STAR TREK: SECTION 31 Recap: Part 1 – One Night at the Baraam

Avery Kaplan

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Georgiou disguised as “Madame du Franc” with Alok on the Baraam in Star Trek: Section 31.

Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) is back. Star Trek: Section 31 was directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi, with a screenplay written by Craig Sweeny from a story by Bo Yeon Kim and Erika Lippoldt. Part one, “One Night at the Baraam,” begins with a quote from Aeschylus: “Fate who makes the sword… does the forging in advance.” All but the word “fate” fades away. 

On a desert planet in the Terran Empire, Philippa’s family toils under excruciating conditions. They’re delighted when a young Philippa (Miku Martineau) appears. They run to greet her.

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Soon, the family gathers around the dinner table to share soup. In dialogue, Philippa reveals she has been gone for two years. She was one of 18 brought from every corner of the Empire to Terra for a contest. But only one was to survive and embody the Terran identity. The children were pitted against each other for the intervening months. Philippa reveals she and one other child survived: San (James Huang). They whispered the word “friend” to one another, although the word was forbidden.

Young Georgiou holds her heated sword aloft in the Terran Empire in a Star Trek: Section 31 flashback.
Photo Credit: Michael Gibson/Paramount+

A final task will determine who will become the new Emperor. Philippa’s family begins coughing. She apologizes. Her mother asks what she did. All three die. Outside, an enormous ship appears in the sky above the farm. Battalions of soldiers beam to the ground. An authoritative figure tells Philippa she succeeded where her opponent failed. San is beamed down as well. In flashbacks, Philippa tells San she loves him. Philippa has won. She is draped in a golden cape. San steps forward. Using a heated sword, Philippa scars the side of San’s face. The battalions chant for the new Emperor.

Star Trek: Section 31, “One Night at the Baraam”

In another time and place, Control (Jamie Lee Curtis) sends a priority message to Section 31 alpha team leader. Control says the subject is Georgiou. The fact that she previously was an agent of Section 31 is mentioned. But then Section 31 lost track of her (see Star Trek: Discovery Season 3). However, she has recently been located using an alias (“Madame du Franc”) in a territory that borders Federation space, near Hupyria V. This is near the location where Section 31 is tracking a threat on the black market.

Starfleet can’t cross the border to reach her. Thus, Section 31 is being sent instead. Control reminds Alpha Team that Georgiou is dangerous. They have 24 hours to complete the mission.

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Stardate 1292.4, the Baraam: a starbase far outside Federation space. Inside, there is a nightclub atmosphere, replete with a Torch Singer (Emily Mei) and a bar. Georgiou walks the floor, surveying the members of Section 31’s Alpha Team, before sitting in a booth. Virgil (Augusto Bitter), Georgiou’s assistant from Cheron, informs Georgiou that someone has requested an audience. At Georgiou’s signal, Alok (Omar Hardwick) is sent over to see her.

The Torch Singer performs at the Baraam in Star Trek: Section 31.
Remaining Photos Credit: Jan Thijs/Paramount+

Alok approaches Georgiou. After taking in Alok, who also uses an alias, Georgiou dismisses Virgil. Alok presents Georgiou with an illegal substance and says it’s profitable. Georgiou says this is a reputable establishment. Alok says that isn’t what he heard. Alok asks to be brought to Georgiou’s office for a “hands-on” demonstration. Soon Georgiou and Alok have relocated. Alok says he has more of the substance and offers a sample. They partake.

Forced Conscription

Quasi pretends to be into Melle in the Baraam bar on Star Trek: Section 31.

Georgiou asks Alok what Section 31 is doing in her space station. Georgiou recites all six members of Alok’s team. There’s a Chameloid, a shapeshifter: Quasi (Sam Richardson). Quasi tries to “muster sexy time” with a Deltan, Melle (Humberly Gonzalez). But Georgiou knows Chameloids are one of the few species in the galaxy immune to Deltan “sexy time charm.” There’s also a cyborg, Zeph (Rob Kazinsky). She notes there’s a “Vulcan” laughing too hard at the stage banter: Fuzz (Sven Ruygrok). Fuzz is seated beside a severe human, Lieutenant Rachel Garrett (Kacey Rohl).

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“Starfleet: where fun goes to die,” says Georgiou. Alok says he knew Georgiou would be valuable one day. But she says she’s only motivated to be of value to herself. Alok offers to negotiate. He says they’ve known about her since she took over for the previous owner of the Baraam.

Live With the Memories 

Georgiou denies her responsibility for their disappearance. Alok says he’s authorized to arrest her and wipe her mind. But Alok says a part of him wants her to live with her genocidal memories. Georgiou says being authorized to arrest her isn’t the same as being able to arrest her.

Georgiou in her office on the Baraam.

Alok asks if she wants Section 31 dogging her for the rest of her life. Georgiou says it’s boring. Alok says neither of them necessarily wants to be there. He cites fate and says he’s giving her a chance to get back in on the action. Georgiou says, “Let’s get on with it.”

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Aboard the Section 31 ship, Alok formally introduces Georgiou to the team. She tells Zeph he looks like a Swiss Army Knife. Quasi says Zeph suffers from “mecha dysphoria” and doesn’t distinguish between his body and his mechanical augmentations. 

Alpha Team

Melle aboard the Section 31 ship.

Next, Georgiou refers to Fuzz as a Vulcan. But Fuzz corrects her: the “Vulcan” is a machine. The actual Fuzz is a microscopic organism, a Nanokin, inside a backup unit that controls the body. Fuzz is fun-loving but has an anger problem. Garrett is there for one mission only, placed by Starfleet to keep the team in line. Quasi sometimes sees so many possible courses of action “he gets brain freeze.” The team is tracking Dada Noe (Joe Pingue). He’s arriving at the Baraam to sell a bio superweapon to the Minotian High Council.

Dada Noe holding his case.

Section 31 is there to ensure the sale doesn’t take place. Alok was meant to incapacitate Georgiou, allowing Quasi to assume her form and take her place. When Noe arrived, Fuzz would leave his Vulcan conveyance and fly inside Noe’s body modifications. Garrett will only allow Fuzz to tinker so much with Noe’s mods to prevent assassination. With Noe distracted, Zeph will take Noe down. But Georgiou says she has a simpler idea.

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Noe arrives at the Baraam holding the weapon. Georgiou greets him and escorts him to his suite. Aboard their ship, Garrett questions Alok’s choice to trust Georgiou. When they arrive in the suite, Georgiou uses a phase pod to vibrate herself and the case on a wavelength different from the rest of the universe. With both out of phase, Noe can’t attack or touch either. But since Georgiou and the case are on the same wavelength, she can interact with the weapon.

Noe demands she return it. Alok and Zeph arrive and incapacitate and arrest Noe. 

Fighting Out of Phase in Star Trek: Section 31

Then, a masked interloper arrives, also out of phase (like Georgiou and the case). The interloper demands the case. The interloper begins fighting with Georgiou. They fight through several rooms, pursued by Zeph. In her office, Georgiou deactivates the phase pod. Soon, the battle crashes through to the lounge. The case rolls across the floor. Zeph barrels through the wall as well.

The interloper hops over the bar.

Melle applies her Deltan charm to the interloper. But he fights back. In the ensuing fight, Melle is disintegrated. The interloper and Georgiou continue fighting, reactivating their phase pods and the one on the weapon. However, Georgiou’s glitches, and her foot gets stuck in a wall. With the case out of her reach, the interloper reaches the case and opens it. Georgiou recognizes the weapon within, saying she had it destroyed. The interloper beams away with the weapon. 

RELATED: Read our Star Trek: Section 31 recaps

At phaser point, Alok demands Georgiou tell him what the weapon was. When Georgiou refuses, Alok fires at her.

The special event movie Star Trek: Section 31 is currently available for streaming on Paramount+.

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