In Seven Days there is action, comedy, drama, and of course the required tension between two people attracted to each other. Now you should know that I am referring to Frank and Olga, not Ballard and Sheila. These two characters provide enough one liners to fill many pages and enough jokes for the overly male dominated Backstep team to crack. Both Frank and Olga bring a different perspective to the world around them, but when they start to open up to each other they find they have more in common. They are both basically lonely people. Olga is devoted to her work and does not have much of a social life. Frank was plucked from the Hansen Island Institution, where he had been placed as a threat to society.

Among the things they have in common is that they have both been married at one point in their lives. Frank is divorced from his wife Patricia (whom he calls Pat), and has a son, Jimmy, he does not get to see. Olga was married to a scientist, Joseph, like herself who worked on a time travel program similar to the Backstep Project in the former Soviet Republic. Her husband though was one of the men chosen to be their chrononaut and vanished into the time stream. His disappearance left her devastated and she mourned his absence in silence not mentioning him to the others (except for Mentnor). The problem of relationships seems to plague many of the Project members, with the exception of Mentnor who is happily married.

To this very day I have yet to see the first 30 minutes of the two hour Pilot episode and UPN does not seem willing to play it again. With that said you will not be able to read my thoughts on Frank and Olga's first meeting. The rest of the Pilot I have seen and as the days passed, Olga and Frank begin to open up a little more. Although really it was Olga who opens up first and never the topic of her marriage to Joseph came up. He though starts to fall head over heels for her. Of course some may say that this is just because he is out of the "mental institution" and has not been with anyone, but I do not think he is that type of person.

Take for instance the fact that this show is not like Star Trek. Frank does not have a flavor of the week type of relationship with any female who walks by. (Mainly because the show is more action and not so much drama.) He is always focused on Olga and trying to learn more about her. Whether it is what she likes to do in her spare time, or just her thoughts in general he is always flirting with her or just hanging around. He also does not handle bad things happening to her at all. This much is certain when the Ebola Virus breaks out and all but Olga have died at NNL. There is nothing he can do but climb into the sphere and listen to her last words before he slips back in time. When the backstep timeline begins and Frank encounters Olga he is very happy, relieved and a little unsure of what to say to her.


Each episode brings more insight into the people on the Project. Come Again? shows the depths Frank will sink to in order to learn more about Olga, and we also get a glimpse of Frank on the verge of losing control. This episode centers around a glitch that causes Frank to repeat the same events over and over. Before the first backstep Frank manages to learn what Olga's favorite flower is and quizzes her on how she would react to situations in which they may meet outside of "work". When Frank backsteps he brings Olga flowers, white roses (which she refuses every time she sees them), and tricks Talmadge into letting Olga join him. In the car he tries to give her the flowers but she refuses them seeing through his plan. Their conversation in each backstep ultimately turns to how "unromantic" Frank is. In each backstep when the topic surfaces Frank tries to use what he learned from the previous backsteps to make the conversation turn towards his favor. This proves unsuccessful until Frank finally admits to Olga why he likes her so much.

Being honest to himself and to Olga he learns is the real way to be around her. Olga is impressed with him and actually warms up to him. (If only he would keep up the honesty in the future!) Unfortunately this is the third backstep and Olga ends up being shot and dies as Frank races back to NNL. Frank's reaction is very emotional (and a memory he keeps deeply buried) as he carries her into the control room at NNL to beg Ballard and Ramsey to stop the fix and allow the timeloop to continue. It is sad to see that finally he and Olga have reached the understanding that he has always wanted and she ends up dying. (This won't be the last time where a death or backstep messes up their relationship.) When he backsteps for the fourth time he does not tell her any of the details of the previous backstep. Instead he decides not to reply to her questioning. I highly suggest reading the Favorite Lines for this episode. Most of them are priceless.