Hee. This was fun to read. I think I should maybe get TOS on DVD. It has been ages since I watched any, and that was in a badly dubbed version.

in modern fandom, this would be the scene that launched a thousand Chapel Sues.

From what I gathered from reading TOS fic it did in classic fandom too. Spock/Chapel is quite popular, and of course not all are Mary Sues, but still.

And I've read a couple of T'Pring-centric stories that were sympathetic to her, so you may be in the minority, but not alone.