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Section 31
Or "Why Some Ideas Shouldn't Be Reused"
So season 2 of Discovery has started and... you know what? I'm not hating it. I'm still going to refer to it as STD because that's still funny to me. But a lot of the improvements I was hoping for in this season are, at least tentatively, coming to fruition. The tone is overall lighter. Minor characters now have character. There's at least some effort to show what the Federation actually believes in and how humans have improved as a species. Oh and the Klingons look less shit. So it's all round pretty decent.
However, the 3rd and 5th episodes, which I've just watched, have reared the ugly head of a certain spec-ops themed covert orginisation. Say it with me folks, Section 31. Those guys that were a neat idea in DS9, worth 2 of the 3 episodes they show up in, and have since become as much a crutch for lazy writing as the holodeck.
A deleted scene from season 1 of STD hinted that Empress Georgiou was enlisted into S31. Which is what those Black Badges turned out to be about. Which is really really fucking stupid. But more on that later. Firstly...
However, the 3rd and 5th episodes, which I've just watched, have reared the ugly head of a certain spec-ops themed covert orginisation. Say it with me folks, Section 31. Those guys that were a neat idea in DS9, worth 2 of the 3 episodes they show up in, and have since become as much a crutch for lazy writing as the holodeck.
A deleted scene from season 1 of STD hinted that Empress Georgiou was enlisted into S31. Which is what those Black Badges turned out to be about. Which is really really fucking stupid. But more on that later. Firstly...
What is Section 31?
Section 31 were introduced in the DS9 episode "Inquisition". In keeping with DS9's theme of challenging the philosophy of the Federation. Section 31 are presented as a rogue intelligence agency, operating in the name of the Federation without the consent or oversight of the Federation. They also fit nicely as the grim reality of Doctor Bashir's spy fantasy.
The arc of Section 31 has them accuse Bashir of being a Dominion spy, sabotage the Career of a Romulan senator and attempt to commit mass genocide against the Dominion's Founder species. All of this, supposedly, in the interest of protecting the Federation. And yet all of this rings just a little hollow. Had Bashir been mindwashed by the Dominion, Sloan would have killed him. No attempt to help him as a victim of mind control, something we've seen Starfleet do successfully on several occasions.
In sabotaging the career of Senator Kreetak, S31 places Chairman Koval on the continuing comittee of the Romulan Empire. The Justification they give is that Kreetak was a patriot, whereas Koval is on their side. Koval is the head of the Tal Shiar and undoubtedly has his own agenda.
Finally, S31 are foiled in an attempt to kill off the Founders. The cure that Bashir and O'Brien steal from Sloan ends up being the act of good faith that allows for the Dominion War to end. Bashir rejects the intrigue that Sloan used to bait him in the first place and we discover that Section 31 exists mostly in the mind of 1 man.
As with other challenges to the philosophy of the Federation, S31's attitude of breaking rules to keep people safe is exposed for a morally bankrupt system of manipulation. S31 are blunt absolutists. In essence a terrorist orginisation that lived and died in the mind of a severely unstable man.
The arc of Section 31 has them accuse Bashir of being a Dominion spy, sabotage the Career of a Romulan senator and attempt to commit mass genocide against the Dominion's Founder species. All of this, supposedly, in the interest of protecting the Federation. And yet all of this rings just a little hollow. Had Bashir been mindwashed by the Dominion, Sloan would have killed him. No attempt to help him as a victim of mind control, something we've seen Starfleet do successfully on several occasions.
In sabotaging the career of Senator Kreetak, S31 places Chairman Koval on the continuing comittee of the Romulan Empire. The Justification they give is that Kreetak was a patriot, whereas Koval is on their side. Koval is the head of the Tal Shiar and undoubtedly has his own agenda.
Finally, S31 are foiled in an attempt to kill off the Founders. The cure that Bashir and O'Brien steal from Sloan ends up being the act of good faith that allows for the Dominion War to end. Bashir rejects the intrigue that Sloan used to bait him in the first place and we discover that Section 31 exists mostly in the mind of 1 man.
As with other challenges to the philosophy of the Federation, S31's attitude of breaking rules to keep people safe is exposed for a morally bankrupt system of manipulation. S31 are blunt absolutists. In essence a terrorist orginisation that lived and died in the mind of a severely unstable man.
Buuuuuut...
Section 31 then appears in Enterprise, as a pre-Federation paramilitary/espionage orginisation seemingly capable of conducting negotiations with foreign powers. Here they are portrayed more like a covert branch of United Earth, as legitimate as Starfleet or M.A.C.O.
The problem the is that they don't stand for anything. They're just a dirtying of the squeaky clean morality of a Humanity on the verge of a momentous step forward.
They show up once to sabotage the Enterprise and fuck up monumentally by trusting the Klingons with a highly dangerous piece of genetic engineering for... reasons? It' not especially clear why they thought that letting the Klingons create Super-Klingons was going to end up working out for Earth. Then they show up just to remind you that they still exist and can compromise the integrity of members of Starfleet.
The problem the is that they don't stand for anything. They're just a dirtying of the squeaky clean morality of a Humanity on the verge of a momentous step forward.
They show up once to sabotage the Enterprise and fuck up monumentally by trusting the Klingons with a highly dangerous piece of genetic engineering for... reasons? It' not especially clear why they thought that letting the Klingons create Super-Klingons was going to end up working out for Earth. Then they show up just to remind you that they still exist and can compromise the integrity of members of Starfleet.
And Theeeen...
They show up in the Kelvinverse and now in STD as an orginisation directly integrated into Starfleet as a secret Intelligence Agency. They have their own super secret data centre, can build massive warships and have sway over the admiralty of Starfleet. This is the point at which we seriously run into trouble. S31 has gone from being some fringe crazies with spec-ops experience to a the space CIA with tacit approval from the evolved, peaceful Federation to do horrible shit to whoever they think might be a threat. For shit sake, they basically try to start a war with the Klingons. Never in the history of fucking ever has that been a good idea, but they unilaterally decide that this is what Earth "needs".
I get that they're the antagonists (besides the 200 year old super-nazi they unfroze and made a project manager) but by making them an official, if clandestine element of thee Federation, you denigrate to core concept of the Federation. The ideal that, holy shit you guys, maybe in the future we'll be better.
I get that they're the antagonists (besides the 200 year old super-nazi they unfroze and made a project manager) but by making them an official, if clandestine element of thee Federation, you denigrate to core concept of the Federation. The ideal that, holy shit you guys, maybe in the future we'll be better.
So Noooooooow...
Section 31 are Starfleet. An official sub branch that people recognise and interact with. Their is a poorly defined "control" figure heading up S31 but we see them treated as a specialist Starfleet Intelligence group with official status aboard a Federation starship. Not even the defense that they've compromised an admiral and wormed their way in. Pike acts like it's within the realm of reason to cooperate with S31 and obey orders from them like that of any other branch of Starfleet.
The Black Badges are their insignia, because when you're a covert ops orginisation, being clearly identifiable is important. This was a stupid plot element that was introduced in season 1 that should have been killed and buried. But here we are.
The Black Badges are their insignia, because when you're a covert ops orginisation, being clearly identifiable is important. This was a stupid plot element that was introduced in season 1 that should have been killed and buried. But here we are.
So Why is this Bad?
Star Trek has long held with certain principles. Understanding, Exploration, Cooperation and Self-Sacrifice are ideals we see every member of Starfleet strive towards. This is a narrative where humans have put aside everything that makes us petty, evil, greedy shits and become everything we wish we were. A Kind and Intelligent people, powerful without abusing power.
By making Section 31 an everyday fact of life for Post-WW3 Earth and then the Federation, you shit all over that. We're not better, we just let other people do the nasty, ugly shit we think we're better than in a manner that we don't have to see. Hypocrites and cowards.
And that's the worst possible thing. Dragging a rare piece of upbeat, positive speculative fiction down into the mud at a time when our global outlook gets ever more grim is a crime. Worse than simplistic, Orcish-Klingon strawman, worse than a poorly written and expressed protagonist, this decision in STD takes away the hope that we can really be better.
By making Section 31 an everyday fact of life for Post-WW3 Earth and then the Federation, you shit all over that. We're not better, we just let other people do the nasty, ugly shit we think we're better than in a manner that we don't have to see. Hypocrites and cowards.
And that's the worst possible thing. Dragging a rare piece of upbeat, positive speculative fiction down into the mud at a time when our global outlook gets ever more grim is a crime. Worse than simplistic, Orcish-Klingon strawman, worse than a poorly written and expressed protagonist, this decision in STD takes away the hope that we can really be better.