Highlights
- T’Pol overcame obstacles as a Vulcan agent and rose to become a key figure in Starfleet history.
- Despite oversexualization, T’Pol showcased powerful moments and saved the day on multiple occasions.
- T’Pol’s legacy in Star Trek: Enterprise challenges stereotypes and highlights her importance in the founding of the Federation.
T’Pol (Jolene Blalock) forged an unforgettable path through Star Trek despite the obstacles that often stood in her way as a member of the U.S.S. Enterprise. She was an agent of the Vulcan Ministry of Security. One of her first missions ended in her murdering a fellow agent who’d gone rogue. Remember that episode of The Original Series where Spock tampered with Captain Kirk’s memories? It turns out that his actions might not have been as strange as some thought at the time. Enterprise explained this ability when T’Pol went through the Fullara ceremony to forget her actions on the field.
She later spent some time working as a Vulcan ambassador with the United Earth government. Throughout her turbulent past, T’Pol accomplished a lot before she ever set foot on the Starfleet starship NX-01. She may have fallen victim at times to the show’s dated sexism. But not even Rick Berman could dim her shine, nor the impact she had on the story unfolding around her. It eventually led to T’Pol working as the right-hand woman of Captain Archer (Scott Bakula). This in turn led to her becoming one of the most important figures in Starfleet history.
T’Pol’s Life on the U.S.S. Enterprise
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Star Trek: Enterprise |
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Created By |
Rick Berman & Brannon Braga |
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Aired |
2001-2005 |
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Starring |
Scott Bakula, John Billingsley, Jolene Blalock, Dominic Keating, Anthony Montgomery |
T’Pol’s early work as an agent of the Vulcan Ministry of Security prepared her for the dangers she would face on Star Trek. Her unlikely allegiance with the Klingons, for example, came in handy in season 2, episode 19, “Judgment.” In the episode, T’Pol used her connections to help Captain Archer beat a conspiracy charge on the Klingon homeworld Qo’NoS. It’s one of the few times in Starfleet history that Vulcans and Klingons have willingly come together in harmony.
However, no amount of experience could have prepared T’Pol for the wacky drama she would encounter as an officer. One example is when fellow Vulcan Tolaris (Enrique Murciano) forced a mind-meld on T’Pol that left her with Pa’nar Syndrome in season 1, episode 17, “Fusion.” She lived with this neural disease and all its uncomfortable symptoms until the iconic Vulcan leader T’Pau (Kara Zediker) cured her in season 4, episode 9, “Kir’Shara.”
Enterprise tended to oversexualize T’Pol at times. From skimpy outfits to wardrobe malfunctions, the show often presented her body first and brain second. Still, she had some powerful moments throughout the show. She even got to save the day in season 4, episode 17, “Bound” after Orions took over the ship.
T’Pol’s Relationships in Star Trek: Enterprise
Like Voyager’s Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan), T’Pol was an attractive woman on a Starfleet crew of mostly male officers. Naturally, the showrunners felt it necessary to pair her with almost all of them. She even put the moves on Phlox (John Billingsley) in season 2, episode 25, “Bounty” after a strange microbe triggered her Vulcan sex drive.
Her relationships with Captain Archer and Trip Tucker (Connor Trinneer), however, remain her most important love affairs. Many argue that her relationship with Trip came out of nowhere. It started with sensual massages, was filled with non-Vulcan levels of passion, and ended with stolen DNA and self-sacrifice. Much like on Star Trek: Voyager, T’Pol and Archer brought Janeway-and-Chakotay levels of longing to the show. The two were obviously devoted to each other, but they never fully jumped from enemies to lovers. Instead, they lingered in each other’s orbit as unusually intense friends.
Romance aside, T’Pol also had a closeness to and respect for the women in her family. One of her most prized possessions was a purse previously owned by her great-grandmother, T’Mir (Blalock). This level of sentimentality was uncommon among Vulcans. But, then again, T’Pol always did have a hidden talent for defying expectations.
T’Pol’s Star Trek Legacy
T’Pol certainly wasn’t the first Star Trek character who was put into a skintight Starfleet uniform and used to titillate the interest of fans. Even with the signature Vulcan bowl cut, she was easy on the eyes in a way that executives probably assumed would bring in more viewers. Yet, T’Pol’s legacy in Star Trek: Enterprise isn’t limited to what she offered aesthetically. Chronologically speaking, she was the first Vulcan to serve on a Starfleet crew of Humans, and she endured the early days of galactic bigotry with poise and grace.
Her early interactions with the Enterprise crew were rife with the same challenges faced by Spock in The Original Series. She, too, faced distrust and hostility about the different ways she spoke, thought, behaved, and even ate her food. This didn’t stop her from using her variety of skills to help the crew survive some of the weirdest situations. She was, after all, the only one able to keep her cool when the rest of the crew became infected by behavior-altering pollen (a Star Trek classic) in season 1, episode 4, “Strange New World.”
The Founding of the Federation
T’Pol was a controversial character in a divisive show. She showed more emotion than Star Trek fans expected, and got a little more spicy than the censors deemed appropriate. Of all the Vulcan characters introduced throughout the franchise, she didn’t fit the mold set by others, like Tuvok (Tim Russ) from Voyager or Saavik (Kirstie Alley) from Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. But she stood out for the richness and variety of her storylines – even the ones made to get her out of her clothes. It’s easy to forget how important she was and still is to Star Trek lore.
T’Pol was there when Earth celebrated the birth of the United Federation of Planets. She and the other Enterprise crew members gathered together for the Founding Federation Ceremony. After T’Pol’s service as a Starfleet commander ended, it’s unclear whether she’s still alive. While this leaves her story feeling unfinished, it also leaves room for her possible return. At one point, Trip described T’Pol as someone who “kind of [grows] on you.” Since she remains a topic of conversation and controversy among Star Trek fans to this day, one can only assume he was right on the money.
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