Spoilers Is it possible that Chapel and Spock were in a romantic relationship during TOS?

[Mudd]

Spock: KOOOOOORRRRBBBBBYYYYY!!!!

T'Pring: Spock, who is Korby and why are you screaming his name?

Spock: Roger Korby is a professor of archaelogical medicine renowned for immunization techniques discovered in Orion ruins.

T'Pring: Yes, but why were you screaming his name?

Spock: ...

T'Pring: I see, then. I have to go now.

(later)

Stonn: So T'Pring, from what you told me about Spock shouting this professor's name angrily at the sky, the only logical conclusion that can be made is that Spock is gay and has some sort of unrequited crush on this Professor Korby. In which case, I strongly encourage you to dump him and go out with me.

Possibly your worst work yet. Congratulations.

 

[FredH]

I could see Spock and Christine finally reconnecting after the TOS movies, perhaps in the wake of Kirk’s apparent death on the Enterprise-B. There’s even enough room in the timeline for them to get married and live out a life together, and for Christine to pass away of old age, before probably-Spock’s later marriage “a few years” before TNG.

 

[Yistaan]

I could see Spock and Christine finally reconnecting after the TOS movies, perhaps in the wake of Kirk’s apparent death on the Enterprise-B. There’s even enough room in the timeline for them to get married and live out a life together, and for Christine to pass away of old age, before probably-Spock’s later marriage “a few years” before TNG.

Chapel would be 90 something when Picard's a lieutenant watching Sarek's son get married, so it could indeed be her marrying Spock. She then dies during TNG and Spock runs off to Romulus.

 

[FredH]

Chapel would be 90 something when Picard's a lieutenant watching Sarek's son get married, so it could indeed be her marrying Spock. She then dies during TNG and Spock runs off to Romulus.

That works too, sure.

 

[Noname Given]

Chapel would be 90 something when Picard's a lieutenant watching Sarek's son get married, so it could indeed be her marrying Spock. She then dies during TNG and Spock runs off to Romulus.

Maybe it was Sybok (not Spock) getting married. After his first Kunat Kalifi ceremony, I don't see Spock wanting to get married.

(Does make you wonder what Sarek and Amada's ceremony was like. Spock did say in TOS S2 Journey To Babel that if there was a reason, Sarek was quite capable of killing, so...did Amanda make Sarek fight for her? )

 

[Nerys Myk]

Maybe it was Sybok (not Spock) getting married. After his first Kunat Kalifi ceremony, I don't see Spock wanting to get married.

(Does make you wonder what Sarek and Amada's ceremony was like. Spock did say in TOS S2 Journey To Babel that if there was a reason, Sarek was quite capable of killing, so...did Amanda make Sarek fight for her? )

Sybok dies in TFF.

 

[fireproof78]

Sybok dies in TFF.

He got better.

 

[Nerys Myk]

He got better.

I hear it was going around.

 

[Noname Given]

Sybok dies in TFF.

And Spock dies in STII:TWoK...

 

[Richard S. Ta]

I really hope so.

 

[TRON JA307020]

I think Spock and Chapel have a romance much earlier that after STUDC. It happens right after TMP. After Spocks new appreciation of human emotions after his encounter with V'ger he and Chapel hook up when the enterprise is in spscedock getting repaired before the second 5 year mission. So basically as the crew is all ready to go on a quick shore leave Spock and Chapel meet up for dinner or something and get it on. Before or maybe even when the 2nd 5 year mission begins Chapel finds out shes pregnant with her and Spocks love child so she leaves the Enterprise because she doesn't want to cause problems since Spock is back to his normal self repressing his emotions. This makes sense and explains why she was not in TWOK and we only see her briefly in a reaction shot in TSFS. Later on after UDC she and Spock meet again she tells him of their live child and they get married. She's also the head of Starfleet medical by that time.

 

[vulcancicada]

I think it's kind of a lifelong flirtation/attraction or they have a one night stand at some point (I have zero interest in speculating when). Christine isn't that pathetic in TOS, the character is of course a product of her time, but Uhura flirts with him quite a lot too and he doesn't seem interested in her either. I think they purposely made all these women moon over him in TOS and had him often be oblivious (without realising they were insinuating a Spock/Kirk relationship in the process). Just sixties camp. SNW just takes TOS and gives it more depth, the kind of depth they couldn't manage in the sixties. I think it's a good take. I like the idea that he actually had real feelings for her and learned to repress them and be more Vulcan as he got older. Christine seems troubled and I could see her becoming more sedate after losing her fiance and getting older, still flirty but less heart in it.

 

[Captain Jollydark]

I think Spock and Chapel have a romance much earlier that after STUDC. It happens right after TMP. After Spocks new appreciation of human emotions after his encounter with V'ger he and Chapel hook up when the enterprise is in spscedock getting repaired before the second 5 year mission. So basically as the crew is all ready to go on a quick shore leave Spock and Chapel meet up for dinner or something and get it on. Before or maybe even when the 2nd 5 year mission begins Chapel finds out shes pregnant with her and Spocks love child so she leaves the Enterprise because she doesn't want to cause problems since Spock is back to his normal self repressing his emotions. This makes sense and explains why she was not in TWOK and we only see her briefly in a reaction shot in TSFS. Later on after UDC she and Spock meet again she tells him of their live child and they get married. She's also the head of Starfleet medical by that time.

I'm just going to inject the idea (and fervent hope) that sexually active adults in the distant future are familiar with contraception. And that responsible adults in the distant future use it. Accidental pregnancy is a fanfic trope I'd really like to go away. One way it could is if the woman decides not to leave her career to save someone else "discomfort." I hated Beverly Crusher's secret love child.

 

[Turtletrekker]

Sybok dies in TFF.

He's not a bridge officer.

 

[Turtletrekker]

I could see Spock and Christine finally reconnecting after the TOS movies, perhaps in the wake of Kirk’s apparent death on the Enterprise-B. There’s even enough room in the timeline for them to get married and live out a life together, and for Christine to pass away of old age, before probably-Spock’s later marriage “a few years” before TNG.

I'm pretty much in agreement with this for the most part. There's room in the movie era for them to have reconnected after The Voyage Home, and she was present in the gallery during the courtroom scene at the end of that movie, so that could very well be where it takes place. My thinking is that if Spock and Christine had reconnected prior to his death, she would have had a more active role in the third and fourth movies. She surely would have been amongst the crew members toasting to "absent friends" in ST3, and would have had a role in stealing the Enterprise.

 

[F. King Daniel]

I find it really hard to reconcile SNW with TOS. It's essentially a reboot, otherwise nothing short of an untreated mental breakdown would make the feisty, sharp Christine of SNW into the dull, simple Christine of TOS.

Just a little update on this. Coming off long term heavy drug use could have a similar effect, although of course not in all cases and it's kind of a shitty direction to go in. But after S02E01 I can see that being a direction they go with. I can see them doing a retcon where they say Chistine's been microdosing that shit for years, have it get out of control, do a cold turkey episode and leave her... Majel Barrett's version.

I really hope not, and they let this Christine just be her without needing drugs to be fun and wild.

 

[fireproof78]

Just a little update on this. Coming off long term heavy drug use could have a similar effect, although of course not in all cases and it's kind of a shitty direction to go in. But after S02E01 I can see that being a direction they go with. I can see them doing a retcon where they say Chistine's been microdosing that shit for years, have it get out of control, do a cold turkey episode and leave her... Majel Barrett's version.

I really hope not, and they let this Christine just be her without needing drugs to be fun and wild.

People change.

Even without drugs.


I see it daily.

 

[Yistaan]

Just a little update on this. Coming off long term heavy drug use could have a similar effect, although of course not in all cases and it's kind of a shitty direction to go in. But after S02E01 I can see that being a direction they go with. I can see them doing a retcon where they say Chistine's been microdosing that shit for years, have it get out of control, do a cold turkey episode and leave her... Majel Barrett's version.

I really hope not, and they let this Christine just be her without needing drugs to be fun and wild.

No offense, but this got a laugh from me today, and I hardly laugh much less smile.

And you know what? I like this idea. It'd also fit well into why M'Benga is demoted in TOS. Regular use of those steroids turn Chapel and M'Benga's personalities inside out, until Chapel's a wallflower and M'Benga's so out of it everyone forgets he was ever CMO. That Kirk didn't kick them out of the ship entirely is a testament to his compassion.

 

[Sci]

I think we should just ignore the way Christine was so two-dimensional in TOS and retcon the Jess Bush version as her real personality the entire time. Same way we ignore how Data clearly had emotions and uses contractions in the first season of TNG before the writers hit on the idea he has no emotions and can't use contractions. Same way we ignore how Jadzia is depicted as this calm, authoritative, wise-beyond-her-years figure in DS9 S1 before the writers realized Terry Farrell was better at playing young, mischievous, and a little bit rebellious. The character has just been reconceptualized and we should ignore the contradictions instead of trying to find a story reason to turn an assertive, confident woman into a meek doormat.

 

[Voodoowoman2]

Chapel would be about 90 if the marriage Picard mentioned attending was that of Spock and Chapel.

The marriage may have been to Saavik but it takes place in 2328. This is 69 years after the first season of SNW in 2259. Saavik wasn't pregnant with Spock's kid or he would have done something about it. Maybe she had an abortion. Spock without a woman for 69 years is pretty nigh impossible, and the answer, for me, is Chapel. After the consciousness sharing with the Henoch situation she absolutely beams at him as he fumbles around and tells them all her thoughts are chaos. This is masking. Chapel knows better. I think after this a relationship develops and they get together. This is how she is close enough to Sarek to call him and get him to earth to defend the crew. Maybe she is pregnant herself, and leaves the ship and raises their child. She had a lot to go through with him running off to Gol.