Voyager: what if? Kes > Harry

[Tonesthegeek]

As much as I'm not in the camp that mocks Harry at every turn, I do wonder what we would have gotten if Harry had died in 'Scorpion' and Kes found herself replacing him on the Bridge as a more prominent series regular. Also how her character's evolution would have impacted Seven's introduction to the show as well as major events in later seasons. Her abilities could have been what was used to stop Seven from assimilating voyager instead of Chakotay, Seven could initially resent her for severing her link to the collective but eventually developing mutual respect the same way she would with Torres. Kes and the other regulars could have replaced Harry in later episodes that he was the center of and we could have seen how they'd be in those situations. Kes could be the one who finds herself influenced by a an alien race that seduces her into a relationship that almost makes her leave the ship but her psychic abilities ultimately combat it and uncover something more nefarious. I could see Seven being the one in 'Timeless' who made a mistake that got voyager destroyed (something her Borg ignorance would have caused as it made her too confident) and years later as a different person, prepared to do whatever it took to change the past and save them all, a message sent back to herself revealing this aged version with more emotion and personality showing that deep down she does care. Chakotay could be the one who assumes command of an alien ship and upon discovery of what's really going on, sympathizes with hem because of his Maquis background. I can see Kes as the one the Doctor chooses to save when he had to let one of two equal chance patients die because of his bond with her. If the writers couldn't figure out how to help Harry evolve in the episodes he was in, then they could have used them to further develop the rest of the cast.

I think we would have gotten many more interesting episodes and an overall better show if the powers that be stopped to think about their decisions and not screw things up so damn much.

[Yukaphile]

Kes was a better character than Harry. As SF Debris mocked in the final episode, "Congratulations, Reg. You got more growth as a minor recurring character than Harry and Chakotay combined."

[PerrySimm]

Really, the greatest side benefit to not having Harry would be a complete lack of Harry episodes. Maybe "Timeless" would still be around as a Chakotay vehicle, but the rest would disappear like so many of the Krenim's enemies!

[Yukaphile]

We need a time machine to go back in time and tell the creative staff working on Voyager!

[Admiral X]

The problem is that the "creative" staff at the time didn't seem to know what to do with her to begin with.

[FaxModem1]

I'd prefer if they just gave Garrett more to do. Have Harry e Voyager's Not, someone who grows and matures as the show goes on. Maybe not the Year of Hell scenario that Chuck envisioned, but have The Killing Game really change Harry. He's still fundamentally a good and nice guy, but if pushed he pushes back now.

A few months being slave to barbaric hunters will do that.

[Yukaphile]

I'd prefer SF Debris's take. Change him from the Year of Hell. Where he alone was aware. Make him a bit more like the Harry in "Timeless." Boom. There you go.

[Darth Wedgius]

I think killing off Harry made more sense. For my money, I'd rather have kept both and killed off Chakotay (Tuvok could move to XO, Harry could move to tactical, and Voyager could deal with the fact that they can't order a new tactical officer from Starfleet.com, and Harry will have to deal with a job he just isn't trained for, giving him development).

But Kes had things going on to make her a more interesting character than they gave Harry.
And... Garrett Wong's acting never bothered me, but I know it bothered some people, and that might be why Harry didn't get a lot of story aimed at him. FWiW, I do think Jennifer Lien was the better actor.

And, not that anyone could have known it, maybe it would have made a difference in how real life turned out for Lien.

[Yukaphile]

If there was one I wanted to get rid of, besides Neelix, it'd be Torres. I can't stand her.

[Sir Will]

Damn you People magazine! Damn you! You cost us Kes!