Why Jennifer Lien Left Star Trek: Voyager In Season 4

Jennifer Lien left Star Trek: Voyager after playing Kes for three seasons, even though Kes was a central and interesting character. Premiering in 1995, Star Trek: Voyager ushered in a new generation of fans after Star Trek: The Next Generation came to an end. In a unique twist, Captain Janeway's (Kate Mulgrew) starship USS Voyager was lost in the Delta Quadrant and embarked on a 7-year voyage home. Jennifer Lien was a Star Trek: Voyager series regular as Kes. A member of the Ocampa species, Kes possessed telepathic abilities and was romantically involved with Neelix (Ethan Phillips) initially, before breaking off the entanglement in Voyager season 3.

As a young but prodigiously talented member of the USS Voyager's crew, Kes shared certain traits with Wil Wheaton's Wesley Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation. Although fans didn't react with quite the same disdain as they did for poor Wesley, Kes certainly wasn't the most popular of Star Trek: Voyager's crew. Jennifer Lien's exit came in Star Trek: Voyager season 4's "The Gift," after Kes' psychic abilities began spiraling out of control following an encounter with Species 8472. 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.

Why Jennifer Lien's Kes Left Star Trek: Voyager

Kes's story hit a bit of a dead end.

Both viewers and fellow cast members praised Jennifer Lien's acting talent, if not necessarily the development of Kes as a character. As a result, Kes' Star Trek: Voyager exit wasn't without controversy. Several factors contributed to Kes's departure from Voyager. Showrunners Rick Berman and Jeri Taylor 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. As an Ocampa, Kes had a tragically short lifespan of only nine years, which limited the story possibilities for her character.

Given how apologetically writers and producers have spoken about Kes' departure from Star Trek: Voyager over the years, it's no surprise that the character was soon invited back for Star Trek: Voyager season 6's "Fury." In this time-twisting tale, an older Kes attacks Voyager for abandoning her, then travels back in time to prevent her younger self from ever joining its crew. When the older Kes is killed in the past, her timeline is changed, giving Captain Janeway, Lt. Tuvok (Tim Russ), and Neelix an opportunity to peacefully send Kes home to be with her own kind. Though not quite recompense for her character's mishandling, "Fury" did offer Kes, and Jennifer Lien as an actress, a measure of redemption.

Star Trek: Voyager Replaced Kes With Seven Of Nine

Seven of Nine's introduction gave Voyager too many characters.

Star Trek: Voyager introduced a popular new character at the end of season 3: the female Borg-in-recovery named Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan). With Jennifer Lien's position in Voyager already under scrutiny and budgets not accommodating a new character without sacrificing another, the decision was made to replace Kes with Seven of Nine. Another name in the firing line between Star Trek: Voyager seasons 3 and 4 was Garrett Wang, who played Harry Kim. In a quirk of fate, Wang was voted one of People magazine's "50 Most Beautiful People In The World" in 1997, and this exposure spared him the chop in lieu of Lien.

Writing Kes out of Star Trek: Voyager was very much a double-edged sword. On one hand, the character had enormous potential that went unrealized due to poor creative direction; on the other, producers were justified in judging Kes to be one of their less successful creations, whereas Seven of Nine proved an inspired addition. The former Borg made a huge impression not just in Voyager, but on the Star Trek franchise as a whole. Seven of Nine even became Captain of the newly rechristened USS Enterprise-G in Star Trek: Picard season 3. In an ideal scenario, Star Trek: Voyager would've been able to retain Kes while still introducing Seven of Nine, but the packed-out cast might then have hampered both characters' stories.

Could Kes Return In Star Trek: Prodigy?

It seems unlikely Jennifer Lien would ever return, but perhaps one of Kes's descendants could appear.

While Star Trek: Prodigy has seen the return of some of the characters from Star Trek: Voyager, it seems unlikely that Kes would appear again. Not only would her short Ocampan lifespan have to be addressed in some way, but actress Jennifer Lien quit acting soon after leaving Star Trek: Voyager​​​​​​. Lien did go on to appear as Davina in American History X and Agent L in Men in Black: The Animated Series, but she has unfortunately continued to struggle with mental illness and was arrested several times between 2015 and 2018.

Jennifer Lien rarely does convention appearances and seems to have moved on from acting altogether. Lien does have experience voicing an animated character from her time on Men in Black, though, so anything is possible in regards to voicing Kes in Star Trek:Prodigy. The fate of Star Trek: Prodigy season 3, however, remains unknown as it awaits a renewal from Netflix. Regardless, Jennifer Lien will always have a place within the Star Trek fandom as Voyager's sweet Kes.

What Is Jennifer Lien's Star Trek Legacy As Kes?

Jennifer Lien & Kes are remembered positively by fans and cast members.

Throughout her time on Star Trek: Voyager, many of Kes' stories received mixed reviews from fans and critics alike. The very short lifespan of the Ocampa made Kes' character a difficult one to write for and her relationship with Neelix never quite worked. Still, Jennifer Lien's performance was almost universally praised. Overall, Lien and Kes are generally remembered positively, even if her return in Star Trek: Voyager season 6 did the character no favors.

Jennifer Lien portrayed Kes in 68 episodes of Star Trek: Voyager and had a positive impact on the show and its characters. Although her storylines did not always work, Kes was a fascinating character, and it would have been nice to see more of her. Whether Kes herself is mentioned or one of her Ocampan descendants pops up, future Star Trek projects, such as a potential season 3 of Star Trek: Prodigy, have the opportunity to cement Kes's legacy. But even if that doesn't happen, Jennifer Lien and Kes will always be remembered as a bright light within the Star Trek family.