So, Why Are You A TnT 'shipper?

[evcake]

Oh yeah. And it's made watching my DVDs much more fun. So has this forum.

[justTripn]

I really liked that they were both very smart, experts in their feild, equals. I identified strongly with Trip, the "Everyman." I wanted him to be happy. I liked the way their relationship developed through a series of accidents--like Trip accidentally reading T'Pol's letter--so that they end up sharing alot of things by being side by side through good times and bad. Things they can't explain to anybody else. After everything they've been through, they don't feel they have to justify their relationship to anyone else. They are so different (aliens to each other) and yet they just move past that until they are each other's other half. I don't think T'Pol is the best possible match for Trip (in some objective E-Harmony-type sense), and yet he gets to the point where she is the one (and vice versa) and that's just that. And I like that they are both flawed characters. It all seems very real.

[JadziaKathryn]

And I like that they are both flawed characters. It all seems very real.

Yes! It drives me nuts when I read a book or see a movie and the male protaganist is perfect. (I use male because 1. I'm a woman, and 2. romances are usually for women, so the male is idealized.) It sets women up to expect these ideal men to actually exist, and let's face it, everyone's flawed. So there are things where TnT are identifiable because they make mistakes like everyone else.

[pookha]

i never was much of a shipper before but something about the two caught my fancy early one.
the whole idea of geek love and how they were working toward trying to understand each other.

to me the archer and tpol dynamic was supposed to be a greater understanding on the political arena of two different cultures, the grand scale stuff while with trip and tpol it would be the more personal understanding and bonding between two people.

and there was stuff pretty early on with trip being able to "read" her ect..

[Hondafan]

Well I am probably gonna repeat some stuff but I had never been a shipper. But the minute I saw "Broken Bow" I knew that TnT were meant for each other. Trip is the guy that every man wants to have as a best friend. T'Pol and all Vulcans in general by the nature of the characters are very appealing to a lot of people. Seriously if a ship landed on the Whitehouse lawn and out walked the Vulcans every star trek fan would die on the spot in joy. The reason why is because its human instinct to want control of everything and along comes characters who embody all that we desire.... CONTROL..

[Linda]

The characters appeal to me individually and as a couple. I like the contrast between Trip/T'Pol and the Amanda/Sarek pairing. The Vulcan/Human culture difference dynamic is fun to play with. I think I am just into Vulcan/Human pairings - even the 'odd fan fic created ones' like Soval/Amanda Cole.

[dark_rain]

**shrug**

I started reading loadsa enterprise fics. TnT's made me feel good inside, and were the only ones which did.

[enterprikayak]

I had been writing The Forgotten Time for a loooong time before I figured out what "shipper" even MEANT! I think it was JK Rowling mentioning in the newspaper about fanmail from various Hermione/Harry and Hermione/Ron "Shippers", and I'm all, "OOOOoooooh... 'reLATIONshippers...I get it now." (This is like around chapter four or something, and here I am, a regular visitor to a "shipper" site and I have no idea what the hell is going on or where my shoes are...)

I stumbled on the TnT Fic Page in Sep 2004 whilst mooning around on the internet for enterprise sites, and I thought, (having never seen 'fanfic' before) "Hmm...how strange...the denizens of this site seem to be crafting Star Trek of their OWN! Can *I* play??!" So I look up the rules. "Hmmm....how strange....the denizens of this site have created restrictions for themselves re said Trek craftiness....oh, well, when in Kronos, do as the Klingons do...."

I was seriously concerned about my ability to produce the 15 or so pages I'd clearly need at least. But then I started writing it, and the forgotten time made me as distracted as Distracted. And, apparently, from all accounts, that's saying something.

[Elessar]

^ No matter what series I watch, I always find the fan fiction to me more entertaining than the actual show.

See I'm the opposite. I got so into TnT fanfic that I'm like, "oh man, I should be really into SGA fanfic!" or "I should be really into X-Files fanfic!" or "I should be really into Voyager fanfic!" but it all left me disappointed. It sounds self-centered as a TnTer, but seriously, the fanfic I've encountered for other stuff is just CRAP. And it's not arguable based on content - I just mean quality and writing ability. We've got some real talent, and I mean HoT-TriS-Rigil/CX-Gina, etc all of us. I've just not found much elsewhere.

[snapper]

Didn't know about 'ships', like enterprikayak I was utterly ignorant of the concept until I came across HoT, and the fabulous fan fiction there (and now here!)
I too had seen the routine 'ships' in other shows, both ST and others (Tom and Torres, Buffy and Angel etc.), where the writers had to add love interests, or UST, or whatever you want to call it.
But TnT worked. Why? First, the actors. As has been said many times before, CT and JB had chemistry by the bucketloads. And second, they exploited and explored their characters, who were interesting and appealing, and made them come to life.
Even in the first season I thought they really connected - BB, SNW, BTI, Unexpected (ran out of capitals ) - TnT made me want to watch this show. It was ST, and I have to watch ST being the old trekker that I am, but I wanted to know what happened to these two people.
In season 2 I hung on for the rare and occasional TnT moments. Those moments weren't supposed to be there, but with that chemistry the actors couldn't help it!
I enjoyed season 3, the writers were finally allowed to use TnT as a couple. They could have done a lot better, lots, lots better, but at least someone had realised they ought to be together.
Season 4 was fab, but why the angst? Why do writers/producers etc like to dangle a couple in a show to entice viewers, then find all kinds of ways to keep them apart? (Bones anyone?)
I'm a TnT shipper because I cared about them! And still do. Yay fan-fic!

[blacknblue]

I'm not. I just like good stories. And you literally can't buy good sci-fi anymore, with rare and special exceptions. All the readable fiction is amateur work, and most of that happens to be fan fiction. At least, most of what I have found. The commercial publishers apparently wouldn't recognize good stories if one jumped out and bit a chunk out of their ass.

[snapper]

The commercial publishers apparently wouldn't recognize good stories if one jumped out and bit a chunk out of their ass.

LOL
How very true! But that's why I love fan fiction. Yes there is some stuff I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, but the majority of stuff here and at HoT is written by people who care about their characters, and actually understand the particular ST universe they inhabit. And long may they do so!

[Asso]

The commercial publishers apparently wouldn't recognize good stories if one jumped out and bit a chunk out of their ass.

LOL
How very true! But that's why I love fan fiction. Yes there is some stuff I wouldn't touch with a barge pole, but the majority of stuff here and at HoT is written by people who care about their characters, and actually understand the particular ST universe they inhabit. And long may they do so!

Yes, Yes, Yes!

[Reanok]

Bnb that's so true you go into any bookstore to find a good Sc-fi novel all they have is books about sleazy horror Vampire sex books everywhere on the shelves. You try to find any of your favorite authors it's pretty rare to find a new book from them. I usually order books online you sure can't find them in local stores in my town it's pretty rare they carry them. The fanfiction is so much better here some of the books I've thought of buying I started reading them they were lousy.And I didn't but them.The last new books I bought were The Good That men do and the Mirror universe books.

[Emberchyld]

The fanfiction is so much better here some of the books I've thought of buying I started reading them they were lousy.And I didn't but them.The last new books I bought were The Good That men do and the Mirror universe books.

I agree. I have a rule for a good book-- it should either make me laugh, cry, think, or all three. Lately, I've limited myself to young adult series (most of the time as good as or better than the "adult" series, and they cut the needless junk out) and the rare sci-fi/fantasy authors who I trust to write something readable. The fanfic that I've read on here has really beat many books and short story anthologies out there.

But, on the topic, I became a TnT shipper right at Broken Bow. The chemistry in the decon chamber was electric between the two characters. Unfortunately, after that episode, my interest in Enterprise waned and I only started watching right at season 3. That's when the two caught my attention again. Not so much the neuropressure sessions, but the interaction. The way that both were strong people in their own right. T'Pol didn't need saving. Trip didn't need to sleep around with every woman in the universe to prove his manliness, and had *gasp* emotions. T'Pol's struggle with her own emotions and her fears of their relationship/possible relationship (how many of us have been in that situation?).

But, what really cemented it all for me? Yes, this was fiction, but it was "real". Not a one night stand thing or a fairy tale relationship-- we got to watch the evolution from friendship to love, with the pitfalls and little lightbulbs of insight that went with it...

And I'm and engineer/science geek, so I agree with the others that geek love rules!