Portrait of a Character – Amanda Cole

Amanda Cole is more than Phlox’s wife. And she’s more than someone for T’Pol to be jealous of.

Origins

The character is, of course, canon.

Noa Tishby as Amanda Cole

She is a MACO Corporal and, in canon, had a bit of a fling with Tripp Tucker, as they both had the destruction wrought by the Xindi prototype weapon, and Floridian childhoods, in common.

Furthermore, in canon, in the E² episode, she and Phlox marry and have nine children.

Portrayal

As in canon, Amanda is played by Israeli actress Noa Tishby.

Personality

Brash and maybe a little pushy, Amanda is the kind of person who goes after whatever she wants. If I were writing more of a prelude to the E² stories, I probably would have included a confrontation between her and T’Pol.  That might happen in the future; I’m not sure.

Relationships

Phlox

During the first kick back in time, in 2037, Phlox is recruited to play Santa Claus. Unbeknownst to him, the members of the crew stand in line to request gifts. The first two children aren’t born yet, so the lineup is solely composed of adults. And Amanda is first. Surprising him, she sits on his lap, an act that he finds pleasing. Her sexual aggressiveness is what kick starts their relationship.

Mirror Universe

Noa Tishby as Mirror Amanda Cole

I do not believe that there are any impediments to Amanda existing in the Mirror Universe. She was not a part of either of the Star Trek: Enterprise canon Mirror Universe episodes, but that does not mean that the character was necessarily not there.

I write most Mirror Universe women as being overly sexed and beholden to men. I think Amanda would be. Here, she’s the tough MACO. There, she’s yet another sexpot, looking to snag a strong man before her looks fade, someone to protect her and her eventual children.

Quote

“Sure. Captain, I wanna tell you, I want to thank you for, for this, this opportunity. … I just, I never thought I’d become a mother.”

Upshot

This is a character that wasn’t used too much in canon, and probably should have been. So I suspect that real-world issues changed that, as the show was facing cancellation during that season. If that hadn’t happened, and she had been in a few more episodes, who’s to say where the writers would have taken the storyline? As is the case with many things with Enterprise – Star Trek fanfiction to the rescue!

Like this page? Tweet it!

You can find me on Google+.