Utopias don’t come fully formed, often require more efforts than just the dreamer, the real hard work of the citizens to strive for that ideal and even then, sometimes that isn’t enough. In 2025, after a substantial time in a development limbo, Star Trek finally got to tell the story of the people behind the scenes to keep the Federation boldly going in Star Trek: Section 31.

We catch up with Philippa Georgiou, the evil Emperor from the Terran Empire, now an agent for this fledgling covert operative branch, Section 31. Doing the clandestine things that the Federation don’t want to be caught doing to promote their interests in the galaxy. The group’s problems are expedited, as a super-weapon designed previously by Georgiou has found its way into this dimension, and there’s a strong possibility of a mole in the new team. In a world of cloaks, daggers and covert ops, the real adventure is who to trust.

Section 31, the clandestine black ops branch of the Federation, has attracted a lot of speculation, especially during its introduction in the late 90s. The underhanded method by which they achieve results typically goes against the Federation’s ideals. It is interesting how the threat of this film does not stem from the established foes of the Alpha quadrant, but the Terran Empire. Usually, the realm of a quirky two-parter on the classic show, and less of a looming threat. Maybe the familiar faces of the Romulans or Klingons would have been more suitable threats, for a sequel series, but considering how their fates ended up in this Nu Trek universe.

This rag-tag bunch of operatives might not be what you would expect from William Sadler’s character back in Deep Space Nine. The gang feels more like the quintessentially marketable group of ragtag heroes that have been popular lately in popular culture. You have Michelle Yeoh, fresh off her Oscar, returning as the sassy empress. Robert Kazinsky, playing Zeph, a cyborg looking like a long-lost Hemsworth and a shape-shifter, played by Sam Richardson. Eyes are on the oddly emotional Vulcan, who is a robot, with a noticeable Irish accent and the human Rachel Garrett, a call back to fan favourite episode Yesterday’s Enterprise. Striving to keep the organisation true to the Federation’s ideals. The clandestine group does keep things fun in a manner that feels similar to other sci-fi action properties mentioned earlier. Some jokes having that Whedon-esque delivery and its apocalyptic threat feel right at home with modern tastes. Especially fans of newer Trek and the like. We can only speculate what elements of the show finally made it into this salvaged film, but it does show some promise at keeping the modern Star Trek vision going.

Star Trek has seen some dramatic changes since Roddenberry pitched the idea to Desilu Productions over 60 years ago. Changing circumstances have caused the very nature of TV to evolve with the times. From multi-season arcs to a single action adventure, it shows that Nu-Trek, as it is colloquially known, can operate just as well in any setting. A film filled with action and sass, and entertainment value shouldn’t be kept under wraps for long.

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