Understanding Section 31’s Role in Star Trek’s Timeline: Implications for TNG and Picard

Warning: Spoilers Ahead for Star Trek: Section 31

The timeline placement of Star Trek: Section 31 has been clarified, shedding light on its implications for Star Trek: The Next Generation. Featuring Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh reprising her beloved role as Emperor Philippa Georgiou from Star Trek: Discovery, this film marks a notable return to the franchise as the first Star Trek movie in nine years and the inaugural streaming movie available on Paramount+.

Georgiou’s previous appearance was in Star Trek: Discovery Season 3, when the Guardian of Forever (portrayed by Paul Guilfoyle) evaluated her transformation. The Guardian sent her to an undisclosed location where the Prime and Mirror Universes were more interconnected, a result of the timeline disruptions seen in the 32nd century. This results in Georgiou finding herself in the mid-24th century, a “lost era”in Star Trek lore. Thankfully, Star Trek: Section 31 explicitly clarifies the film’s timeline without delay.

An Insight Into the Exact Stardate of Star Trek: Section 31

Section 31: Positioned in Star Trek’s “Lost Era”

In Star Trek: Section 31, the primary narrative is anchored on Stardate 1292.4, which translates to April 17, 2324, on the Gregorian calendar. This indicates that the events take place a full 40 years prior to Star Trek: The Next Generation, which first aired its two-hour premiere, “Encounter at Farpoint, ”in 2364. Furthermore, this film represents the first comprehensive Star Trek story set within the 24th-century “lost era, ”a period that has only been briefly referenced in Star Trek: The Next Generation through flashbacks and during the iconic episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.”

Additionally, the film also features flashbacks to the Mirror Universe set in the early 23rd century. Given that Star Trek: Discovery established Georgiou’s departure from the Terran Empire and her transition to the Prime Universe in 2257, the flashbacks depicting a younger Philippa Georgiou (played by Miku Martineau) take place during the early 2210s to early 2220s, based on her character’s age in the narrative.

The storyline in Star Trek: Section 31 unfolds within a single day, as Control (portrayed by Jamie Lee Curtis) asserts that Section 31’s Alpha Team, led by Alok Sahar (Omari Hardwick), has just 24 hours to recruit Emperor Georgiou and locate the Godsend weapon. An epilogue of the film jumps three weeks ahead, where Georgiou hints at receiving a formal invitation to rejoin Section 31, setting the stage for the team’s subsequent mission.

Jean-Luc Picard’s Position During Star Trek: Section 31

Early Beginnings of Picard’s Starfleet Career

Jean-Luc Picard is undoubtedly a pivotal figure within the realm of Starfleet during the 24th century, and he is alive during the events of Star Trek: Section 31. Born in 2305, Picard entered Starfleet Academy in 2323, driven by his aspirations of exploring the galaxy and escaping the shadows of his tumultuous childhood, a narrative explored in Star Trek: Picard Season 2. When Star Trek: Section 31 unfolds in 2324, Picard is a 19-year-old sophomore at Starfleet Academy.

Interestingly, the film does not make any mention of Jean-Luc Picard. The major events of Picard’s future, including his notorious bar fight with Nausicaans that left him injured and required an artificial heart, his eventual command of the USS Stargazer, and his legendary tenure aboard the USS Enterprise-D and E, are yet to come. However, fans are aware that Captain Picard will ultimately cross paths with a significant character from Star Trek: Section 31.

Connecting Section 31 to Star Trek: The Next Generation

Foreshadowing Lt. Rachel Garrett’s Fate

While Star Trek: The Next Generation begins a hefty 40 years after the timeframe of Star Trek: Section 31, the two narratives are intricately linked through the character of Lieutenant Rachel Garrett (played by Kacey Rohl).Assigned to Section 31 as a Starfleet Science Officer, Garrett’s role is to ensure that the covert operations team remains ethical, albeit the story hints at darker elements of her character suitable for her intelligence work.The film does not hesitate to allude to her aspirations of becoming a Starfleet Captain.

Indeed, Lt. Rachel Garrett is destined to rise to the rank of Captain and take command of the USS Enterprise-C (portrayed by Tricia O’Neill).We learn from Star Trek: The Next Generation‘s “Yesterday’s Enterprise”that Captain Garrett and the Enterprise-C become trapped in a temporal rift while defending a Klingon outpost from Romulan forces. This incident, set in 2344, occurs 20 years after the events depicted in Star Trek: Section 31. The timeline surrounding the launch of the Ambassador Class USS Enterprise-C remains ambiguous, leading fans to wonder if the USS Enterprise featured in Section 31 is the Excelsior Class USS Enterprise-B.

The Visual Style Contrast Between Section 31 and Star Trek: TNG

Section 31: Offering “A New Flavor of Star Trek”

Despite the setting of Star Trek: Section 31 in 2324, there is a notable absence of the familiar visual style associated with Starfleet and its uniforms from the 24th-century “lost era.”For long-time Trekkers, this can be disheartening. The film continues the visual evolution initiated by Star Trek: Discovery, purposely depicting Section 31 as an underground black ops organization separate from the United Federation of Planets. As such, significant visual connections to Starfleet, beyond the recognizable delta insignia, are lacking.

While Star Trek: Strange New Worlds features an alternate future Admiral Christopher Pike (played by Anson Mount) clad in a “monster maroon”Starfleet uniform, viewers will be disappointed to find that characters like Lt. Rachel Garrett don tactical black uniforms in Star Trek: Section 31. Other team members also sport variations of similar tactical attire. The presentation in Star Trek: Section 31 offers few visual indicators of its timeline positioning, save for the title card confirming Stardate 1292.4.

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