to recap
No Man's Land
Seven: [...] More than that, he adores her in a way I didn't even know was possible. I've never felt anything like what he felt for Helena.
Raffi: True love, huh?
Seven: He almost let her go when they first met. She wanted more but he wasn't having it. One day he just surrendered, made her the centre of his universe, and to hear him tell it every moment after that was filled with wonder and joy and purpose and all the things life is supposed to be about. Can you imagine losing that?
Raffi: I can't imagine having it.
...
Raffi: I didn't come here for Ebla or the Rangers. I came for you.
Seven: I know.
Raffi: So don't push me away. You're safe here, I promise. You don't have to solve all the universe's problems alone.
Seven: You're not the first person to tell me that.
Raffi: I don't want to be the first. I just want to be the last.
Seven: Where the hell did you come from?
Raffi: Let's get back to the ship.
Seven: No, not yet. Stay here with me. Under the stars.
...
Seven: Sometimes when we're together I can almost... glimpse something in the distance, a possibility. Something different and it scares the hell out of me.
...
Seven: You're a lot, Raffi. You're willing to go all in here and I don't know if I can do that... yet.
Raffi: So we have a conversation. That's what people do when they're scared and they care about each other.
Seven: That's when I usually run.
...
Seven: It's been years since I sat still long enough to actually think about... you know.
Raffi: I think I do.
Seven: I find commitment —
Raffi: Suffocating?
Seven: Baffling. But it would be nice to have, no, to create something worth sacrificing eternity for.
...
Raffi: I know what I want here. I'm not sure you do yet. But it's okay, there's no rush. What these two people had, Gillan and Helena, takes commitment. And for that, you have to at least believe that it's possible.
Seven: I'm at least willing to suspend my disbelief.
Raffi: So let that be enough for now. We don't have to figure it all out tonight. You know where I am and where I'll be.
Seven: So we go slow. One moment at a time.
Ep1:
Raffi: She has me wanting... something more.
Ep2:
Raffi: You're also married. Looks like someone worked out their commitment issues?
Ep3:
Raffi: Why do you look so relaxed? You're never relaxed.
...
Seven: My girlfriend and I were looking to capture an image.
Ep4:
Seven: Raffi, you lost someone, and losing him was not your fault.
Ep5:
Seven: You're being careless.
Raffi: And you're being too goddamn careful!
...
Seven: I know you. You need a target. You wanna set your feet and fight.
Raffi: And all you wanna do is run away.
Seven: That's right. Because something that's not moving is vulnerable.
...
Seven: I've got your back, you've got mine, right?
Ep6:
Raffi: There's a lot of baggage with those Borg implants. It's nice to see her travel light for a while.
Ep7:
Raffi: Our pain is beautiful and tragic and everyone loves hearing about it.
Seven: Absolutely.
Raffi: Plus, we're the main event. Now, Jurati and Rios? They're like a side story.
Seven: And obviously, you know how the main story ends.
Raffi: What, you mean once we're through all this shit? Well, the premonition I'm having is us. Old. And we sit on park benches, tripping teenagers on those floaty things with our canes.
Seven: I'm better at it than you.
Raffi: Of course.
...
Raffi: You haven't touched your coffee. You never don't touch your coffee.
Ep8:
Seven: I don't know, Raffi, I'm not Borg.
Raffi: But you're Seven.
Seven: And who is that, exactly, to you?
...
Raffi: Wow, that's incredibly spot-on.
Seven: Can you not? That I can access her, it's not impressive. You could just be a little bit less happy that I'm defective.
Raffi: I'm gonna try to not take you personally right now —
Seven: You manipulate. Everyone has to be exactly where Raffi wants them to. You think we don't see it, but we all do.
Ep9:
Raffi: You really would make a great captain. When we get out of this —
Seven: We're not getting out of this.
Raffi: Nope, probably not.
...
Seven: I've been this, I've been Seven much longer than I was ever Annika. It was just nice to be ordinary.
Raffi: Well, that's impossible. Because no matter how you come, Borg or human, you are the most extraordinary person I know.
You know, all your life, you've been running from these, from this. And I can't help but wonder how much more you'd be capable of, how much more you could be... if you just stopped.
...
Seven: I'm myself.
—
...and THAT has been the build up this entire season leading up to episode 10. they played the long game and it... worked. the pacing is immaculate and i'm so excited to see what all their hard work — their baggage and arguments and trust and tenderness this entire season — will bring them for the finale.
