James T. Kirk (Paul Wesley) and Nurse Christine Chapel (Jess Bush) have a shared history prior to serving on the Enterprise together in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2. Kirk was first introduced in the season 1 finale "A Quality of Mercy" in which he was the captain of the USS Farragut, rather than the Enterprise, in a timeline altered by Captain Pike (Anson Mount). It was revealed earlier in SNW season 1 that Nurse Chapel had also previously served aboard the Farragut, wearing the ship's emblem on her uniform during Starfleet Remembrance Day in "Memento Mori." It's therefore extremely likely that the two already know each other ahead of Kirk's arrival on the Enterprise.
It's unclear if those lost crew members memorialized by Chapel are the ones lost in Kirk's USS Farragut tragedy, but if so, this would provide the two characters with a shared bond during SNW season 2. With the arrival of Kirk, Strange New Worlds' timeline edges closer to that of Star Trek: The Original Series, which regularly saw Kirk amused by Chapel's affection for Spock. It may be that the future Enterprise captain first learned of Chapel's attraction to the Vulcan while serving under Captain Pike.
Kirk & Chapel’s History On The USS Farragut
Kirk's time aboard the Farragut is explored in TOS season 2, episode 13, "Obsession," in which he risked the lives of the Enterprise crew to defeat a vampiric entity that was responsible for the deaths of 200 officers, half the Farragut crew. This event took place in 2257, two years prior to the Strange New Worlds season 1 finale, where it's revealed that Kirk is still serving aboard the Farragut. Earlier in the episode, Pike's changes to the TOS timeline resulted in Kirk eventually captaining the ship, presumably working through his survivor's guilt and trauma in the process.
Nurse Chapel's time on the Farragut is less well documented, having only been referenced in SNW season 1, episode 4, "Memento Mori." Given that she's wearing the Farragut emblem on her uniform in memory of those she's lost, it's likely that she was aboard the ship during its deadly encounter with the entity. Chapel (as played by Majel Barrett) briefly appears in "Obsession," tending to the entity's latest victims without passing comment on what happened in 2257. However, Strange New Worlds could easily address this in season 2.
Strange New Worlds Season 2 Can Set Up Chapel & Kirk’s Friendship
In "Obsession", Doctor McCoy (DeForest Kelly) is eventually informed about the Farragut tragedy by Spock when they begin to show concern for Kirk's state of mind. Kirk and Spock haven't yet met in SNW so perhaps Nurse Chapel could be the bridge between both men. Captain Pike is clearly requesting Kirk's presence on the Enterprise because he's seen that the universe is a darker place without the bond between Kirk and Spock on the Federation flagship. However, if Chapel already knows Kirk, and is aware of his tragic past, she may soften Spock's view of the brash young officer.
In "A Quality of Mercy," Kirk's described in less than positive terms by his brother Sam, who refers to him as "a pain in the ass" who "doesn't like to lose." Given Kirk's experiences on the Farragut, it's easy to see why he refuses to accept the no-win scenario, as evidenced by his cheating on the Kobayashi Maru. As the younger Kirk finds his way on the Enterprise during Star Trek: Strange New Worlds season 2, he'll need someone like Nurse Chapel, who knows what he's been through aboard the Farragut. The friendship between these two characters can in turn inspire the hugely important friendship between Kirk and Spock.