10 Reasons Star Trek Enterprise Deserves A Second Chance

Jolene Blalock's T'Pol is another example of an excellent character arc that is lost a little by the show she existed in. She begins as a quintessential Vulcan, unfeeling and at odds with all of those around her. There was, along the way, some misuses of the character that were attempts to sex up the show a little, but these really are outnumbered by the amount of respectful appearances.

Take for example T'Pol's forced mind-meld storylines. The obvious parallel to rape aside, it is the stigma that she then faces from other Vulcans that is both deeply unsettling and upsetting for the audience. T'Pol is a character who has always been presented as strong and dignified and, whether the other characters agreed with her on occasion or not, she was as resolute as the bulkheads on the ship. The reduction of her in the eyes of other Vulcans for something that was done to her, rather than by her, is offensive and serves to strengthen the bond the others feel for her.

This is simply one example of the depth of T'Pol's character arc. Her experiences with the Kir'shara and her relationship with her mother are also wonderfully depicted, along with the heartbreaking story she faces with Trip in Terra Prime. She is a character that would still believe in the time of Pike and Kirk and would be a wonderful way to bring the shows together again. Archer and Enterprise had already been mentioned a few times in Discovery - to see the two styles juxtaposed would be worth it alone.