I’m not clear on what exact year SNW season three will take place, but it appears to be about six years before the first season of TOS, which starts in 2265.
In the season one TOS episode, This Side of Paradise, Spock is reunited with Leila Kalomi, a botanist he met six years earlier on Earth. At the time he was unable to return her feelings for him, but in this episode — after being exposed to plant spores — he loosens up and says he loves her. Even after returning to normal, he says that, “for the first time in my life … I was happy.”
My point is that this turned out to be a significant relationship for Spock, and SNW season 3 could be about the time he first meets Leila. Do you think we get to see her?
The writers seem to be very cognizant of the timeline. The whole Carol Marcus thing didn’t even come up in my mind so I wouldn’t be surprised now if they reference Leila. Chapel should be engaged with Dr Korby by the time of we come back.
The only issue is that the short episode order means that there’s not a lot of space to devote to something like this. It could be that the whole Leila thing happens offscreen.
Considering the break-up with Chapel, it would make sense for him to eventually rebound. I imagine that once they’ve sorted out the Gorn situation, the Enterprise will need some more repairs potentially near Earth. It’s funny but typical, the fleet’s capital ship needing such frequent work, seeing as that’s where season 2 opened. Anyway, the opportunity is there.
Jill Ireland was so great in that role.
Screenrant seems to think we might see her show up soon too.
https://screenrant.com/strange-new-worlds-spock-forgotten-star-trek-romance/
Thanks for the link!
I really think the whole “trainwrecking yet-another romance leading to the eventual road to kolinahr” would have gone better with Leila instead of Christine (and been less canon denting) Ah well.
