Star Trek: Section 31 boldly explores where no other film or television show in the science fiction saga has gone before. The story takes place outside the borders of the Federation and introduces the viewer to a seedier side of the universe. The main characters aren’t all goody-two-shoes either, as Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) is an eyeball-eating sociopath who moves in the gray area between heroic and evil. Star Trek: Section 31 is pure B-movie trash, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
Of course, with big changes comes an army of disgruntled critics who have their own ideas about what Star Trek should be. The first reactions to Star Trek: Section 31 was brutalwith many critics arguing that the film hardly reflects the ethos on which the franchise was built. However, during a press day for the event, producer Alex Kurtzman told /Film’s Jacob Hall that the Paramount+ film was conceived to explore the core ideals of sci-fi film from a modern perspective:
“When you think of traditional Star Trek, you think of (Gene) Roddenberry’s utopian vision of the future, where there would be no such thing as (Section 31). “But the space of the Federation is limited, and there are areas outside of it.” And part of the conversation we had about that was how to use Section 31 in the same way that “Star Trek” has used allegories and since its inception Used metaphors to talk about what’s going on today? And that’s what makes ‘Star Trek’ ‘Star Trek’.”
At first glance, this may not be a traditional Star Trek vehicle. However, Kurtzman believes it still aligns with Roddenberry’s utopian vision for the franchise and is all part of a larger whole.
Section 31 is different, but it’s still Star Trek
Star Trek: Section 31 is not a traditional story about Starfleet and the Federation. It follows the eponymous defense operation as it conducts a covert mission in unknown areas of space, removing some of the dreamy idealism that defines Star Trek. However, Alex Kurtzman told /Film that it’s important to chronicle the darkness that leads to a brighter future, and so the Paramount+ spin-off film Star Trek Discovery falls in line with the franchise’s overarching values:
“The Light cannot exist without the people in the shadows who allow Starfleet to do what it does. That was a very interesting idea because – not only was it unique to us, it was brought up when Section 31 was first introduced to the series.” by the writers of “Star Trek: Deep Space Nine” – that seems today to be an extremely relevant topic, especially when we live in a world where the boundaries between things are becoming much more permeable and invisible. The gap between people is becoming ever larger. “It makes us forget the fundamental message of Star Trek, which is that despite our differences, we have to figure out how to get along.”
While some Trekkies consider “Section 31” to be an outlier that takes some unpopular creative risks, Kurtzman believes the film’s message reinforces the core ideals of “Star Trek.” At the same time, commercial reasons must also be taken into account when evaluating why the new film is different from other entries in the series.
Star Trek: Section 31 is accessible to newcomers
“Star Trek: Discovery” is the only series that directly follows “Section 31”. But even viewers who have no knowledge of the franchise can enter the film knowing that it requires no prior knowledge of the franchise to understand and enjoy. When speaking with Trek MovieAlex Kurtzman emphasized that “Section 31” is a film that any audience can enjoy, whether they are newbies or long-time fans of the science fiction saga. Above all, the filmmakers wanted the film to be fun:
“If we did a very dark ‘Star Trek,’ I think people could rightly say, ‘Wow, that doesn’t feel like ‘Star Trek.'” But we really tried to defuse the conversation by First of all, we did something that was really fun by including some very deliberate and specific nods to what it means to be a part of it, with Rachel Garrett obviously being the most poignant of those nods to the Federation and being part of “Star Trek.” “ and Starfleet and ultimately you to offer an entertaining, funny and emotional story that, like “Wagon Train to the Stars”, also comes close to a western paradigm.”
It remains to be seen how well “Section 31” will be received over time. However, at the moment it seems that the film has more critics than fans. Still, it wouldn’t be the first Star Trek film to initially be met with skepticism before finding a loyal cult fan base.
Star Trek: Section 31 is now streaming on Paramount+.
