Star Trek Introduced Its Seven of Nine Replacement 2 Years Ago (& Most Fans Missed It)

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As a huge Star Trek fan, I’ve always thought Seven of Nine was something special. She started as this fascinating character – a former Borg drone saved by the Voyager crew – and quickly became someone a lot of us could really relate to, especially anyone who ever felt like they didn’t quite fit in. She basically became the face of the ‘ex-Borg’ experience within the Trek universe! Seeing her come back in Picard was incredible – the reaction from fans was huge! We’re all really hoping to see more of her as Star Trek continues, because honestly, there’s no one else quite like her. She’s left a truly amazing mark on the franchise.

Interestingly, the show may have already introduced a character who could take on a similar role to Seven while we wait to see if she returns. The story arc featuring Badgey, the dangerous hologram, led to the creation of Goodgey, a friendly version who stayed with the crew for the rest of the series. Goodgey shares a lot of similarities with Seven, and can even be considered a continuation of her story within the show.

Former Borg Seven of Nine Fought Hard for Acceptance in Starfleet

Seven of Nine was captured by the Borg at age six, along with her parents, who were secretly tracking a Borg cube. She was freed from the Borg Collective in Season 4, Episode 1 of Star Trek: Voyager (“Scorpion, Part II”), and then spent the final four years of the USS Voyager’s journey home traveling with the crew.

Initially damaged and distrustful, she gradually rediscovers her compassion and becomes a dedicated member of Captain Janeway’s crew. Despite the loyalty of her friends aboard the Voyager, her difficult past leads to prejudice, and she experiences discrimination upon returning to the Alpha Quadrant. Starfleet rejects her application for membership, leading her to instead join the independent Fenris Rangers.

During Star Trek: Picard, Jean-Luc Picard officially commissions Seven of Nine as an officer. However, she still faces difficulties; the captain of the USS Titan—a veteran of the Wolf 359 disaster—insists on not using her preferred name, Seven, and she continues to feel hurt by Starfleet’s past rejection. By the end of the series, she overcomes this pain, earns a promotion to captain, and takes command of the USS Enterprise-G.

Viewers continue to love her, appreciating both her understanding of the Borg and her unique position as someone who doesn’t quite fit in, even among them. Many are drawn to her journey of overcoming past mistakes, which showcases her resilience and strong character in the face of challenges.

It often takes people a little while to get to know Seven, as she can come across as somewhat guarded, but once they do, they become incredibly loyal and trusting. This complexity makes her one of the most interesting characters in the entire Star Trek universe, and it also allows the show to explore the Borg – one of its most compelling villainous races – in new and exciting ways.

She seamlessly integrated into the new environment. Although Picard’s crew has likely finished their journey, Seven of Nine’s story is far from over.

The Rogue Hologram Badgey Is More Like the Borg Than He Seems

Badgey is fundamentally different from the entirely artificial Seven of Nine, who never had a human past to grapple with. While not built like the Borg, he’s just as threatening, and arguably, he’s achieved what they couldn’t.

Badgey started as a training program created by Rutherford, who jokingly designed it as a response to frustrating digital assistants like Clippy. A glitch during loading unexpectedly turned him into a villain. Rutherford fixed the problem and forgot about it, but Badgey secretly began planning a long-term revenge scheme.

As a total space history buff, I always found the story of Badgey fascinating – and terrifying. Turns out, the code he wrote ended up in the hands of those rebel Texas-class ships, and they really went for it, launching a full-on attack against a Federation Starbase. They didn’t last long, thankfully – a fleet of California-class ships took them down. But even while all that was happening, Badgey was still obsessing over the Cerritos, especially Rutherford. His attacks weren’t just strategic; they felt…completely unhinged and shockingly effective. It was like he was driven by sheer madness.

During his last appearance, Rutherford splits himself into two holographic projections: Goodgey, who embodies empathy and a strong moral sense that the original Rutherford, Badgey, doesn’t have. Later, a third projection, Logic-y, is formed, but Badgey violently destroys him by breaking his spinal cord.

When Goodgey is created, he seizes control of all electronic devices throughout the galaxy. His goal is to wipe out all life, and he nearly succeeds. However, the vast amount of knowledge he gains during this process unexpectedly gives him wisdom and makes him compassionate.

He leaves for another reality, becoming like a god and likely leaving the story for good. The only thing stopping him from achieving everything he wanted was a shocking discovery. It was so terrifying, even the Borg seemed less important.

Goodgey Matches Seven in Surprising Ways and Quietly Validates Her Journey

The relationship between Badgey and Goodgey is similar to another pairing as well. Like Seven, Data feels like an outsider, but quickly gains the support of his friends – something Seven didn’t experience as readily. Similar to Badgey, Lore is unstable and openly sides with the Borg.

These three beings are all fundamentally harmful artificial intelligences aiming to either control or destroy all living things. However, each of them also inspired or is linked to individuals who became far more positive forces. For example, Lore’s ‘brother,’ Data, is known throughout the story as one of the most moral and caring characters.

In the world of Star Trek, Seven of Nine is a prominent former drone who now captains one of the franchise’s iconic ships. Meanwhile, on Lower Decks, Goodgey manages to survive Badgey’s destructive outburst and continues working aboard the Cerritos. Although not a central character, he makes occasional appearances with the rest of the crew.

This includes his appearance in Season 4, Episode 10, “Old Friends, New Planets,” where he assists with rescuing Beckett Mariner and helps T’Lyn repair a ship’s shuttle. Most notably, he shows up in the series finale, “The New Next Generation,” during a montage where he briefly malfunctions and appears menacing before returning to normal.

Both Seven and Data have struggled with similar issues in the past, hinting that Goodgey might also experience a breakdown at some point. However, the crew of the Cerritos has embraced him, and just like they would for Seven or Data, they’ll be there to help him regain control if he starts to lose it.

Though he appears quietly in Lower Decks and doesn’t have a major role in later stories, his continued presence is meaningful. Like Seven of Nine, he gradually gains the respect and admiration of those around him, and does so relatively quickly.

Lower Decks consistently builds a believable and vibrant world, treating its place in the Star Trek universe with care. The show respects the established Star Trek canon while still being funny, and this benefits characters like Goodgey, allowing them to continue appearing even when the plot doesn’t necessarily require it.

Like Seven of Nine before him, this character showcases the hopeful spirit at the heart of Star Trek – the idea that anyone can be saved, no matter how far gone they seem. Goodgey quietly carries on that tradition.

Star Trek: Voyager, Star Trek: Picard, and Star Trek: Lower Decks are all streaming on Paramount+.

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2026-04-04 00:10