Working relationship

[Dinah]

It was shown on numerous occasions that Trip and T'Pol work very well together -- when they're more or less equals. When T'Pol is in charge or pulls rank on Trip, however, the results are rather different (for example in "Azati Prime" and "The Aenar").

A number of excellent stories have been written where Captain T'Pol outranks Commander Tucker. With few exceptions things go rather smoothly because their relationship has stabilized. But did they really resolve all the problems that surfaced in "The Aenar." Would Trip continue to be protective? Would T'Pol finally understand what Trip needs in a relationship and be willing to provide it? Is the bond the answer to everything? Or would the smooth sailing actually be a far bumpier ride?

[Glory1863]

Is the bond the answer to everything?

I'm going to confine myself to this.

I'm not sure the bond is the answer to anything. When I first heard about the idea in TOS, I thought it was the most romantic thing ever, but I was 10-12 years old at the time. As I got older, I came to realize that the bond is the ultimate wish fulfillment for (mostly) women who walk around thinking/saying, "If he really loved me, he'd know . . ." or "If he really loved me, he'd do . . ." It's perfect for people who don't really want to bother to communicate and who expect others to read their minds. In this, I think T'Pol and Trip are equally guilty. If you have something in your mind that your partner can get by osmosis, you don't have to verbalize a request and face rejection. You don't have to worry about getting just the right words. It's just "there."

I think another major downside to the bond is that T'Pol (or any Vulcan connected to a human) has a much better chance of maintaining a degree of privacy. Trip (or any human) is going to broadcast much more and probably rather loudly. We all have times when we could just "kill" a loved one, but we keep our mouths from saying it while we get a better handle on the situation and ourselves. The bond, for a human, would be like having no "draft" folder for that scathing E-mail you just wrote. It goes straight to "send." That can't be good for a relationship.

Speaking of privacy, would a human bumping up against a Vulcan "firewall", be more or less curious about what was behind it? Would your answer be the same if the human was Malcolm instead of Trip? Would Trip (or any human) grow resentful of not having privacy or having less privacy?

The bond is a Vulcan thing. While there are things about it that Trip would probably like, it's also a Vulcan tactical advantage over him. After all, he wasn't' asked if he wanted it any more than he was asked if he wanted to be pregnant, and there's not a lot that he can do about it on his own. Humans have a thing about having control over their own bodies.

[Kathy Rose]

Good points, Glory. A Vulcan-human bond would have to rely on a lot of mutual respect. That is, the human would have to trust that the Vulcan didn't just go poking around, while the Vulcan would have to respect the human's need for some privacy. Still, although it's the "my thoughts are your thoughts" in the ritual, there's a sense that the bond represents more an awareness of the other without actual invasion of privacy unless an effort is made to delve further. (Some novels, which we all know aren't canon, kind of get around this by having the human partner take some kind of training in Vulcan mental disciplines. Of course, the person wouldn't be as adept at it as a Vulcan, but it could serve to prevent "accidental" intrusions.) And when you stop and think about it in the context of Enterprise, Vulcans knew they were capable of melding, but didn't do so on moral or ethical grounds, probably because of their violent past.

As far as Trip and T'Pol working together ... well, it's complicated, which is probably what makes it so interesting. Remember that Trip was supposed to be the first officer, then T'Pol gets put in that position. At least during the first few seasons, I think it's natural for Trip to question or argue with her when she's left in charge because she doesn't do things the way Jon would have, and that's Trip's benchmark for a good captain. Trip hadn't learned to trust her yet.

I've always viewed it as this: Until T'Pol can stop expecting Trip to act more like a Vulcan, and until Trip can stop expecting T'Pol to act more like a human, there are going to be a lot of bumps. Some of the best fanfic that I've read about them has them accepting of each other's species' traits.

[Honeybee]

I always thought there working relationship and the eventual trust they develop in that was the basis for their personal relationship. We all know the writing was inconsistent and when she in later episodes insults him for being too human it always felt a little off because by the second season they seemed to have developed a very yin/yang relationship as far as work goes where they respected each other's strengths for the most part. She very quickly seemed to realize he was good at what he did, and he very quickly learned to respect that she brought stuff to the table.

[Brandyjane]

Good points, Glory. A Vulcan-human bond would have to rely on a lot of mutual respect. That is, the human would have to trust that the Vulcan didn't just go poking around, while the Vulcan would have to respect the human's need for some privacy. Still, although it's the "my thoughts are your thoughts" in the ritual, there's a sense that the bond represents more an awareness of the other without actual invasion of privacy unless an effort is made to delve further. (Some novels, which we all know aren't canon, kind of get around this by having the human partner take some kind of training in Vulcan mental disciplines. Of course, the person wouldn't be as adept at it as a Vulcan, but it could serve to prevent "accidental" intrusions.) And when you stop and think about it in the context of Enterprise, Vulcans knew they were capable of melding, but didn't do so on moral or ethical grounds, probably because of their violent past.

This is how I see the bond, too. I'm less fond of the idea that it's like a radio broadcast where they both constantly hear each other's thoughts. However, even if they're usually just picking up on strong emotions, it could be problematic. There are times when my husband says or does something that really irritates me, but I know that my feelings are irrational, or I'm actually mad at someone else and projecting onto him, or it's that time of the month and I'm just generally irritable. I wouldn't want him to "feel" those emotions if they weren't well-deserved. I could imagine that Trip and T'Pol could be in situations where T'Pol says or does something and Trip inwardly has strong negative emotional reactions before he has a chance to calmly assess the situation. He wouldn't want to broadcast that to T'Pol every time it happens. Another example would be if he thought something was funny that he knew she would really, really not find amusing. I know I sometimes find dark humor in situations that other people might find completely serious. Or what if Trip noticed another woman was attractive? I don't want to know if my husband finds other women attractive. I'm sure he does, but I don't want mental confirmation of it! Frankly, I think relationships need a little mystery. I'm pretty sure my husband would be forced to conclude that he was married to an awful, awful woman if he was in my head all the time. And I'm pretty sure I'd think the same of him. It's easy for us to rationalize our own "bad" behavior, but it's not so easy to extend that same leniency to others. Could Trip and T'Pol manage it? I'd think the fact that they were of different species would make it even harder to do.

I think T'Pol would try to give him as much privacy as she could - at least, I hope she would. You make some really good points about how this could resonate with Trip, Glory. Trip's certainly not handling it super well in "Demons" when he tells T'Pol he's sick of the bond. I hope he could get past that, but it would really be hard.

And that's just in their personal lives. I don't see how they could be allowed to be in the same chain of command once the bond is in place. While it might help them work more efficiently in most instances, I think it could be crippling in others. These people are the second and third in command of a starship. If Trip had command, could he be trusted to make the right decisions if T'Pol was in mortal danger? He wouldn't just know it intellectually, he would know it. I think one of them would have to be removed from the chain of command if they were going to be allowed to serve together aboard a vessel.

I always thought there working relationship and the eventual trust they develop in that was the basis for their personal relationship. We all know the writing was inconsistent and when she in later episodes insults him for being too human it always felt a little off because by the second season they seemed to have developed a very yin/yang relationship as far as work goes where they respected each other's strengths for the most part. She very quickly seemed to realize he was good at what he did, and he very quickly learned to respect that she brought stuff to the table.

Yes! In fact, I felt like in some instances they almost shared the role of first officer. There were definitely times when T'Pol had to pull rank because Trip was disagreeing with her, but there are other times when T'Pol is technically in charge but Trip starts giving orders and T'Pol not only lets him do it, but backs him. Fundamentally, these two are usually in agreement about what needs to be done. Not all, but most of the times when Trip starts rebelling against T'Pol's orders, it's a situation where he just doesn't understand what her next moves will be. (That's something the bond would probably help a lot with!) In fact, I think that deep down, Trip usually agrees with T'Pol even more than he agrees with Jon. Way back in "Fight or Flight," I got the impression that Trip agreed with T'Pol that it would be unwise to return to the alien vessel, but he's got to back up his best friend/captain. That's one reason why I think it was a good idea for Jon to make T'Pol first officer instead of Trip. Trip was too hesitant to speak up when he disagreed. But he will speak up when he thinks T'Pol is wrong, so once the trust is established between them, he makes a good third to her second.

[Aquarius]

This is a good, complex question!

First, I'll address the bond. While everyone's mileage varies on this issue, I've never believed that the bond was a constant telepathic broadcast, nor do I see entire mental conversations with actual words occurring. I see it as more of something that sits there quietly in the background -- you're aware of your mate's presence, but that's about it. Kind of like walking into a room and knowing you're not alone before you actually see the other person. I think certain things like emotional reactions, danger, etc. can spike the bond and bring it to the forefront and let one partner know what the other is feeling, but I don't think it would do that for every tedious little thing.

That said, with proper openness and meditation, I think the partners could open the valve, so to speak, and let more than that through. And I think mind melds and other touch telepathy would be more intense with someone you're bonded with.

Also, I think that there's a common assumption that Trip would always get the full strength of whatever one believes the bond to be, and would just lack any way to control it. I very rarely see much in the way of Trip's human-ness making him *less* sensitive/receptive to the bond than a Vulcan would be, though I feel this interpretation would be equally valid. Just nobody ever seems to go there.

I think there are many interesting stories to be told in the exploration of how their relationship stabilizes. I also think, however, that the authors who want everything to be picture-perfect for Trip and T'Pol outnumber (or are just plain louder than) those who want to do serious exploration of these issues. I love me some fluff, too, but my favorite stories have not been afraid to show us the not-so-pretty side of resolving these issues.

In terms of the working relationship, it's clear that they compliment each other. I honestly think that the bond would enhance that, once they got the personal and physical/mental issues with it straightened out. Again, I don't see it as an ongoing dialogue only they can hear, but I think it would help them to anticipate each other's actions, needs, and intentions as other nonverbal cues do, like facial expression or body language. People who know you well know exactly what's on your mind even when you don't say anything -- I see it as being like that.

[Dinah]

I guess the episode "The Aenar" has always bothered me a little, possibly because for once they aren't working smoothly together. They aren't exactly butting heads, but more like they're trying to find a level playing field.

I know Trip is being overly protective of T'Pol, but on the whole I tend to side with him in this rather messy situation. They don't know about the bond yet, but surely T'Pol must feel something. She must be aware of how Trip feels -- Trip is bothered by the bond, which represents a good-sized share of his problem -- but she basically gives him nothing. Earlier she'd asked him to be patient with her -- to essentially wait until she'd straightened out her life. She can still keep her distance, but if she wants to keep him, it would seem as though she has to give him something.

I know there are a number of people who think Trip was a coward for going to Columbia, but I'm not sure he had much choice.

By the time of "Bound" they're working together smoothly again. I guess it was enough for T'Pol to tell him she wanted him to stay. If I was Trip, I think I might have wanted a little more, but then maybe the bond provided all the reassurance he needed.

[Aquarius]

I guess the episode "The Aenar" has always bothered me a little, possibly because for once they aren't working smoothly together. They aren't exactly butting heads, but more like they're trying to find a level playing field.

I know Trip is being overly protective of T'Pol, but on the whole I tend to side with him in this rather messy situation. They don't know about the bond yet, but surely T'Pol must feel something. She must be aware of how Trip feels -- Trip is bothered by the bond, which represents a good-sized share of his problem -- but she basically gives him nothing. Earlier she'd asked him to be patient with her -- to essentially wait until she'd straightened out her life. She can still keep her distance, but if she wants to keep him, it would seem as though she has to give him something.

I know there are a number of people who think Trip was a coward for going to Columbia, but I'm not sure he had much choice.

By the time of "Bound" they're working together smoothly again. I guess it was enough for T'Pol to tell him she wanted him to stay. If I was Trip, I think I might have wanted a little more, but then maybe the bond provided all the reassurance he needed.

This is an area where I see Cool Vulcan Mojo (TM) exerting some influence. I've always imagined that the bond would trigger some more primal things inside Trip, like a strong desire to protect his mate. Yes, everyone wants to protect their significant other, but I mean more so. I think that was part of what was going on during "The Aenar."

Whether T'Pol felt the bond or suspected it at that point, it's hard to say. I imagine Trip had these inexplicable feelings and chalked the up to being in love, without realizing that there were other forces at work. Is it reasonable to expect T'Pol to know how a bond feels, when she's had no prior serious relationships and avoided physical contact with the man she married -- in a society that doesn't meld and won't talk about it? Maybe not. Maybe at first she thinks her feelings are a little harder to meditate away than usual. Her brain's been through a lot -- Trellium addiction, pa'nar syndrome. T'Pau cured her of the latter, but I think that knowledge/suspicion of the bond could easily get swept away in the process of trying to figure out what her new "normal" is.

So I think Trip's protectiveness was maybe the bond asserting itself, which I imagine would make him feel even more miserable under the circumstances, since he had no control over the situation. I think when they separated and Trip went to Columbia, and the bond was manifesting in more obvious ways, was when T'Pol finally figured out what was going on. I also think it's reasonable she'd still call it into question, being a professional skeptic and having no personal frame of reference for what a bond actually feels like.

In "Bound", we do see them working well together again. It makes me wonder if the bond resonated with mutual relief to be in each other's presence again. No words, just a sense of okay, this is better. And I'm certain that the bond would have reinforced T'Pol's words when she told him that she wants him to come back.

Damn, I need to write now!

[Kathy Rose]

I know there are a number of people who think Trip was a coward for going to Columbia, but I'm not sure he had much choice.

I agree with you on that. He obviously thought his situation was too untenable/angsty/unhappy for him to continue working there. I wonder if he believed he was somewhat of a coward for not sticking it out, but sometimes there comes a point when you have to cut your losses, so to speak, for your own well being. It was a normal human reaction, especially when he thought the situation was such that he couldn't change it.

[Brandyjane]

I always liked that he tried to leave. His relationship with T'Pol just wasn't working. He and T'Pol both should have tried to communicate better, but I'm not sure that T'Pol would have been ready to really make a go of things, even if he did lay everything out there for her. Trip gets a lot of criticism for putting up with too much "crap" from T'Pol. I disagree. First, even though he didn't know it, the bond was tying him to her. Second, T'Pol was dealing with a whole lot of personal issues, like the death of her mother. Trip did the right thing by trying to give her time to work through it. But he couldn't wait forever, and he showed his strength by leaving. It wasn't his fault that the bond asserted itself. As a TnT 'shipper, I'm sure glad it did, though! I'd like to think that once they both knew they were bonded they would decide that they had to be more honest with each other. But I don't think it would be all roses and magic rainbow unicorns. I like stories where they fight for their relationship, but where the problems are realistically portrayed. I think that once they figure out how to make it work - a process that would probably take a fairly long time and might even involve outside assistance from Vulcan and human counselors - they would have an incredibly strong, happy relationship.

As for the working relationship, I agree with Aquarius that the bond would help them work together even better under "normal" circumstances. I just don't know if it would ever be safe to let one of them be in command if the other's life was in danger. Perhaps they could establish special protocols for how to handle that. Then again, maybe with proper discipline and training they would both be able to be objective about it.