The official trailer for Star Trek: Section 31 has been released, offering an exciting glimpse into the upcoming Paramount+ original movie. The film stars Academy Award® winner Michelle Yeoh, reprising her role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou. In this installment, Georgiou joins a clandestine division of Starfleet, Section 31, tasked with protecting the United Federation of Planets while confronting the sins of her past.

BUT BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER… let’s address why Section 31 is still Star Trek…

I read someone’s microblog today and they said they hated the idea of Section 31. They consider it an abomination to the Star Trek legacy and should have never been created. She was a Ph.D. and declared her viewpoint so strongly, I found myself almost believing she was right.

She declared Section 31 an abomination and a blight to the legends created by Star Trek before the reveal of Section 31 in S2:E24 of Deep Space Nine; ‘The Maquis’ in 1994. But when I thought about what Section 31 was meant to represent, I realized it was much more complicated than it may initially seem.

Commander Benjamin Sisko said in that episode: “It’s easy to be a saint in paradise. Why is Earth a paradise in the twenty-fourth century? Well, maybe it’s because there’s someone watching over it and doing the nasty stuff that no one wants to think about.”

Oh no, dystopian utopia off the port bow, Captain. I think Captain Sisko was right in his assumptions. Starfleet and Section 31 are both able to be considered part of the Star Trek franchise and legacy despite their contradictory framings.

It’s easy to dismiss Section 31 as an “abomination” to Star Trek’s vision of a better future, but that criticism often misses the bigger picture. Section 31 is not an aberration of Starfleet values; it is a reflection of the harsh realities that even a utopian society cannot entirely escape.

Starfleet vs. Section 31: The Open Hand and the Hidden Blade

Starfleet represents the Federation’s idealistic face—a post-scarcity civilization dedicated to exploration, peaceful coexistence, and mutual understanding. But ideals alone don’t defend you from existential threats. History, even in the 24th century, demonstrates that some species view Starfleet’s openness as weakness. The Dominion, the Klingon Empire (at least in their early days), and even rogue actors within the Federation have taken advantage of the Federation’s naivety.

This is where Section 31 steps in. Unlike Starfleet, which seeks to build bridges, Section 31 ensures the bridge isn’t burned before the crossing. It operates as a necessary counterbalance, performing morally ambiguous actions to preserve the utopian ideals of the Federation. It may not be comfortable to admit, but in a galaxy as dangerous and unpredictable as the one Star Trek depicts, a covert intelligence organization is a pragmatic safeguard.

Section 31 as Earth’s CIA

Section 31 isn’t part of Starfleet proper—it’s an extension of Earth’s Intelligence Forces, akin to the CIA or MI6 in our own time. Even in a post-scarcity society, intelligence is a vital tool for protecting peace. Why? Because threats don’t disappear just because humanity evolves past war and greed. Other species, with different histories, values, and resources, may not share the Federation’s vision. Section 31 exists to mitigate those risks quietly, so that Starfleet doesn’t have to.

Utopia Needs Pragmatism

Critics of Section 31 often forget that Star Trek’s utopia is not static or invulnerable. It’s an ongoing project, constantly tested by external forces like the Borg, the Dominion, or the Romulan Empire. The Federation thrives because it adapts—not by abandoning its values, but by protecting them through less savory means when necessary. Section 31 ensures that the Federation’s idealistic ethos survives in the face of existential threats.

Ethics in Conflict

The real brilliance of Section 31 lies in its ethical complexity. Unlike the Borg or the Dominion, which represent external threats, Section 31 forces viewers to question the internal costs of survival. How far can a society go to defend its ideals without undermining them? This tension adds depth to the Star Trek universe, reminding us that even utopias are built on hard choices.

The Necessary Shadow

Section 31 is not an abomination—it’s a narrative tool that enriches Star Trek’s exploration of morality, power, and survival. By juxtaposing Starfleet’s open hand with Section 31’s hidden blade, the franchise forces us to grapple with uncomfortable questions about how even the most noble societies navigate a dangerous and uncertain galaxy. Love it or hate it, Section 31 embodies the complexity that has always made Star Trek compelling.

Back to the trailer:

The trailer showcases intense action sequences and introduces new characters, including Omari Hardwick as Alok Sahar and Kacey Rohl as Rachel Garrett, the future captain of the Enterprise C. Additional team members featured are the alien Fuzz (Sven Ruygrok), empath Melle (Humberly González), exoskeleton-wearing Zeph (Robert Kazinsky), and Chameloid shapeshifter Quasi (Sam Richardson).

Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, Star Trek: Section 31 is set to stream exclusively on Paramount+ starting January 24, 2025.