Ep 6. The Raven

In the fourth season of Star Trek: Voyager, the fifth live-action Trek series, episode six, titled The Raven, follows the crew of the USS Voyager as they encounter a damaging energy field that forces them to detour through a dangerous sector of space.

As the ship navigates through this unfamiliar territory, Seven of Nine, a former Borg drone who was assimilated by the Borg Collective as a child, begins experiencing intense and disruptive memories of her past. Tormented by these flashbacks, Seven of Nine starts to question her own identity, struggling to reconcile her past life as a part of the Borg with her current existence as a member of Voyager's crew.

Leading the plot of The Raven is the character of Seven of Nine, who finds herself increasingly preoccupied with discovering more about her past as she is continuously confronted with new glimpses into her former life as a Borg. This obsession leads her down a dangerous path as she eventually defies Captain Janeway's orders and uses Voyager's resources to follow a lead on a research site once operated by her parents before being assimilated by the Borg.

The episode is a study of Seven of Nine's identity crisis, as she delves further into the life she once knew and realizes the devastating impact it had on her and the countless individuals the Borg have assimilated. The Raven explores the complex morality and ethics of the situation as Seven of Nine learns to confront the true nature of her past and comes to terms with it.

To enhance the tone of the episode, The Raven utilizes earthy and somber cinematography that creates an atmospheric and introspective environment. The minimal use of the starship's lights sets the stage for the episode's darker themes and focus on the brooding character development of Seven of Nine.

The series' standard sense of camaraderie and family dynamic is also brought to light, demonstrated by the selflessness of the crew as they go above and beyond to help Seven of Nine find the answers she seeks to help her move on.

Overall, The Raven is a thought-provoking episode of Star Trek: Voyager that delves deep into the nature of identity, memory, and morality as it uses Seven of Nine's character to examine the consequences of being assimilated by the Borg. It offers a poignant and sometimes-riveting look at the impact of trauma and how it can impact the core of an individual.