Do you think we will see Doctor Boyce in season 2?

[Pauln6]

Assuming the Enterprise still has a crew of 200 or so as established in The Cage and in Disco, then it's already got a larger medical staff than would be needed for a crew this size given in this episode we know there's one doctor and two nurses (Chapel and someone else seen in the background). Voyager with a crew of 150 only had one doctor and one nurse assigned to it when it was launched with an EMH as backup. An actual US Navy ship with a crew of 300 is considered too small to have an actual doctor assigned to it, they typically only have medics and corpsmen to handle their medical needs.

Starfleet vessels seem to have one doctor per shift plus a psychiatrist and a pathologist (or at least they are mentioned even if we never see the ship's pathologist perform an autopsy). I always thought it was unlikely that Chapel, as a newly qualified doctor, would be considered suitable to be CMO before McCoy was drafted in. Maybe in light of naval procedures, her appointment would have been considered suitable as a stop-gap considering that the ship was launched before some of its intended crew was assigned (presumably still serving on all those ships that were not in range).

 

[C.E. Evans]

It's possible that the Enterprise has the medical staff she has because there may be times when she could be the only Federation medical facility in a given sector. When she's not exploring new worlds, the Enterprise could be visiting various Federation colonies and provide medical assistance to various settlements and other ships in distress when called upon. Out on the frontier, a ship like the Enterprise with a sizeable medical department could be a godsend in a crisis situation when the nearest starbase could be days or even weeks away at maximum warp.

 

[Nerys Myk]

When she's not exploring new worlds, the Enterprise could be visiting various Federation colonies and provide medical assistance to various settlements and other ships in distress when called upon.

That was pretty much part of their remit. As seen in "The Man Trap" where they're there to do medical exams and deliver supplies. Plus several episodes where they're delivering medicine to colonies, facilities and others.

 

[cooleddie74]

Hell, Kirk was ferrying personally-selected and hand-picked hot peppers for somebody in that episode.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

I always thought it was unlikely that Chapel, as a newly qualified doctor, would be considered suitable to be CMO before McCoy was drafted in. Maybe in light of naval procedures, her appointment would have been considered suitable as a stop-gap considering that the ship was launched before some of its intended crew was assigned (presumably still serving on all those ships that were not in range).

Yes, that sounds plausible. Everyone was scrambling to get the Enterprise ready to handle the V'Ger crisis, so it's not a stretch to assume that some of the personnel weren't going to be the permanent crew. Medical would probably be one of the very last departments to be staffed up before launch, as you wouldn't need them the way you'd need engineers. [Insert your own GEN "Tuesday" joke here.]

Roddenberry's TMP novelization has a horrible bit in it where, when Chapel learns McCoy is taking over as CMO, she says something like, "I've never been so pleased and relieved about anything in my life." It really reads like Roddenberry's inherent sexism coming through, as it implies that even Chapel didn't think she was up to the job of being the Enterprise's CMO. Try to imagine McCoy being told his old boss was taking over Sickbay and him being "pleased and relieved" about it. You can't. He'd be PISSED.

On the thread topic, I can't imagine them bringing Boyce back unless they found some new twist for the character. He's a bit on the obscure side, and he'd probably just come across as Dr. McCoy Lite if they presented him exactly as he was in "The Cage"/"The Menagerie."

 

[Nerys Myk]

M'Benga was a smart move by SNW. Boyce and to a lesser extent Piper would come off as McCoy redux, even though they precede him.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

If they wanted to keep Boyce more or less the same as how he was but update him a bit & make him significantly different from McCoy, they could always present him as gay. I don't think there's anything in "The Cage" that would contradict Boyce being gay, and it'd be a nice switch from the way TV typically has all their gay characters be young & pretty folks.

 

[Nerys Myk]

If they wanted to keep Boyce more or less the same as how he was but update him a bit & make him significantly different from McCoy, they could always present him as gay. I don't think there's anything in "The Cage" that would contradict Boyce being gay, and it'd be a nice switch from the way TV typically has all their gay characters be young & pretty folks.

Batten down the hatches if that happens.

 

[Unique]

Fantasies are an entirely normal and proper part of life. If you have a fantasy about somebody, it doesn't necessarily mean you're actively trying to get with them, or that you're in love with them. It''s just..a fantasy! Everybody has them. And there's no shame in that.

I think that bit is in there because Roddenberry was oversexed and being irresistible to all women was a key quality of his ideal of manhood.
His heroes all had to be hopelessly pined for by the women in their sphere.

 

[Noname Given]

M'Benga was a smart move by SNW. Boyce and to a lesser extent Piper would come off as McCoy redux, even though they precede him.

I agree. Plus with them playing up the fact that he interned in a Vulcan Medical Ward, (a character background fact which comes from the original character's appearance in TOS), really allowed them to make use of the character to talk about Spock in interesting ways.

Spoiler

Without it you wouldn't have the scene in Ad Astra per Aspera with him and Ortegas watching Spock interact with the Vulcan Admiral and him being able to tell Ortegas that they hate each other, and her responsive "Are you messing with me right now?"

 

[Jayson1]

One of the things I like about bring back Boyce back is you give Pike a father figure type and the other thing I just like idea of exploring a old person. You don't see many old people or old humans as regulars. Which plays into the idea is you could do lots with him like maybe he is dying and this his last mission and also you can kill him off and it would be felt because people already know the character. He isn't just another redshirt.

 

[JonnyQuest037]

Batten down the hatches if that happens.

And the outrage would be 100% as dumb as the "Robert April can't be black!" debates.

 

[Noname Given]

One of the things I like about bring back Boyce back is you give Pike a father figure type and the other thing I just like idea of exploring a old person. You don't see many old people or old humans as regulars. Which plays into the idea is you could do lots with him like maybe he is dying and this his last mission and also you can kill him off and it would be felt because people already know the character. He isn't just another redshirt.

Voice wasn't a father figure to Christopher Pike in The Cage/The Menagerie; he was a western style Bartender who had shared experience. I don't think adding a father figure for pike would do anything positive for the series or the character's portrayal, as they've already shown Pike to be somewhat of an Elder Statesman who only resorts to force as the absolute jast resort, or if he doesn't see another option available; but that's my take.

 

[Nerys Myk]

Voice wasn't a father figure to Christopher Pike in The Cage/The Menagerie; he was a western style Bartender who had shared experience. I don't think adding a father figure for pike would do anything positive for the series or the character's portrayal, as they've already shown Pike to be somewhat of an Elder Statesman who only resorts to force as the absolute jast resort, or if he doesn't see another option available; but that's my take.

John Hoyt wasn't even 60 when "The Cage" filmed. The character wasn't written or performed as an elder. He was a confidant and sounding board.

 

[Captain Jollydark]

I just like idea of exploring a old person. You don't see many old people or old humans as regulars. Which plays into the idea is you could do lots with him like maybe he is dying and this his last mission and also you can kill him off and it would be felt because people already know the character. He isn't just another redshirt.

As an old person, I both applaud and reel in horror at what you propose can be done with us.

 

[Unique]

As an old person, I both applaud and reel in horror at what you propose can be done with us.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

As of TNG, McCoy was still on active duty at age 137, and obviously Boyce isn't anywhere near that old. So I'm not really seeing why Boyce needs to retire or otherwise be done away with.

In Trek, 100 is the new 50!

 

[Yistaan]

As of TNG, McCoy was still on active duty at age 137, and obviously Boyce isn't anywhere near that old. So I'm not really seeing why Boyce needs to retire or otherwise be done away with.

In Trek, 100 is the new 50!

Well I know the Counter-Clock Incident's canonicity is going to bring back the increasingly vicious April debates, but that episode established that, at least as of 2270, human Starfleet officers were forced to retire at 75. This was presumably abolished shortly afterwards.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ So I'm guessing that, as of SNW, Starfleet doesn't know how old Pelia is?

 

[Yistaan]

^ So I'm guessing that, as of SNW, Starfleet doesn't know how old Pelia is?

She's not human, she's Lanthanite so she doesn't count.