PHLOX: (after examining her) There's a good deal of residual trellium in your bloodstream. How long have you been doing this?
T'POL: Three months.
PHLOX: I need to know precisely what has been happening.
T'POL: When I was exposed to trellium aboard the Seleya, it affected me in a way that I wasn't prepared for.
PHLOX: As I recall, you were homicidal and paranoid.
T'POL: The initial effects were overwhelming, but as they began to wear off I discovered I was able to access certain emotions. I wanted more. I began to experiment by ingesting small amounts of trellium. I devised a way to inject it into my bloodstream.
PHLOX: You must have known it was dangerous. Trellium exposure is deadly to Vulcans. It eats away at the neural pathways.
T'POL: I thought, in small amounts, it would be safe. At first, I was able to control the new emotions. My interactions with the crew improved.
PHLOX: Commander Tucker, for example.
Thought I'd go back to the source. This certainly suggests a long period of addiction dating from her experience on the
Seleya. And the thing about her "interactions with the crew" improving is intriguing here. Personally, though, I'm a little frustrated because to my mind we also saw her "interactions with the crew" (namely Tucker) improving almost from the moment neuropressure began. (
Rajin, for example, occurs before
Impulse and that features a very cozy conversation with romantic overtones.) The jealousy in
Harbinger was also not that uncharacteristic of her either, even from Season 1. I wonder if they didn't actually hit on the idea of making T'Pol an addict until they actually got to
Azati Prime. Does anyone know what the writers have said about this?