Like many of the strongest SNW episodes, this lives or dies on characterization, and the episode has it in spades. Spock is the main focus here, and has a full character arc, from angry and sullen over the realization that he's lost Chapel to acceptance that he's not the one for her. The episode also introduces Korby quite well, portraying him as a guy who seems fundamentally decent, but with enough hints of flaws underneath the surface to hint at his future path.
By acceptance, do you mean that you think Spock will be over the romance and not invested in her across the remainder of the season and series? Or do you think that this will add complexity to their relationship that they will keep revisiting? Complete acceptance would throw away their large arc up to now so I'd be very disappointed in they went in that direction. Just like with La'an and Kirk, if the answers is that they won't and now they're over it then what was the point?
It’s interesting that people seem to assume this is the end of the story for Chapel’s and Spock’s relationship. I’m sure we’re on a break of them actually being a couple, but their story feels like such an overarching aspect of the show, that I doubt this is where it all ends. Heck, they weren’t a couple for most of this story, as someone else pointed out. So I’m pretty sure it will all pick up in later episodes, even if we’re just back to wanton looks and furtive heartache for the time being.
I agree. A lot of people do seem to think that they're completely over. I'm surprised because Chapel's feelings are important in TOS. The strange new worlds episode that showed us the Romulan incident with Pike instead of Kirk also made it clear that Chapel had deep feelings (Spock was unconscious so we don't have a clue what he thought). In order to get back around that her feelings, I think that this relationship has to continue. Dropping the relationship and Spock reaching full acceptance would make TOS more confusing as she's in love with him and his sobbing reaction to her love proposal seems to suggest the same from him. As you said, this relationship has been at the core of SNW so I'd be surprised if they're happy to drop it.
Here how the writer's reflect on it.
They will have to interact,” executive producer Henry Alonso Myers tells TVLine, and “that interaction will be dramatic, no matter what… We promise you that those great dramatic and comic scenes between them will continue on. Just because we end that particular romantic part of their relationship doesn’t mean that there aren’t future interesting parts of the relationship that you’re gonna run right into the face of.”
Spock and Chapel have “a very complex relationship that they don’t always spend enough time talking about,” Myers points out, “and that’s part of the challenge that they run into.” Fellow EP Akiva Goldsman adds that “we love the characters [of Spock and Chapel], and so they’re going through a thing, you know. It’s hard.”
Also, Jess's interpretation:
Jess Bush details Christine's mindset of moving on from her romance with the Vulcan:
"I think going into season 3, Chapel knows that something is not quite right with Spock, but she can't really articulate what that is. It's just like she needs to follow her own path, and it's just not really fitting."
Jess Bush points out that the attraction between Chapel and Spock remains, but Christine feels she has to find her own way without him.
"Just the way that we both need to move individually is not working," Bush says.
"Not to say that she doesn't love him, and she's not very attracted to him, [but] there's just a tension there that's not really working out. She needs to follow her own path."
It sounds like the romance is on pause but the love, attraction and relationship remain. I wonder how they will reconcile that?