the delphic expanse

Teleplay By
Alan Cross

Story By
Rick Berman & Brannon Braga and Chris Black

Directed By
Patrick Norris
February 9, 2152


Discuss Fallen Hero here.

What I like about this is T'Pol is being challenged by one of her own people what it is to "be Vulcan." I like that T'Pol makes all these assumptions about how things should be/what V'lar would want, that she's so blinded by protocol and--dare I say--hero worship that it doesn't even occur to her that a diplomat, of all people, isn't going to be the kind of person who is going to be inflexible when it comes to other people's customs. Of *course* someone who makes their living getting to know other cultures and residing off-world isn't going to crybaby because things aren't the way they are at home.

And T'Pol continually sees this woman do very un-Vulcan things for the sake of remaining relatable to her human hosts, as well as V'Lar's curiosity about them. We all know how important this is going to be to T'Pol, but I think this is the first time it really hits home for her (and me, too, I confess, when I saw this the first time) that she's not betraying her Vulcan-ness by practicing human customs and social norms.

This is one of the first season episodes that's definitely playing with Archer/T'Pol, although it's just a deep working friendship at this point. I think T'Pol finally wins V'Lar's respect when she sticks up for Archer at the end, and V'Lar sees a great deal of potential for the future in that relationship, although she may not see it as romantic. On the other hand, I think it's clear that she's not above flirting with Archer and seems to have something of a crush on him, what with the passionfruit remark.

I think V'Lar is a great character, and I'm sorry that she never showed up again. She would have been an interesting addition to the Vulcan arc. (In one of my stories, I portray her as a substitute grandmother to the Tucker kids.)

One of the little details I like is that she's willing to shake hands and go with the flow, she's still a little awkward in her interactions with humans. She's not perfect, but she tries. I love the little scene where she's getting along with Hoshi, especially T'Pol's mild hurt/jealousy.

And, as someone who fixates on V'Lar and the character stuff, I had forgotten the intense space battles and space drag race that is pretty cool.

I adore V'Lar! She reminds me a lot of the older Spock, when he's "loosened up" a bit.

I always wondered what would happen if a scene with V'Lar and Soval were put into the series. They have very different styles. And yet, while Soval can be unbending in his manner and opinions, there's that steel in V'Lar that makes you realize that, while she can be pleasant by human standards, she can be just as obdurate as Soval. If anything, this episode lets us know that the Vulcans do have individual personalities, and they aren't all cut from the same cloth, so to speak.

I rather like this episode. The question for me is: Is V'Lar really awkward, and self-effacing, or is she a REALLY good diplomat and knows what will play well with the Humans?

I think V'Lar is doing a bit of both. I think she probably is naturally self-effacing and maybe a little awkward with humans since she specifically mentions never having been to Earth, but she speaks English and knows some of their customs. But I think she's smart and clever enough to use those natural elements of herself to help her do her job well.

Putaro wrote:I rather like this episode. The question for me is: Is V'Lar really awkward, and self-effacing, or is she a REALLY good diplomat and knows what will play well with the Humans?

I think there's a lot to this, and it's funny that this should come up now. Yesterday I was listening to an old interview with Peter Falk on NPR, which they played because he died on Thursday. One of the things he said that really stuck with me was that part of Columbo's success, both as a character and as a detective, was that he gave the appearance of being less than what he was. Watching last night, I was more focused on the V'Lar/T'Pol/Archer dynamic, but after hearing that interview and seeing you say this, it's got a loud ring of truth.

Aquarius wrote:What I like about this is T'Pol is being challenged by one of her own people what it is to "be Vulcan." I like that T'Pol makes all these assumptions about how things should be/what V'lar would want, that she's so blinded by protocol and--dare I say--hero worship that it doesn't even occur to her that a diplomat, of all people, isn't going to be the kind of person who is going to be inflexible when it comes to other people's customs.

Yes! I think T'Pol is so sensitive about her own emotional control (or perceived lack thereof) and about the criticism she's received for living among humans for so long that she goes overboard in her attempts to prove to her hero that she is a good, "normal" Vulcan.

Aquarius wrote:And T'Pol continually sees this woman do very un-Vulcan things for the sake of remaining relatable to her human hosts, as well as V'Lar's curiosity about them. We all know how important this is going to be to T'Pol, but I think this is the first time it really hits home for her (and me, too, I confess, when I saw this the first time) that she's not betraying her Vulcan-ness by practicing human customs and social norms.

A lot of people complain about how, in season 2, T'Pol eats popcorn with her hands after making such a big deal about how Vulcans don't touch food with their hands. I've seen it harped upon many times as an example of the show's internal inconsistencies. I always thought it was intentionally done to show us that she's adapting, and I think V'Lar was a major catalyst for that.

Honeybee wrote:This is one of the first season episodes that's definitely playing with Archer/T'Pol, although it's just a deep working friendship at this point. I think T'Pol finally wins V'Lar's respect when she sticks up for Archer at the end, and V'Lar sees a great deal of potential for the future in that relationship, although she may not see it as romantic.

I almost think V'Lar's comment about T'Pol and Archer's deep trust and friendship was just a little too premature. While they started down the road toward trust pretty early on ("Shadows of P'Jem!), I think "Shockwave II," when T'Pol stands up to Soval and the High Command, marks the moment when everything completely gels and it's finally safe to say that they have deep bonds of trust and friendship.

Honeybee wrote: On the other hand, I think it's clear that she's not above flirting with Archer and seems to have something of a crush on him, what with the passionfruit remark.

I always kind of thought that, too. If they'd had her on more often, V'Lar could have been his Lawaxana Troi!

Brandyjane wrote:
I almost think V'Lar's comment about T'Pol and Archer's deep trust and friendship was just a little too premature.

Maybe, or maybe not. The whole scenario turned on Archer's willingness to trust T'Pol and her willingness to call in a favor. I'm not sure if Vulcans would actually ask for a favor from one another - if not, then everything turned on T'Pol's growing understanding of Humans.

I do think V'Lar sees what T'Pol is doing as important diplomatically. She's proving that humans and Vulcans can work together and even develop respect and friendship. And you're right, Putaro, it's the moment when T'Pol asks him to risk his ship for V'Lar that's the key to the episode.