Why were the bolians never developed?

[JirinPanthosa]

And one of the crewmembers murdered by the cardassians on Empak Nor, and one of the Maquis in Learning Curve, and the barber on the Enterprise. Lots of bolian extras have always been wandering around.

And you're right, the Bolians were never firmly established as one of the founding races but heavily implied. Like when Kai Winn said "Would you sacrifice Vulcan? Or Bolias? Or Earth?" Or other cases in DS9 when Bolias is referred to as being very close to Earth. Closer than Betazed, farther than Vulcan. If Bolias was not one of the founding planets of the Federation, it is very close to Earth and considered one of its core races.

[Tosk]

JirinPanthosa wrote:

---

Like when Kai Winn said "Would you sacrifice Vulcan? Or Bolias? Or Earth?"

Unless I'm remembering the wrong episode, she actually said Berengaria, not Bolarus.

[T'Girl]

Kai Winn said:

"Can you promise me that you will not let one Jem'Hadar soldier set foot on Bajor? Can you promise me that you will use your entire fleet to protect our planet, even if it means sacrificing other worlds, like Vulcan, or Andor, or Berengaria, or perhaps even Earth itself?"

[Tosk]

[The Wormhole]

Berengaria of course was established in TOS an an Earth colony. Enterprise further established it as the site of Starbase 1. There's also dragons living there.

[Therin of Andor]

JirinPanthosa wrote:

---

And you're right, the Bolians were never firmly established as one of the founding races but heavily implied.

In fact, there was a short, comedy scene cut from the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode script, "The Chase", in which it was revealed by Mot that Bolarus IX was not yet a member of the United Federation of Planets. The scene was dropped for time, therefore not canon - and later writers did not press ahead with that factoid. When DS9 featured a Bolian as Commandant of Starfleet Academy ("Paradise Lost") that pretty much confirmed that it was in, and probably had been for quite a while.

"The Genesis Wave" trilogy of hardcovers put Mr Mot's family as members of a colony world, perhaps acknowledging the original intention.

* A Bolian crewman (portrayed by Leonard Jones) was seen in Time's Arrow and a Bolian bar patron in Birthright Part I.

* Lysia Arlin, a Bolian shopkeeper who sells jumja sticks on The Promenade, may find Odo attractive. [Deep Space Nine: Shadowplay and Defiant]

* A Bolian (Jeff Austin) appeared in the Deep Space Nine episode, The Adversary.

* A traditional feature of Bolian cuisine is that much use is made of meat that has been allowed to partially decay. [Deep Space Nine: Crossfire]

* Bolian tonic water is a refreshing beverage. [Deep Space Nine: Paradise Lost]

* The human name "Frederick" translates as a Bolian obscenity. [Voyager: Dreadnought]

* When power to the USS Voyager's lavatories is compromised, Neelix warns to be wary of the Bolians. Obviously, he knows something about Bolians which we don't.

* A group of Bolians help Jadzia Dax celebrate her forthcoming wedding to Worf at a party in her quarters. Although one brawls with Morn, the Bolian and the Lurien end up as dancing partners. [Deep Space Nine: You Are Cordially Invited.]

* A Bolian is present at Quark's when Captain Sisko is awarded the Christopher Pike Medal of Valor. [Deep Space Nine: Tears of the Prophets]

* Morn deposits the proceeds of the Lissepian Mother's Day Heist in an account at the Bank of Bolarus. [Deep Space Nine: Who Mourns for Morn?]

* One of the guests at Ezri Dax's welcoming party is a Bolian Starfleet officer. [Deep Space Nine: Afterimage.]

* One of the Borg victims' memories experienced by Seven of Nine is a Bolian manicurist. [Voyager: Infinite Regress]

* Reference is made of the late Zim Brott's "wife and co-husband". [Deep Space Nine: Field of Fire].

My old Bolian page has not been updated since Geocities folded, but it has lots of other early Bolian appearances listed:
http://www.reocities.com/therinofandor/Bolians.html

[Pavonis]

If Worf were commandant of the Academy, would that mean all Klingons are Federation citizens?

I'm inclined to think the Bolians are Federation Members, but I'm not convinced. I'm not even certain Bolians come from Bolarus.

[sbk1234]

While we're talking about Bolians, has any mention/explaination ever been given to the only Bolian seen to have hair from the episode Allegiance?
Was she unusual to grow hair, or do Bolians (or Bolian women) shave their heads?
Just wondering.

[Sci]

In the novels, the Federation President from 2373 to 2379 (serving basically between DS9 Season Five to Star Trek: Nemesis, leading the Federation through the Dominion War) is established to be a male Bolian named Min Zife.

[Therin of Andor]

Pavonis wrote:

---

If Worf were commandant of the Academy, would that mean all Klingons are Federation citizens?

But he's not. It is very unlikely that a Bolian would be overseeing the induction of future members of Starfleet if his own people were not UFP members.

I'm not even certain Bolians come from Bolarus.

Sigh.

Sci wrote:

---

In the novels, the Federation President... is established to be a male Bolian named Min Zife.

If they don't accept script notations and screenwriter's intent, they won't even contemplate tie-in novels.

sbk1234 wrote:

---

While we're talking about Bolians, has any mention/explaination ever been given to the only Bolian seen to have hair from the episode Allegiance?
Was she unusual to grow hair, or do Bolians (or Bolian women) shave their heads?

Maybe it's just fashion? In any case, Mitena Haru is shown to be two aliens in disguise.

In "The Muse" (DS9), we have Jake Sisko pointing out a male Bolian wearing a toupe. Nobody else seems to notice.

[The Wormhole]

Maybe it's common for Bolians who have frequent interactions with other species to wear wigs. Clearly they don't all do it, but enough do so that no one raises an eyebrow when they see a Bolian with hair.

[Tosk]

I don't see why anyone would care either way. No aliens ever raised an eyebrow over a bald human either. "But I thought all humans had hair!"

[sbk1234]

Not that I have a problem with a variety of types within a species, but when we've clearly seen a LOT of Bolians, and only ONE has hair, it just struck me as odd.

[Therin of Andor]

sbk1234 wrote:

---

Not that I have a problem with a variety of types within a species, but when we've clearly seen a LOT of Bolians, and only ONE has hair, it just struck me as odd.

It was expensive and time consuming fitting a wig over a bifurcated head appliance. So they went without it.

[T'Girl]

One possibility, Bolians are all born with hair, but typically go bald at a very early age with a few exceptions. I can't remember seeing any Bolian children.