Majel Barrett Roddenberry-Number One

Number One and Nurse Chapel aren't the same character, they were just played by the same actress.

 

I don't think there's anyone here who doesn't know that. We're talking about the actress and her various roles, not just about one character.

 

She was a little off her rocker, but no where in that episode does Kirk debate her 'star fleet is sexist' remarks. And I think, in the 60s, thats the message they wanted to convey. That the military, or society, was sexist in these matters.

Rob

 

That just goes shows the the acting ability of Majel Barrett, even more so when she plays Lwaxana Troi on TNG! IMO

James

 

Having read the writer's draft of AFFOS, I'm eternally GLAD Rogers wasn't Number One. Mainly because she's portrayed in an incredibly unflattering light in that novel as a bitter, unattractive, cold fish and an object of pity and scorn. You can read excerpts and analysis here, to see what I mean.

However, I heartily second the recommendation of IDW's Crew and the reprint of Early Voyages. Fandom has really embraced the character--there's loads of TOS and AOS stories being written about her since the new film, and I'm really looking forward to Stern's Children of Kings this spring.

 

If by Early Voyages you mean the comic, then yes I cannot agree enough - it's a great series (sadly cut short). Those who have read it will recognise my avatar as the cover of the premiere issue.

 

And she makes a great plameek soup.

 

Most likely Kirk knew it was a lost cause - Lester, insane as she was, wouldn't listen to anything he said, so it would have been pointless to debate her.

 

The amazing thing for me was that I read the novel as published and had a light bulb moment that the character was intended to be Number One. Not quite sure what did it, but I somehow picked up a vibe. I speculated about it online - and Brad Ferguson wrote me an email confirming my suspicions, and pointing out a then-link to his PDF of the original draft!

That was so cool!

 

There was a novel (can't remember which) which had "Number One" identified as Chapel's older sister, hence the resemblence. Not a bad bit of retro-conning.

 

I think that's from one of those "Star Trek Mysteries Solved" articles in the Best of Trek collections, rather than from a novel.

 

So Number One's real name was something like Denise Chapel?

 

I was thinking Charlene I think that Christopher nailed it, that I must have read it in that Mysteries Solved compilation. Man, that was a long time ago.

 

Agreed. I just rewatched the episode. Analyzing the infamous line early in the episode, I tried to imagine that it was Lester addressing Kirk's world specifically, because she was obsessed with the idea that he excluded her from his world, including his career as a Star Fleet captain. However, the rest of the episode supports the view that her remark was literal to Star Fleet as a whole. She spent her time in Kirk's body enjoying the power and control that she wielded, and that apparently Star Fleet denied to any woman of that time.

Doug

 

That was a suggestion in an article in the "Star Trek Mysteries... Solved!" series in "The Best of Trek" books.

It was an idea I ended up using in a fanfic, "The Last Talosian", and I'm sure other fanfic writers have used it too.

Leigh Chapel (after Majel Leigh Hudec), actually, using the reference in "The Best of Trek" and Geoffrey Mandel's USS Enterprise Officer's Manual prozine.

 

I prefer the Morgan Primus angle, myself.

 

The thing is, the immortal Morgan Primus angle means that she can be Morgan le Fay (of Arthurian legend - "Excalibur!"), Chapel's big sister (Number One - "primus = one"), Timothea Rogers, Mrs Lefler, and many others, all in the same lifetime.

 

And no doubt married to Flint, twice.

No thanks.

 

Has she actually claimed to be all of those people? Primus *did* say she was Number One, I think, but I don't remember her claiming to be anyone else you mentioned.

And I don't think she's necessarily related to Christine. I wasn't even trying to imply that. I was just suggesting that Number One is Morgan Primus, no other.

 

She has claimed to have worked with Spock while under Pike. She never actually said she was Number One, but looks like her. And Primus = One.

Others notice that she sounds just like the standard Starfleet ship's computer.

Primus reminds Picard of Mrs Troi - and Primus writes to someone called 'Xana (ie. Lwaxana), who also has a single daughter of marriageable age.

Scotty (IIRC) noticed that Morgan Primus looked exactly like Christine Chapel.

Jerry Oltion once called Number One "Lt Cmdr Lefler", because he said Peter David told him that Primus was to be revealed as Number One, not only Robin Lefler's mother but PAD denies this conversation.

In comics, "Double Time" deliberately conceals her face and "Turnaround" shows she is identical in appearance to Number One and even wears a similar old Starfleet uniform top.

According to PAD, MP is simply the character that would have been played by Majel Barrett, had NF been a TV series. Since her immortal body has been destroyed, Morgan really is the voice of Excelsior's computer.

Fans have speculated that, being immortal, she was also once Morgan le Fay.