Pegmumm wrote:Hmmm...
It must be my profession coming out but I saw the characters as limited by their isolation from each other and those closest to them.
Archer: son of a gifted man, who existed in his father's shadow, constantly attempting to become something greater than he saw his father becoming. He became something just short of a Messiah figure. No one can go through so much without cracking... but that's another story line of mine. He grew... but towards something unbalanced and fragmented. I saw him as having a death wish... to avoid becoming something he didn't want to be...but was forced into.
T'Pol: we judged her by human standards which is a disservice to her. The series was deliberately limiting of any real meaningful interaction because it ruined their story arcs. I prefer to see her as someone that overcame her societally ingrained isolation and choose a life with Trip instead of the stagnation that was demonstrated by her society. She showed an incredible amount of growth during the series... as did Trip. Creating a bond deliberately wasn't really explored. She harbored a biological desire for another... and couldn't bring herself to admit it even though her body insisted she listen.
Trip: Like many great minds, he was isolated intellectually. How do you get a commission on the first warp 5 Starship, show brilliance in your professional life and yet be so hindered in your personal interactions. He showed great courage and bravery... but was beaten with tragedy after tragedy. If he were a patient of mine, I'd have him evaluated as danger to self. I was impressed that he reached out to the one female character as brilliant and isolated as he was. He became everyman... who loved a seemingly cold woman... and haven't we all been in a love that was unrequited?
Hoshi: it was ironic that a communications officer would have been isolated as a child by her giftedness. Private tutors, no interactions with other children. She watched as an observer, not really interacting. It makes her an easy character to write for since she is so undefined.
Malcolm: a victim of his father's expectations... just like Archer. He became isolated, even his parents knew nothing about him. His fear of opening up to even his best friend, Trip, was palpable. He balanced testosterone with his intimacy needs. (sorry, therapist coming out here.) He and Hoshi would gravitate towards each other, each learning about how to communicate... much like children do.
As far as evolution goes... it's all in your imagination. I am a sci fi collector, a "Trekkie" if you will...we, as fans, created the phenomenon that still demands that new movies be created... and its been over 40 years since I first saw TOS as a teenager. (Yeah I am that old) It is only through our continued demand for the evolution of Star Trek that keeps the legend alive.
Your characters are each uniquely your own, we each hold a piece of that world within us... and it's all marvelous.
peg
I wanted to quote this post "entirely", because it is absolutely brilliant.