Comparing Jess Bush to Majel Barrett's Christine Chapel
Jess Bush's Christine Chapel is one of the more intriguing characters who appear on Strange New Worlds, and Chapel's tiny flirtation with Mr. Spock in TOS was explored much more deeply in SNW. Once merely an afterthought, Chapel and Spock’s (Ethan Peck) romance is fleshed out in wonderful detail, and their relationship became even more fascinating in season 3 when Dr. Roger Korby joined the love triangle.
In The Original Series, Korby only appeared in one episode ("What Are Little Girls Made Of?") as Christine’s long-lost finance. However, in Strange New Worlds, Bush is given the opportunity to flex her acting muscles and traverse every possible emotion the Enterprise nurse was feeling when the character basically threw over Spock for Korby!
I loved watching Bush not only play Christine Chapel, but I wholeheartedly prefer the way she was able to take such a beloved legacy character to a whole new level. With all due respect to Barrett, the best Christine Chapel was brought to life by Jess Bush.
Should the adventures of the starship Enterprise continue under the command of Paul Wesley’s James T. Kirk on streaming, I hope Bush is willing to reprise the role. Unfortunately, though, Star Trek: Year One hasn't been greenlit at the time of this writing. I sure hope it comes to fruition, though.
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