I'm on another re-watch of Voyager and just got to the beginning of season 4, where Seven is introduced and Kes leaves. Narratively, Kes isn't that interesting a character to me. Although there are a couple of Kes-focused episodes in season 3, most of the time she's just hanging out in sickbay as the Doctor's assistant, not doing much else. Did the writers decide to dump her because there wasn't much more they could do with the character or was there another behind-the-scenes reason for her leaving? Just curious for any insight the hive mind might have. Thanks!
Excuse the clickbait title, but I found this story interesting. It touches a bit on AM representation in Western media. I remember growing up thinking Garrett Wang looked a bit dorky on Voyager (then again, I thought that about nearly everyone on Star Trek), but looking back through my adult perspective I'm glad for him and other AM pioneers.
I read that she had some mental health issues. I was curious to hear if she is doing better now?
She fucking rocks the possessed-by-an-evil-tyrant character. Total badass when she wants to be!
I'm re-watching voyager and it seems to me that Kes (Jennifer Lien) uses weird pronounciation sometimes. It's most obvious when she says "neelix" -- she moves her jaw in a funny way on the "x" and the sound comes out distorted.
Am I imagining it? Is there any mention of this in our outside the trek universe?
Unable to sleep, I just watched the season 6 Voyager episode "Fury" in which Kes comes back as an embittered antagonist. It was almost a second slap in Jennifer Lien's face, the first being her abrupt firing to make way for the spandex-clad sexpot in season 4, but on the other hand Lien got an extra paycheck even though her character was vilified.
Some half-asleep Web browsing for opinions on the episode somehow led me to this 1998 Usenet discussion on Google Groups. Specifically, this comment suggests as a matter of fact that producer Jeri Taylor tried to coerce Lien into hooking up with her son Alexander Enberg, who played Ensign Vorik on Voyager (the Vulcan engineer with the deep, snobby voice who gets hot for B'Elanna).
So, Lien's rejection of Enberg allegedly contributed to her being put on the firing list behind Garrett Wang, whom, as the story goes, was saved by being named by People Magazine as one of the 50 most beautiful people in 1997.
I am usually not one to indulge in silly, pointless celebrity gossip, but Voyager seems uniquely interesting for all the drama that's alleged to have gone on during its production. Without going too far off topic with the specifics, it seems to have been a thoroughly unhappy set if all the gossip is assumed true; this might have contributed to everyone's negative reaction to the series and its acting in particular. (Of course, in the DVD extras, everyone's always singing one another's praises like good Paramount employees.)
Back to the point, it's at least an interesting story about Jeri Taylor bullying Jennifer Lien, but it's one I had never heard of and couldn't find any other evidence of. Has anyone else here who's more up with this stuff heard about this? Any articles or interviews? Note: I did not read the whole Usenet discussion; it's as long as a novel, so sue me.
TL;DR: Apparently Jeri Taylor tried to bully Jennifer Lien into sleeping with Taylor's son, and Lien's refusal led in part to her sacking in the beginning of Voyager's fourth season. I regret the tabloidesque nature of the topic, but it's an interesting theory. Fact or fiction?
Edit: formatting of links
I have just started watching Star Trek: Voyager and I really like Kes. I got really disappointed when I found out she leaves the ship in the 4th season. Why did Jennifer Lien leave? Also can anyone give a link to a video of her speaking, like an interview or something, I cant seem to find any other than her scenes in Voyager.
Edit: BTW does anyone know her email? I'd really like to send her one, thanks! :D
one of the recent updates on my trek site
http://gazomg.deviantart.com/art/Kes-Jennifer-Lien-in-Retro-Star-Trek-478768095
http://gazomg-trek-art.blogspot.ie/
It's a fun episode and I always end up cheering for Kes or the warlord guy.... don't know why. I also love when she thinks she detects Tuvok and starts to go crazy unmasking everyone.
