T'Pol

[Neo]

Vulcan female. Austere but sensual. She's the Science Officer assigned to 'oversee' our progress. In exchange for star charts and tactical information, the Vulcans insisted we include one of their officers on the Enterprise. Starfleet Command reluctantly agreed. Not everyone is happy with this addition to the crew: Why do we need a Vulcan watching over us like we're children?

T'Pol isn't thrilled with the assignment, either. She was hoping for a Vulcan commission. The last thing she expected was to be living among a primitive, irrational species. But she's resigned to this 'hardship post' because she has no other choice. She's not comfortable around the crew… or the emotions they display.

Secretly, however, she will begin to envy humans. Now that she lives among them, she can't help but develop a fascination with their food, and catalogue their behaviour. She even studies their mating customs.

T'Pol has a grudging respect for Captain Archer, who has proven to her that humanity has the potential to exceed its limitations. She simply doesn't understand Charlie, however; she finds that he embodies all of the baser instincts of humanity. T'Pol gravitates toward Doctor Phlox. As a fellow 'outsider', he's the only one she can confide in about her experiences among humans. The two of them will often debate humanity and its foibles. At one point, he'll give her a 'nasal numbing agent'. She can't stand the smell of humans when they're anxious.

She's older than everyone on board. But she won't reveal how old. Hoshi is always asking her about her age. T'Pol: "In human years, or Vulcan years?"

 

[Dave]

"I'll be doing the very first Vulcan neck pinch, the very first Vulcan mind meld," Jolene Blalock told Los Angeles Channel 13.

Assigned to oversee humanity's porgress on board Enterprise the Vulcan Sub-Commander initially makes few friends.

 

[Neo]

She was a bit harsh when she started but seems to have mellowed out a wee bit..

 

[Galadriel]

I would love to find out about the actors in Enterprise. Can you guide me to the right site for that?

 

[padders]

Thought she was good in the first episode but as others had said perhaps not as Vulacan as Tuvok.

 

[Galadriel]

Originally posted by padders
Thought she was good in the first episode but as others had said perhaps not as Vulacan as Tuvok.

Well, truth is that she is very emotional, really and shows through with her passive-aggressive behavior...such as refusing a blanket from the captain, and then taking it away from him completely after their sharing it. Quite funny to think about it, actually.

 

[padders]

Problem is that not having emotion is really impossible. What would motivate you to get up in the morning if you didn't "want" to. Logic can't give you a reason to do something really. You can just ask a Vulcan "but what is the point of doing X?" They can't really get anywhere at the end of it really. Those with emotions can resort to "because I enjoy doing it".

 

[Dave]

It has been established over the years on Star Trek that Vulcans do have emotions (it WOULD be impossible to have none), but they keep their emotions in check (they don't like to call it control). This takes a great effort, and only very few Vulcans can practise the Kolinahr and have no emotion at all. So even full Vulcans will slip up now and again (which makes a loophole for the writers when ever they slip up).

It is more of a philosophy of life than a biological thing.

From what I have read, as the series progresses, T'Pol becomes increasingly interested in human emotion, up to the point of wanting to experience real emotions for herself firsthand. This would be how they can explain such things happening.

 

[Galadriel]

Originally posted by Dave
It has been established over the years on Star Trek that Vulcans do have emotions (it WOULD be impossible to have none), but they keep their emotions in check (they don't like to call it control). This takes a great effort, and only very few Vulcans can practise the Kolinahr and have no emotion at all. So even full Vulcans will slip up now and again (which makes a loophole for the writers when ever they slip up).

It is more of a philosophy of life than a biological thing.

From what I have read, as the series progresses, T'Pol becomes increasingly interested in human emotion, up to the point of wanting to experience real emotions for herself firsthand. This would be how they can explain such things happening.

Well, now that it's all established, we can enjoy the show without being too analytical.

 

[padders]

Dave, a nice way of putting it - I see how that makes more sense of it. They do still seem to pick and choose their emotions - as there must be some desire to do things or interest in something over an another (why did Pol not want to be with the irrational humans, how is that rational? sort of thing).... but yeah, makes more sense.

 

[Neo]

Developing T'Pol Was Fun, Blalock Says

From trektoday.com:

Fun isn't a word you would normally associate with Vulcans, but actress Jolene Blalock has been having a ball getting a handle on the character of T'Pol.

"She's been a lot of fun to develop," Blalock told reporters at the Television Critics Association press tour in Pasadena (via StarTrek.com). "She's been constantly changing. The thing that I love - and this has to do with the writers and namely Brannon Braga - each episode has had an arc, where she begins somewhere and ends somewhere else. And I love that. So it always gives her a place to go and a place to experience change."

The actress would be interested in exploring T'Pol's past experiences in the series, but doesn't want that to stall the character's growth. "The backstory exists whether it's addressed or not - the backstory I've created myself, along with what's been established. In my opinion, I think the story should always go forward. It can always touch on what's been, it can always flashback to what's been, but I think the story should continue to go forward. But as far as backstory, it does exist and affects everything that goes forward."

But how does Blalock feel about being the party pooper all the time? "I think it's a love-hate relationship with me," she said. "I think everybody is beginning to become a little more comfortable with me and my presence. And I think, what started to happen is it started to get really predictable. Of course I'm going to pipe up. Of course I'm going to suck the air out of the situation and say, 'Oh, I'm sorry. There's protocol to follow.' But they've started to mix it up a bit so it's not so predictable. So she's going indirectly to get her way rather than so directly. Because obviously she found out that it doesn't work, that he's [Archer] not going to listen anyway."

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of the series for Blalock is watching the characters bonding with one another. "I see relationships between each character forming, and yet, I'm still the odd one out," she said. "But yet, there's building. There's a beginning of that loyalty that was in the original Star Trek between Bones and Kirk and Spock. And that's one thing that I love that they're doing is that they're not coming in with that loyalty. They're showing that loyalty progress and how that came to be."

 

[Galadriel]

Yes, I love the character development in a story. TY!

 

[Neo]

T'Pol Stars Site

 

[Dave]

Jolene Blalock recently told Sky One viewers she was "ecstatic" about following in Spock's footsteps. "Not only do I get to precede him," she commented, "I get to do the first Vulcan mind-meld -- we're making history!"

 

[Plethora]

Yes, a mightily cool character.. cant get enough vulcan's, i think this is the first ever vulcan woman as a main character?

Anyhow.. what is the point of that belt thats.. ermm.. supporting her.

 

[Galadriel]

I don't know about that litttle ribbon (belt), but I do know if I had a figure like that.....I'd feel secure enough to wear a little ribbon around my high waiste. LOL
G.:evil: