


With Lien's position in Star Trek: Voyager already under scrutiny and budgets not accommodating a new character without sacrificing another, the decision was taken to replace Jennifer Lien's Kes with Jeri Ryan's Seven of Nine. Simultaneously, Star Trek: Voyager had designs to introduce a new main crew member - a female Borg-in-recovery by the name Seven of Nine. Rick Berman and Jeri Taylor ( Star Trek: Voyager showrunners) have admitted in interviews that the Neelix/Kes romance angle was ill-judged and, despite Lien's best efforts, Voyager had reached a creative dead end with Kes and her unique biology. Firstly, the writers recognized they'd dropped the ball with the character. She may not have been a fan favorite, but Kes' Star Trek: Voyager exit wasn't without controversy, as both viewers and fellow cast members had praised Lien's ability as an actress, if not necessarily the development of Kes as a character. There are two main reasons Kes was written out of Star Trek: Voyager. Related: Star Trek: All 7 Characters Played By JG Hertzler Threatening the very crewmates she had come to love, the Ocampa decides to leave Voyager, evaporating into pure energy and leaving Kes' fate somewhat ambiguous. In a further alien quirk, Kes was tragically destined for a lifespan of only nine years.Īs a young but prodigiously talented member of the Voyager crew, Kes shared certain traits with Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation, and although fans didn't react with quite the same disdain as they did for poor Wes, Kes certainly wasn't the most popular of Star Trek: Voyager's crew. Jennifer Lien's exit came in season 4's "The Gift," after Kes' psychic abilities began spiraling out of control following an encounter with Species 8472. A member of the Ocampa species, Kes possessed telepathic abilities and was romantically involved with Neelix initially, before breaking off the entanglement in season 3. Among Star Trek: Voyager's main cast was Jennifer Lien as Kes. In a unique twist, Captain Janeway's Starfleet vessel finds itself lost in the Delta Quadrant, and the Voyager crew aren't seeking new worlds and new civilizations, but a way home.

The character of Kes Star Trek: Voyager, portrayed by actress Jennifer Lien left the series after season 3, even though she was a central and interesting character. Premiering in 1995, Star Trek: Voyager hoped to usher in a new generation of fans after Jean-Luc Picard's time on the small screen came to an end.
