Star Trek: 10 Things You Didn't Know About T'Pol
She was the first Vulcan to serve long-term aboard a Starfleet vessel, but never got the uniform.
T'Pol was to Enterprise what Seven of Nine was to Voyager - she was brought in to appeal to audiences who were fans of tight catsuits and slender women. However, the production team did make an extremely savvy decision that frankly saved the character - they cast Jolene Blalock in the role.
Much can (and will) be said about the various decisions that were made surrounding T'Pol's arc on the show, and the repeated attempts to get more and more skin on show, but Blalock managed to deliver a performance that has allowed the female Vulcan to stand the test of time. Now, twenty years after the show premiered, there are calls for T'Pol to make an appearance in Strange New Worlds.
It was far from easy sailing for her. T'Pol dealt with stigma and addiction storylines, along with a very up and down relationship with Trip. She was given the unenviable task of trying to boost the ratings as they slipped, which fell on the shoulders of Blalock and the costume department.
So, why is T'Pol loved as she is? What did she do that made her stand out so much?
10. T'Pol Vs T'Pau
T'Pau first appeared in the Original Series' episode Amok Time. She was revered enough to make a personal request of Starfleet - allowing the Enterprise to stay in orbit of Vulcan while Spock underwent Pon Farr - and to have it granted. One hundred years prior to this, she was slated to be the longest serving Vulcan on a Starfleet vessel - and she was to be played by Jolene Blalock.
T'Pau was originally to be the officer serving aboard Enterprise. This would lead to her understanding of humans, which in turn would lead to her becoming such an important voice on the Federation political circuit.
However, there were concerns over the licensing rights to the character, who had been created by Theodore Sturgeon when he was writing Amok Time. In a scenario similar to the Tom Paris/Nick Locarno switch that occurred between The Next Generation and Voyager, the character was remodeled so that Enterprise wouldn't have to pay royalties for the use of T'Pau in every episode that she appeared in.
The character would however go on to actually appear in the show's fourth season, played by Kara Zediker.