, then her voice cracks as she suddenly realises she's no longer connected to the Hive Mind.
• Ms. Fanservice: After The Makeover he gives Seven of Nine, the Doctor boasts of how he's managed to "balance functionality and aesthetics in a pleasing enough manner." Most fans just assumed he was a Covert Pervert.
• Never Give the Captain a Straight Answer
  EMH [OC]: Sickbay to Captain Janeway.
  Janeway: What is it, Doctor?
  EMH [OC]: Could you come down here, Captain? We're having some…problems.
• New Powers as the Plot Demands: Seven's arrival means it's time for Kes to leave. Also there's this problem of Voyager still being stuck in Borg space after their Enemy Mine alliance has failed. Combine both problems for a sudden burst of Deus ex Machina!
• Not So Stoic: Seven's hauteur cracks the moment she realizes she's been severed from the Hive Mind.
• Omniscient Database: Captain Janeway is able to match Seven of Nine to a child in a family that disappeared 20 years earlier, with details about the last time this family was seen from an obscure space station. Since Janeway is not in communication with anyone in the Alpha Quadrant, all of this information was apparently stored in the ship's computer.
• Patrick Stewart Speech
• Phosphor-Essence: Kes glows as she starts to lose control of her powers.
• P.O.V. Cam: Kes zooming in on the flame, Seven zooming in on the communications node.
• Power Incontinence: Kes' burgeoning powers threaten to destabilise the hull, forcing her to leave Voyager.
• Psychic Surgery: Kes uses her psycho-kinetic powers to destroy a Borg implant that's threatening to kill Seven.
• Puppy-Dog Eyes: Both Kes and Seven get the Gooey Look from Janeway.
• Put On A Shuttlecraft: Kes leaves the ship to make way for Seven of Nine. She will return for a single episode in Season Six ("Fury").
• Raised by Orcs: Seven of Nine was raised by Borg.
• Reaction Shot: Among the bridge crew when Janeway delivers the news that Kes is leaving for good.
• "The Reason You Suck" Speech: Seven asks if, once she's regained her individuality, Janeway will let her rejoin the Collective of her own free will. When Janeway waffles on the subject, Seven calls her out on her hypocrisy.
  Seven: You would deny us the choice as you deny us now. You have imprisoned us in the name of Humanity, yet you will not grant us your most cherished human right: to choose our own fate. You are hypocritical, manipulative. We do not want to be what you are. Return us to the Collective!
  Janeway: You lost the capacity to make a rational choice the moment you were assimilated. They took that from you, and until I'm convinced you've gotten it back, I'm making the choice for you. You're staying here.
  Seven: Then you are no different than the Borg.
• Reset Button: Averted at first — Voyager still has Borg technology embedded in the hull, and is stuck in Borg space. However Kes sorts out the latter and the external view changes back to normal by the next episode.
• Rule of Threes: Seven twice demands that Janeway 'return this drone to the Collective". On her refusal she demands that Janeway provide her with a Subspace Ansible and leave her on a Conveniently Close Planet for the Borg to pick up.
• She Cleans Up Nicely: From the Fan Disservice of Seven's mottled skin, Borg armor and disconnected cybernetic implants to Seven in Future Spandex, wearing makeup with her hair done up in a French pleat.
• Silent Snarker: Seven just raises a contemptuous eyebrow in response to a stupid comment by Harry Kim.
• Some Kind Of Forcefield: B'Elanna uses these exact words when Seven shuts herself off in the Jeffries tube.
• Shutting Up Now: Janeway shoots a Death Glare at the Doctor when he cuts in to explain how well Seven's new organs are working. He gets the hint and meekly walks away mid-sentence.
• Survival Mantra: "WE ARE BORG! WE-ARE-BORG!"
• Sympathy for the Devil
  Janeway: I want to help you, but I need to understand what you're going through.
  Seven: Do not engage us in superficial attempts at sympathy.
  Janeway: It's obvious that you're in pain. That you're frightened. That you feel isolated. Alone.
  Seven: You are an individual. You are small. You cannot understand what it is to be Borg!
  Janeway: No, but I can imagine. You were part of a vast consciousness, billions of minds working together. A harmony of purpose and thought. No indecision, no doubts. The security and strength of a unified will. And you've lost that.
• Telekinesis
• Third-Person Person: Seven refers to herself several times as "this drone."
• This Cannot Be!: Paris has this reaction when the ship is propelled to Ludicrous Speed.
• Title Drop: Kes says, "My gift to you" before hurling Voyager ten years closer to home.
• To Absent Friends: The final scene is Tuvok lighting his meditation lamp and placing it in the window of his quarters.
• Wham Episode: Kes departs, Seven officially joins the crew, and Voyager gets ten years closer to home.
• You Cannot Grasp the True Form
  Kim: So, what's it like out there in Galactic Cluster III?
  Seven: Beyond your comprehension.
  Kim: Try me.
  Seven: Galactic Cluster III is a transmaterial energy plane intersecting twenty two billion omnicordial lifeforms.
  Kim: Ah…interesting.
• You Are Not Alone: Janeway offers a community of True Companions to replace Seven's Hive Mind.
• Your Favorite: Neelix drinks a glass of moon-ripened Talaxian champagne with Kes.

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"The child you spoke of, the girl... her favorite color was red."