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Section 31 Can Explore Every Star Trek Era
The long-delayed Section 31 series could potentially explore every Star Trek era. Paramount Streaming chief programming officer Tanya Giles recently told TVLine that Section 31 is still in development, and "conversations" about the spinoff continue with star Michelle Yeoh. Emperor Philippa Georgiou, Yeoh's character, was written out of Star Trek: Discovery season 3, presumably to free her up for Section 31, although Yeoh has signed on for other projects, and she won the Golden Globe for Everything Everywhere All At Once.
Emperor Georgiou's exit from Star Trek: Discovery was an ideal setup for Section 31. After she and the USS Discovery arrived in the 32nd century, Georgiou learned she was dying from the ordeal of crossing both time and realities. The Guardian of Forever (Carl Guilfoyle) sent Georgiou back to the Mirror Universe to be "weighted," as a test of whether the Emperor would negatively impact another universe. Instead, Georgiou tried to improve the Terran Empire of the Mirror Universe. Pleased, the Guardian ultimately sent Georgiou to a different time when the Prime and Mirror Universes, which had broken apart by the 32nd century, were still aligned, and thus wouldn't be fatal to Georgiou.
How Section 31 TV Series Can Explore Every Star Trek Era
While it's unknown where and when the Guardian of Forever sent Georgiou, this was actually a perfect way to establish Section 31 as a show where the former Emperor can travel to every Star Trek era. Section 31 could be a time travel show where Georgiou and her team, possibly including Star Trek: Discovery's Ash Tyler (Shazad Latif) and Star Trek: Deep Space Nine's Dr. Julian Bashir (Alexander Siddig), could solve crises in time throughout Star Trek history. Section 31 could be Star Trek's all-encompassing version of Quantum Leap, as Georgiou jumps into key moments in the Prime Timeline (and possibly even beyond, like the Multiverse).
Emperor Georgiou would purportedly die if she remained in the 32nd century, but any number of sci-fi cures could be invented for her condition (or perhaps she's looking for a cure). Georgiou has proven to be a genius at understanding and adapting to different eras and their technologies, and the Emperor is also perpetually curious. A Section 31 show where Georgiou time travels to different points in Star Trek, perhaps to interact with key legacy characters, would be a refreshing break from Star Trek's starship-set format into something wholly new for the franchise. Georgiou crossing time, space, and universes would take her cache from Everything Everywhere All At Once and bring it to Star Trek's burgeoning Multiverse.
Why Section 31 Is Taking So Long
With five Star Trek series currently streaming on Paramount+, executive producer Alex Kurtzman said one of the shows would have to end before the next series ramps up to replace it. That time is rapidly approaching since Star Trek: Picard is about to conclude with season 3. Section 31 could finally launch to take Picard's spot on the Star Trek TV roster, although there are other shows in development, such as Starfleet Academy.
Yet it seems like madness that Michelle Yeoh has been waiting in the wings to headline Section 31 for going on 3 years now. It also doesn't make sense for Yeoh to star in just another Star Trek show. Section 31 needs to be a concept worthy of the extremely busy and prolific Michelle Yeoh, and a time travel series where Emperor Georgiou clandestinely safeguards every Star Trek era would fit nicely fit the bill.
