Having more Janeway thoughts (whatās new?) and thinking more about her judgement and agency when it comes to romance, and the doubts she might have.
Spoilers for the Mosaic novel, if you haven't read it (and if you haven't you really should)
We know that Janeway is very cautious romantically, almost pathologically so. A lot of that can be attributed to losing Justin and how she fell apart after that. She understandably doesnāt want to end up back there. Itās later compounded by losing Mark. Sheās been in love twice and lost that love twice through no fault on anyoneās part. But... I think thereās even more to it.
Her first boyfriend in Mosaic (Cheb) was utterly toxic, and she was so besotted with him she couldnāt see that. Yes, she was young, but for all her intellect, many other girls the same age would have seen him for the gaslighting, narcissistic bully he was. The next we see of her love life is her literally running out on Will Riker. Yes, she had to work on her thesis proposal, but itās also obviously a convenient excuse to get out of a situation with a man who reminds her physically of Cheb. This is towards the end of her time at the Academy, so after that her romantic life is Justin, then Mark... then sheās in the Delta Quadrant.
And the first time we see her really flirt with anyone in the Delta Quadrant, itās Gath. Yes, she is playing the diplomatic game with him, but sheās obviously also attracted to him, and while itās obvious to the audience that heās a slimeball, it takes her a scene or two longer to fully realise that. Even though by the time he refuses to help Voyager she's figured him out, she still acts somewhat wounded by his actions.
After this, we see her noticing Chakotayās feelings for her and getting confirmation that heās fallen in love with her in Resolutions, which is also where we see that the feeling is mutual, and where leaving New Earth becomes such a sore point for her. She tries to keep barriers around herself, to 'define parameters', but she cannot hide how she feels, no matter how hard she tries.
Then, a couple of years later, Mark (formerly her safe place) breaks her heart from afar with the Dear John letter. Again, she was expecting it, but it still hurt, and it makes her even more romantically defensive.
After that comes Kashyk, and while it was all a ruse, she is once again clearly very attracted to a man for whom becoming a sleazeball would be an improvement. Heās a piece of fascist shit but sheās clearly into him, more for his charm and charisma than anything else. She knows she should hate him, but she clearly loves the game they play, until she wins, and he leaves, and she suddenly feels even more alone ā and extremely disappointed in herself.
The next time we see her flirting is with Michael Sullivan, who is supposed to be a harmless piece of fun... but heās a married piece of fun... delete the wife! And sheās so controlling with him: altering him to suit her needs (and making him more like Chakotay), getting in way too deep with what should just be some fun, and feeling sheās embarrassing herself in front of the crew even though none of them are judging her. (Because almost everyone on that ship has probably had some āfunā with a hologram - Chakotay basically admits to it - so why is the Captain making such a big deal out of it?!)
After that thereās nothing. She still flirts with Chakotay on the very odd occasion still, but after Michael she seems to shut down romantically...
And in Workforce, the episode instructs us to view Jaffen as a nice guy, even though his actions tell a different story. Jaffen is forceful (Janeway is clearly a little uncomfortable with his early advances, but that doesnāt stop him), possessive (heās clearly not happy when he sees her talking to āAmalā), and controlling (either he forced Janeway to call the authorities on Chakotay, or he did it himself with her knowledge). After they sleep together, it clearly means a lot to Janeway - you can see how happy she is - but Jaffen honestly looks like he couldnāt care less. Sheās invested in them as a couple, but I get the distinct impression that he just wants to possess and control her. Heās absolutely in charge in that relationship, and itās a harsh echo of the young Janeway who fell for Cheb and got walked all over before she realised her inner strength.
But it also speaks to a pattern in Janeway. She hasnāt always had the best taste in men, and she canāt easily weed out the āgood guysā from the actual good guys. And who knows what happened between Cheb and Justin, how many other men abused her trust and questionable judgement during those formative years. Even Justin himself wasnāt Mr. Perfect - he was hostile and argumentative and a bit of a social misfit, who initially only stresses her out until she gets to understand why he is how he is.
I donāt think she trusts herself romantically. She doesnāt trust her tastes or her judgement, and sheās been let down by people sheās let in, even a little. As soon as the knowledge of the harsh romantic lessons of her past are taken from her in Workforce, sheās back to repeating those same old mistakes with Jaffen. Itās really no wonder that when Chakotay - who, in my opinion, is Mr. Perfect for her - appears on the scene, she doesnāt trust herself enough to formally start a relationship, even when it would have been the best thing for her. She holds him back, even while letting him in. And Chakotay isnāt the problem - she is, and she knows it.
Thereās also the issue of how she lets men interact with her. Itās obvious from adolescence that Mark is besotted with her. He finds every excuse to be in her vicinity even when sheās a complete brat to him. Sheās clearly aware of his attraction even if she doesnāt acknowledge it, but she never attempts to ādefine parametersā with him and tell him she's not interested. Mark isnāt pushy, but he is very persistent.
Then thereās Cheb, who seems to have been the one to decide theyāre dating. Sheās initially just taken aback by the attention because at this stage in her life she has a very poor opinion of herself. So itās not really a case of āOh, I like this guy, and he likes me backā; it reads more like āthe popular guy noticed me,ā and only after that does she become infatuated.
Then thereās Justin, who crucially does not pursue her. In fact, he seems to put up barriers to keep her at armās length until he rescues her from the Cardassians and, in the aftermath, can no longer hide his feelings. Itās only after that that they get together.
Then heās gone, and maybe a year later she re-encounters Mark, who has grown up somewhat but is clearly still very interested in her. And she knows in her heart heās a good man, and she kind of settles for him because of the safety he offers... and then she starts to love him.
Then thereās Chakotay, who, a little like Justin, doesnāt pursue her, but for different reasons. Justin didnāt want to let her in, while Chakotay is open and honest and wants her to be the one to decide. He doesnāt put that pressure on her, and she doesnāt quite know what to make of it. I think if Chakotay had pushed at all after New Earth, sheād have let him take the lead, but because he loves her too much to add to her stress, they remain stuck somewhere between friendship and romance, to the point that domesticity becomes their norm.
Gath pursues her. Kashyk pursues her (kind of). Jaffen pursues her. In each relationship sheās almost passive, except for Justin - but even then, he sets the pace. Heās the one who holds back initially, hides his feelings and gives her reason to get pissed off with him. The men in her life are almost always in control.
Except for Chakotay. Itās only Chakotay who offers her unconditional love without setting the tone. Even on New Earth heās only ever open and honest. Thereās no agenda, no manipulation. Itās simply, āI love you, and I canāt control my feelings, but I can at least control my actions.ā
The ball is in her court, and thatās completely new for her. Her love life is the one area of her life where she struggles to have agency.
And she freezes. She freezes for five whole years after New Earth, only ever showing any sort of initiative beyond a little bit of flirting once - in Timeless. The rest of the time she flounders because she canāt trust her romantic judgement, and Chakotay doesnāt follow the script set by the other men in her life.
If only heād been a bit of a douche, or unwilling to easily take no for an answer, theyād have been together by season 3!