Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 2, Episode 5 - "Charades"Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 may have already ended Lt. Spock (Ethan Peck) and T'Pring's (Gia Sandhu) marriage, despite many years to go before Star Trek: The Original Series. T'Pring and Spock were bonded together as children, and Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 5, "Charades" revealed it was, in part, because T'Pring's father, Sevet (Michael Benyaer), covets a relationship with Spock's estranged sire, Ambassador Sarek (James Frain). However, Spock and T'Pring's engagement was always problematic, and the events of "Charades" might have led to its pre-emptive dissolution.
In Strange New Worlds season 2, episode 5, Spock's impending V'Shal engagement ritual was already going to be an ordeal because he was well aware that T'Pring's mother, T'Pril (Elora Patniak), "hates" him. Making matters worse, Spock was injured in a shuttle accident, and he was 'repaired' by interdimensional aliens called the Kerkhovians, who turned the half-Vulcan fully human. Now burdened with the emotional volatility of a teenager, Spock attempted a ruse to fool T'Pring and her family that he is still half-Vulcan to satisfy his engagement ritual. While successful, Spock ultimately confessed the truth, but the consequences were potentially losing T'Pring.
Did Strange New Worlds Already End Spock’s Star Trek Marriage?
In Star Trek: The Original Series' season 2 classic, "Amok Time," T'Pring (Arlene Martel) formally ended her betrothal to Spock (Leonard Nimoy). The reason given was that T'Pring wanted to marry Stonn (Lawrence Montaigne) because Spock was more devoted to his Starfleet career aboard the USS Enterprise than his fiancée. Strange New Worlds deepened and added new wrinkles to why T'Pring wanted out of her arranged marriage with Spock. In "Charades," T'Pring was deeply hurt that Spock involved many of the Starship Enterprise's crew in his deception, including Captain Christopher Pike (Anson Mount), but he chose to exclude her. This confirms T'Pring's suspicions that Spock doesn't trust her, and she decided they needed to "take a break" from their engagement.
It's not clear if T'Pring will return in Strange New Worlds or if this is the beginning of a years-long gulf and 'cold war' between Spock and T'Pring that will culminate in Star Trek: TOS' "Amok Time." If the latter is the case, then it's a surprising move by Strange New Worlds to halt the promising Spock and T'Pring relationship, which has already delivered such memorable episodes as Strange New Worlds season 1's hilarious body swap, "Spock Amok." However, the Strange New Worlds season 1 tease that Spock's half-brother Sybok is one of the Vulcan criminals held at the rehabilitation center T'Pring works for still needs to be followed up. Yet it's possible that can still happen without Spock and T'Pring reconciling and resuming their engagement.
Why Strange New Worlds Had To Explore Spock & Chapel’s Romance
Shifting away from Spock and T'Pring allows Strange New Worlds season 2 to explore a romance between Spock and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush), which has been building since the series began. Strange New Worlds is in a unique position because the chemistry between Ethan Peck and Jess Bush is as electric as the chemistry between Peck and Gia Sandhu. Star Trek: The Original Series canon also establishes that there is a history between Nurse Chapel (Majel Barrett) and Mr. Spock, and Strange New Worlds can now enjoy sparks flying between Spock and Chapel. Essentially a workplace romance, Christine and Spock has loads of story potential, and this couple has the advantage of being between two series regulars aboard the Starship Enterprise.
As exciting as it is to see where Spock and Chapel's coupling goes, with Strange New Worlds only in season 2, it still feels too soon and premature to end Spock and T'Pring's relationship. After all, there are still years and, hopefully, many more seasons of Strange New Worlds to go before Star Trek: TOS' canon in "Amok Time" must be honored. Of course, there are plenty of reasons to think that T'Pring will be back in future Strange New Worlds episodes to continue this love triangle in new iterations. Yet it's also possible that the love story and engagement between Spock and T'Pring that seemed so promising at the start of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds is already essentially over.
Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2 streams Thursdays on Paramount+.