Everything you need to know about CBS’s ‘Star Trek: Section 31’
CBS All Access Star Trek series could, at best, be described as “divisive” amongst fans. Star Trek: Discovery vacillates between being outright despised and some plaintively saying “it’s not that bad”. While Picard can be seen as being a little better, or better received than ST:D at its start, it’s. . .still divisive.
CBS, however, will not be denied more Star Trek content out there in the world. The next live-action series, Star Trek: Section 31, is still happening. It’s still coming. It’s still existing. So let’s talk about it!
Starring Michelle Yeoh as the mirror verse counterpart of Philippa Georgiou, Star Trek: Section 31 will focus on the shady black-ops division of the Federation. Here’s everything we know about the secretive projection.
What’s Section 31 again?
Section 31 was originally introduced into Star Trek canon back in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. The mysterious group has been touched upon in a couple of novels and were the bad guys in Star Trek Into Darkness. Or, well, they were the ones responsible for activating Benedict Cumberbatch’s version of Khan and threatening him into compliance. . .
So, yes, everything about that disaster of a movie can be blamed on Section 31 and JJ Abrams. You’re welcome for the new target to direct your rage outside of Abrams.
Right, so, Section 31 is the black ops part of Star Trek, kind of functioning as the Federations version of the CIA. Agents of Section 31 do the dirty work in order to keep up the perfect utopian Federation. The name of the group comes from the Starfleet section of the same name, which boils down to desperate time means desperate measures.
They’ve been a big part of ST:D’s storyline as well. So this is more of a true spin-off of that series rather than, say, Picard.
So what will Section 31 the series bring to the table?
Unlike ST:D and Picard, Section 31 is not banking on nostalgia here to get butts in seats. Instead, the series is more focused on just what those in Section 31 do. Trekkies don’t know a lot about the mystery organization, except that it exists and it’s shady. Instead, the series seems to want to answer questions about the organization and the kind of missions it undertakes.
In theory, it sounds like it will be a Star Trek meets, like, James Bond sort of affair, which sounds pretty cool. Granted, so did a lot of other series from the CBS All Access Star Trek universe so excuse us if our judgment is reserved.
We have been burned before.
Michelle Yeoh will reprise her role as Philippa Georgiou’s mirrorverse counterpart in the series. As Section 31 is full of people who commit heinous acts that a normal Starfleet officer wouldn’t be allowed to do, she’ll feel right at home. Hopefully, Section 31 will explore the repercussions of those who commit said heinous acts along with the idealistic world of the Federation.
Because that would be an interesting sort of philosophical conundrum, you know?
Anyone else announced for Section 31?
Yeoh is the only cast member officially announced for the upcoming project. Though we’re assuming that Shazad Latif’s Ash Taylor/Voq and Jayne Brook’s Katrina Cornwell may make appearances on the series given their ties to the organization.
When is Section 31 coming?
As of now, we don’t have an official release date or time frame for Section 31. We do know, however, when filming will commence. Section 31 will begin filming when Star Trek: Discovery wraps on season three.
Based on that, we’re going to guess that Section 31 will debut after ST:D season three.
