“To explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before”. So goes the professed mission of the American TV series Star Trek; or so it went at its 1966 inception. The controversial 2025 movie release, Star Trek: Section 31, signals a break in tradition.

My first exposure to Star Trek was at the age of ten, watching The Next Generation (1987–94) with my dad on Friday nights after school. I then moved on to The Original Series (1966–69), Voyager (1995–2001), Enterprise (2001–05) and Deep Space Nine (1993–99).

I plan to study biology in university, inspired in no small part by Keiko O’Brien and Wesley Crusher. I also want to study linguistics, having grown up in awe of Lieutenant Uhura. Others who were raised with the show will understand why I idolised them.

Star Trek is, at its core, a utopian vision of the future. It’s relentless discovery for discovery’s own sake, the constant pursuit of communication and connection, a world where progress is only ever in the right direction. The largely negative reception for Section 31 arises from the fact that it departs from this vision. If it does this – after 58 years, 12 series and 13 movies – then can it be called Star Trek at all?

A spin-off from the Discovery series (2017–24), Section 31 was released directly to the streaming service Paramount+ in January.

The movie stars Oscar-winning Michelle Yeoh as the multiversal transplant of Philippa Georgiou, semi-reformed ex-tyrant of the Terran Empire, from the twisted “mirror universe” (it’s complicated, and perhaps a little too complicated for the uninitiated). Georgiou works with the secret “black-ops” division of Starfleet, where she must protect the Federation from a mysterious device, and reckon with her past.

The concept of a black-ops team, if not at odds with the tenets of Star Trek, certainly challenges them. In determining such a team to be necessary for the survival of the Federation, the persistent optimism of past series seems to be replaced with pragmatism.

This is not entirely without precedent. Deep Space Nine, arguably the most highly acclaimed installment of the Star Trek franchise, engages with dense political intrigue and contends with characters and situations where the boundaries of what is moral become ill-defined. To be fair, so does every other series – to a greater or lesser extent.

It’s only that Section 31 is bolder than anything before it. Georgiou is a clear anti-hero, and the message is communicated that the ‘anti’ aspect of her heroism is essential to the ultimate triumph of goodness.

Despite darker elements, Section 31 is more than a gritty action flick. At every level, the film tries to communicate a message of redemption. Comradery and friendship are what make the resolution possible, and the movie ends with a show of forgiveness. It’s still optimistic – just in a different way.

However, not many share my opinion. Online reviews have been, to be frank, brutal: 20% on Rotten Tomatoes, and 3.8 out of 10 on IMDB. Some of the creatively titled IMDB reviews include “I might buy the DVD, just so I can burn it with fire,” “The Franchise Hits Warp Speed… Into a Dumpster Fire,” and the monosyllabic and all-caps “BARF.” There’s a bevy of one-star reviews, many of which contain valid criticisms.

However, the degree of ire seems disproportionate. The movie certainly isn’t perfect. Originally developed as a television series, it often felt too fast-paced. There were moments of stilted dialogue, and that Irish accent was a mistake. The plot twists were predictable, and I wish that all the characters had the development that they deserved.

If I was being cynical, I would say that Section 31 was a failed experiment. But I’m not cynical. I grew up with Captain James Kirk and Jean-Luc Picard. And I’ve been taught that any good science officer knows to appreciate experiments, no matter the outcome.

I’m glad that this film exists, and I’m glad that I saw it. It was high-octane, it was exciting, it was affecting, and it didn’t for a moment leave me bored. Perhaps it’s the start of something new for the Star Trek universe. If so, I look forward to seeing what comes next. In the words of Leonard Nimoy’s Mr Spock, “Change is the essential process of all existence.”