The immunological synapse, the interface between the T cell and antigen-presenting cell (APC), is thought to be important for enhancing and sustaining signaling by the T cell receptor after it has engaged antigenic peptide on the APC surface. In a Perspective, van der Merwe and Davis discuss new findings ( Lee et al.) demonstrating that T cell receptor signaling takes place well before formation of the immunological synapse, suggesting that this dynamic structure may have other functions.