An Unexpected, Strange New Attraction!

[Brandyjane]

In the "Upcoming Roles for Connor" thread, we started detouring off into T'Pol's early behavior toward Trip, particularly in "Strange New World" and "Unexpected." I think that discussion needs its own thread, so here it is. In the past I've always thought that while there was an instant attraction between Trip and T'Pol, it probably wasn't that deep on T'Pol's side until the neuropressure began. Well, I've been re-watching the series over the last month or so, and I'm seeing all sorts of things I never noticed before. I fully admit that it may be giant shipper goggles skewing my perspective, but I now believe that T'Pol was harboring a great big secret crush on her handsome engineer long before season three - not love, perhaps, but a secret, probably embarrassing attraction.

- "Broken Bow" - On at least two occasions, T'Pol changes her mind about her intended course of action after talking with Trip. In both instances, it's after Trip appeals to her honor/emotions, not to her logic. If T'Pol is a touch-telepath, then she must have been picking up all sorts of emotions/sensations from Trip in decon. Maybe it's my imagination, but I really think her hands lingered on his skin for far longer than necessary. She even went back over the same areas she'd already rubbed a few times. I believe that she was probably experiencing some of Trip's emotions. Now most of those feelings were likely negative emotions like anger and disappointment. But even in the midst of that...The man had been rubbing gel all over a very attractive, scantily-clad woman. Surely he had at least some "other" feelings, however fleeting. We later learn that T'Pol had always been curious about emotions. I think that right from the beginning, she had gotten a taste of "forbidden fruit" with Trip in decon. It's set up so that Trip is the one she's going to be particularly curious about.

- "Strange New World" - At the beginning of the episode, Trip tells Cutler that she'd have better luck trying to make friends with a housefly, rather than with T'Pol. That always struck me as really mean and not the sort of thing Trip would say for no reason about someone behind their back in the presence of a subordinate he presumably barely knows. That got me thinking that there must have been a reason for it, and the only reason that makes sense to me is that Trip tried to make friends with T'Pol and was rebuffed. However, even if she rejected his advances, T'Pol may have been impressed by the fact that Trip tried to reach out to her.

- Later in the episode, T'Pol didn't experience hallucinations (that we know of), but she did struggle with her emotions due to the pollen. Call me crazy, but when T'Pol says "Join me if you'd like" to Trip regarding going to the back of the cave for water, her voice sounded like...well, like she was coming on to him a little. We find out in "Bounty" that certain ailments can have some interesting affects on Vulcan females, so it's been my pet theory for a while that T'Pol experienced a tiny foretaste of that in "SNW." The next morning she can be seen hovering over Trip while he wakes up with some water. She already wants to take care of him. When he quotes a Vulcan maxim and then speaks so positively of his old Vulcan teacher, it surely made a positive impression on T'Pol. And as Silverbullet pointed out in the other thread, T'Pol uses a really soft, sweet voice when she speaks with Trip.

- I'm going to copy and paste what I said about "Unexpected" in the other thread here: When Trip returns to the ship after his time aboard the Xyrillian ship, T'Pol can be seen in the background turning her head to watch him all the way from the door to the point where he walks up to the viewscreen. She finally looks down then, but keeps giving him glances. Then she looks up very quickly and just stares at him when he and Ah'Len start talking about how she took care of him. Then there's the tongue-lashing she gives him in sickbay when she thinks he has fooled around with Ah'Len.

[panyasan]

I agree with you. I think T'Pol is attracted from the beginning to Trip - even before Trip became attracted to her. Maybe Trips remark also has to do with a little frustration or not willing to admit he is attracted.
As for the Decon scene: the rubbing goes both ways. I always liked the fact that Trip touched her ear. T'Pol reacted rather irritated - like it's a very intimate touch. Sensible ears and all.

[Brandyjane]

As for the Decon scene: the rubbing goes both ways. I always liked the fact that Trip touched her ear. T'Pol reacted rather irritated - like it's a very intimate touch. Sensible ears and all.

But then she touches his ears, too! I agree that it was an intimate touch, and I think that she couldn't resist the urge to see what his response would be if she reciprocated. Or maybe it was something instinctual that she just did.

(Or maybe it was just logical to assume that he might have forgotten to do his own ears, and she was being thorough. I've gotten sunburned ears on more than one occasion by forgetting to put sunblock on them. But this is not my preferred interpretation.)

[panyasan]

So who touched the ears first? Trip or T'Pol? That would make all the difference for our interpretation.

*shamefull plug of own story* In the story Malice I describe what T'Pol is feeling in Decon during the touching of the ears: (I put it in spoiler, because the story is R-rated.

SPOILER!!!:

Her mind went back to the moment she just had arrived on Enterprise, the last time that any one had touched her ears. She and Trip had be together in Decon. They both were curious. She could sense it by the way Trip moved his hands over her body. She could smell his arousal. She didn't mind. Trip was ascetically pleasing to see, and touching and observing a living Human always provided more information then textbooks. She wasn't shocked when Trip touched her ears, she was merely annoyed. He hadn't acted out of malice, it was of ignorance. He couldn't possible have known what touching some one's ears meant in Vulcan culture. Not for a second, she hadn't feel threatened. In fact, she had felt confident of her attractiveness.

[Silverbullet]

The comment about making friends with a housfly was NOT made by Trip. It was made by the guy who wnet with them to the Planet Surface. Was in the Science section. Fact is, he was with Cutler in the Mess all when they first approached the Planet and they went to the window to look at it. He later was overcome with the Pollen and had to be beamed aboard and trated by Phlox. Cannot remember his name.

My mistake it was Tucker. Just checked the Text files. SOOORRRRRREEEEEE

SB

[Brandyjane]

No problem, SB. The reason it stood out in my mind was because it seemed so mean. That scene is just begging for a missing scene to explain why Trip said what he said.

[Silverbullet]

It is begging the right person then. the brilliant writer named Brandyjane. You can do it.

SB

[Silverbullet]

Double post. Just rewatched SNW. Connor should have at least got a nomination for an Emmy for his performance.

ACtaully Jolene gave him someone to play off on. Her T'Pol was excellent foil for his paranoia. The two were very good together. In non romantic situations. wish they could have had a few Episodes together without Archer, just the two of them.

SB