Synopsis: Seven of Nine is abducted by a fighting troop and forced to engage in a battle to the death.
This episode can be seen as an illustration of how when bits of material from the Eros-driven irrational unconscious are acknowledged and integrated into the Logos-driven rational conscious ego, that the psyche can become more balanced, but the ego may have difficulty adjusting to the new relationship.
In “Tsunkatse” Voyager’s crew is welcomed to the Norcadian homeworld for shore leave while Captain Katheryn Janeway visits Pendari, a planet in the neighboring system. A very popular spectator sport on the Norcadian homeworld is Tsunkatse, which seems to be similar to extreme martial arts matches on Earth, except often the bouts are fights to the death. Seven of Nine deems this activity “cruel and pointless” (Doherty & Vejar, 2000). Because Seven and Lt. Commander Tuvok do not require shore leave, they instead decide to take a shuttle to examine a collapsing micro-nebula. Their shuttle is attacked, they are abducted, and are taken to a ship controlled by an owner of a Tsunkatse fighting team. Tuvok is injured and in exchange for his receiving treatment for his injuries, Seven agrees to fight. Watching the bout are Commander Chakotay, Ensign Tom Paris, Ensign Harry Kim, and Mr. Neelix, which alerts the crew that Seven and Tuvok have been abducted. Because Tsunkatse is so lucrative, the Norcadian government will not help rescue Seven and Tuvok. Seven is then forced to participate in a fight to the death against trainer, a Hirogen, because the viewing public would like to see a Borg drone die. But before anyone is killed in the ring, Voyager’s crew rescues Tuvok, Seven, and the Hirogen, but Seven is then left with remorse over her actions.
In this episode, after Seven and Tuvok are captured, Tuvok tells Seven to do what she needs to do to stay alive, no matter how repugnant it may be to her sensibilities. Hearing this and realizing that this is the only way to stay alive, Seven uses her abilities to fight in the ring, which saves Tuvok’s life. Seven was not put to the test of having to kill her trainer to save their lives, but reflecting back on her actions after they are rescued Seven feels guilt and shame. This can be analogized to when the conscious ego acknowledges and integrates bits of unconscious material, here likened to natural abilities that have been suppressed because the ego rejected them, in order to become stronger and the psyche more whole. However, incorporating into itself traits that it finds repulsive can be challenging for the ego, as it adjusts to its new more balanced, but less completely rational, state.
Reference:
Doherty, R. (Writer), & Vejar, D. (Director). (2000, February 2). Tsunkatse (Season 6, Episode 15) [TV series episode]. In B. Braga & R. Berman (Executive Producers), Star trek: Voyager. Paramount Network Television.
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