Postby WarpGirl » Sat Sep 26, 2009 4:08 pm
Dinah Awesome topic, now I will try not to get into trouble... I honestly believe that when Archer and Trip met, they genuinely liked each other. They do have a lot in common when it comes to Starfleet, and they are two guys who like to have a good time. I mean hey people who share careers will naturally be drawn together. So I think in the beginning at least I can see why they would mesh. However, as time passed I don't see it as a true BFF relationship.
For Trip's part, I think he was a young guy who aside from being serious about engineering was a young man who liked to have fun, and according to the show, Archer had quite the good-time guy thing down. So Trip would like to go out to have fun with the guys. Boys will be boys. But I also believe it had A LOT to do with Henry Archer as well. As an engineer Trip would idolize this man, and being close to his son well that's a bonus. Perhaps Archer would share some of his dad's private notes on engineering. So professional interest would definitely play a part of it. But Trip's professional life is hopelessly intertwined with his personal life, so I don't view it as calculated oppertunism.
Now when it comes to Archer, first of all he needed Trip. In order to get that warp 2 engine working he and AJ needed an engineer, the lead engineers weren't going to disobey orders. Trip was headstrong enough, to risk it. Also Archer isn't an unintelligent man, he knows brilliance when he sees it. Trip saw the flaw in the design of the engine when older, more experienced, people missed it. Not only that he figured out how to fix it. So Archer has a young engineering phenom willing to stick it to the Vulcans. This is of use to him. Slightly more oppertunistic than Trip's motives, but still he likes the kid, and he can cut loose with him.
So over the years it grows, and Archer just by virtue of being Henry Archer's son get a TON of pull in the Starfleet brass, he knows Trip is the best, he knows he's got Trip's undying loyalty, he knows, he owes Trip for even getting the warp 5 program off the ground. But I think there is an element of posessiveness as well, Archer is posessive of his people, both professionally and personally. Look at the way he picked the crew, he picked them as his. He wasn't going anywhere without his engineer. Trip became his engineer during the hiest of the warp 2 project.
I think most of season 2 was about Archer beginning to assert his posessiveness with T'Pol. He already had that with Trip he didn't need to constantly assert his presence in the relationship. And I don't necessarily believe it was a great relationship for Trip. Archer needs all the power, and that's not healthy. I think it's because he felt so powerless in losing his dad and Emory's son.
During seasons 3-4 Trip basically grows up, he no longer is going to give Archer the same power in their friendship. Which is why I think that it can't last in terms of best friends. Malcolm became that because he is Trip's eaqual in a personal relationship.