“Tellarites do not argue for a reason, they simply argue.” (Sarek of Vulcan, 2268)
Tellarites have been a vital part of the history of Starfleet and of the Federation as one of the founding members — yet they remain a species that never seemed to get its time in the sun. That is, until now.
Tellarites may have a reputation for being grumpy, argumentative, and just downright disagreeable. That is, however, part of their charm. Add to this the fact that they produce an alarming number of engineers and seem to excel at almost every type of engineering speciality and you can see why they have been a vital part of the Federation since its creation.
It is this dual set of characteristics that make them stand out. After all, we are all familiar with the image of the tall, slim, athletic officer with the short hair and polite manners. Almost every species that is a part of the Federation could fit that image.
Not the Tellarites. They blow it out of the water while still being interesting, impossible, infuriating and just different. That makes them one of the more challenging species to play.
It also allows us to see a more realistic vision of Gene Roddenberry’s dream. One where you have all kinds of people, even short, stout, hairy mouthpieces that can drive you up the wall at the same time as they make you smile and laugh.
