New idea for a Trek series: "STAR TREK, SECTION 31"

[Smellmet]

Several problems.

1) A Section 31 show would bore an audience, due to week after week of basically the same storyline; an agent of 31 must break the Prime Directive/any other regulation in order to save the Federation. This would lead to unpopularity, and the show would be taken off the air.

2) The violations of regulations would, more often then not, involve immoral actions, leaving an audience slightly disturbed.

3) Section 31 is just dumb.

4) A new Trek show would have to be about a new crew roaming the galaxy, exploring and discovering, not about a bunch of immoral bastards violating regulations.....

I think it's a great idea, a change of direction, we've already had four 'traditional' trek exploring type series, so why not? DS9 was a change from the norm and for me is the best Trek series of them all, it managed to paint a broad canvas of different civilizations and their politics whilst being generally confined to the station, it was excellent. I think just having a crew on a ship going to a different planet every week has gotten tired, and is what effectively killed Trek on the small screen, a new slant is what's needed for me, so I'm all for a section 31 series, it could be awesome...

 

[dub]

^ *fist-bump* to my friend in the minority!

 

[R. Star]

DS9 did very little exploring beyond stumbling upon the Bajoran wormhole really. I thought it was a welcome change from the starship flying through space genre, as instead of just meeting random aliens of the week and that's is, we got to explore those aliens, their cultures, behavior and what not in depth more than in any other series.

The fixed in place setting allowed for a strong secondary cast and brought out the best in the writers as it was going to have to be the characters who carried the show in the end.

I'm all for thinking outside the box, but I just don't think Section 31 is it. It'd be like watching the heroic adventures of a gestapo agent or something.

 

[PhoenixClass]

Several problems.

1) A Section 31 show would bore an audience, due to week after week of basically the same storyline; an agent of 31 must break the Prime Directive/any other regulation in order to save the Federation. This would lead to unpopularity, and the show would be taken off the air.

2) The violations of regulations would, more often then not, involve immoral actions, leaving an audience slightly disturbed.

3) Section 31 is just dumb.

4) A new Trek show would have to be about a new crew roaming the galaxy, exploring and discovering, not about a bunch of immoral bastards violating regulations.....

#2 and the second part of #4 are my biggest reasons for not liking a Section 31 show.

For me, and for many other fans, Star Trek has also been aspirational - it encourages us to be better, it shows us a future worth looking forward to. I guess that puts me in the "aspirationist" school. A show focused on the illegal, immoral exploits of Section 31 would be counter to that.

#3 - I don't think Section 31 per se is a dumb idea - as someone else said a rogue intell agent could be interesting. But as an organization I do think it clashes with the Federation we should want to exist.

#1 - True as the OP briefly pitched the show, but of course there have been spy and political intrigue shows that were interesting.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

Sometimes I think Sloan was the only member of Section 31. If it existed as suggested in ENT, maybe it's always one guy who has to pass along the files to his successor. And all that One Man does is recruit outsiders to do the dirty work.

That's not a bad thought. The Sith operated in pairs dating to the time of Darth Bane in order to conceal their movements from the Jedi, frequently recruiting others who could afford to be more visible to work for them. It was only as Palpatine was implementing the final stages of his design that he made himself visible in his true persona.

--Sran

 

[Smellmet]

I still think it would be a great show if done properly - think Homeland, The Wire or any other crime/thriller series but set in the Trek world - come on guys are you serious - you wouldn't like to watch a Trek show done in that fashion?

 

[CommodoreDecker]

Several problems.

1) A Section 31 show would bore an audience, due to week after week of basically the same storyline; an agent of 31 must break the Prime Directive/any other regulation in order to save the Federation. This would lead to unpopularity, and the show would be taken off the air.

2) The violations of regulations would, more often then not, involve immoral actions, leaving an audience slightly disturbed.

3) Section 31 is just dumb.

4) A new Trek show would have to be about a new crew roaming the galaxy, exploring and discovering, not about a bunch of immoral bastards violating regulations.....

How many times can a "NEW CREW" roam the galaxy...And the problem with that is you would have to many cross cuts and limited story idea's. Which is what sunk "ENTERPRISE"

 

[CommodoreDecker]

DS9 did very little exploring beyond stumbling upon the Bajoran wormhole really. I thought it was a welcome change from the starship flying through space genre, as instead of just meeting random aliens of the week and that's is, we got to explore those aliens, their cultures, behavior and what not in depth more than in any other series.

The fixed in place setting allowed for a strong secondary cast and brought out the best in the writers as it was going to have to be the characters who carried the show in the end.

I'm all for thinking outside the box, but I just don't think Section 31 is it. It'd be like watching the heroic adventures of a gestapo agent or something.

You want to put 31 into the category of the Obsidian Order or a Tal Shiar and classify it as a new gestapo....Why can't 31 have the same core values and leadership as the federation. As I recall, Sisco used Garak to trick the romulans into going to war. Was that an immoral act? YES but did it help save the APLPHA QUANDRANT? YES In the Federation is it balck and white, or sometimes a grey area?

 

[Avon]

How many times can a "NEW CREW" roam the galaxy...And the problem with that is you would have to many cross cuts and limited story idea's. Which is what sunk "ENTERPRISE"

just because that idea was 'meh' doesn't automatically make your idea 'not meh'

 

[CommodoreDecker]

Trek cannot be dumped on because it's forever changing and transforming and does what it's supposed to do What Kirk, Spock, Archer and Picard says "TO BOLDY GO........" That would include the good and the bad.

 

[CommodoreDecker]

How many times can a "NEW CREW" roam the galaxy...And the problem with that is you would have to many cross cuts and limited story idea's. Which is what sunk "ENTERPRISE"

just because that idea was 'meh' doesn't automatically make your idea 'not meh'

meh?

 

[Avon]

meh?

google it or something. twerking has made it into the dictionary, so i'm sure meh must be in there by now.

How many times can a "NEW CREW" roam the galaxy...And the problem with that is you would have to many cross cuts and limited story idea's. Which is what sunk "ENTERPRISE"

so having a crew exploring a galaxy is boring, however this seems to be contradicted by your other post that by suggests trek is about 'boldly going':

Trek cannot be dumped on because it's forever changing and transforming and does what it's supposed to do What Kirk, Spock, Archer and Picard says "TO BOLDY GO........" That would include the good and the bad.

 

[CommodoreDecker]

meh?

google it or something. twerking has made it into the dictionary, so i'm sure meh must be in there by now.

How many times can a "NEW CREW" roam the galaxy...And the problem with that is you would have to many cross cuts and limited story idea's. Which is what sunk "ENTERPRISE"

so having a crew exploring a galaxy is boring, however this seems to be contradicted by your other post that by suggests trek is about 'boldly going':

Trek cannot be dumped on because it's forever changing and transforming and does what it's supposed to do What Kirk, Spock, Archer and Picard says "TO BOLDY GO........" That would include the good and the bad.

I don't care that much about the word meh to Google it. Where is the contradiction my point is people have seen "EXPLORING" With TOS and STTNG.....Why not a new angle

 

[Melakon]

All the CAPS SHOUTING doesn't help your argument any.

 

[Smellmet]

Trek has created a universe for us to explore - and that means exploring what it means to be human every bit as much as the mars bar stuck to forehead alien of the week. And humans by our very nature are greedy, territorial and xenophobic - it would be about our ongoing struggle to overcome these faults, mix in what one other poster mentioned - the Obsidian Order and the tal shiar and you've got a winner on your hands for me.

 

[CommodoreDecker]

All the CAPS SHOUTING doesn't help your argument any.

Pay less attention to the mouse in the corner and more attention to the elephant in the room

 

[Avon]

is the elephant the one in charge of your keyboard?

 

[R. Star]

DS9 did very little exploring beyond stumbling upon the Bajoran wormhole really. I thought it was a welcome change from the starship flying through space genre, as instead of just meeting random aliens of the week and that's is, we got to explore those aliens, their cultures, behavior and what not in depth more than in any other series.

The fixed in place setting allowed for a strong secondary cast and brought out the best in the writers as it was going to have to be the characters who carried the show in the end.

I'm all for thinking outside the box, but I just don't think Section 31 is it. It'd be like watching the heroic adventures of a gestapo agent or something.

You want to put 31 into the category of the Obsidian Order or a Tal Shiar and classify it as a new gestapo....Why can't 31 have the same core values and leadership as the federation. As I recall, Sisco used Garak to trick the romulans into going to war. Was that an immoral act? YES but did it help save the APLPHA QUANDRANT? YES In the Federation is it balck and white, or sometimes a grey area?

I'm all for conflicts of moral values and grey areas. DS9 did that great. I do have a problem with a group of people, with no oversight or standing can just decide to commit genocide against who they decide is an enemy, years in advance of them initiating hostilities. Good guys don't do that.

 

[BillJ]

I still think it would be a great show if done properly - think Homeland, The Wire or any other crime/thriller series but set in the Trek world - come on guys are you serious - you wouldn't like to watch a Trek show done in that fashion?

No. Because it wouldn't be Star Trek, it would a crime/thriller wearing Trek's clothes.

 

[PhoenixClass]

I still think it would be a great show if done properly - think Homeland, The Wire or any other crime/thriller series but set in the Trek world - come on guys are you serious - you wouldn't like to watch a Trek show done in that fashion?

But those shows aren't examples of what the OP is suggesting. The proposal was a show about Section 31, an illegal group. It would be more like "The Sopranos in Space" than a criminal procedural.

As others have noted repeatedly, how would the audience really connect to Section 31 as the protagonists? It's true that people like the Sopranos but that show took place in our world. If you just move such characters onto a starship it would conflict with the overall themes of Star Trek.

Dealing with "gray areas" and moral ambiguity is interesting not because bad stuff happens but because it makes the audience think.