The Star Trek franchise has long been a beacon of optimism, diplomacy, and high-concept science fiction, but with Star Trek: Section 31, Paramount+ takes a sharp detour into the shadows of Starfleet. Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi and written by Craig Sweeny, this made-for-streaming television film attempts to inject espionage-thriller sensibilities into Star Trek’s vast universe. However, despite the presence of the ever-commanding Michelle Yeoh reprising her role as Philippa Georgiou, Section 31 struggles to justify its existence. Bogged down by a convoluted plot, uneven pacing, and an uninspired supporting cast, the film ultimately feels like a misfire—an underwhelming attempt to expand the franchise’s cinematic footprint.

A Wasted Opportunity for Espionage:

As a spin-off from Star Trek: Discovery, Section 31 had the potential to explore one of the franchise’s most mysterious organizations: the titular Section 31, a covert black-ops branch of Starfleet. The premise—a morally ambiguous spy thriller set between The Original Series films and The Next Generation—offered fertile ground for a gripping, character-driven story. Unfortunately, the film fails to fully capitalize on this concept. Instead of delivering a tightly constructed, espionage-driven narrative, it drowns itself in overwrought action sequences, hollow character arcs, and exposition-heavy dialogue that saps any intrigue the story might have had.

The film’s prologue, set in the Mirror Universe, establishes a brutal and power-hungry young Georgiou who ascends to the Terran Empire’s throne by murdering her own family. This scene is intended to deepen her characterization, but it instead plays as a gratuitous and rushed attempt to make her more compelling. Fast-forward to the Prime Universe, and Georgiou is undercover as a brothel owner before being recruited by Section 31, a premise that sounds intriguing on paper but never fully comes to life on screen.

A Lackluster Ensemble and Forgettable Antagonists:

One of Section 31’s biggest weaknesses is its supporting cast. Michelle Yeoh does her best to elevate the material with her commanding presence and effortless gravitas, but she is largely let down by a lackluster ensemble. Omari Hardwick’s Alok Sahar is positioned as Georgiou’s confidant, yet his tragic backstory feels forced rather than emotionally resonant. The remaining team members—Quasi (Sam Richardson), Zeph (Robert Kazinsky), Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl), and the microscopic Fuzz—lack the necessary depth to make them feel like more than plot devices.

The film’s villains fare no better. The mysterious masked figure, later revealed to be San, a ghost from Georgiou’s past, should be a formidable adversary, but his motivations feel half-baked. His ideology of “righteous mercy” versus Georgiou’s past ruthlessness could have made for a compelling ideological clash, but the film never fully explores this theme. Meanwhile, Fuzz, the microscopic infiltrator, is a bizarre inclusion that veers into unintentional comedy rather than menace. The lack of a truly compelling antagonist ultimately weakens the film’s stakes.

Convoluted and Uneven Pacing:

Despite the film’s short runtime compared to a standard Star Trek feature, Section 31 suffers from uneven pacing. The first act meanders, bogged down by excessive exposition and a sluggish introduction to the Section 31 team. When the action finally kicks in, it is often frenetic but without real narrative weight. The middle section features a tedious interrogation sequence with arms dealer Dada Noe, which grinds the film to a halt. The final act picks up momentum with a high-stakes confrontation involving the doomsday weapon known as the Godsend, but by this point, the film has lost much of its intrigue. The climax, while visually engaging, is predictable and lacks the emotional impact needed to make it memorable.

Unremarkable Direction and Visuals:

Olatunde Osunsanmi, a veteran Star Trek director, is no stranger to helming action-heavy sequences, but Section 31 lacks the cinematic flair needed to make it stand out. The film’s aesthetic is functional but uninspired, with dimly lit sets and uninventive space battles. For a story centered on espionage and covert operations, there is little in the way of tension or atmosphere. The action sequences, while competently choreographed, lack the dynamism of previous Star Trek films and fail to deliver anything visually distinct from the franchise’s television outings.

The visual effects, while serviceable, feel restrained by a budget that doesn’t quite match the ambition of the story. The depiction of the Mirror Universe, which has been a staple of Star Trek for decades, feels generic, lacking the visual flair and oppressive atmosphere seen in Star Trek: Discovery’s take on it. The use of the Godsend as a central MacGuffin also feels uninspired—another doomsday weapon with destructive potential but little thematic significance beyond the immediate plot.

A Missed Opportunity for Thematic Depth:

Star Trek has always been about exploring complex moral dilemmas, and Section 31 had an opportunity to grapple with weighty themes—redemption, the cost of power, and the ethics of clandestine operations within Starfleet. Unfortunately, these ideas are only surface-level. The film flirts with questions of morality but never fully commits to exploring them. Georgiou’s arc should be about reckoning with her past and finding a new path forward, yet her development feels rushed and unsatisfying. Her decision at the climax is meant to be redemptive, but it lacks the emotional weight to be truly compelling.

Additionally, Section 31 itself is disappointingly underdeveloped. For an organization shrouded in mystery and operating in the moral gray areas of Starfleet, the film does little to expand upon its lore or provide insight into its long-term goals. What should have been a nuanced exploration of a morally ambiguous faction instead becomes a standard “secret agent team on a mission” storyline with little in the way of intrigue or depth.

Overall:

Star Trek: Section 31 is a disappointing addition to the Star Trek universe—one that squanders its potential with an uninspired story, weak supporting characters, and lackluster execution. While Michelle Yeoh’s presence adds some credibility, even she cannot salvage a script that lacks depth and a film that feels more like an extended episode than a worthy cinematic event. Fans who were hoping for a deep dive into Section 31’s inner workings or a compelling character study of Georgiou will likely walk away underwhelmed.

For a franchise that has boldly gone where no one has gone before, Star Trek: Section 31 feels like a hesitant step sideways rather than forward.