Nurse Chapel Deserves Her Own Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode

This Important Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Character Still Needs Their Own Episode By  John Orquiola Published 23 minutes ago John Orquiola is a New & Classic TV Editor, Senior Writer, and Interviewer with a special focus on Star Trek. John has over 4,000 published articles at SR, and he has interviewed the biggest names in Star Trek on the red carpet and VIP events, among other beloved shows, movies, and franchises. Sign in to your ScreenRant account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

There are only two seasons of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds left, but there's plenty of time to give this main character her own spotlight episode. Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 4 premieres on Paramount+ in 2026, and Strange New Worlds' fifth and final season is currently in production.

Trekkers lament the bygone era when a Star Trek series would run for 22-26 episodes per season, but Star Trek: Strange New Worlds has been remarkable about character development despite only 10 episodes per season. Strange New Worlds is episodic, but the character arcs are serialized.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3 answered a longtime complaint by finally giving Lieutenant Erica Ortegas (Melissa Navia) an episode that focused on her, and it was one of the best hours of Strange New Worlds' divisive season 3.

While it seems like every headlining member of Captain Christopher Pike's (Anson Mount) Starship Enterprise crew has now received a spotlight episode, surprisingly, one of the show's most prominent characters is still waiting.

Nurse Christine Chapel Still Hasn’t Gotten Her Own Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Episode

Remarkably, Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) has not received her own spotlight episode in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' 3 seasons so far. Chapel has been so prominent in the series that it's easy not to realize that Star Trek: Strange New Worlds hasn't singularly focused on Christine.

Chapel is one of the most popular characters in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds.

Chapel is one of the most popular characters in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and there has been no lack of her. From Chapel's love affair with Lieutenant Spock (Ethan Peck) to her medical trials with Dr. Joseph M'Benga (Babs Olusanmokun), to her current relationship with Dr. Roger Korby (Cillain O'Sullivan), Christine has been all over Strange New Worlds.

Yet Star Trek: Strange New Worlds hasn't delved into Nurse Chapel's backstory the way, for instance, the prequel fleshed out Ensign Nyota Uhura's (Celia Rose Gooding) history. We know Chapel is from Vermont, that she's a genius, she has loved men and women, and she is a veteran of the Klingon War.

Still, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds needs to go deeper into Nurse Chapel's life and give Jess Bush the opportunity to carry an entire hour. Chapel is a pivotal character in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. Hopefully, one of the final 16 episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds seasons 4 and 5 will properly spotlight Chapel.

How Star Trek: The Original Series Treats Nurse Chapel Is A Letdown After Strange New Worlds

Christine Chapel (Majel Barrett), and Spock ( Leonard Nimoy) in Star Trek: The Original Series, "Amok Time"

Even if Star Trek: Strange New Worlds ends without an episode devoted to Nurse Christine Chapel, the transition to Star Trek: The Original Series is inevitably a letdown for Chapel, who is played (and originated) by Majel Barrett Roddenberry.

Far from the dynamic, youthful Chapel who fights Klingons hand-to-hand, devoted herself to curing Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano), and engaged in passionate relationships with Lt. Spock and Dr. Roger Korby, Nurse Chapel in Star Trek: The Original Series is a supporting character best remembered for her unrequited love for Spock (Leonard Nimoy).

This was always going to be a pitfall of a 21st-century Star Trek series depicting the youth of a character who was limited by the TV conventions of 60 years ago, but the difference in how Chapel is portrayed in Strange New Worlds versus TOS becomes even more glaring.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' Nurse Chapel is so skilled and talented that she should logically become a doctor, but canon dictates that Dr. Christine Chapel doesn't happen until roughly a decade later in Star Trek: The Motion Picture.

Regardless, Nurse Christine Chapel's backstory remains to be told, and Jess Bush deserves the opportunity to display the full range of her limitless talent by carrying her own episode of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds in its final two seasons.

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Star Trek: Strange New Worlds

10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed TV-PG Action Adventure Sci-Fi Release Date May 5, 2022 Network Paramount+ Showrunner Henry Alonso Myers, Akiva Goldsman Directors Dan Liu, Amanda Row, Maja Vrvilo, Akiva Goldsman, Dermott Downs, Eduardo Sánchez, Jeffrey W. Byrd, Jonathan Frakes, Jordan Canning, Leslie Hope, Valerie Weiss, Sydney Freeland, Christopher J. Byrne, Rachel Leiterman Writers Onitra Johnson 8 Images Captain Pike looking stoic in Star Trek: Strange New WorldsChristina Chong & Rebecca Romijn in Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 3Captain Kirk with his hands folded in Star Trek: Strange New WorldsPike looking through the Enterprise viewscreen at two stars and lots of Gorn ships in Star Trek Strange New Worlds Hegemony Part IIUhura laughing with a drink in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 3Pelia speaking in Star Trek Strange New Worlds season 3Captain Marie Batel (Melanie Scrofano) and Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount) face each other from opposite sides of Pike's kitchen counter in Star Trek Strange New Worlds Ad Astra Per AsperaThe Enterprise Crew Vulcans are sent on a mission in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 3.Image via Paramount+Close

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• Anson Mount Captain Christopher Pike
• Ethan Peck Spock

Franchise(s) Star Trek Genres Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Creator(s) Akiva Goldsman, Alex Kurtzman, Jenny Lumet Powered by Expand Collapse

• Star Trek: Strange New Worlds
• Star Trek

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