Zero hour to Home

[Escriba]

The Trellium storyline wouldn't have been so bad if they'd have given hints through the season. You know, built the tension, or the suspicion, or... something. Anything.

And other good thing would have been creating a better explanation. Why instead of the "I wanted to experience human emotions" didn't she do it because "she wanted to test a way to be able to be near the Trellium and this way making Enterprise's mission easier"? Or if you are going to do the "because she wanted to get along better with the crew" argument, at least, give us some hints of why. Did the crew treated her badly? Or is there any scene with Trip where she is unable to help him because she can't feel like him? I don't know, things like those would help.

[Alelou]

I think you'll find trellium confessions all over fanfic. T'Pol might not understand that keeping that secret is damaging her intimacy with Trip, but we do! I just personally think she has to hit rock bottom before she'll go there.

I've occasionally wondered if the writers also found inspiration closer to home. In Hollywood people are always flaming out over their drug use, and no doubt there are others who manage to get sober before it's too late.

Hell, it ain't just in Hollywood.

My son in law is going through AA right now, thank God, but he can't shut up about it to anyone who will listen. He's a failed actor and I think he looks at this as his shot at local stardom. Definitely not T'Pol. I just hope he doesn't find sobriety too dull when he can't get an audience for it.

[Asso]

It's only logical that after "Terra Prime" T'Pol finally understands what's the only logical thing to do: to tell Trip everything. If not, what sort of life will be for her? SOLITUDE! and regret!

[Alelou]

It's only logical that after "Terra Prime" T'Pol finally understands what's the only logical thing to do: to tell Trip everything. If not, what sort of life will be for her? SOLITUDE! and regret!

I agree that it is logical indeed, but Escriba is right about T'Pol's passive aggressiveness getting in the way.

e2 was really heartening from that point of view. Hey, she actually managed to stay happily married to the guy! She grew up!

[justTripn]

I recall (can't swear to it) that the commentary on the DVD by the writers was that they wanted to get out of the Vulcan restrictions for this character so they introduced the trellium addiction.

[vero3110]

I looked at it from a story structure point of view: drama is conflict, and trellium + Vulcan = terrific opportunity for inner conflict, along the same lines as Spock in TOS...a Vulcan at war with, but at the same time fascinated by, her emotions. I found the storyline very compelling. Yeah, I'm in the minority. So what else is new. And yeah, sure, one of the results of this storyline would be that the T/T relationship would be helped along.

I wish they would have used it the way you explain it. It'd be very interesting to watch/read it.

I was wondering why use it if they were going to forget about it a couple of episodes later. And as JadziaK said, we didn't see it coming, at least I didn't. I didn't have a clue before "Damage".

Vero

[JadziaKathryn]

I recall (can't swear to it) that the commentary on the DVD by the writers was that they wanted to get out of the Vulcan restrictions for this character so they introduced the trellium addiction.

If you don't want Vulcan restrictions why bother with a Vulcan character? *grumble grumble*

[CX]

Well to be frank, they weren't keeping within the confines of the show being a prequel to begin with, so that kind of showed their commitment level. Not to mention that T'Pol was basically the "ship's babe", so they went into it with a certain mentality.

[Alelou]

I think you're quite right about the "ship's babe" thing -- there's no other excuse for the costuming.

I don't mind the idea that Vulcan society is evolving, however. I liked that. And I never noticed Sarek being utterly lacking in emotion either.

[michelle]

But then the whole post-Koss/born-again-Vulcan era feels like somebody's yanking our chains again.

I don't agree. Having thought about how season 4 went I think the writers wanted to make a clean start with TnT. I think they didn't want it to look like T'Pol would only marry Trip because no sane Vulcan would go near her. I think they wanted to show that she wanted Trip not because she was an addict, sick with panar, out of control and an outcast but simply because he was the one for her. So they showed that she was still wanted by Koss (The whys are not explained ofc). Then when that was out of the way they could start again and the first thing they did was attempt to rebuild T'Pol's character and self respect, they wanted her to be Vulcan again and in control and so had her reconnect with her people and culture, (ofc the side effect was treating Trip like dirt sadly ) and then when she was stable again, in control, they showed that Trip still loved her for who she was, a Vulcan, and then they showed that even though she was in control of all of her mental faculties she was still in love with him, and the scene at the end of bound was a little treat for Trip for putting up with T'Pol while she was sorting her head out. I mean they did end up together. Some here have claimed *the_abomination* never existed, if that really was the case, and we have seen the script that would have been if not for *the_abomination*, they ended up contemplating a future together that involved kids.

And so, in the episode home, even though I'd have paid good money for Trip and T'Pol to have done a runner together, (with T'Les's blessing) back to Earth and got married I'm kind of glad that T'Pol got to sort her head out before they ended up together.

This may have been a seriously optimistic view, but it kind of makes sense. To me anyway.

[Alelou]

But then the whole post-Koss/born-again-Vulcan era feels like somebody's yanking our chains again.

I don't agree. Having thought about how season 4 went I think the writers wanted to make a clean start with TnT. I think they didn't want it to look like T'Pol would only marry Trip because no sane Vulcan would go near her. I think they wanted to show that she wanted Trip not because she was an addict, sick with panar, out of control and an outcast but simply because he was the one for her. So they showed that she was still wanted by Koss (The whys are not explained ofc). Then when that was out of the way they could start again and the first thing they did was attempt to rebuild T'Pol's character and self respect, they wanted her to be Vulcan again and in control and so had her reconnect with her people and culture, (ofc the side effect was treating Trip like dirt sadly ) and then when she was stable again, in control, they showed that Trip still loved her for who she was, a Vulcan, and then they showed that even though she was in control of all of her mental faculties she was still in love with him, and the scene at the end of bound was a little treat for Trip for putting up with T'Pol while she was sorting her head out. I mean they did end up together. Some here have claimed *the_abomination* never existed, if that really was the case, and we have seen the script that would have been if not for *the_abomination*, they ended up contemplating a future together that involved kids.

It's an interesting theory. I'd like to believe this was true. I guess I would have liked to have seen more of T'Pol's development going on in that case. And unfortunately, if this is what they were trying for, they paid it off with Bound, which I consider a really crappy episode (much as I delight in a couple of the scenes). It made most of the crew looks like idiots and our bondmates behaved like petulant children. That one demeaned everybody.

[Navigator]

we have seen the script that would have been if not for *the_abomination*, they ended up contemplating a future together that involved kids.

Is that script available?

[JadziaKathryn]

Really, Alelou? I thought Bound was most demeaning to the viewers, what with the extended blatant-crass-appeal-to-young-men-who-think-with-parts-of-their-body-other-than-their-heads gyrating scene.

[Alelou]

Really, Alelou? I thought Bound was most demeaning to the viewers, what with the extended blatant-crass-appeal-to-young-men-who-think-with-parts-of-their-body-other-than-their-heads gyrating scene.

Honestly, I really wouldn't have minded sexy gyrating Orion women if they were used well. That's an aspect of our society that could stand a good thoughtful science fiction analysis (and please the guys in the audience at the same time).

(Besides, I must happily plead guilty to enjoying Connor in his undies.)

[michelle]

I thought bound was just a bit of fun cos there hadn't been any in a while, get the crew acting a little silly. and the fact that Orion slave girls existed in TOS in much the same role just added a bit of continuity. (Although the dance in the beginning probably wasn't 100% necessary.)

Although you've made me think, being a 25 year old women am i wrong to not feel demeaned by it?


(I wonder why the MU Enterprise Orions didn't have any effect on the crew)