In a recent clip from Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3, directed by Jordan Canning, Nurse Chapel and several members of the USS Enterprise crew were transformed into Vulcans, adding four new Vulcans to the Enterprise. However, a minor accident caused them to not transform back into humans.
Speaking to Screen Rant, Jess Bush, who plays Nurse Christine Chapel, explained how becoming a Vulcan increased her character’s innate desire for knowledge. “In general, Chapel is very curious and very eager to do more and know more. She’s very driven by her pursuit of knowledge,” she said.
According to her, being a Vulcan enhanced her original human personality, and she envisioned this for her character as well. Bush explained that her character had always had an innate hunger for knowledge, and that being transformed into a Vulcan was like being given a machine that amplified her powers.
“It was like giving someone who loves cars a new car. Now I can do this trick in this car, and I can go fast, and I can do this!” she explained. “So that was kind of a driving force. It increased the curiosity and scope of what she could eventually explore.”
The glimpses into Lt. Spock’s mindset and inner turmoil were highlights of previous Vulcan episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. However, the third season decided to flip the script by turning his USS Enterprise crewmates into Vulcans, allowing Nurse Christine Chapel to develop a better understanding of Spock.
The Vulcan’s innate confidence and poise can rub off on him even after he transforms back into a human. Chapel and Spock have been mentors to each other throughout the series. The former admired him as a Vulcan while the latter drew inspiration from him for getting in touch with his human side.
Now that Chappelle has a better understanding of Spock’s mindset, things will get interesting in the future and possibly rekindle their romance!
