Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About T'Pol

[@eddiehancockii]

Never considered T'pol as a weak character. She defied the high command to stand up for veritable strangers at the time. She was forced into an act that led to her getting a "disease" (syndrome) but it was eventually cured. And, while eventually everyone on the vulcan ship succumbed to the trillium "poisoning", she did not. She fought an addiction, showing the fight many addicts face. The hard days and worse nights. The "I'll do anything for it" mentality. And yet she won. With the great support system and help from Phlox, she beat it. How is that weak? It shows that love and support is the cure. And understanding. When it's discovered that her "disease" is the result of improperly mind melds, it's then easily treated. Her episodes showed we need to help. We need to seek understanding, not judgment, of people dealing with addiction and disease. She did that. Jolene did that... through T'Pol.

[@VolkerHett]

Bravo! Couldn't have said it better!

[@drgonzo305]

Agreed, the whole arc with the trillium-D she was dealing with something no Vulcan had ever gone through in a war zone with a ship falling apart around her and still pulled through every time she was needed. I would’ve loved to seen her come to grips with being half romulan and would happily give up discovery and Picard for a season 5 of enterprise. I have no shame in admitting enterprise is my favorite Star Trek series hands done with TNG and DS9 tied for second, TOS Coming in third, strange new worlds coming 4th surprisingly. Then voyager, the second season of discovery was alright when pike was on screen and I won’t speak on Picard because every time I do I go into a seizure and try and swallow my own tongue. Same thing with discovery’s season 1 and especially season 3 which I gave a chance because of season 2 and I deeply regret that d decision, come the kid caused everything? That was the most retarded fucking think ever besides that turbo lift fight that shows the interior of discovery is a hollow shell 300km in diameter. I’d love to see T’Pol curb stomp Michael Burnham, I’d sit through a season of discovery for that but nothing less

[@virginiaconnor8350]

@@drgonzo305 I lost interest in "Discovery" when they invited Stacey Abrams on the show. Here's a woman who's running for governor and hates Ga.

[@drgonzo305]

@@virginiaconnor8350 I lost any small interest I had when one of the crew got all bitchy about being called a she and demanded to called by they/them pronouns. It was such pandering bullshit it actually made me throw up in my mouth a little bit. That and discovery being able to hold off the Entirety of 3200 era Star fleet ships even though it’s 1000 year old tech with some new stuff bolted on. That would be like a Viking longship with a CWIS bolted to the deck taking on a US carrier strike group. Honestly everything about it was just so lazily written

[@smokeacoil]

she lied about being forced

[@draege626]

One of my absolute fave characters on STE. Would love to see Jolene reprise T'Pol in SNW. There is so much more to T'Pol's arc left to be explored.

[@ferninthehouse]

Fr I would love to see her come back

[@virginiaconnor8350]

The future Cpt. T'Pol wears the official Starfleet uniform in the 5 books "Reprise of the Federation". She also grows her hair longer, like T'Pau's. Maybe by then, she no longer needs a uniform that helped her adjust to the lower gravity and coldness of the ship. I read somewhere that the ribs in her catsuit uniform structurally helped her body compensate somehow. Lt. Saavik had the advantage of having gone to Starfleet Academy, but not Sub-Cdr. T'Pol who mostly spent her time beforehand on Vulcan or the Seleya. Was she the one who only Vulcan who only lasted 8 days on a human ship? She wouldn't admit it to Cpt. Archer or Trip.

[@joegee2815]

I loved her character and was a huge fan of Enterprise. First season is a bit rough but after that it good so good. And it didn't trash the established timeline like modern crap they are churning out.

[@sniperdgs]

the skin tight outfit did help when i was younger. but the vulcan but still realizing there was some things to learn from humans was priceless

[@ferninthehouse]

@@joegee2815 3rd season is the best, 4th season is the second best tbh

[@billhill897]

She nailed the role. Blalok was the best actor doing a vulcan since nimoy.

[@BuhurtUK]

How do you feel about Tim Russ?

[@DaneK-m8h]

Hmmmm. Tim Russ is no way as good as her. You be right on that one. Edit: Einstein.

[@SirManfly]

@@DaneK-m8h T'Pol was the only reason I watched the show !

[@craigbeatty8565]

I agree. A shame it didn’t get more seasons. My frustration was it was so pacifist initially. Later it got better but I didn’t like the Nazi time travel or Noonian Singh arcs. T’Pol was the character I enjoyed seeing grow as the show progressed.

[@sspaay]

@@BuhurtUK Russ did a fine job as Tuvoc. His character was more secondary than either Spock or T'Pol, so he didn't get a chance to show his stuff as much. I thought the Tulix episode gave him a chance to display his range.

[@indranidasgupta8982]

Badly written or not, Jolene did marvelous work... thanks to her, this character is one of the best and, albeit, possibly the most underrated in the franchise.

[@justicevanpool9025]

I loved the scene and the whole arch. Really fond of Enterprise in general too.

[@jjano2320]

I think Enterprise was the best Star trek series. The writing and acting were really good.

[@SproutMeansGrow]

Definitely one of the best but Jar Jar Binks is the most underrated.

[@Laceykat66]

I agree with you except I do not think she is underrated at all. I think she made all the questionable show decisions better on screen than on paper.

[@indranidasgupta8982]

@@Laceykat66 so we agree, right? Because she’s underrated in the industry.

[@BeakersAreCool]

One of my favourite characters across ALL Star Trek, I agree with Jolene that they took T'Pol in a different direction, but Jolene for me acted like a true Vulcan. She was vastly underrated

[@jjano2320]

I agree. I don't think anyone could have done a better joh.

[@kevrod8979]

I loved how well Jolene subtly expressed T’pol’s buried emotions.

[@BoopSnoot]

Guys didn't want her emotions though. Men loved the character because it was a hot, young, exotic female that doesn't talk too much and has her emotions under control... this is a unicorn, and that magical quality was attractive.

[@OrdinaryDude]

While Jolene Blalock played a Vulcan with suppressed emotions, she was able to project more emotion than the human characters. She was my favorite character because of this, and for once it had nothing to do with the cat suits and her admittedly impressive physique.

[@bleirdo_dude]

The Holy Dopamine Ghost via Placebo Faith is strong in you.

[@strikebr]

Those pointing glass cutter boobs have nothing to do with it.

[@CarlJohnson-kk4pr]

i Agree, i dislike it when they put actresses in for their bodies, when most of them can act better than some flakey male actors, just saying.

[@SaberToothBicycle]

The boldest action we can take when attempting to foster genuine connections with one another is to expose our own vulnerabilities. For a Vulcan serving on a Human vessel, it seems logical that fostering such connections would be an essential goal--in the interest of mission accomplishment. Blalock's nuanced portrayal showed T'pol had more than just that insight, she also had the courage to follow through on it. To me, that made T'pol the most compelling character of the series--and no ordinary Vulcan. An extraordinary Vulcan.

[@Buddy74656]

T'Pol was one of my favorite characters in Star Trek, despite some of the questionable decisions by writers and costuming. I would love to see her show up in Strange New Worlds or some references to her in other areas.

[@SirManfly]

Me too !!

[@tangerinealarm]

Recently rewatching Enterprise I was really impressed with how much character Jolene Blalock brings to T’Pol. Even just her irritated glances at Archer early on, there’s so much Vulcan emotion in it. Really felt like she was working hard within the Vulcan confines to show character.

[@pafnuteus]

She was a fan of mr Spock and the whole TOS so there was no surprise :) No one deserved that role more than her.

[@arthurchadwell9267]

She had the most expressive eyes... Able to show exactly what she thought/felt, while remaining "unemotional".

[@mrock828]

T'pol and Trip were the only reason I watched "Enterprise". I just loved T'pol! You could always see her irritation just behind her deadpan deliveries.

[@jhmcd2]

I like T'Pol, and I actually liked the direction they took her character it. I think it Vulcans were one of the most explored aliens in Trek, and without seeing her character struggle with emotions the way she did, we wouldn't have been able to truly see why events in Vulcans time of awakening was so important. Me personally, I never thought of the fact they were loading her into skin tight outfits for sex appeal. But clearly it didn't work.

[@RHCole]

Ummmm 👀 I noticed 😅

[@AshenTechDotCom]

i personally have always felt that, they took/take it too far, but also why its important, thing is, emotions and understanding them both have value, but not letting yourself be controlled by them is also important.. being mildly autistic i disassociate pretty easily when things go sideways and just take action, something i realized when we had an actual fire people took for a fire drill when i was in elementary school... adults genuinely freaking out like mindless idiots... my mildly autistic arse grabbed a fire extinguisher and yelled at the janitor to grab the big "big one" the little dust ext i grabbed put the books that had caught out the big co2 one put out the projector that caught fire... the fact it took them over 2hrs to bring people back in and i had more then one adult yell at me.. then get upset and confused my little autistic arse would just ask if they wanted more of the school to burn? because i was 100% unharmed by the events, fire isnt something to freak out about, just put it out... they only stopped when the fire chief told them it was a good thing somebody put it out, the sprinklers in that area were not working so it could have gotten very bad... now... "should have let it burn" comes to mind... but hey... i was an idiot kid... i did get moved to a much better group/class after that though... with a teacher who actually liked me... i saw their going for "sex appeal" but, to me outside a couple times that make me cringe personally... it never came off as her being a fanservice char... and the "med gel" scenes... make me cringe on both a "this is generally cringe worthy" and a personal level.... the night that episode aired... my friends mother calls her husband in and.. we find out the parents got togather after smearing stinky anti-fungal gel allover eachother after helping eachother scrub down.. when you fall into an asian bog/swamp and part of why you were there was to get samples of the very things your now covered in.. yeah.. the joke since that show came out "and that kids, is how i met your mother"... and they fell in because the wooden bridge structure they were on partially collapsed, no real danger just.. gross water full of stuff that would make you itch like hell allover given the chance... the mental image of those 2..*vomits in mouth*

[@ferninthehouse]

I definitely noticed the way they tried to sexualize her but I don’t think it worked out the way they wanted it to. If anything it just added more depth to her character, showing that she had sexuality too that she wanted to explore.

[@Joreel]

I definitely agree her character was more than tits and ass, but at the same time T'Pol wasn't hard on the eyes. I'm glad she spoke up though so she could have some say about her character's story arcs.

[@schmodedo]

Agreed. But all that aside, the trips to decon were some of the best moments in television.

[@catherineperry2344]

I just finished watching every episode of Enterprise and love the show and especially the character of T'Pol. Really hope to see her and Archer again in one of the new Trek series.

[@CaptainEnglehorn]

Tpol yes, Archer no. Archer should be long dead by the time of Pike and Kirk.

[@AvoidsPikes-]

Good show

[@interestedinstuff]

Me too. Had never seen it so have only just finished the four seasons. I thought T'Pol was a great character. A shame Jolene wasn't happy, given the rest of us probably were.

[@bryanwhitton1784]

I liked T'Pol better than Trip. He was too volatile for a senior officer IMHO.

[@paulmackay7265]

In my opinion, which is so humble I don't care about it, Enterprise is the best Star Trek. Except for that friken theme song. Wow. That is a bad song.

[@georgeplimpton9429]

I NEVER thought her character was weak. ABSOLUTELY NOT! All that happened to her, and she still came out an outstanding member of Star Fleet! No, she was probably the STRONGEST character on the show.

[@Nikioko]

No. The weak characters of Enterprise were Hoshi Sato and Mayweather. The rest was stronger than most Voyager characters.

[@mikepette4422]

@@Nikioko glad you said this I agree I liked all the characters but the 2 you mentioned and glad they were kinda pushed aside for the most part as the series went on

[@treetox]

The most beautiful Vulcan ever!

[@chrisfraser5088]

I was about 16 when ENT first aired, and I remember most fans feeling like the characters felt pretty flat for a bit in season one. But Trip, Archer and T’Pol quickly became fan favourites for most of the fan base. Jolene did a great job considering all the tom-foolery going on behind the scenes at Paramount back then.

[@infantrypaladin]

She did a phenomenal job with the role, creating and bringing to life one of my favorite characters ever. Literally first character I fell for and loved watching her evolve. Imagine if she had been given more creative license with the role. Incredible! Great video. Thanks for shedding some light.

[@AvoidsPikes-]

Jolene Blalock was awesome as T'Pol. I agree with her assessment and I never knew that she is blonde. "Star Trek: Enterprise" was a really good show with great acting.

[@alf.2929]

Unfortunately, She quit acting after getting married and having kids. I guess she found more satisfaction in taking care of her family than seeking fame.

[@fadingbeleifs]

Star Trek Enterprise was very underrated and it was sad to see it end.. it felt like it was just getting started..

[@raven4k998]

yeah but it's cancelled now so do not cry😭😭

[@OivlisLHog]

especially sad to see it end to abruptly. I remember expecting a huge speech from Archer in the final minute of the series

[@poppopdadski7559]

I think Jolene Blaylock was fantastic in this role! Thank you, Jolene.

[@SeismicFrog]

Good on you for giving T’Pau a little “Heart and Soul” - this Trekkie got it.

[@InJeffable]

As soon as I heard about Strange New Worlds, I thought it would be great for Blalock to be featured in an episode as an elderly T'Pol. I'd love to see interactions between her and Spock.

[@frankharr9466]

Oh, that could be epic. She'd literally blazed the path he's taking.

[@darkracer1252]

i don't understand why they had to change her name. blalock already sounds plenty alien

[@Erlisch1337]

@@darkracer1252 shes not alien irl....

[@darkracer1252]

@@Erlisch1337 no shit fuckface. Reading isn't your strong suit is it?

[@ByloBand]

Every time I work my way through Enterprise I find myself having more respect for T'Pol. That speaks to the depth of both the writing and acting. Great character.

[@spiritualjoy721]

The writing was grossly unimaginative and severely lacking. I did not like humanizing her character but Jolene’s acting was superb!

[@Timo-wv3dd]

T'Pol is one of the best characters in Star Trek ever. And Jolene Blalock is perfect in that role 👍👍👍😍

[@MultiMoo20]

Thanks Brie!! Love your work on this channel. T-Pol was one of my favorite characters on Enterprise! ❤️

[@johanprx7985]

Brilliant. When she said "She was meant to be T'pau" at 06:58, they actually showed a piece of the rock group T'pau with Jolene Blalock's face over it. That put a smile on my face.

[@solitaryman777]

Not to mention the face of the singer of T'Pau on the gong at 1:04

[@tradcatpat2385]

That was awesome, thanks! After TOS, Enterprise is my favorite series in the cannon and vastly under-rated, at that. So it's great to get more details on the production.

[@metaphysicalArtist]

T'Pol was Awersome bring her back in Season 5 special 30 years later !!

[@mitchellminer9597]

Very interesting and insightful. Excellent video work. Thank you for posting.

[@md28stads]

The Xindi storyline was great and I loved T'pol. By season 4 the show was very strong. Paramount made a mistake because it could have gone the voyager route and really come into its own after season 4. In fact, all the 1990s series and TNG only came into their own in season 4.

[@jeffreybatten6277]

Les Moonves didn't like Enterprise. So he pulled the plug.

[@dyna66]

@@jeffreybatten6277 Get rid of STE but keep Veronica Mars. WTF?

[@Larripa6]

Thank you! I also LOVED The Xindi Arc Too!

[@jeffs6090]

One of my favorite story lines in all of Trek.

[@indranidasgupta8982]

It had a few clunkers, but the Xindi arc produced some of the show's (and arguably the franchise's) best episodes... Twilight, Similitude, Impulse, Anomaly, Doctor's Orders, Azati Prime, Damage were top tier Trek, not to mention the entire season was cohesive and tightly woven... it bought the show another season. We who were watching closely felt it....

[@susanscott8653]

I love T'pol and enjoyed the Xindi arc too. Having said that, the Trellium storyline required mental gymnastics which I still can't manage. I also thought her relationship with Trip could have been written a lot better. I would love to see both of them on SNW (you do know Trip's not dead, don't you?😉).

[@DonKelleyMusic]

This was a truly excellent collection, and is much more revealing about the details of the character and Jolene than most other similar things I've seen in the past. Extremely well done and informative, and is very complimentary to Jolene's acting chops as it should be - she was an excellent actor who happened to be stunningly beautiful, rather a similar case with 7 of 9 - both actors were far better than their initial characters let them portray. But both actors were eventually given material that would let them really act.... Jolene in particular.

[@robertszekely8686]

I must say that I liked T'Pol's character. I think Blalock played her very well. Overall, I liked the series Enterprise. I wish it would have gone longer than it did. It would have been interesting to see if she was half Romulan, but it's too bad that they cut the series short and ended if with a horrible episode.

[@chrisloesch1870]

I agree. Had seasons 5,6, &7 happened it was to be revealed that T’Pol was in fact Half Romulan via her father. Manny Coto had started outlining this in season 5 episode scripts before cancellation was announced. He also stated that Trip and Baby Elizabeth would not have died had the series continued.

[@LeeCarlson]

Those are ten things that I'm very happy to know about T'Pol. I agree with Ms. Blalock that the character was not given the opportunity to reach her full potential (which I also feel was the case with Nichole Doeber's "Ezri Dax"). However, I'm pleased with what we did see and to this day I am tickled by the episode in which the NX-01 is boarded by Ferengi and the effect that T'Pol has on the pirates.

[@LazyIRanch]

She had the lobes!😄 We watched that episode last night. My son and I have been watching every ST series nightly for the last 2 years, two episodes a night: the original, STNG, DS9, Voyager, and currently watching "Enterprise". Once we've seen all the series, we will watch the movies. I hope I live long enough to see them all! I also love the Ezri Dax character, that "old man"!

[@michaelmetler6315]

T'Pol and 7 got their clothes from Colonel Wilma Dering (Erin Grey) Buck Rodgers in the 25th Century.🖖🖖

[@indranidasgupta8982]

You're so right! Wilma's clothes were the highlight in a show that was mediocre at best (but strangely addictive to this pre-teen -- at the time).

[@ameliashephard2876]

😆😆😆 Yes!

[@MrNalajohn]

🤣🤣🤣 yes, now that you mention it.

[@apocalypseapostle8319]

It really comes down to the small details, like her coming over her biases against humans, and the humans overcoming their biases against Vulcans. Like in Dear Doctor, when Archer is starting to realize the Vulcans hesitation in humans pushing their technology too fast. You can almost feel the understanding she exudes, even with no words spoken. She earns the crews respect to the point where even Archer, that hated having her there will fight tooth and nail to keep her. When you play a character good enough, you can get someone to understand the character even without words. Blalock gives that aura to the character, it comes forth through T'Pols actions, words and struggles. Sure, a lot of people will notice the skimpy portrait, but the irony is that Blalock makes you look past that through sheer performance. That she knocked it out of the park at the audition comes as no surprise. She understood the character she was playing and had the skill to do it right.

[@KentuckyKaiju]

I think a large part of why T’Pol’s character works in spite of the questionable writing decisions comes down to the fact that Blalock had a very clear (and largely correct) idea of how Vulcan characters should act and behave, and kept that vision at the fore even when needing to portray story beats that wouldn’t necessarily be befitting of a ‘classical’ Vulcan character. This clearly sometimes required substantial effort on her part to drag the story along that track, but I think that effort was worth it, since that determination ended up adding both a breadth and depth to what we as fans consider as part of Vulcan characterization that’s allowed for a lot of later portrayals such as Quinto and Peck’s takes on Spock, which are allowed to be more openly emotional than Nimoy’s version because they can develop their characters using the template that T’Pol’s character built up. It would be lovely to see T’Pol in Strange New Worlds, not least because it would be nice to see what can happen when the writers work with Blalock and not against her for a change.

[@sigurdrr1015]

Enterprise. That show deserved another season. Was much better than people gave it credit for. And Blalok acting surpassed her looks. And even with so many ups and downs Tpol had amazing and intense arcs

[@Audiogeek-kf2ez]

The episode "Carbon Creek" is still the best crossover into the human world.

[@miklosernoehazy8678]

@Audiogeek 1958 ...for your fascination and contemplation, scroll to my comment/"pop-up internet theory"...

[@b.t.walker2295]

Carbon Creek was my favorite episode. Velcro - who’d a-thunk it?!?

[@markjohnstone5919]

T`Pol was the most interesting character in Enterprise. The Vulcan Intelligence plot would have formed a very good mini-series. The character was also undervalued in my opinion.

[@tobyrock7194]

This show was so underrated. .

[@moi621]

Episode: Carbon Creek referencing her Great, Great Grandmother having been to Earth in the 50's and secretly keeping a purse inheritance. Carbon Creek is one of my favorite T'pol episodes And always overlooked as a "great" episode. T'pol's family had experience with Earthlings + inheritances And don't forget Smell numbing drops helped her in the earliest weeks on Enterprise. Soon she didn't need them to block the stench of humans. 🙂

[@miklosernoehazy8678]

...please scroll to my comment/"pop-up internet theory"...

[@moi621]

Wow! I am not alone regarding "Carbon Creek" Thank you.

[@frankharr9466]

T'Pal was great. And I liked a lot of what they did with her. I really liked that T'Pol and Trip were so different, it brought out different factors of each. I didn't think she was a Week Woman, I thought anyone in that situation would have been week. Or rather look week. The fact that despite what was against her and she still stood up to it showed a lot of strength. She was also, in many ways, very sheltered. And yet she stuck it out, won her crewmates over and thrived. And this is something no other Vulcan had been able to do by that point. Sounds strong to me. But she was right. T and A is not a substitute for a good story and they tried that more than they should have. As an addition, O.K., but not a substitute.

[@brownro214]

C'mon Frank, it's weak, not week (seven days).

[@dinomonzon7493]

Yes, Bree’s back! 🖖 I liked the Xindi Arc myself- in effect, it was Star Trek’s take on 9/11 and it was well written, with Captain Archer again having to face his prejudices as he faces down the Xindi in the Delphic Expense. As a Xindi species miner reminds him in “The Xindi”: “Remember, Captain. Not all Xindi are your enemies.” It makes Jonathan Archer much like Jim Kirk in that respect given his antagonism towards Klingons in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country.

[@SighManP]

Good episode and I loved the visual edits Martin - especially the Carol Decker references

[@BuhurtUK]

Thanks, glad you liked them 👍

[@markl1733]

I have always loved the T'Pol character, as well as the way Jolene Blalock played the role. For a Vulcan to go through all of the many emotional experiences she had serving on a ship with humans and interacting with countless different unknowns, and yet still somehow maintain her sense of identity and integrity without completely losing it--now that's a strong character. I think perhaps one of the best scenes in the series to illustrate this is the end of the episode where she sits with Trip holding his hand fighting to maintain her composure in the midst of personal grief after the hybrid baby that was created from their stolen DNA samples does not survive. As for the sex appeal, no question that was a big drawing point for male viewers such as myself, but it was T'Pol's relationships with other characters that truly made her so fascinating.

[@MrColinWarde]

Enterprise is still my favorite Trek series despite it's ups and downs. I love T'Pol. All of the novels following the series help with the cathartic loss I feel for the show.

[@ChapterGrim]

T'Pol was a genuinely compelling character, and Blalock definitely made her so - I do like her relationship with Trip though her critique is warranted...

[@kenwheeler3637]

I've always liked T'Pol. I would love to see her show up in SNW.

[@woongah]

I confess that at the beginning of Enterprise I found Blalock's acting a bit wooden - appropriate for the character, maybe, but indicative of someone whose line of work had not always been acting. She grew in the role pretty fast, though, and displayed a great ability in conveying T'Pol subtle sarcasm... With her and Jeri Ryan, Star Trek lucked out and got arguably more than the producers were looking for.

[@garymay2801]

Vulcans would be the most boring and snobby aliens on Star Trek if played as described when ST first started {very intelligent, physically strong, with no emotions} Leonard Nimoy knew that and used subtilty and the raised eyebrow to let the audience know how he felt while still suppressing his emotions. Though when the situation required his emotions would overcome his stoic veneer {when Spock saw Kirk alive after he thought he had killed his Captain and best friend in "Amok Time"} Spock lost his emotional control in some episodes for varying reasons {spores, going back millennia in time}. So it is unusual for a Vulcan to lose emotional control but not unprecedented. At any rate I think Jolene did a fantastic job on Enterprise having problems with emotional control while fighting addiction to Trillium-D. She used subtilty much the same way as Nimoy did with the raised eyebrow Jolene used her eyes and expression to show frustration with her human crewmates. At any rate I wish Paramount+ would bring Enterprise back and give it the proper ending it deserves, with the original crew. [ [

[@jimkirk4357]

T'Pol was the most likeable character on that show. She was intelligent, loyal, funny, stubborn as well as cool and sexy. She was playful but reserved. She held her own and more than pulled her own weight. Her character arc was far and away the most compelling. The actress gave a virtuoso performance that was always riveting. There's nothing wrong with having a beautiful, sexy female character as long as she's well acted and integral to the stories. Jolene Blalock was all that and more. Thank goodness for her excellent portrayal of T'Pol. My daughter's loved her too.

[@herrakaarme]

I don't think I'll ever understand the objection to having sexy characters, as long as they are otherwise well written, aren't absolutely overbearing, and contribute to the plot normally, like T'Pol very much did, being one of the best characters in the show. When humans hit puberty, they become very interested in eroticism. Humans would be an extinct species if that wasn't true. It's one of the basic needs of living organisms, just like eating or sleeping. It possibly gets more views? What exactly is bad about that? Shows live or die depending on their audience numbers. The only objectionable thing, outside of sheer porn, is to have characters that have no other role but to be sexy, and would thus be objectified. T'Pol was anything but that. Add to that in most shows male characters are hunks, more or less. Even if it is difficult for me to judge as another man, but couldn't they be then also judged as being there for sex appeal? Archer, Trip, and others weren't ugly, greasy, overweight dudes.

[@james5460]

Good summary of her character. I think Jolene was outstanding, the best thing about "Enterprise," and she had precisely the right attitude about it. A real gem in the Star Trek universe. Too bad we didn't get seven seasons, woulda coulda shoulda.

[@amenra13]

I love the fact that Enterprise showed that Vulcan society was significantly different in many aspects that have never been shown before. It added complexity not just to T'Pol's character, but to the entire Vulcan culture. It has long been understood that Earth and Vulcan had strong ties of friendship, but that friendship had a rocky start after the initial first contact. It is well known that Vulcans had a strong influence over Earth culture, but Enterprise introduced the significant impact Earth had on Vulcan culture as well. Most people understand the gravitational pull that the sun has on Earth without realizing that the Earth also has a gravitational pull on the sun. I find T'pal story arc to be amazing for a Vulcan. Mind melding for the first time, drug addiction, socially ostracized for an illness, becoming a dissident, breaking away from the Vulcan High Command career, and so much more! It's very similar to thinking that you know exactly who your parents are as lame individuals and later finding out all of these complex, exceptional and not so great moments about them when they were a teenager and young adult. This different aspect of Vulcans was unfamiliar and unsettling at first, but then I learned to embrace it and celebrate the writers of Enterprise for introducing it into the canon.

[@jimmyholloway8527]

That shot of the Orion guard holding T'Pol up to the crowd "for consideration" is one of my favorite. Her blase demeanor throughout is a fantastic example of Vulcan emotional control. T'Pol and Tuvok are my favorite portrayals of full-blooded Vulcans. Unless you take seriously the Romulan rumor regarding her father.

[@mariajohnson-tanner2720]

T'Pol is half Romulan.

[@davidmundy2906]

Jolene played in another one of my favorite series, SG-1. She wasn't in there for too long, but did a great character which I liked very much.

[@ngawaioverend3048]

Loved T’Pol’s character proving what an amazing actress she is

[@jorgnocke991]

Great video thank you so much please keep up your amazing works they safe and levelong and prosper🖖🏻

[@darktimesatrockymountainhi4046]

T'Pol is PERFECT just the way she is! (was? will be?...). Consider this: She is the Everyman! The reputed unemotional character is the one we the audience identify with. Tripp is TOO emotional, Archer is intuitive and wishy-washy, and the Doctor is like the Chorus, commenting on everything & stirring up trouble. She & the Doctor are the strongest, most rounded characters, but the Doctor is often just comic relief or setting support. These male elements frame T'Pol front & center, and the audience identifies with T'Pol. Any inconsistent Vulcan characteristics help us identify with her, allowing us to "feel" & "appreciate" the Vulcan perspective - while being occasionally taken aback by Tripp's whimsey or Archer's impulsive or dumb decisions. This is part of the reason why I believe Enterprise is all about the Vulcans - and thus it's about T'Pol.

[@saabjunkieSPG]

I really love the fan film “blood and fire”. Thanks for showing that.

[@bf945]

Blalock was superb as T'Pol. Kudos.

[@Bellthorian]

LOL That scene where the Big Show is dressed as an Orion and lifts her by her waist and shows her off like a doll is hilarious.

[@RHCole]

T'Pol being half Romulan makes sense on sooo many levels.

[@88freighttrain]

T'Pol with straight up attitude.

[@markcostello4844]

It was her personality. She started from being a simple Vulcan to dealing with humans . I think she did well and found her Adoreable at the end

[@nicholasmaude6906]

I'm disappointed the way Enterprise ended as I wanted to see Trip alive and well happily married to T'Pol.

[@crystalheart9]

Supper bummer.

[@jamesoncross7494]

I miss the show. She did an awesome job. The whole cast did. I couldn't understand why the rating dropped. Too bad.

[@sheilarough236]

T’Pol was one of my favorite Star Trek characters.

[@Aurinkohirvi]

My favorite Vulcan, and not just because of the looks. And I like Spock too, and not just Nimoy's Spock. Loved the character, how she struggled with the barbarian (human) crew, and all the stupid decisions they made. But still she was fascinated by humans and their culture - just living with them was real hard. She's brave, well meaning and friendly person, funny (yeah, Vulcan humour), an ideal shipmate, actually.

[@erictaylor5462]

9:20 It is possible, even likely that the Romulans had discovered (or at least had historical records) of Vulcan. And, do to their similar appearance would likely have desired to learn more about them. It's also possible that the Vulcan government knew about the Romulans but had kept this secret from their own people and the rest of the Federation.

[@captain_misaki]

Romulans *are* Vulcans. They are "those who marched beneath the raptor's wings" who left Vulcan behind before the Peace of Surak. Source: Diane Duane's "Rihannsu" series

[@littlekong7685]

I could see the Romulans exploiting Vulcan ignorance of their whereabouts (or even survival post separation) to spy on their "weak and inferior" cousins. Stealing data, and technologies and getting (wrong) impressions of the other powers in the region. Seeing Humans as an easy weak target, starting a war with drone ships and getting surprised by Human tenacity and ingenuity and being forced into a truce after the Humans discover where their home system lies (without going there of course). The famous Earth/Romulus war that was the last great Nuclear war of the era, that brought about the advancement of Earth ships and solidified the technical superiority of Starfleet for decades to come.

[@erictaylor5462]

@@littlekong7685 Want to know something cool. Of course the Romans did not call their language Latin. They called it something else: Romulan. Also, there was an anomaly with the Orbit of Mercury that was known at the end of the 19th Century. The orbit didn't quite match Newtonian physics. A similar anomaly with the orbit of Uranus lead to the discovery of Neptune, so it was thought that an unknown planet could be the cause of this anomaly as well. That undiscovered hypothetical planet was named Vulcan. Turned out it was the theory that caused the anomaly. Einstein presented a better theory of gravity and Mercury's orbit matched that theory perfectly, so that killed Vulcan in real life. Vulcan, it turned out wasn't a planet. It didn't even exist. That is something those Pluto-philes should keep in mind. At least Pluto actually exists.

[@stephenarmiger8343]

Thank you for this!

[@Tryst46]

T'Pol was the highlight of the series for me. No, not because of the skin tight costumes either. The constant struggle against Vulcans violent emotional history was first introduced and partially explained by Spock in STO but the STO series never really delved very deep into it beyond the Pon Far episode. T'Pol showed tat Vulcans had to be constantly vigilant in order to avoid slipping back into the barbaric nature of their ancestors and how easy it was to slip. Her story, in essence, was a very powerful one that I enjoyed following and Jolene was perfectly cast for the role, being able to disassociate her bridge duties from her internal struggles with an ease that made it seem more realistic.

[@DrFroyd123]

Started as eye candy, obviously. But Jolene did her best and made T'Pol an excellent, remember-able character

[@xthe_moonx]

i hope she shows up in strange new worlds!!

[@GabePuratekuta]

Well, Vulcans aren't really known to wear sandals.

[@88freighttrain]

If and when she does, it will be interesting to watch her characterization applied.

[@markallen2984]

Jolene Blalock did an excellent job as T'Pol. I think she took the role very seriously and she came across to me as somebody serious about but slightly peeved with her assignment. I admire her integrity and her concerns about the consistency of the character with established Trek history. And although it's s obvious they used her as eye candy, frankly I didn't mind a bit because she was compelling enough as an actress that it did not diminish her portrayal of T'Pol.

[@dinomonzon7493]

I much prefer T’Pol over Seven of Nine. Her role as First Officer/Science Officer to Captain Jonathan Archer was far more valid than that of Seven’s (who was initially cast for ratings boost on Voyager). T’Pol was certainly important in Enterprise- she helped Capt. Archer get past his prejudices against Vulcans, and as the show went on, the episodes that spotlighted her (“Fallen Hero”, “Stigma”, “Shadows of P’Jem”, “Homecoming”/“The Forge”, “Carbon Creek”) was a way to show how Vulcan and it’s beliefs were back in the 22nd century. As for the fan servicing, again it was nowhere near as open as Seven of Nine’s- and it’s not as if T’Pol was the only one on the NX-01 whose looks and appeal were seen; Hoshi Sato certainly didn’t lack in looks. Besides, it’s not as if that prior to Seven that characters sported form fitting outfits- see Deanna Troi’s jumpsuits in ST: TNG prior to the events of Chain of Command. T’Pol, Hoshi (and Deep Space Nine’s Kira Nerys) certainly showed they had appeal, beauty and intellect in their series.

[@gordonwallin2368]

Cheers from the Pacific West coast of Canada.

[@sjprdude]

Although she was used for ratings, she was also well written turning her into the first real Vulcan ally to humans. That is why we love her and want her back!

[@freyatilly]

Thanks for this insight. I only watched a couple of episodes, but it was T'Pol who I acknowledged and rooted for the most, and was the only reason I gave this version of the star trek franchise a 2nd chance. She was the only standout character and, by far, had the better actor portraying her. Be nice to see this character revived in other Star Trek stories.

[@FeeriiEekii]

Imho one of the best characters in Enterprise, hoping for Blolocks return in SNW🤞🖖

[@naralein7495]

I've always loved T'Pol's subtle humour

[@MrHusker1996]

T'pol was an amazing character, she was the guide and mentor for the human's first track through the stars, she gave good advice without pushing her own ways on the humans. She absolutely should have had a proper uniform, but then again those were never star trek's strong point. As someone who got to star trek relatively late, she was my "Spock". And now knowing the actress had so much respect for the universe, you just don't get that anymore today with spin offs and reboots not having any respect for the original, it only grows my respect for the actress as well as the character.

[@benjaminhurrell7094]

The editors tPau china im the hand drop in... is subtle, beautiful and i respect this 😊😂

[@KilgrenII]

This was fascinating... as I always liked this character portrayal and was one of the redeeming qualities of this much (and falsely) maligned show! Jolene Blalock was a credit to the genre and canon... and I would love to see her character's return on STRANGE NEW WORLDS! 🖖🤨

[@halfbakedmedia]

Yeah, Enterprise was good, despite what people think of it. Kind of a slow burn, just takes a bit of getting used to. The finale royally pissed me off, though.

[@Just_Call_Me_Tim]

Subcommander T'pol is in my top three favorite Star Trek characters of all time and, along with Gary Graham (ambassador Soval), Jolene Blalock absolutely NAILED her portrayal of Vulcans. 🖖🏻

[@Galaxy2517]

The tension between T'Pol and Trip was what kept many watching to see more.Great actors and storyline.

[@22steve5150]

I still think that show deserved a couple more seasons. It would have been nice if it would have covered the Earth-Romulan war and ended at the conclusion of that war.

[@JamesDOConnor1916]

Thanks brie for your informative piece on T'pol I have a lot of respect for her character and the actress who played her 😀 we need more confident strong females 💪

[@stevenewman1393]

🖖😎👍Very cool and very nicely well done and very informatively explained and executed in every detail way shape and form on this format and subject matter on and about everything about T'POL of Startrek Enterprise!.

[@CaptainEnglehorn]

Wait Brie I don’t understand how you can agree with Jolene’s assessment of T’Pol as a “weak woman” for being an addict and still like the character. T’Pol is many things, but weak is not one of them. With the exception of the oversexualization the character received, I disagree with every single one of Blalock’s complaints. This was 100 years before the time of Spock, and she forgets that a species can culturally change in a century. Vulcans being more emotional in the time of Enterprise is just an example of that. And her relationship with Trip is the best Star Trek couple bar none.

[@AvoidsPikes-]

But nothing beats the wedding of Worf and Dax though.

[@PotentFrost]

I thought the drug storyline didn't make sense for the character either. The rest of it fits but not the drug one. For me no Vulcan would let themselves slip as far as she did

[@CaptainEnglehorn]

@@PotentFrost no species is perfect. To think otherwise is illogical

[@CaptainEnglehorn]

@@PotentFrost vulcans have many abilities that humans do not but that does not make them superior to humans. Also, to my understanding that was her first ever experience with trellium d, and the crew of the Selaya were the first vulcans to ever interact with it and it drove them all insane. You can't sat that an experience like that wouldn't effect T'Pol on an emotional level. Vulcans are not robots.

[@zaatas]

@@CaptainEnglehorn Are you kidding me. They are stronger, smarter, they live longer, and they are telepathic. What can humans do better? Endure the cold a little better? Ooooooooo.

[@michaelfinger6303]

T`Pol was one of the greatest characters in STE, great storylines loved the show Scott Baracula also did a great Captian a mix between Cisco and Picard.

[@TheFrugalAudiophile]

I too enjoyed the Xindy conflict storyline.

[@callmepotato]

"I liked the Xindi Arc" And with that I liked and subscribed. I knew I wasn't the only one!

[@albertpercu]

one of my favorites characters in the franchise.

[@jokerace8227]

I actually quite like Star Trek Enterprise, and I'm still annoyed it didn't get the full 7 seasons, even all these years later. Jolene's critiques about her own character are understandable, but I think we all kind of laughed early on suspecting they'd naturally write the script progression to where it wouldn't work out with Trip. T'Pol is a fascinating character overall, and Jolene did fantastic work acting the part. For me it usually was T'Pol and Phlox keeping the episodes interesting.

[@bazookajoe2625]

This show was great, and it should have ran for 7 seasons.

[@uliseschialva]

Jajajaajajaja.. tha face of T´Pau (the singer) singin China in your hands, projected on the vulcan gong is a priceless easter egg...!!!!! xDDD Great video as always!

[@InsaneProf]

The group was called T'Pau - named after the character - Carole Decker was the singer's name.

[@AvoidsPikes-]

@@InsaneProf "Heart & Soul" jammed!

[@uliseschialva]

@@InsaneProf You, re right!

[@astroferret4700]

I actually loved T’pols character

[@strikebr]

If we are talking about her today, and we can watch the show. She earned her place on Trekker's heart.

[@joe9739]

Mirror T'Pol makes my wrist hurt💪👏👏

[@FreeSpirit47]

I would love to see the character of T'Pol in SNW. Jolene is such a good actress!

[@CeliniaGava]

I'm with the majority of people here in that I liked her character a lot! I enjoyed the development of her character over time and would have loved to see the Romulan father storyline play out.

[@courteouscarpenter7811]

yes please give me more Star Trek Enterprise content. And a lovely job by the presenter. Peace and be well