Star Trek: Section 31’s Blatant Time Jump Issue

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Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Section 31 are ahead!

Approximately eight years and half after the premiere of “Star Trek Beyond,” a new Star Trek film is now ready for viewing, but not in cinemas. Instead, you can stream it with a Paramount+ subscription, where Michelle Yeoh reprises her role as the Mirror Universe’s Philippa Georgiou from the first three seasons of “Star Trek: Discovery.” The movie, titled “Star Trek: Section 31,” has received generally unfavorable reviews. Our own Mick Joest expressed this opinion earlier in the week, stating that marketing the film to a broad audience instead of dedicated Star Trek fans was a mistake. I concur with his viewpoint, and it also leads me to discuss an annoying plot point in “Section 31” that has bothered me since I watched it.

Where We Left Off With Philippa Georgiou In Star Trek: Discovery

To start discussing this complex matter, let me briefly summarize the latest developments in “Star Trek: Discovery”. The initial two seasons unfolded approximately a decade prior to the original series, with Michael Burnham being dragged into the Primary Universe at the end of Season 1. As her counterpart from the Primary Universe perished, Mirror Georgiou took on her identity and joined Section 31. By the conclusion of Season 2, she found herself aboard the USS Discovery after it had journeyed over a thousand years into the future.

Initially, the crew from Discovery found themselves in the year 3189. It appeared as though Philippa Georgiou might adapt to this era much like other series characters, and start a new life. However, an unfortunate turn of events occurred: due to the vast leap in time and the growing disparity between the Prime and Mirror Universes, her physical makeup began to rapidly decay. If she stayed in 3189, it would have proven fatal for Georgiou.

Lucky for her, she encountered the Guardian of Forever on Dannus V and he opted to transport her to a time when both universes were more aligned, following her successful test completion. However, it remains unclear in Discovery whether this would be around the same period as Season 2 or something distinctly different.

Section 31 Completely Ignores How Much Time Has Passed For Georgiou

The second season of Star Trek: Discovery unfolded between 2258 and 2259, whereas Star Trek: Section 31 is set approximately 60 years later, around 2324. This means the Guardian of Forever sent Georgiou forward in time by almost seven decades. However, there’s a hitch: the movie fails to acknowledge or explain that considerable time lapse.

More on Star Trek: Section 31

Michelle Yeoh Discusses Her Unexpected Appearance in Star Trek: Section 31 and the Reasons Behind Her Initial Reservations About Securing the Role

Or

Michelle Yeoh Opens Up About Her Surprise Role in Star Trek: Section 31, Explaining Why She Initially Held Back from Using Connections to Get Casted

Both sentences convey the same meaning and are easy to read while maintaining a natural tone.

Alex Kurtzman, the creator behind Star Trek, explains his role in the upcoming theatrical movies, clarifying that he’s focusing on the development of Section 31 as a Paramount+ feature film, rather than a theatrical release. He shares the reasons for this decision to keep the Star Trek universe expanding across different platforms.

In the storyline, when Omari Hardwick’s character Alok approached Georgiou to join their mission for the movie, it seemed as though she had been away from contact for only a brief period. However, this was far from the truth. One instant she was operational several years prior to James T. Kirk assuming command of the Enterprise from Christopher Pike, and the next she reappeared during Star Trek’s “Lost Era,” which refers to the time between The Undiscovered Country and The Next Generation. During this era, Rachel Garrett, an older version of whom was seen on TNG, was working alongside Section 31.

As a die-hard Star Trek fan, I found myself scratching my head during Section 31. Now, I get that not everyone might catch this detail, especially casual viewers or those new to the franchise. But for me, it was a glaring oversight that’s been nagging at me ever since. The issue is tied into the movie’s broader problem of trying to distance itself from Star Trek: Discovery.

Now, I’m not saying they needed to make a big deal out of it, but a subtle nod to how Captain Philippa Georgiou was active in one era and then reappeared almost three-quarters of a century later without showing any signs of aging would have added depth to her character. It could have been a fascinating twist, instead of feeling like a disconnect from the established timeline.

More crucially, the time travel aspect, which is central to the plot, could have been handled more gracefully without diving too deep into Trek lore. A simple explanation or two about the unique circumstances surrounding this temporal displacement would have gone a long way in making the story more coherent and enjoyable for both newcomers and long-time fans alike.

This issue in “Star Trek: Section 31” isn’t the most significant one, but it’s the nagging concern that pops up whenever I encounter anything related to this movie. Fortunately, it doesn’t dampen my excitement for the forthcoming “Star Trek” TV series, with “Strange New Worlds” Season 3 being the next in line on my watchlist.

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2025-01-31 21:37