Spoilers STAR TREK: SECTION 31 - Grading & Discussion

[Tiran O'Saurus]

And there is no reason to think Empress Sato would not be alive when these Hunger Games are going all – she’d be in her 90s during this.

It's the Mirror Universe, pretty much everyone in any power whatsoever gets assassinated very quickly after getting it. And there was definitely some turnover because Sato declared herself Empress but by the time of Georgiou "Emperor" is a unisex term.

 

[Mr J]

Well, this was disappointing. It really felt like it was phoned in as part of a contract with Michelle Yeoh or something.

The whole thing just felt weirdly conflicted. On the one hand, it was very overt about its intention of doing something different to the norm in the ST universe. It was shamelessly trying to carve a universe of it's own to show something different could be done in the ST universe - and yet, literally nothing about it felt unique at all. You could play a good drinking game with the "this is a bit of Star Wars", "this is a bit of Bladerunner", "this is a bit of Guardians" - all on a disappointing TV movie budget that felt like a pilot episode not a movie.

It was just sort of... nothing. It had no identity. No originality, no spark. I personally didn't find it offensive - but I didn't feel interested in any way either. It was literally just on my TV for 90 minutes or so. Its actually incredibly difficult for me to take a view on it because it felt so "nothing-ish" and there isn't actually a lot to comment on.

In that sense, I can't help but feel the opportunity was wasted. This could have been a whole new format for streaming ST, something that played with the form to create a new story-telling approach. It didn't even feel like a movie. I'm not even sure what it was.

 

[Quantum21]

Well, this was disappointing. It really felt like it was phoned in as part of a contract with Michelle Yeoh or something.

The whole thing just felt weirdly conflicted. On the one hand, it was very overt about its intention of doing something different to the norm in the ST universe. It was shamelessly trying to carve a universe of it's own to show something different could be done in the ST universe - and yet, literally nothing about it felt unique at all. You could play a good drinking game with the "this is a bit of Star Wars", "this is a bit of Bladerunner", "this is a bit of Guardians" - all on a disappointing TV movie budget that felt like a pilot episode not a movie.

It was just sort of... nothing. It had no identity. No originality, no spark. I personally didn't find it offensive - but I didn't feel interested in any way either. It was literally just on my TV for 90 minutes or so. Its actually incredibly difficult for me to take a view on it because it felt so "nothing-ish" and there isn't actually a lot to comment on.

In that sense, I can't help but feel the opportunity was wasted. This could have been a whole new format for streaming ST, something that played with the form to create a new story-telling approach. It didn't even feel like a movie. I'm not even sure what it was.

It felt like a passion project to me. Hardly phoned in. Before, during and, after Yeoh is thrilled with the project and what they accomplished. I gather everyone does.

 

[Mr J]

It felt like a passion project to me. Hardly phoned in. Before, during and, after Yeoh is thrilled with the project and what they accomplished. I gather everyone does.

Interesting, but that isn't what it felt like to me. I felt that Yeoh poured everything she could into the part for sure, as always, but I didn't personally feel the passion in the script, the production or the story. Even Georgiou's arc felt limp and by the numbers to me - perhaps a sign of an arc intended for a TV show being condensed into one outing.

 

[Mudd]

 

[cooleddie74]

Third worst. But good meme.

 

[Dukhat]

It felt like a passion project to me. Hardly phoned in. Before, during and, after Yeoh is thrilled with the project and what they accomplished. I gather everyone does.

I’m sure everyone involved in the production gave the best they could give. That doesn’t change the fact that the production was utter crap.

 

[James Cole]

Just opened Paramount+ (US version). S31 is no longer listed in the "Top 10 Movies Now".

 

[Turtletrekker]

Just opened Paramount+ (US version). S31 is no longer listed in the "Top 10 Movies Now".

I noticed that earlier today as well.

 

[FederationHistorian]

It's the Mirror Universe, pretty much everyone in any power whatsoever gets assassinated very quickly after getting it.

In a novella, Empress Sato had a pair of clones; one of those clones went and killed the other clone off, but clones nonetheless. So it’s not like the Sato Dynasty was dying off anytime soon, and theoretically could have continued forever through cloning well into the 23rd century and beyond. Not to mention all the doppelgangers running around as decoy to protect Empress Sato from assassination.

Even without all that, Empress Sato likely concentrated power as soon as possible, since she brought them the most powerful ship in the fleet to stop the ongoing rebellion and overthrow the emperor. With the latter, which from what we can tell from IAMD, was popular sentiment, since no one tried to stop Mirror Archer at all. Even Sato, after offing Mirror Archer with the assistance of Mirror Mayweather, continued with the plan to depose the emperor.

There's no evidence that anyone who get into power quick in the Terran gets offed just as quick. If anything, it's comparative to the Klingon Empire. And it's known that Chancellors can serve terms that last decades there (ex. K'mpec, Martok). So it very plausible that Sato was still in power when Georgiou won the Hunger Games tournament. We know Sato was ruthless enough to take power; there's no reason to think that she was not ruthless enough to keep it for over half a century.

Also, think about what the movie is selling you about the Terran Empire before Georgiou.

Empress Sato made the Terran Empire somehow a bit more humane than when she found it. Since, from what we can tell from Section 31 movie, power in not concentrated in her family/house and succession is not hereditary, but instead is democratized enough for others to have a chance at power through a tournament. Killing one another and/or superiors while serving of a starship to ascend up the ranks does not seem necessary anymore (and probably good for the military too, as they no longer lose their best military strategists on a whim). And Emperor Georgiou made it worse, reverting everything back to the way it used to be a century prior, including the threat of coups being commonplace, and a rebellion against the empire.

It also means that Empress Sato was a more competent reformer than Mirror Spock, since the Terran Empire did not collapse and be overrun by its enemies under her reforms.

Meaning Empress Sato was the best thing to happen to the Terran Empire, and it was all downhill from there after her death.

And there was definitely some turnover because Sato declared herself Empress but by the time of Georgiou "Emperor" is a unisex term.

Maybe no one is allowed to claim the term Empress out of respect of Empress Sato.

 

[TheTrekBack]

View attachment 44618

Yeah, Section 31 finally makes his film the masterpiece he always thought it was. On the other hand, Bill might also be a little jealous because nowadays he would have had his flying unicorns impaling crew members. Nobody at Paramount would say today that the idea is too stupid.

 

[Phily B]

Can we please shout out to all the people who spent six months attacking and dogpiling anyone who said that this seemed like a bad idea? It feels like we should not listen to them - but we will.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

It's also equally possible Empress Sato was far from a reformer and was the most attached to power than any other ruler. Peehaps even cloning herself to avoid appearing to age, less the Sato Dynasty and more the legendary immortal empress. A contest could have been the best way they could think of to prove to the citizenry that the next ruler was not part of Sato's agendas.

 

[cooleddie74]

 

[Turtletrekker]

The soundtrack has been released.

STAR TREK: SECTION 31 Soundtrack Releases February 14

Lakeshore Records has announced the next STAR TREK soundtrack collection: Jeff Russo's theatrical score from the SECTION 31 streaming movie, coming February 14

blog.trekcore.com

 

[Firebird]

The soundtrack has been released.

STAR TREK: SECTION 31 Soundtrack Releases February 14

Lakeshore Records has announced the next STAR TREK soundtrack collection: Jeff Russo's theatrical score from the SECTION 31 streaming movie, coming February 14

blog.trekcore.com

Ehh, I barely remember the soundtrack… which is par for the course with me and Jeff Russo’s work.

Good for completionists, I suppose.

 

[James Cole]

Star Trek: Section 31 (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)

Share your videos with friends, family and the world

www.youtube.com

YouTube has the full soundtrack for listening (all 27 tracks). This isn't a bootleg.

 

[Detached Nacelle]

Had a thought about Rachel Garrett at the start of the film, she's all about the rules right, only cares about doing what is allowed by her superior officers has zero inclination to colour outside the lines so why was she attached to this team? Did someone see some untapped potential in her? Was she extraordinary? Quite the opposite, I reckon she was viewed as expendable just some huffy young science officer they can trust to do as their told. The pilot episode Boimler of her day.

But who else does this sound like? Lieutenant Picard from the tapestry timeline. Never took risks, never broke the rules, never became captain of anything let alone an Enterprise.

This film is her Nausicaan bar fight. Sure "chaos is my friend with benefits" is less badass than "yes I thought that's what you said" but the latter was spoken by an upper-middle aged man in his younger self's body.

What see in this film may not be all that much of Rachel but we are seeing the foundation laid for why she was picked to be captain of the C an honour reserved for the exceptional.

 

[Yistaan]

But who else does this sound like? Lieutenant Picard from the tapestry timeline. Never took risks, never broke the rules, never became captain of anything let alone an Enterprise.

A Lieutenant Picard timeline would save countless lives on Frontier Day. And also that timeline did NOT end up being a Borg ruled galaxy as Picard immediately assumed would happen (and which Q quipped in response "You're not that important"). Which makes you wonder if Shaw's claim that Picard causes the galaxy-threatening problems he then solves ("You boys have a real chicken and egg thing going" as he says to Picard and Riker) has some truth to it.

 

[Lord Garth]

I've stopped talking about Section 31 because I don't believe in beating a dead horse. It's awful, and what else is there to say?

But then I just thought of something and I can't not share it. You know how I've been alternating between a re-watch of DS9 and first-watch of B5? I've also now thrown VOY into the mix, since I got up to the point where it starts in DS9's run. Anyway. This week, I did the DS9 episode, I just did the VOY episode, and I wanted to take a break before the B5 episode. Have to pace them out.

So, I thought to myself, "I have a gap. Why don't I re-watch Section 31 to see if I was too hard on it?" But, nope. I changed my mind. Instead, I put on more Dark Shadows. A soap opera from the '60s about a vampire. I had a great time watching that instead of S31.

Now we just had snow in the Boston area. I don't feel like shoveling yet. There's an evil combination of snow and rain out there. I'll wait 'til it stops raining. So, I have another perfectly good opening to re-watch Section 31...

... but I think I'll just dye my hair. I need to do a touch-up. I don't want those grays showing. And then, of course, I'll wash it!