Will Section 31 be the good guys in their upcoming Star Trek spin-off series? Although the concept was once thought to contradict the moral thrust of Gene Roddenberry's Star Trek, Section 31 was introduced in Deep Space Nine and has since become a key element in the franchise's lore. A clandestine, shadowy black ops unit within Starfleet, Section 31 perform the Federation's dirty work - the jobs Starfleet couldn't get away with in the public arena. Consequently, Section 31 tread a very thin line between good and evil, frequently clashing with the heroic captains who hold more traditional Starfleet values close to their hearts.
After appearing in Enterprise and Star Trek Into Darkness, Section 31 featured heavily in Star Trek: Discovery season 2, dabbling in time travel and inadvertently sending Michael Burnham's mother on a temporal roller coaster. Section 31 then began to use an AI program called Control to make their strategic choices for them. As anyone with a slither of science fiction knowledge might've predicted, Control didn't remain a happy-to-serve piece of software. Instead, it slaughtered the human contingent of Section 31 and seized control, launching an attack on Starfleet that the Discovery and Enterprise barely managed to halt. By the end of Star Trek: Discovery season 2, the titular ship and her crew had been forced 900 years into the future, while Section 31 was left to begin a lengthy rebuilding process.
Among the myriad of Star Trek projects currently in the pipeline at CBS All Access is a spin-off centered around Section 31. Details remain scarce at present, with only a few hints towards characters, setting and release date, but the premise is certainly an intriguing one. One twist that could potentially make Star Trek's Section 31 spin-off even more unique, however, would be if the morally gray unit became true heroes.
Section 31 Could Take Place Within The Mirror Universe
Considering how Star Trek: Discovery season 2 concluded, it would be logical to assume that the Section 31 spin-off takes place immediately afterwards, running alongside the Strange New Worlds series starring Pike's Enterprise crew. However, Georgiou is currently stuck in the future with the Discovery, which creates a problem considering the spin-off is confirmed to star Michelle Yeoh. Moreover, Alex Kurtzman has promised that Star Trek's Section 31 series will occupy a world that will prove "surprising" for fans, which rules out the obvious idea of following Star Trek: Discovery season 2. In terms of surprising Star Trek settings, no location is more wild and unpredictable than the Mirror Universe, and this parallel world could provide a compelling backdrop for the Section 31 spin-off.
CBS All Access currently has every angle of the Star Trek timeline covered. Strange New Worlds acts as the prequel, while Star Trek: Lower Decks exists during the Next Generation era. Star Trek: Picard (and seemingly Star Trek: Prodigy) explore the period after Voyager's return to Earth, and Star Trek: Discovery season 3 is visiting the far future. Exploring the origins of Section 31 in the distant past would be surprising enough, but wouldn't allow for familiar characters such as Georgiou and Tyler to appear. With no space in the regular Star Trek timeline, the Section 31 spin-off could jump ship and head to a different world entirely. The Mirror Universe is a fascinating concept, but Star Trek has only explored this parallel reality in short bursts. As the franchise continues to expand at warp speed, the Mirror Universe presents a host of fresh opportunities away from the usual constraints of canon.
Section 31 Are A Resistance Against The Terran Empire
As implied by the name, the Mirror Universe flips the script on the real world. The Federation and its counterparts are replaced by a galactic dictatorship known as the Terran Empire, and the virtuous characters of the real world often have evil doppelgangers, including James T. Kirk, Spock and Georgiou. A Mirror Section 31 has yet to appear in Star Trek, and this is likely because the unit's moral ambiguity doesn't work within the Terran Empire. Section 31 are devious by Starfleet's high standards, but their methods pale in comparison to the Empire, who are happy to commit atrocities in plain sight. The Terrans simply have no need for a Section 31. As per the rules of the Mirror Universe, however, the alternate version of Starfleet's secret division could perform an entirely different function. Just as Section 31 represents the darker side of Starfleet in the Prime world, could Mirror Section 31 be a hidden resistance movement harbored inside the Terran Empire?
A rebellion against the Terran Empire has already been introduced by Star Trek: Discovery season 1, as well as Enterprise. A diverse coalition of multiple species repressed by the Terrans fought back and ultimately overcome the totalitarian regime in Deep Space Nine season 3, but this faction was a militant force who engaged the Empire in open battle. In addition to Sarek and Voq's resistance, a hidden insurgency within the Terran Empire could exist, going by the code name "Section 31."
To add an element of unpredictability to the Mirror Universe, Star Trek's Section 31 spin-off might reveal that the sudden departure of Emperor Georgiou in Star Trek: Discovery season 1 altered the future of the Terran Empire. Perhaps Georgiou's replacement proved even more ruthless and put an end to the fledgling resistance before it seriously began. This could be the impetus behind Section 31's formation in the Mirror Universe - a new approach to destabilizing the regime.
How Georgiou & Ash Tyler Fit Into Mirror Section 31
With Alex Kurtzman promising a Section 31 spin-off, Star Trek fans will naturally be expecting the ethical gymnastics Starfleet's black ops division are known for, not a band of repressed citizens fighting back against a mighty, villainous regime. This is where the prime Section 31 would step in. Although the details remain under wraps (or, indeed, unwritten) at present, Michelle Yeoh will reprise her role as Mirror Georgiou in Star Trek's Section 31 spin-off, and Shazad Latif has all-but-confirmed his involvement also. This leaves three very disparate elements - Tyler's Section 31, Georgiou in the future, and the Mirror Section 31 resistance. However, this trio are closer than it might initially seem.
The spin-off's premiere could open with Ash Tyler learning how Georgiou's Mirror Universe departure made life worse for the people of her world. He'd naturally feel obligated to put things right, and meddling in the affairs of another universe is exactly what Section 31 was designed for. In order to set the timeline straight and aid Section 31 of the Mirror Universe in their fight against the Terran Empire, Tyler would need to find and recruit Georgiou, who would no doubt be delighted to head back home and kick her replacement off the throne. Emperor Georgiou has noticeably softened since swapping universes - the effect of spending time with Burnham, no doubt. Returning to the Mirror Universe and overthrowing the Terran Empire she once reigned over would be a fascinating development in the arc of Michelle Yeoh's character.
A Mirror Universe set-up would give the Section 31 Star Trek spin-off the best of both worlds - the secretive and powerful Section 31 of Starfleet, and the noble, underground Section 31 fighting against the Terrans. Meanwhile, the series could enjoy the relatively open sandbox of the Mirror Universe, and would stand out from the various other Star Trek offerings coming to CBS.