Key Takeaways
- Alok Sahar and Zeph are genetically modified Section 31 operatives, potentially tied to the Eugenics Wars.
- Sahar is over 100 years old and augments himself, while Zeph is paraplegic and uses an exoskeleton suit.
- The use of genetically modified operatives in Section 31 may reveal a hypocritical side of Starfleet and the Federation.
The Star Trek: Section 31 movie is set to release in January 2025, and Star Trek fans are finally getting some more information about the characters the film follows. In addition to character profiles released on the official Star Trek Instagram, the actors are dropping hints as well, including the big reveal that two of the characters have ties to an infamous conflict that shaped Earth’s history in the Star Trek universe.
Until recently, details about Star Trek: Section 31 were scarce. Fans knew that the Section 31 project starring Star Trek: Discovery’s Michelle Yeoh had been transformed from a series to a movie. They also knew that it would center on Phllipa Georgiou’s experiences in Section 31, and that it would be set in the Prime Timeline, around the same time as the events of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds’ first season. But other than that, there wasn’t much information about the movie’s plot or characters until San Diego ComicCon in July. More information, including the release date and promo images, was released at New York ComicCon in October, and that’s when fans finally got a good look at the characters in Georgiou’s Section 31 squad.
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Now, as the actors do press tours to hype the movie, they’re sharing even more information. In a recent interview with TrekMovie.com, Omari Hardwick and Robert Kazinsky revealed that their characters, Alok Sahar and Zeph, have both been genetically modified.
Alok and Zeph’s Genetic Modifications
Hardwick’s character, Alok Sahar, is the leader of the Section 31 operatives in the movie, and his character was based on the James Bond archetype. However, he doesn’t come from a sophisticated background like England’s favorite super-spy.
His story started, “during a time when there was a different level of chaos,” Hardwick explained. He then revealed that Alok is, “like, super older than 100. Alok is old.”
This brings to mind the El-Aurians, the humanoid species featured in Star Trek: Generations. However, Hardwick clarified that he’s not El-Aurian.
“I’ve been augmented, and I have been cryoed. I am cryo chambered, and I am super old.”
His co-star, Kazinsky, who is a massive Star Trek fan, jumped in to add some context. He explained that Alok’s character had ties to the Eugenics Wars that took place on Earth from the end of the 20th century into the 21st century. Given Alok’s age and the timeline, it’s possible Alok was actually part of the Eugenics War. Or perhaps he was alive during the aftermath of the Eugenics Wars when prejudice against Augments was at its worst. Either way, his character is tied to one of the most infamous conflicts in the history of the Trekverse.
Kazinsky then revealed that Zeph was genetically modified as well, but that it did not go as planned for him.
“He’s actually paraplegic. He did it to himself by trying to augment himself. And the suit is his wheelchair. He’s completely dependent on the suit, but the suit gives him all that extra power and strength… Obviously, in the future, we’ve moved past debilitating diseases, but there are still reasons that you might need assistance or a wheelchair. And the idea was to do a really positive iteration of what a wheelchair is by it being a suit.”
This is actually very similar to the only other time an exoskeleton has been featured in the Star Trek universe. In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Melora had an exoskeleton to help her walk because the gravity differences onboard Deep Space Nine made it nearly impossible for her to move.
Augments in Section 31?
As dedicated Star Trek fans know, genetic engineering is illegal in the United Federation of Planets because of the Eugenics Wars. So, the fact that two Section 31 operatives are genetically engineered is a big deal. Starfleet and the rest of the Federation are notoriously draconic about excluding genetically modified beings. So, the organization’s use of genetically modified operatives in Section 31 reveals a hypocrisy within the organization that may upset some Star Trek fans. The hypocrisy is even more apparent given that the events in this movie take place around the same time Commander Una Chin-Riley’s trial for lying about being an Illyrian to get into Starfleet.
In the classic Star Trek shows and movies, the nuances and complexities of both Starfleet and the Federation were rarely explored. When they were, the plot almost always revealed a few bad actors within a largely just and pure organization. Modern Star Trek shows, and now movies, are much more willing to explore the morally ambiguous sides of Starfleet and the Federation, like the inclusion of Augments in Section 31.
It will be interesting to see how the movie justifies this move, and how it impacts each character’s life and work within the Star Trek universe. Black ops organizations like Section 31 are often much more lenient with the law than society as a whole, and it seems like Star Trek: Section 31 is portraying this hard truth.
- Release Date
- September 24, 2017
- Seasons
- 4
- Creator
- Bryan Fuller, Alex Kurtzman
- Number of Episodes
- 55
- Streaming Service(s)
- Paramount+ , Paramount+ with Showtime , fuboTV , Spectrum
Sources: TrekMovie.com, Star Trek: Discovery, Star Trek: The Original Series, Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Paramount+