Why were the bolians never developed?

[JirinPanthosa]

They're well established as one of the founding races of the Federation. They're blue, there's several minor characters of the bolian race. Having sex with them carries health risks. Yet we know nothing real about them. Why were they never used? I only saw the first two seasons of Enterprise, but that would have been the perfect time to develop them, and I assume they weren't suddenly developed in seasons three and four.

[junxon]

well they weren't one of the founding species, the andorians were. and i guess introducing another blue species would've been too much blue. plus andorians are far cooler.

[teacake]

The farting.

[R. Star]

Personally one of my favorite extras was that paranoid Bolian in the Adversary.

[T'Girl]

If you think about it, they were "semi-developed." We saw several over time, in different jobs. They helped us see somethings about the Federation, they have (maybe) same sex marriages, a economic system that involves banks, starfleet vessels have civilian workers/contractors on board (barbers).

In addition to being blue, we saw a grey as well, I liked they weren't depicted as a single skin color.

[Timo]

Regarding what was established, we never really learned that the grey individual from "Conspiracy" would have been a Bolian. Or that the Bolians would be UFP members of any sort, least of all founders. To the contrary, the first-ever appearance and mention of a Bolian (albeit a fake one) in "Allegiance" indicated that Bolians pursued an independent foreign policy, wrt the Moropa.

Granted, Andorians and Tellarites were also "maintaining an uneasy truce" with each other once, sort of - but that was semi-friendly banter between UFP members. The Moropa did not appear to be UFP members any more than the Bolians did.

Timo Saloniemi

[The Wormhole]

Timo wrote:

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Regarding what was established, we never really learned that the grey individual from "Conspiracy" would have been a Bolian.

That was the intent. The name Bolian is derived from Cliff Bole, director of the episode which introduced the species. Bole directed Conspiracy, not Allegiance.

Or that the Bolians would be UFP members of any sort, least of all founders. To the contrary, the first-ever appearance and mention of a Bolian (albeit a fake one) in "Allegiance" indicated that Bolians pursued an independent foreign policy, wrt the Moropa.

Granted, Andorians and Tellarites were also "maintaining an uneasy truce" with each other once, sort of - but that was semi-friendly banter between UFP members. The Moropa did not appear to be UFP members any more than the Bolians did.

Although it is true that a deleted scene from a TNG episode indicated Bolians were not membes of the Federation, later episodes seem to imply they are. DS9 even featured a Federation ambassador who was a Bolian.

[Timo]

That was the intent.

And the intent was to have Data be the handiwork of ancient aliens, Klingons to be UFP members, and Leslie Crusher to be a pretty little girl. The intent was dropped at various relative points: Leslie became Wesley for the very first episode, Data became Soong's son by middle first season, having remained indeterminate until then, and Klingons actually were canonically referred to as members once before the intent was nullified.

The intent to have Captain Rixx be Bolian just represents another point on that continuous scale: he was never established as one, and all the evidence conspires against him being one, as he doesn't look the like one!

Perhaps Rixx would be half Bolian or something, losing his blueness and transverse color patterns on the skull that way - and Mitena Haro would gain her hair and eyebrows the same way?

DS9 even featured a Federation ambassador who was a Bolian.

TNG featured a Federation emissary who was a Klingon...

Timo Saloniemi

[Unicron]

His makeup is pretty close, though, even if it's not perfect by the makeup standards used for later Bolians. Rixx was originally conceived as being Andorian, but Rick Berman (IIRC) wanted a new alien instead because he thought the Andorian makeup was too goofy looking.

[sbk1234]

I may be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that Rixx's makeup was actually blue, but the lighting they used on the set made it appear that off-greyish indeterminate color.
Perhaps someone could confirm or refute this.

[Therin of Andor]

Timo wrote:

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Regarding what was established, we never really learned that the grey individual from "Conspiracy" would have been a Bolian.

Actually, even though he may have appeared more grey onscreen, Captain Rixx was very definitely blue. Then-staffer Tracy Tormé once revealed at a New Zealand convention that his original proposal for "Conspiracy" included an Andorian, and it would have been their first TNG appearance. Rick Berman told Tormé: "We don't do antennae on this show."

So the makeup artists went ahead and did a blue alien anyway, simply leaving off the "hokey" antennae. And the Bolians were born.

In fact, if I recall correctly, Dexter Remmick was originally suggested as Andorian in his first appearance, but that idea was quashed early. Remmick returned in this one, and they finally got a blue alien, Rixx, past Berman.

sbk1234 wrote:

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I may be wrong, but I thought I read somewhere that Rixx's makeup was actually blue, but the lighting they used on the set made it appear that off-greyish indeterminate color.

Ha. Didn't see your post. Yes, it was due to the weird lighting on the planetoid, IIRC.

And the lighting on Lal's Andorian persona, in "The Offspring" (and Shran's daughter, Talla in ENT), gave them a greenish hue.

The "Enterprise" Andorians have an orange base coat of makeup, when allowed a more pure blue topcoat to show as reliably blue. Talla probably had no orange base because she was half Aenar.

[T'Girl]

Timo wrote:

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... in "Allegiance" indicated that Bolians pursued an independent foreign policy, wrt the Moropa.

But we've seen examples that the Vulcans do the same thing, have a independent foreign policy, and have their own embassies with foreign powers.

Or that the Bolians would be UFP members of any sort, least of all founders.

Never spelled out, but there are indications that the Bolians are members at some level. As far as being "Founders" of the Federation, I've never seen that.

The Moropa did not appear to be UFP members any more than the Bolians did.

There no sign that the Moropa are Federation members. The Bolians could have had a conflict, even a war, with the Moropa and made the decision not to bring in the Federation. Today, nations do fight wars, and not ask their alliances for help, even when they can.

[Drago-Kazov]

We need aB olian admiral in the new Trek movie or something.These guys are like the twileks in SW or the wookies.

[Bry_Sinclair]

I really like the Bolians and do think they need to be developed, though lots of interesting titbits have been thrown our way over the year that makes them sound like a very cool species.

Whenever we get a new series, I'd love to see one included either as a main character or recurring one, so we can learn more about them. Or how's about one character each of the three big blue species: an Andorian Security Chief, a Bolian Doctor, and a Benzite Conn Officer

[Tosk]

Timo wrote:

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[...]all the evidence conspires against him being one, as he doesn't look the like one!

He looks like a Bolian to me. Apart from the obvious ridge running along the middle of his head, his coloring is almost a perfect match for Mitena Haro, a confirmed Bolian.