Section 31 has mistreated its best possibility of expanding the Star Trek universe

Summary

Section 31 lacks the philosophical depth of Star Trek, opting for Snarky jokes and flashing scenes.
Nanokin offer thematic potential in the Star Trek universe, exploring communication, identity and acceptance.
While section 31 cannot use Nanokin effectively, in the future there is potential to become a rich and compelling alien breed.

Star Trek It has a long story of strange and wonderful alien species. Sometimes, they are essentially human with extra things on the forehead and ears, such as Vulcans and Klingons. Sometimes, they are new wild creations, such as the medusions or Tellarites. Whatever they are, Star Trek Aliens tend to be more strange to look at. They are concepts that help us explore aspects of humanity and human society.

Unfortunately, not many of those ideals of high mentality make their way in the film Star Trek: Section 31. A continuous and flashy continuation of a plot from Star Trek: Discovery, Section 31 Making Michelle Yeoh protagonist as Philippa Georgiou, the once upon a time of the universe of a thousand mirror, who leads a team of Rag-Tags on a mission of Oops Black. Section 31 Favo favors slender jokes, flashy explosions and emotional beats not acquired on philosophical exploration.

Star Trek: reviews from section 31 are not promising

The first reviews for Star Trek: Section 31 came out and were disappointing.

Most of the team consists of affirmed aliens of the franchise, including a Camelide that changes shape and a seductive Delan. The member of the Fuzz team initially looks like a Vulcanian, but in reality it is a Nanokin, an original alien species with a lot of narrative potential. And it is completely wasted.

Who is Fuzz in Star Trek: Section 31?

Played with an exaggerated accent of Sven Ruygrok, Fuzz is easily the most hateful than Section 31 characters. Constantly choose fights for no reason and shouts every word that comes to mind. But something interesting happens when Georgiou calls Fuzz to laugh more than any real volcano, a species known for his stoicism. At that point, Fuzz opens his mouth and the camera moves the throat deep, through a bright blue labyrinth of pipes, to reveal its real shape. It turns out that the blonde volcano bleach that Fuzz seems to be is only a “transport” vehicle, to use its terms. The real Fuzz belongs to a microscopic breed called Nanokins.

Paramount+ originally imagined Section 31 As a complete series, not just a film. Apparently, the Nanokin would have received more development during the show, such as Discovery He did when he introduced the Kelpiens. But in a film that extends just over 91 minutes, already full of a lot of other characters and plot lines, there is only time for a couple of Nanokin base events. The species has at least two sexes, since the male Fuzz has a partner named WISP. The Nanokins lay the eggs and have several offspring for litter, with Fuzz that mentions ten children by name.

And that's all. Which is unfortunate, because the Nanokin adapt perfectly to Star Trek universe.

What can Nanokins offer to the Star Trek universe?

When Fuzz reveals his true nature for the first time, some spectators raise their eyes. The idea of a small alien that hides within a ship that looks like a human being of regular dimensions (OID) has already been explored in films such as Men In Black AND Meet Dave. Section 31 Use its alien nest egg in the same way as those films: just over a joke.

Like anyone who has seen an episode of Lower decks knows, Star Trek It is not above to make jokes about his aliens. But also the most silly episode of Lower decks Use various species to explore deeper themes. Klingons offers ways to imagine honor companies and warrior systems. Vulcan's stories take care of the tensions between passions and logic. Nanokin have as many thematic possibilities. As a microscopic species, Nanokine cannot communicate with other beings in a usual way, through sight and sound. Instead, they must build means of transport such as the volcano used by Fuzz, inviting debates on allocation and identity.

Communication is a key concept in Star Trekas demonstrated by the important distinctives of the communicator or stories such as Star Trek: The Motion Picturein which the Voyager The probe has Ilya to interact with people. Nanokin must go to extreme measures only to have a conversation with others. Would the others do the same for them? Starfleet, with all his commitment to seek a new life and new civilizations, would take into consideration the reduction of some members in the same way that nanokin guide human ships?

Then there is the problem of the natural threat that the Nanokins represent. During one of the many games of Sparring reports between Fuzz and his companions Section 31 Member Zeph (Robert Kazinsky), the latter refers to Nanokin as a virus. At the beginning, Zeph seems to launch the phrase as an insult to put yourself under Fuzz's skin. But when Fuzz later appoints his children, he certainly makes them seem disease, calling them “influence”, “tonsilite” and “grip”.

The idea of a sentient disease is not completely new (see the bad Despotellis from Green lantern comic books). However, the principles of acceptance and understanding of this push Star Trek It means that Starfleet members cannot simply reject Nanokin, even if they present a danger.

Finally, all aliens Star Trek In the end it serves to help spectators to understand humanity. When a Nanokina takes on a transport in the form of another species, it must also understand that species. They must take time to know their culture, anatomy and behaviors. That process is certain that you discover something surprising, even for the native members of that species.

Will Nanokins appear again after Star Trek: section 31?

Star Trek: Section 31 He has no interest in letting Fuzz does something so rich. Fuzz comes to shout and chuckle and even a combat scene, but never approaches to raise a philosophical question or ask an ethical dilemma.

Given the irritating way that Section 31 Fuzz, many trekkies may be happy to never see Fuzz, his family or any of the Nanokin again. But a story without success, also a bad story like Section 31It does not ruin an entire species. Look at Ferengi, who started The next generation As a scarce substitute of the Klingon and in the end it became one of the richest and most compelling aliens, thanks to some great episodes on Deep space nine.

The Nanokins already offer more than the Ferengi did in those soon Next Generation episodes. It would be a shame if Star Trek He did not use another compelling alien breed just because they started in a terrible film.