10 Best Star Trek Characters Only In One Episode

"Carbon Creek" is one of the best episodes of Enterprise for a few reasons. While it's largely a departure from the more regular characters and setting, it is at it's heart a story which is quintessentially Star Trek. It's a tale of three Vulcans marooned on 1950s Earth and in many ways evokes the feel of "City on The Edge of Forever."

However, of the stranded Vulcans it's not T'pol's ancestor who the audience can get behind but rather Mestral. He is a character who very much runs against the Vulcan archetype but in a way that feels natural. Where the other Vulcans may be stoic, pessimistic and lets face it a little smug, he is excited and enthusiastic for human culture and completely open minded. While the other survivors wish to remain detached he forms strong bonds with the individuals and the community as a whole in Carbon Creek and it is ultimately through his example that T'mir grows to the point where she is willing to break the rules to help a human.

Mestral loves Earth and it is through that love that we see why Vulcans and Humans are destined to be natural allies. He sees the potential of humanity and recognizes how similar the two species really are. In a show where the Vulcans are often depicted as haughty space elves, he stands in stark contrast.

For all of these reasons and for his choice to stay behind, Mestral strikes a particular chord in the imagination. And while there is no great need to see his further adventures, the idea of those adventures is fascinating.