Star Trek: Section 31 Review — Yeoh Confronts a Tragic Past

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For fans of modernStar Trek, few actors or actresses had material as good asMichelle Yeoh. Playing two different versions of Captain Philippa Georgiou, Yeoh became one of the most dangerous figures of the KurtzmanStar Trekuniverse. After years of rumors about aStar Trek: Section 31series, a one-off movie makes its way to Paramount+. Directed by veteranStar Trekdirector Olatunde Osunsanmi, the movie breathes life into the potential for new movies to celebrate characters fromDiscovery,Strange Worlds, and maybe evenLower Decks.

Michelle Yeoh interrogates a prisoner in Star Trek: Section 31.

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Star Trek: Section 31— The Plot

At the end of her run inStar Trek: Discovery, Georgiou (Yeoh) was sent to a different time from the crew in order to survive. Living out her life in the “Prime” universe, Georgiou now runs a club but remains out of the limelight. Despite her plans, a Section 31 agent, Alok (Omari Hardwick), arrives with his crew. He asks her to help his team recover an object and return to the game. Georgiou agrees, but the stakes become dire when a weapon from her old universe surfaces as part of the operation. Georgiou’s past comes back to haunt her and her new team.

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Michelle Yeoh drives the emotion and action

Even before her Oscar win forEverything Everywhere All At Once, Yeoh has been celebrated for giving far more effort to every project than one would think. While many performers begin taking paycheck gigs, Yeoh imbues her characters with heart and accepts challenges.Star Trek: Section 31further proves that she’s game for anything. Not only does she get to kick ass and perform great fighting choreography, but she delivers the emotional crux of the film. Once again, she proves singular among her peers as an action star and actress.

Yeoh is so good, she raises the ceiling on every actor around her. The one-two with Hardwick provides a great foil to the characters Georgiou’s connected to in the past. Yet Yeoh is best on screen with her other teammates — notably Sam Richardson as the shapeshifting Quasi and Kacey Rohl as Rachel Garrett. The two performers play well with Yeoh. The team also gets more humor, thanks to Robert Kazinsky and Sven Ruygrok. As an ensemble, the group clicks into place extremely fast, and by the end ofSection 31, you’ll wish we were gearing up for more next week.

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The VFX does not live up to the films or even some ofDiscovery.

While special effects have certainly come a long way for sci-fi in general, they do not quite reach the heights of theatrical films. However, that does not curb the ambition to tell high-octane stories with explosions and spacecraft. While the visuals look decent for these shows, it feels likeSection 31pales compared to recentDiscoveryepisodes. This especially comes into focus during a “barge” battle, which forces a sludgy background around the main fighting sequence. While Osunsanmi tries to make the visuals work, they’re inevitably hurt by the lack of a budget.

The other aspect hurtingSection 31overall stems from its overall television-movie approach. The movie feels like a long episode of Star Trek, especially in this era. It’s hard to justify this as a movie when it feels like a slightly long pilot. We would like to see more of these characters, but it’s hard to feel this is a step towards more Yeoh on TV. Frankly, as exciting as this show could be, it’ll be even more frustrating if a show, sequel, or revisiting does not occur soon.

Rob Kazinsky as Zeph and Omari Hardwick as Alok in Star Trek: Section 31, streaming on Paramount+, 2025. Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+

Is it worth watchingStar Trek: Section 31?

For Trek fans, this is another Kurtzman story worth tuning into. Even if you’re not a fan ofDiscoveryorStar Trek, the story feels isolated enough to enjoy on its own. There are a couple of easter eggs and cameos to characters with long histories inStar Treklore. Most importantly, giving us a spy show in the Kurtzman universe is a win.Section 31is a fun re-entry into the universe, so even if it’s not perfect, it’s well worth your time.

Star Trek: Section 31releases on Paramount+ on January 24.