Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 1 - "The Broken Circle"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' season 2 premiere can't deny Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) is in love, but with Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), not his Vulcan fiancée, T'Pring (Gia Sandhu). Spock steals the USS Enterprise and heads to Klingon space to answer a distress call from La'an Noonien-Singh (Christina Chong) in Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 1, "The Broken Circle." But along with preventing another Klingon War, Spock faces perhaps the greater challenge of facing his intense feelings for Nurse Chapel.
Spock was introduced in Strange New Worlds already engaged to T'Pring. They were promised to each other since childhood and they do share a romance. However, Spock's friendship with Nurse Chapel began to turn into more than flirtation throughout Strange New Worlds season 1. Christine helped Spock when he and T'Pring accidentally switched bodies, but real sparks happened when they kissed as part of a ruse to fool Captain Angel (Jesse James Keitel), a space pirate who hijacked the Starship Enterprise. In Strange New Worlds season 1, episode 9, "All Those Who Wander," Spock unleashed his emotions to defeat the Gorn and was horrified when he couldn't regain control of them. Chapel was there to comfort him, but their mutual feelings toward each other were left unresolved.
Spock Is In Love With Nurse Chapel In Strange New Worlds, Not T'Pring
Lacking his Vulcan safeguards over his emotions, Spock is rather a mess at the start of Strange New Worlds season 2's premiere and Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun) could plainly see the Vulcan Science Officer and Nurse Chapel were avoiding each other. Business as usual commenced on the Enterprise during their mission to Cajitar IV, where an undercover Chapel and M'Benga were captured by a syndicate of Klingon profiteers who launched a false Federation starship to re-ignite the Klingon War. Spock was forced to destroy the syndicate's starship to prevent a war, but he was in anguish because he believed he also gave the order to send Chapel and M'Benga to their deaths.
When Spock found out Chapel and M'Benga survived but were exposed to the vacuum of deep space, the Vulcan's desperate R to Christine while tearfully telling her, "I waited for you... I waited for you... You don't die!" says everything there is no know about how Spock truly feels toward her. Spock said at Chapel's bedside that he was "no words" to describe how he feels, but the words are simple: Spock is in love. What this means for the Vulcan, Chapel, and Strange New Worlds season 2 is compelling drama that sets up the inevitable outcome seen in Star Trek: The Original Series.
Will Strange New Worlds End Spock & T'Pring's Engagement?
Star Trek canon dictates that the relationship between Spock (Leonard Nimoy) and T'Pring (Arlene Martel) ends in the TOS classic, "Amok Time," about 6-7 years after Strange New Worlds season 2. Given how much emphasis Strange New Worlds season 1 placed on Spock and T'Pring's relationship, which was indeed a loving affair in its own right, it seemed like the series would continue to balance the awkward workplace romance Spock and Nurse Chapel share with the Vulcan's committed relationship. However, the pendulum has swung in favor of Spock and Christine, which has reached a new level of intensity that can't be ignored any longer.
It's possible Strange New Worlds has now laid the groundwork to end Spock and T'Pring's engagement within season 2. After all, by Star Trek: The Original Series, Spock and T'Pring's engagement was merely a formality and there was no affection left between them. And from a dramatic standpoint, the chemistry between Spock and Chapel is too electric not to explore. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2's trailer already revealed Spock and Chapel kiss again, but maybe this time, it's because Spock and Christine will finally acknowledge they're in love.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.