Summary
- Strange New Worlds season 3 will deepen the clash between Spock and Chapel from TOS episode “What Are Little Girls Made Of?”
- The introduction of Roger Korby in SNW will challenge Spock and Chapel’s romance, adding more complexity to their relationship.
- Spock’s struggle with emotions as Chapel gets engaged to Korby sets up a complicated love triangle in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 is about to shed new light on a testy exchange between Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett) in Star Trek: The Original Series. In TOS season 1, episode 7, “What Are Little Girls Made Of?”, Spock and Chapel briefly clash over the apparent discovery of her erstwhile fiancé, Doctor Roger Korby (Michael Strong). Now, Strange New Worlds is about to add further depth to the classic Star Trek: TOS episode, by introducing Korby as a recurring character in season 3.
The casting of Cillian O’Sullivan as Roger Korby in Strange New Worlds season 3 will drastically impact the relationship between Spock and Chapel going forward. By depicting Chapel’s love story before her fiancé inevitably goes missing on Exo III, SNW can make Korby’s fate in “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” even more tragic. Roger Korby joining Strange New Worlds‘ cast of characters can also make this TOS exchange between Spock and Chapel even more loaded:
SPOCK: That’s an unusual request.
KIRK: The man making it is Doctor Roger Korby.
SPOCK: You’re certain you recognise his voice?
CHAPEL: Have you ever been engaged, Mister Spock? Yes, it’s Roger.
Strange New Worlds Makes A Spock And Chapel Star Trek: TOS Argument More Painful
Now that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has practically confirmed that Nurse Chapel will leave Spock for Roger Korby, his skepticism in “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” takes on new meaning. Although Spock is good at suppressing his emotions, they can sometimes manifest in other ways. When the episode starts, Roger Korby has been missing for five years, and nobody expects to find him alive. Watching the episode in the 2020s, Spock coldly and logically questioning Chapel’s belief in her fiancé could be reflecting his own conflicted feelings.
Chapel knows perfectly well that Spock was engaged, because his feelings for her torpedoed his engagement to T’Pring (Gia Sandhu).
Nurse Chapel also doesn’t come off well in light of what Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has revealed about her relationship with Spock. Chapel knows perfectly well that Spock was engaged, because his feelings for her torpedoed his engagement to T’Pring (Gia Sandhu). What was originally a clash of cold Vulcan logic and human passion in the TOS episode, is now a painful reminder of Spock and Chapel’s romance after the events of Strange New Worlds.
At the time of writing “What Are Little Girls Made Of?” the Star Trek: TOS writers hadn’t decided that Spock was engaged to T’Pring. This would be revealed in the season 2 episode, “Amok Time”.
How Will Roger Korby Affect Spock And Chapel In Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3?
While Spock and Chapel separated in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, there wasn’t an official break-up. The Gorn crisis in SNW‘s season 2 finale brought Spock and Chapel back together, and appeared to give them a second chance at love. TOS has established that this cannot happen, and it appears as if Roger Korby will end Spock and Chapel’s romance once and for all. And yet, various episodes of TOS suggest that Spock and Chapel never completely got over each other. All of which sets the stage for a complicated love triangle in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3.
Vulcan or not, Spock can’t just turn off his feelings like a tap, meaning that we may see a new side of the beloved TOS character as he watches the woman he loves get engaged to another man.
Maybe Roger Korby sweeps Nurse Chapel off her feet while she’s trying to reconcile with Spock, or maybe the couple decide to call it a day after defeating the Gorn in the season 3 opener. However, Vulcan or not, Spock can’t just turn off his feelings like a tap, meaning that we may see a new side of the beloved TOS character as he watches the woman he loves get engaged to another man. Perhaps that pain is what convinces Spock to shun emotions once and for all in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3.
