In Stargate DVD commentaries, Peter Deluise described the short-lived Season Four character Anise/Freya as an attempt to replicate the popularity of Star Trek: Voyager’s Seven of Nine. He described both characters as “sexy female aliens” brought in to ramp up ratings among young male viewers. Then, he said, they decided their ratings were fine as they were, and they dumped Anise after a few episodes.
Let’s examine what Anise and Seven have in common so we may gain greater insight into what TV producers believe constitutes a “sexy female” in the eyes of young male viewers. I’m basing my appraisal on half a season of Seven and Anise’s handful of Stargate episodes, partly because that’s what I’ve seen, but also because the initial impact of the character is where we really see what the producers were going for.
Both actresses are tall, white, large-breasted, puffy-lipped and blondish. Both wear skintight and/or revealing outfits. Both have the personalities of sponges. Both have questionable loyalties. Both state their sexual availability to male characters on the shows early on. Seven’s body still contains Borg implants that have the potential to exert control over her will; Freya is actually the human host to a Tok’ra symbiote (Anise) who has the potential to control Freya’s actions.
Worth noting: Anise is clearly the dominant partner in this symbiotic relationship. It’s Anise, the Tok’ra, who is a scientist, who has knowledge, who contributes ideas: Freya only surfaces to deal with Jack, who doesn’t trust Tok’ra. Freya is always sweet and nice and gentle and cajoling. Eventually, Freya at least has the chutzpah to come onto Jack assertively, with a comment about Anise preferring Daniel but Freya not letting the symbiote get its way. And that is the beginning and the end of the human woman’s assertion skills. Everything else is the symbiote.
And don’t forget the “alien” status. Aliens – like mail-order brides from third-world countries who don’t speak English or know their rights on American soil – are presumed to appeal to men looking for pliant women they can totally own.
So, according to TV producers, young men want to see personality-challenged hot bodies who put out. As always, my question is: is that what young men really want to see? If so, how did Aeryn Sun ever score any points with the guys? Or Chiana? What about Starbuck? They each share a trait or two with Seven and Anise, but overall they’re very different. And they lasted longer.