3 reasons why Seska shouldn’t be considered Star Trek: Voyager’s “big bad”

Who is Star Trek: Voyager’s franchise villain?

Star Trek is as much about the villains as it is about the captains. For some, like James Kirk, it’s the treasure trove of talent he worked against. Khan Noonien Singh may be everyone’s default No. 1, but he was far from the only baddie that Kirk threw down against. Then you have Jean-Luc Picard, who is as important to the show and series as his rival Q was. Not a villain in the conventional set, but every bit Picard’s rival. Benjamin Sisko had Gul Dukat and even Jonathan Archer had future man; though that was actually just Archer.

Yet, Star Trek: Voyager really doesn’t have one; at least not one that is their own. The Borg Queen is easily the most obvious answer. She was a force for four full seasons. She is undoubtedly the main villain of the franchise. Though, she was a late addition. Unlike Q, Dukat, or future-man, who were all introduced in season one of their franchises.

No, in the first season of Voyager, the main villain was one of their own, one Harry Kim!

No, just kidding but only kinda, as it was actually a member of the crew who would serve to be the biggest bad early on; Seska. Seska was a Bajoran member of the Maquis, who was brought on board Voyager after the Caretaker’s Array was destroyed. She then became a major part of the ship, and was not only Chakotay’s lover but also his most trusted confidant of the Maquis crew members.

Only she wasn’t a Maquis, nor was she even Bajoran. She was a Cardassian spy with a unique hatred for Chakotay.

So why doesn’t she get the same praise as other Trek villains?

Three reasons Seska isn’t Star Trek: Voyager’s primary villain

She was obsessed with Chakotay and not so much Kathryn Janeway

Her issue always stemmed from her hatred for Chakotay. Or maybe it was a love for him she knew she could never have. Who knows, but she was a bitter-ex in all the usual ways. She tried to take his home/car from him when she stole Voyager, she stole his DNA and claimed to have had his son as a way to screw with him, and she even sent her new boyfriend and his friends, the Kazon, to go mess with Voyager. All Grade-A evil stuff, only there’s one problem. To be a franchise villain, your beef has to be with the Captain. Not the First Officer.

She didn’t last past Season 3

Gul Dukat was in every season of Deep Space Nine, future-man was the entire point of Enterprise, and Q never stopped hounding Picard, even into a second, inferior series. Seska couldn’t be bothered to get through season three. She was ultimately killed off after the crew retook Voyager from her and the Kazon.

Her plans were Looney Tunes terrible

Every time Seska was around, she had some hair brain schemed that would have fit Elmer Fudd or Pinky and the Brain more than a Star Trek villain. “We’ll lure Voyager to us by baby-trapping Chakotay!” Like dang, that’s some silliness right there. She even tried to hide her DNA by claiming she got a bone-marrow transplant from a Cardassian as a child. LOONEY TUNES TERRIBLE. All that was missing from her arc was a laugh track. She could’ve been such a great villain, but man, they fumbled her.