Jeri Ryan, best known for her series-revitalizing role as catsuit-clad cyborg Seven Of Nine on Star Trek: Voyager, is set to guest star on the upcoming fourth season of Arrow. Ryan will play Jessica Danforth, an old friend of Oliver Queen’s parents whose life is threatened after she runs for political office. The character was created for the show, even though there was a perfectly good Silver Age comic book character, Mayor Myra Momfriend, just waiting to be adapted. (Note: There is no such comic book character as Mayor Myra Momfriend.)
Ryan will appear on the second episode of the new season, which kicks off in October. By casting her, Arrow moves closer to winning its ongoing game of Sci-Fi Guest Star Bingo, and all the attendant nerd-cred attached. The show previously cast Firefly’s Summer Glau and Battlestar Galactica’s Tahmoh Penikett (plus Farscape’s Ben Browder, earning a coveted Obscurity Bonus) in small roles in its earlier seasons. Besides her Star Trek credits, Ryan’s long television resume could also act as a lure for fans of Leverage, Body Of Proof, or the one guy out there who’s willing to admit that he kind of liked Helix.