Section 31, it feels safe to say the newest Star Trek movie was, broadly, a big Star Trek disappointment. For one, Section 31 bucked Star Trek movie tradition by not centering on a starship. For another,

Section 31, introduced a new format to the franchise that should continue on Paramount+, but with new ideas. Originally conceived as a Star Trek: Discovery spinoff about Michelle Yeoh's Emperor Philippa Georgiou,

Section 31? For our answer, we’ll have to dig into decades of behind-the-scenes intrigue and centuries of Star Trek continuity.

Star Trek: Section 31 is coming in hot with a teaser that flips the usual Star Trek formula on its head. Premiering at San Diego Comic-Con 2024, the trailer is packed with more action than Trekkies are used to, and it’s bringing a new level of intensity.

This casual Trekkie was admittedly intimidated to take on reviewing a Star Trek movie in the time of streaming sequels, prequels, and spin-offs branching off coveted franchises. But don’t worry, lapsed fans, Star Trek: Section 31 will spend a lot of time explaining the science fiction mumbo-jumbo to you. A LOT of time.

Section 31 could have used a cameo from the USS Enterprise. Released on January 24, 2025, on Paramount+, Section 31 is the fourteenth Star Trek film overall and the first made exclusively for streaming.

W hat Michelle Yeoh offers as a star, on the surface, is exactly what Star Trek needs. In the early years of her career — through Hong Kong action films like Police Story 3 (199