Regarding dictators...the meaning of the term has evolved over time. IIRC, in the Roman Republic, "Dictator" was a legal office, a magistrate appointed by the Senate, and held for only a short time, for use in case of emergency. A contemporary dictator (i.e., Hitler, Stalin) has extraordinary personal power that is often used to oppress or abuse his people. That sounds more like Trek captains in the MU, not the RU.
Better get back on topic...
The way this thread keeps wandering around, it's looking more and more like A/T'P need their own thread.
But in the meantime...
What's everyone's fave A/T'P scenes?
I loved the end of Shockwave Part 2 when Archer goes to her quarters to tell her they're allowed to keep going. "I think you put it over the top"
I really liked that scene. Wonderful subtext. The charming byplay between them, as they joke about Archer being seen entering T'Pol's quarters, and T'Pol still professing not to believe in time travel, even though they both know otherwise. Archer's sincere gratitude for what she did. To me, this is a scene that really shows how they have earned each other's trust.
Other Archer/T'Pol scenes I like... "The Andorian Incident," the offer of the blanket. Sure, on the surface, it looks like simple innuendo, but I thought it was one of those "Trust me" moments between them that helped to build their partnership. "Singularity," when T'Pol singlehandedly drags Archer back to the real world and gets him to take action to save the ship. "Shadows of P'Jem," the first time (of many) when Archer fights to keep T'Pol on
Enterprise, even when T'Pol isn't fighting. I love how she quietly goes along with the "extensive injuries" ploy of Phlox and Archer at the end. That spoke volumes about where she thinks she belongs.
"Fusion," "The Seventh," "Stigma" -- not hugely popular episodes, but I liked them because they reveal facets of T'Pol, and demonstrate the growing trust between her and Archer, in the way he supports and defends her. And in "The Expanse," Archer doesn't have a choice but to let her go, and it's T'Pol who fights to stay on the ship. "You need me, Captain." Great stuff.
"Twilight" is in a class by itself for me, because of the poignant tragedy of the setup. I don't think the "evolved" relationship has anything to do with Archer's feelings for T'Pol, but rather her feelings for him, and her knowing that it can't ever become anything lasting because of his injury.
There are all sorts of other nice moments. Archer seeing T'Pol's trembling hand in "Damage," and their ready room confrontation. T'Pol's entreaty to Archer not to fight Shran in "United." The conversation on the hilltop in "The Forge" while they're waiting for the sehlat to go away.
I would agree that the writers took more time and care building the Archer-T'Pol dynamic than they did with Trip and T'Pol. There was a lot of potential in Trip/T'Pol established in Season 3 that was just tossed, or sabotaged for the sake of contrived conflict, in Season 4. That was disappointing.
And yes, if the captain can't fraternize, nobody should be allowed to. And it may not be a good idea, but onscreen evidence shows it's not against Starfleet regulations so long as it doesn't interfere with professional responsibilities.
The issue is mentioned in "Breaking the Ice," when Archer is answering questions from the students in Ireland.
Here's one from Geoff Miles. 'Is dating allowed on Enterprise?' Well, it's not discouraged, but there isn't a lot of privacy on a starship. Most of our crew share quarters with at least one other person, so it wouldn't exactly be practical. But if two crewmembers decide that they really like each other, there are a lot of places they can go to look at the stars.
But in Season 4, Archer mentions that he and Hernandez stopped seeing each other because he was her superior officer, and therefore it wasn't appropriate. Maybe a senior officer has a stricter set of standards to adhere to, because of the added responsibility or visibility of his/her position.
That's why I saw Archer's sleep-deprived fixation on T'Pol in "A Night in Sickbay" as not an actual conscious desire, but a result of stress, plus Phlox's suggestions. The last scene between Archer and T'Pol -- he looked pretty embarrassed to me -- seems to indicate that he would never think of pursuing T'Pol in their present circumstances. Even so, it's an intriguing peek into his subconscious, showing his fears (Porthos' death) and the loneliness of his position, at the very least. And an acknowlegement of T'Pol's femaleness, something he won't let himself dwell on in the waking world.
