The upcoming Star Trek: Section 31 movie starring the Mirror Universe’s Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) should mark the end of the controversial Starfleet organization. Section 31 was introduced late in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine‘s seven-season run at the height of the Dominion War. The off-the-books, amoral Starfleet entity unsuccessfully attempted to recruit Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig) into their ranks, before going on to play a pivotal, polarizing role in the war’s final days.
Section 31 has seemingly been a part of Starfleet from the very beginning. Lieutenant Malcolm Reed (Dominic Keating) had encounters with an early version of Section 31 on Star Trek: Enterprise, set two centuries before the events of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Section 31 also did a fair share of damage in J.J. Abrams’ Kelvin timeline as the bad guys who revived Khan Noonien Singh (Benedict Cumberbatch) in Star Trek Into Darkness. Section 31 returned in Star Trek: Discovery, where Georgiou was recruited after escaping certain death in the Mirror Universe. Georgiou’s spinoff movie would be an ideal time to address what’s become obvious – it’s time to end Section 31.
Why Michelle Yeoh’s Star Trek Movie Should End Section 31
Section 31 has been a controversial aspect of Star Trek since it was introduced in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. For many, the notion that Starfleet would have a covert operations division that takes on morally reprehensible missions to maintain the idyllic facade of the Federation flies in the face of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future. And while Section 31’s existence made a certain amount of sense for the darker, boundary-pushing DS9, their presence in most modern Star Trek projects has felt unnecessary.
Georgiou was forced to travel back in time from the 32nd century in Star Trek: Discovery season 3, and her current whereabouts are still unknown. She could have been shunted back to the 23rd century when Discovery originated, or even the 25th-century setting of Star Trek: Picard. No matter the era, a film featuring the chaotic Mirror Universe Georgiou taking down Section 31 from the inside would be deeply satisfying.
Does Section 31 Exist In Star Trek: Discovery’s 32nd Century?
When Star Trek: Discovery jumped to the far future of the 32nd century at the conclusion of season 2, the crew found themselves in a very different galaxy. The galactic calamity known as the Burn stopped most deep space exploration and left the Federation shattered. Even Earth itself withdrew from Starfleet and the Federation.
The ultimate status of Section 31 in the 32nd century remains a mystery. Starfleet is still active, though decidedly hobbled, in the wake of the Burn. While Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew help piece the Federation back together, her quasi-friend Georgiou could do everyone in the galaxy a big favor by dismantling the titular organization of Star Trek: Section 31.
