Broadly, the reviews for Star Trek: Section 31 have been less than kind. But that hasn’t stopped the Paramount+ movie from being a hit on streaming. Nor will it prevent Section 31 from having a lasting impact on Trek canon more broadly. In fact, very often, controversial Star Trek projects end up having very important foundational impacts on canon. Back in 2002, Star Trek Nemesis was a major lightning rod for Trekkie debate, but ended up setting up various canon details for future installments.
At first glance, Michelle Yeoh’s Section 31 may not be as deep in the canon weeds as other Trek projects, but that’s only a superficial assessment. Not only is this the only Trek film or TV episode to take place in the 2330s, but it also sets up two fairly large canon precedents which could be a big deal further down the line.
