fictional character
In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life person, ...
who appears in all three seasons of the American science fiction television series ''
Star Trek: The Original Series
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
Starfleet
Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...
Jess Bush
Jess Bush (born 26 March 1992) is an Australian actor, model, reality television personality, and visual artist. Her television work includes competing on the seventh season of the reality TV series ''Australia's Next Top Model'', and playing ...
.
Barrett had previously been cast under her real name as
Number One
Number One most commonly refers to:
* 1 (number)
Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song
* ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song
* ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC
* ''n.1 ...
in the first pilot for the series, " The Cage", during her romantic relationship with the series creator
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...
. But following feedback from network executives, she was not in the cast for the second pilot.
The character made her first appearance in "
The Naked Time
"The Naked Time" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by John D. F. Black and directed by Marc Daniels, it first aired on September 29, 1966.
In the episode, a strang ...
" following a re-write of the script by Roddenberry. He had been inspired after Barrett read a proposal for the episode "
What Are Little Girls Made Of?
"What Are Little Girls Made Of?" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series, ''Star Trek''. Written by Robert Bloch and directed by James Goldstone, it first aired on October 20, 1966.
In the e ...
" and bleached her hair blonde to better fit a role in that episode. The change of color caused Roddenberry to believe that
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
executives might not notice that Barrett had returned against their wishes. However, the executives immediately recognized Barrett. The character was featured in several episodes covering several broad themes, such as showing her feelings for
Spock
Spock is a Character (arts), fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He first appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), USS ''Enterprise ...
(
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...
) and why she joined
Starfleet
Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...
. By the time of ''The Motion Picture'', Chapel was a doctor and during the events of ''The Voyage Home'', she was stationed at Starfleet Command.
Executive producer
Robert H. Justman
Robert Harris "Bob" Justman (July 13, 1926 – May 28, 2008) was an American television producer, director, and production manager. He worked on many American TV series including ''Lassie'', ''The Life of Riley'', '' Adventures of Superman'', ...
was initially critical of Barrett's performance as Chapel, but recanted this opinion after her appearance as
Lwaxana Troi
This is a list of characters from the science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Characters are ordered alphabetically by family name, and only characters who played a significant recurring role in the series are list ...
David Gerrold
David Gerrold (born Jerrold David Friedman; January 24, 1944)Reginald, R. (September 12, 2010)''Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Volume 2'' Borgo Press p. 911. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved June 23, 2013. is an American science fic ...
felt that she only served to demonstrate Spock's emotionless behavior. Critics saw the character as being a degradation for Barrett compared to her first character. While the position of nurse was seen as a stereotype, the character's promotion to doctor was praised. Certain episodes featuring her were criticized, such as "Amok Time", where the plot prevented her from having a relationship with Spock, and "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", where it was suggested she was featured to the detriment of other characters. Among fans, she was initially unpopular due to her feelings for Spock, but prior to the 2009 film ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'', there was a desire to see her return.
Concept and development
Prior to working on ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'',
Gene Roddenberry
Eugene Wesley Roddenberry Sr. (August 19, 1921 – October 24, 1991) was an American television screenwriter, producer, and creator of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'', its sequel spin-off series ''Star Trek: The Animated Series,'' and ''Sta ...
had been developing a variety of
television pilot
A television pilot (also known as a pilot or a pilot episode and sometimes marketed as a tele-movie), in United States television, is a standalone episode of a television series that is used to sell a show to a television network or other distri ...
s for
Screen Gems
Screen Gems is an American brand name used by Sony Pictures' Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, a subsidiary of Japanese multinational conglomerate, Sony Group Corporation. It has served several different purposes for its parent ...
. One actress he auditioned was Majel Leigh Hudec, later to use the name
Cushman & Osborn (2013): p. 52 Later when he created the drama series ''
The Lieutenant
''The Lieutenant'' is an American television series, the first created by Gene Roddenberry. It aired on NBC on Saturday evenings in the 1963–1964 television schedule. It was produced by Arena Productions, one of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's most ...
'', he cast her in the episode "In the Highest Tradition". They quickly became friends, and entered into a romantic relationship although Roddenberry was married at the time. During the development of the first pilot for ''
Star Trek: The Original Series
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction television series created by Gene Roddenberry that follows the adventures of the starship and its crew. It later acquired the retronym of ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' (''TOS'') to distinguis ...
Number One
Number One most commonly refers to:
* 1 (number)
Number One, No. 1, or #1 may also refer to:
Music Albums
* ''Number 1'' (Big Bang album), and the title song
* ''No. 1'' (BoA album), and the title song
* ''No.1'' (EP), by CLC
* ''n.1 ...
(the ship's second in command) specifically for Barrett.Alexander (1995): p. 210 There was reluctance from the
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
executives to agree to an actress who was almost unknown.Cushman & Osborn (2013): p. 53 Roddenberry did see other actresses for the part, but no one else was considered.
Executive producer
Herbert Franklin Solow
Herbert Franklin Solow (December 14, 1930 – November 19, 2020) was an American motion picture and television executive, screenwriter, motion picture and television producer, director and talent agent.
Biography
Solow was born to a Jewish ...
attempted to sell them on the idea that a fresh face would bring believability to the part, but they were aware that she was Roddenberry's girlfriend. Despite this they agreed to her casting, not wanting to upset Roddenberry at this point in the production. After the pilot was rejected, a second pilot was produced. While it was generally explained that the network disliked a female character as the second-in-command of the ''Enterprise'', Solow had a different opinion of events. He explained that "No one liked her acting... she was a nice woman, but the reality was, she couldn't act." "
Where No Man Has Gone Before
"Where No Man Has Gone Before" is the third episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series, ''Star Trek''. Written by Samuel A. Peeples and directed by James Goldstone, it first aired on September 22, 1966.
In t ...
" successfully took ''Star Trek'' to a series order. Barrett had been given the role of voicing the computer on the USS ''Enterprise'', but was demanding that Roddenberry write her into the main cast.Solow & Justman (1996): p. 224
After seeing the initial proposal for "
What Are Little Girls Made Of?
"What Are Little Girls Made Of?" is the seventh episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series, ''Star Trek''. Written by Robert Bloch and directed by James Goldstone, it first aired on October 20, 1966.
In the e ...
", Barrett felt that she could play the woman who went into space to find her fiancé. She dyed her hair blonde in an attempt to fit the role.Cushman & Osborn (2013): p. 225 Barrett sought to surprise Roddenberry at his office, but he walked right past her, not recognizing who she was. It was only when he came back out to give his secretary some papers that he realized it was Barrett. They had the idea that it might get her past the NBC executives and back onto the show. The character of Christine Ducheaux was subsequently changed to Christine Chapel by Roddenberry, as a play on the
Sistine Chapel
The Sistine Chapel (; la, Sacellum Sixtinum; it, Cappella Sistina ) is a chapel in the Apostolic Palace, the official residence of the pope in Vatican City. Originally known as the ''Cappella Magna'' ('Great Chapel'), the chapel takes its name ...
. No other actresses were considered for the role.
At the same time, story editor John D.F. Black wrote the initial script for "
The Naked Time
"The Naked Time" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by John D. F. Black and directed by Marc Daniels, it first aired on September 29, 1966.
In the episode, a strang ...
", also early in the first season. The story featured a virus being transmitted among the ship's crew, which removed their inhibitions. One element of Black's story featured the addition of a nurse in sickbay, working with Doctor
Leonard McCoy
Dr. Leonard H. McCoy, known as "Bones", is a character in the American science-fiction franchise ''Star Trek''. McCoy was played by actor DeForest Kelley in the original ''Star Trek'' series from 1966 to 1969, and he also appears in the anim ...
.Cushman & Osborn (2013): p. 183 Chapel was written into both these episodes by Roddenberry. The deception did not work, with NBC executive Jerry Stanley commenting simply "Well, well – look who's back" to Solow. Roddenberry saw to it that the character of Christine Chapel would become a recurring one throughout the series, on-par with
Uhura
Nyota Uhura () is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' franchise. In the Star Trek: The Original Series, original television series, the character was portrayed by Nichelle Nichols, who reprised the role for the first six List of Star Trek ...
. She remained unsatisfied with the role, but appreciated that since NBC had already fired her once, Roddenberry could not expand the role.
For '' Star Trek: The Animated Series'', Barrett was initially set to reprise the role of Chapel as well as voicing Uhura. Likewise
James Doohan
James Montgomery Doohan (; March 3, 1920 – July 20, 2005) was a Canadian actor, author and soldier, best known for his role as Montgomery "Scotty" Scott in the television and film series '' Star Trek''. Doohan's characterization of the Scottis ...
Hikaru Sulu
Hikaru Kato Sulu is a fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. A member of the crew in the original ''Star Trek'' series, Sulu also appears in the animated ''Star Trek'' series, the first six ''Star Trek'' movies, one episode ...
. However, following the intervention of
Leonard Nimoy
Leonard Simon Nimoy (; March 26, 1931 – February 27, 2015) was an American actor, famed for playing Spock in the ''Star Trek'' franchise for almost 50 years. This includes originating Spock in the original ''Star Trek'' series in 1966, then ...
,
Nichelle Nichols
Nichelle Nichols (, born Grace Dell Nichols; December 28, 1932 – July 30, 2022) was an American actress, singer, and dancer best known for her portrayal of Nyota Uhura in ''Star Trek'' and its film sequels. Nichols' portrayal of Uhura was gr ...
and
George Takei
George Takei (; ja, ジョージ・タケイ; born Hosato Takei (武井 穂郷), April 20, 1937) is an American actor, author and activist known for his role as Hikaru Sulu, helmsman of the fictional starship USS ''Enterprise'' in the televi ...
were both brought back to voice their own characters. Barrett returned in '' Star Trek: The Motion Picture'' as Chapel, which she described as a "very minimal role", saying that "If no one had called me Commander Chapel, the audience wouldn't really know that I was there." Barrett said in the film franchise Chapel got lost along the way, not appearing in the
second
The second (symbol: s) is the unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), historically defined as of a day – this factor derived from the division of the day first into 24 hours, then to 60 minutes and finally to 60 seconds ...
or
third
Third or 3rd may refer to:
Numbers
* 3rd, the ordinal form of the cardinal number 3
* , a fraction of one third
* Second#Sexagesimal divisions of calendar time and day, 1⁄60 of a ''second'', or 1⁄3600 of a ''minute''
Places
* 3rd Street (d ...
films despite her view that she was a main character in ''The Original Series''. Nimoy brought back the character for '' Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'', and Barrett was grateful for his decision. The character was subsequently mentioned in the 2009 film ''
Star Trek
''Star Trek'' is an American science fiction media franchise created by Gene Roddenberry, which began with the eponymous 1960s television series and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has expanded into vari ...
'', which saw the characters from ''The Original Series'' re-cast. Chapel was one of the suggested possibilities for
Alice Eve
Alice Sophia Eve (born ) is a British actress. Her movie career includes roles in ''She's Out of My League'', ''Men in Black 3'', ''Star Trek Into Darkness'', and '' Before We Go''. She has had recurring roles on the TV series ''Entourage'' and ...
to play in the sequel, ''
Star Trek Into Darkness
''Star Trek Into Darkness'' is a 2013 American science fiction action film directed by J. J. Abrams and written by Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman, and Damon Lindelof. It is the 12th installment in the ''Star Trek'' franchise and the sequel to the 2 ...
''. It was later revealed that she was portraying Carol Marcus.
Appearances
In "What Are Little Girls Made Of?", it is explained that Chapel abandoned a career in bioresearch for a position in
Starfleet
Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...
. She had hoped that this would reunite her with her fiancé Dr. Roger Korby (
Michael Strong
Michael Strong (born Cecil Natapoff; February 8, 1918 – September 17, 1980)California Death Index and Social Security Death Index, accessed on Ancestry.com was an American stage, film and television actor.
Early life
Michael Strong was bor ...
), incommunicado following his expedition to the planet Exo III. Five years after Korby's disappearance, Chapel is assigned to the USS ''Enterprise'' where she serves as head nurse, working under Dr. McCoy (
DeForest Kelley
Jackson DeForest Kelley (January 20, 1920 – June 11, 1999), known to colleagues as "Dee", was an American actor, screenwriter, poet, and singer. He was known for his roles in Westerns and as Dr. Leonard "Bones" McCoy of the in the televisio ...
).
While on board the ship, she begins to develop feelings for
Spock
Spock is a Character (arts), fictional character in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. He first appeared in the Star Trek: The Original Series, original ''Star Trek'' series serving aboard the starship USS Enterprise (NCC-1701), USS ''Enterprise ...
(Leonard Nimoy), admitting as much in "
The Naked Time
"The Naked Time" is the fourth episode of the first season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by John D. F. Black and directed by Marc Daniels, it first aired on September 29, 1966.
In the episode, a strang ...
". Her actions in that episode resulted in the Psi 2000 intoxication unwittingly being further spread among the crew. The ship reached Exo III in "What Are Little Girls Made Of?". Captain Kirk (
William Shatner
William Shatner (born March 22, 1931) is a Canadian actor. In a career spanning seven decades, he is best known for his portrayal of James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' franchise, from his 1965 debut as the captain of the starship USS Enterpri ...
) and Chapel beam down and discover Korby had been exploiting a sophisticated android manufacturing technology on the planet. After Chapel is horrified to find out that Korby had transplanted his personality into an android replica, he kills himself in despair. Roddenberry later co-wrote in ''The Making of Star Trek'' that the actions of that episode resulted in Chapel breaking her ties to Earth and devoting herself to Starfleet service.
After Korby's death, Chapel doubts if she should stay aboard but elects to remain with the ''Enterprise'' throughout the five-year mission. Chapel's feelings for Spock were revisited and alluded to only a few times in the series, most notably in "
Plato's Stepchildren
"Plato's Stepchildren" is the tenth episode of the third season of the American science fiction television series '' Star Trek''. Written by Meyer Dolinsky and directed by David Alexander, it was first broadcast on November 22, 1968.
In the ep ...
". In the episode, the Platonians telekinetically force Chapel and Spock to kiss passionately. This humiliates Chapel despite her long-standing feelings for him. In the episode "
Amok Time
"Amok Time" is the second season premiere episode of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by science fiction author Theodore Sturgeon, scored by Gerald Fried, and directed by Joseph Pevney, it first aired on Se ...
", she brings Spock some soup to help him through a sacred Vulcan ritual, the
Pon farr
''Pon farr'' is a phenomenon in the fictional '' Star Trek'' universe. A part of the reproductive cycle of Vulcans, ''pon farr'' features in the canonical television series as well as in various spin-offs and fan fiction. An extreme physical an ...
. He angrily refuses the soup and throws it at the wall, but later thanks Chapel for her thoughtfulness.
Chapel appeared in two of the ''Star Trek'' films featuring ''The Original Series'' cast. In ''Star Trek: The Motion Picture'', Chapel had become a doctor on board the ''Enterprise''. Her second appearance was in ''Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home'', where she and
Janice Rand
Janice Rand is a fictional character in the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek: The Original Series'' during its first season, as well as three of the ''Star Trek'' films. She is the Captain's yeoman on board the USS ''Enter ...
(
Grace Lee Whitney
Grace Lee Whitney (born Mary Ann Chase; April 1, 1930 – May 1, 2015) was an American actress and singer. She played Janice Rand on the original ''Star Trek'' television series and subsequent ''Star Trek'' films.
Early life
Whitney was born on ...
) were stationed in Starfleet Headquarters in San Francisco. In the 2009 film ''Star Trek'', a Nurse Chapel is mentioned by McCoy (
Karl Urban
Karl-Heinz Urban (born 7 June 1972) is a New Zealand actor. His career began with appearances in New Zealand films and TV series such as '' Xena: Warrior Princess''. His first Hollywood role was in the 2002 horror film '' Ghost Ship''. Since ...
). In the 2013 film ''Star Trek Into Darkness'', Carol Marcus (
Alice Eve
Alice Sophia Eve (born ) is a British actress. Her movie career includes roles in ''She's Out of My League'', ''Men in Black 3'', ''Star Trek Into Darkness'', and '' Before We Go''. She has had recurring roles on the TV series ''Entourage'' and ...
) tells Kirk (
Chris Pine
Chris Pine (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. He is best known for his roles as James T. Kirk in the ''Star Trek'' reboot film series (2009–present), Steve Trevor in the DC Extended Universe films ''Wonder Woman'' (2017) and ''Won ...
) that after being with him, Chapel left to become a nurse.
Reception
Cast and crew
Executive producer
Robert H. Justman
Robert Harris "Bob" Justman (July 13, 1926 – May 28, 2008) was an American television producer, director, and production manager. He worked on many American TV series including ''Lassie'', ''The Life of Riley'', '' Adventures of Superman'', ...
did not care for Chapel; he described her as a "wimpy, badly written, and ill-conceived character."Solow & Justman (1996): p. 225 He added that the additional camera lenses used by director Jerry Finnerman in that episode for close-ups of her quivering lip only "served to emphasize the lack of character written into the character." He had complained to Roddenberry of Barrett's acting skills, but stopped when he became aware of their relationship. It was only after Barrett's first appearance as
Lwaxana Troi
This is a list of characters from the science fiction television series '' Star Trek: The Next Generation''. Characters are ordered alphabetically by family name, and only characters who played a significant recurring role in the series are list ...
in the '' Star Trek: The Next Generation'' episode " Haven", that he came to realize that it was the Chapel character he disliked, not Barrett herself, and told her that his opinion had changed. Barrett also did not care for the character of Chapel, saying "I've never been a real aficionado of Nurse Chapel, I figured she was kind of weak and namdy-pamdy."
Writer
David Gerrold
David Gerrold (born Jerrold David Friedman; January 24, 1944)Reginald, R. (September 12, 2010)''Science Fiction and Fantasy Literature, Volume 2'' Borgo Press p. 911. Archived at Google Books. Retrieved June 23, 2013. is an American science fic ...
, who worked with the staff of ''The Original Series'' following his work on the episode "
The Trouble with Tribbles
"The Trouble with Tribbles" is the fifteenth episode of the second season of the American science fiction television series ''Star Trek''. Written by David Gerrold and directed by Joseph Pevney, it was first broadcast on December 29, 1967. In ...
", described Chapel as being one of a second-tier set of characters including Uhura, Scotty, and Sulu, who were not given as much exposure during the series as the main characters of Kirk, Spock, and McCoy. He explained that she was the only one of the second level of characters whose motivations were explored, but her primary focus onboard the ship was simply to be in love with Spock. Gerrold explained that there was a need to demonstrate the "aloofness" of the Vulcan character, and so this resulted in a character whose love of him needed to be rebuffed, thus giving Chapel her purpose. He suggested that this caused the fandom to dislike Chapel because "female fans saw her as a threat to their own fantasies and male fans saw her as a threat to Spock's Vulcan stoicism."Gerrold (1974): p. 30 Gerrold added that those fans were surprised when they met Barrett at
science fiction convention
Science fiction conventions are gatherings of fans of the speculative fiction genre, science fiction. Historically, science fiction conventions had focused primarily on literature, but the purview of many extends to such other avenues of expres ...
s, as they found her likable in person. By the time of the 2009 film ''Star Trek'', the character had become more popular among fans, who were asking if she would appear in the new films.
Critical reception
file:Leonard Nimoy Spock 1967.jpg, upalt=A black and white photo of a humanoid alien with pointy ears., Chapel's feelings for Spock ''(pictured)'' have been both criticized and praised by critics and disliked by some fans.
In her essay "The Audience as Auteur. Women, ''Star Trek'' and 'Vidding'" in the book ''Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek: The Original Cast Adventures'', Francesca Coppa said that she saw the switch from Number One to Chapel for Barrett as "degradation on every level: role, status and image".Coppa (2015): p. 169 The role was described as "consolation" in Cary O'Dell's book ''June Cleaver Was a Feminist!: Reconsidering the Female Characters of Early Television'', but it was felt that Barrett "made the most of it". The position of a nurse was described by O'Dell as a traditional female role, but that Chapel would stand up to McCoy's orders when required.O'Dell (2013): p. 194 Her promotion to Doctor in ''The Motion Picture'' was praised by author Gladys L. Knight in her book ''Female Action Heroes: A Guide to Women in Comics, Video Games, Film, and Television''.
Reviewers were critical of her relationship with Spock, with Jan Johnson-Smith describing Chapel in ''American Science Fiction TV'' as "a woman condemned to forever lust after the elusive Vulcan" and noting that she is one of several female characters in the series who are "depicted as recognizable stereotypes". Coppa also discussed this, calling the character as being a typical
damsel in distress
The damsel in distress is a recurring narrative device in which one or more men must rescue a woman who has either been kidnapped or placed in general peril. Kinship, love, or lust (or a combination of those) gives the male protagonist the motiv ...
, existing "merely to pine". But the relationship was also seen positively, with Torie Atkinson, at
Tor.com
''Tor.com'' is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine published by Tor Books, a division of Macmillan Publishers. The magazine publishes articles, reviews, original short fiction, re-reads and commentary on speculative fiction.
From 20 ...
, said of Chapel in "Amok Time" that "her affection is so transparent and sweet." In ''The Making of Star Trek'' by Roddenberry and Stephen E. Whitfield, her feelings toward Spock are said to not be unique since they are shared by many of the female crew onboard the ''Enterprise''. It is also further explained that McCoy is aware of her feelings, but displays "fatherly affection" towards her and never "chides" her for this.Whitfield & Roddenberry (1968): p. 254
Her appearances in episodes were commented on, with Wei Ming Dariotis critical of the single-mindedness of the plot for "Amok Time" in not allowing Spock to have sex with Chapel, or any other woman, and thus solve the problem of his Pon farr. But Eugene Myers at Tor.com praised Chapel, saying that the most interesting part of "What Are Little Girls Made Of?" was that it was based primarily on her, while
Keith DeCandido
Keith Robert Andreassi DeCandido (born April 18, 1969) is an American science fiction and fantasy writer and musician, who works on comic books, novels, role-playing games and video games, including numerous media tie-in books for properties such ...
said that this resulted in the episode being the "Kirk-and-Chapel show" to the detriment of the other characters.
In 2016, Nurse Christine Chapel was ranked as the 60th most important character of
Starfleet
Starfleet is a fictional organization in the ''Star Trek'' media franchise. Within this fictional universe, Starfleet is a uniformed space force maintained by the United Federation of Planets ("the Federation") as the principal means for conduc ...
within the ''Star Trek'' science fiction universe by ''
Wired
''Wired'' (stylized as ''WIRED'') is a monthly American magazine, published in print and online editions, that focuses on how emerging technologies affect culture, the economy, and politics. Owned by Condé Nast, it is headquartered in San Fra ...