Star Trek: SNW S2E1 Continues To Set The Stage For A Spock And Nurse Chapel Romance
Contains spoilers for "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" Season 2, Episode 1, "The Broken Circle"
Traveling across the stars and getting into dangerous situations can create some powerful emotions between individuals. Sometimes this sense of exploration forges a strong bond of friendship, while other times, it may develop into something much more romantic. Of course, there is also that awkward middle stage where the feelings between people are unknown and unexplored. "Star Trek: Strange New Worlds" is no exception, and it looks as if Season 2 is wasting no time in establishing the unique chemistry brewing between Spock (Ethan Peck) and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush).
In the opening moments of Episode 1, Spock is discussing the trouble he is having controlling his emotions with Dr. M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), who explains that they are a natural part of the human component of his lineage. Then, Nurse Chapel comes in, which causes Spock's heart to flutter, a phenomenon that appears on M'Benga's diagnostic tools. Spock and M'Benga share a knowing glance, though M'Benga doesn't ask further questions.
Toward the end of the episode, Chapel nearly dies in the vacuum of space. Luckily, she is rescued at the last second, although her condition is critical. Spock reacts emotionally, and one can see tears running down his face both while he performs CPR and when he sees her lying in sickbay afterward. These interactions actually foreshadow Nurse Chapel's (Majel Barrett) much more overt feelings for Spock (Leonard Nimoy) in the original 1960s "Star Trek" television show.
Spock and Chapel end up kissing in the original series, though it wasn't of their own free will
The interaction between Spock and Nurse Chapel in "Strange New Worlds" is friendly right from the start, with Chapel often playfully teasing him. Throughout the series, the two begin to confide in each other, and when Spock experiences some issues with his fiancee, T'Pring (Gia Sandhu), Chapel is there to lend a sympathetic ear. Over time, their friendship becomes more romantic, but of course, this should come as no surprise to fans of the original "Star Trek" since Chapel is shown to have long-simmering feelings for the half-human, half-Vulcan.
In the "Star Trek" episode "Plato's Stepchildren," Kirk (William Shatner), Spock, and McCoy (DeForest Kelley) beam down to the planet Platonius, which is inhabited by Platonians, an alien species that has the power of telekinesis. For their enjoyment, the Platonians force Kirk, Spock, Uhura (Nichelle Nichols), and Chapel to put on a play of sorts, in which both Kirk and Uhura and Spock and Chapel are made to kiss. Despite Chapel's attraction to Spock, however, she takes no pleasure in the action, instead begging for it to stop.
"Strange New Worlds" will probably see much more of Spock and Chapel dancing around their feelings for each other, but since the series takes place before the first "Star Trek" show is set, chances are that Spock will never openly speak about his romantic interest in her. Then again, the "Star Trek" franchise is known to throw a curveball from time to time, so who knows what the dynamic between them will be by the end of Season 2.