Well, this project fell to the wayside for various reasons, but the premiere of Strange New Worlds reminded me what I loved about watching the various prequel series with an eye towards adding context to previously established events and relationships.
I've stated in this thread and elsewhere that I think that Michael Burnham is the best thing to happen to the Spock character since the Genesis wave. The added texture given to the Sarek/Amanda family dynamic in episodes such as Lethe and Light and Shadows shed new light on events we thought we understood completely.
This continues in strange new worlds with the reintroduction of T'Pring. We see them at a point in their relationship where they were at a crossroads. Spock clearly was interested in T'Pring, or at least in scratching an itch, and the interest seems mutual, unlike during the events of Amok Time. If Spock had chosen to stay behind on Vulcan as T'Pring clearly wished, no doubt they would have had a long and happy marriage. Instead, Spock himself sowed the seeds of their eventual breakup by choosing his duty to Starfleet over his oath to T'pring. How different might the Galaxy have turned out if Pike had called only an hour later? And Spock presuming to speak for T'Pring? You can immediately see that she didn't care for that.
Of course, by the time Amok Time rolls around, he no longer seems to be too into T'Pring anymore given his response to being dumped, possibly due to his interactions with Leila Kolami, which should also fall into the time frame of the series. And, T'Pring tired of waiting for Spock, has moved on. Of course, none of this makes T'Pring any less of a cold calculating bitch in Amok Time.
And then there's the look that Chapel gave Spock when they first met in sickbay. Previews for upcoming episodes give us a sense that Spock and Chapel will be developing a friendship, which would of course lead Chapel's feelings for Spock. Suppose that Spock and Chapel actually were gravitating towards a relationship of some sort, but Spock's commitment to T'Pring and his meeting and developing feelings for Kolami is what drives her into the arms of Roger Korby in the first place? It would make their scenes together in TOS feel all the more emotional and even tragic.
And Sam Kirk? So suppose our theoretical first time viewer gets to know Sam here before they even got to know James. That makes Sam's death an Operation Annihilate! to be a shocking, sad and tragic moment to that viewer, rather than a largely inconsequential moment that's never referred to again.
I love that the narrative feels as if it picked up directly from Discovery season 2. I honestly hope that Strange New Worlds ends with some kind of a direct segue into the original series, providing a largely complete narrative from Discovery season 2, Strange New Worlds, the original series, animated series and TOS movies.
