‘Star Trek: Discovery’ Featurette Goes Inside Section 31

A new featurette takes Star Trek fans inside Section 31.

Section 31 is playing a big role in the second season of Star Trek: Discovery. The organization now counts the former Terran Emperor Phillipa Georgiou among its members. It is currently searching for Spock alongside USS Discovery.

In the featurette above, some of the show’s producers and designers explain the organization’s place in the Star Trek universe.

In the video, executive producer Olatunde Osunsanmi compares Section 31 to the CIA. That fits with in-universe comparisons to the Romulan Tal Shiar and the Cardassian Obsidian Order.

Prop master Mario Moreira explains some of the design aesthetics behind Section 31’s look. He notes that their technology is about 20 years more advanced than Starfleet’s technology. Fans saw some of that technology in action when Ash Tyler used a combadge.

The featurette also includes comments from showrunner Alex Kurtzman. Kurtzman wrote about Section 31 before Discovery, including them in the script he co-wrote for Star Trek Into Darkness. At the TCA 2019 Winter Press Tour, Kurtzman told ComicBook.com about why he’s so fascinated with the organization.

“Well, Starfleet live in a very black-and-white world, they have rules, they have to stick to those rules, you can bend them but you can’t break them,” Kurtzman explained. “Section 31 lives entirely in shades of gray. And they do all of the things that Starfleet proper can’t do. And that’s really interesting because when you have a character like Georgiou whose conscience is constantly being tested, and her ethics are constantly being tested, she’s really in some ways the perfect person to do the dirty work that Starfleet can’t do. And, that’s an exciting place to explore. It’s a little bit gloves off which is what’s fun about Section 31.”

A Section 31 spinoff series is in development at CBS All Access with Michelle Yeoh set to reprise her role as Georgiou.

“I’m so excited to continue telling these rich Star Trek stories,” Yeoh said when the announcement was made. “Being a part of this universe and this character specifically has been such a joy for me to play. I can’t wait to see where it all goes – certainly I believe it will go ‘where no WOMAN has ever gone before!’”

Kurtzman added, “Michelle has shattered ceilings, broken boundaries, and astonished us with her grace and gravitas for decades. As a human, I adore her. As an actor, I revere her. Erika and Boey are remarkable, exciting writers who bring a fresh perspective to the world of Star Trek, and we’re all thrilled to explore the next wild chapter in the life of Captain Philippa Georgiou.”

While the series hasn’t been greenlit yet, Kurtzman hopes it will debut after Discovery‘s third season.

What do you think of Section 31? Let us know in the comments.

New Star Trek: Discovery episodes become available to stream Thursdays at 8:30 p.m. ET on CBS All Access.