New Trailer Reveals Star Trek: Section 31 is Bringing Back These TOS Aliens

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Summary

  • Trailer reveals Section 31 movie features TOS aliens, including a species last seen in a polarizing TOS episode.
  • The TOS episode portrayed themes of racism amid character Lokai’s fight for freedom against oppression by Bele’s people.
  • TOS aliens featured in the Section 31 movie include Bele’s species, a Deltan, and a Chameloid.

As a long-time Trekkie who’s witnessed the rise and fall of Klingon beards, the Borg Collective, and Captain Janeway’s starship command, I must say that the latest news about “Star Trek: Section 31” has me positively giddy! The inclusion of beloved characters from the original series like Bele and his kin is a delightful nod to the past, while the introduction of new Deltan and Chameloid characters promises fresh perspectives that’ll undoubtedly keep us on our toes.

This week saw the unveiling of an enticing teaser for the Star Trek: Section 31 movie, and the two-minute clip was brimming with action. With so much crammed into such a short trailer, it was effortless to overlook minor details. However, an intricate detail early in the trailer caught the eye of fans who followed Star Trek: The Original Series.

Approximately eight seconds into the trailer, following a pan around a stylish, club-like setting, the camera focuses on an unmistakable extraterrestrial face. One half of this alien is black, while the other half is white. This type of alien has not been featured in Star Trek since the third season of the original series (TOS), specifically in the controversial episode titled “Let That Be Your Last Battlefield.

Lokai and Bele, The Cheron Civil War

In that particular episode, the Starship Enterprise team encounters a stolen Federation shuttle, which they bring on board. The intruder, an alien with one side black and the other white, is found. Upon waking up in sickbay, he introduces himself as Lokai, expressing gratitude for their rescue. Yet, when Captain James T. Kirk inquires about the shuttle theft, Lokai remains mysteriously tight-lipped.

As the team plots a route to Starbase 4, the location where the stolen craft was first spotted, Ensign Chekov reports that the ship’s sensors are picking up an unseen vessel directly toward us. When the captain of this mysterious ship materializes aboard our vessel, the crew observes an intriguing individual with a unique coloration – half white and half black on his face.

Commissioner Bele, an alien from Cheron, introduces himself as the head of the Commission on Political Traitors. He reveals that he has been pursuing Enterprise because he is assigned to capture Lokai, a leader who incited a political uprising on Cheron. Upon their arrival in sickbay, Lokai disputes Bele’s account. He explains that his people are oppressed by Bele’s people and that the revolution was a struggle for their freedom from slavery. Lokai pleads for asylum, asserting he is escaping persecution.

In a discernible awareness of the unstable political climate, Captain Kirk communicates that he and his team will refrain from meddling in their matters. Instead, they plan to transport both extraterrestrial beings to Starbase 4, allowing Starfleet authorities to handle the entire predicament. However, moments later, the ship’s computer system malfunctions, and Bele materializes on the bridge. He confesses that he’s employing mind-control to seize command of the vessel, with his ultimate goal being the return of Lokai to Cheron, where he must confront the repercussions of his actions.

Having exhausted all methods to reclaim command of the Enterprise, Kirk and Spock conclude they must compel Bele to relinquish control. Thus, they trigger a self-destruct procedure. With no other choice, Bele surrenders command, and the team plots a course back to Starbase 4, asserting that Starfleet Command will assist them in resolving their conflict.

As the Enterprise returns, Bele and Lokai share their perspective of the situation with the crew, aiming to win their allegiance in their ongoing conflict. Many crew members are puzzled by the intense animosity between Bele’s and Lokai’s peoples, finding it hard to fathom as they seem fundamentally alike, except for a difference in the placement of skin colors on their faces. The crew struggles to comprehend why such a seemingly insignificant variation has led to one group dominating over the other.

When they come within contact distance of Starbase 4, Captain Kirk contacts Starfleet Headquarters and shares the predicament. As there are no agreements with either Bele’s or Lokai’s species, Starfleet deems it necessary to hold a trial on Starbase 4 before Bele can return Lokai to Cheron.

In response to this response, Bele is seething with anger. After chasing Lokai for centuries, he can’t bear the risk of Lokai being granted asylum. Consequently, Bele reclaims command of the vessel through force, and plots a path towards Cheron.

Upon reaching the planet, the ship’s detectors showed no signs of life and all cities lay in ruins, suggesting that a devastating war between Bele’s people and Lokai’s people had wiped out the entire planet, claiming every life. Rather than mourning the extinction of their kind, Bele and Lokai found themselves at odds.

Kirk implores them not to let their animosity annihilate them as it did their homeworld. However, they are unable to resist. Instead, they engage in combat throughout the vessel, descend to the surface, and persist with their futile struggle.

TOS Takes on Racism

As a fervent advocate for liberal Humanism, I, Gene Roddenberry, embarked on the creation of Star Trek precisely because it offered an unparalleled platform to explore contemporary societal challenges without the constraints of censorship. The science-fiction genre provided me with the unique opportunity to delve into topics that might have been deemed inappropriate within a conventional drama.

The episode ‘Let That Be Your Last Battlefield’ on Star Trek has been considered by many as an extremely clear, even some say excessive, representation of racial issues during the Civil Rights era. As stated on StarTrek.com, reactions to this episode, both at its original airing and since then, have varied greatly. It is one of those Star Trek episodes that tends to evoke very strong, polarized opinions from fans. Some Trekkies praise the episode, viewing it as a forward-thinking story about the harmful consequences of racism, while others criticize it, claiming the heavy-handed message was an awkward attempt at exploring racism and other forms of oppression.

The user reviews on IMDB confirm that, to this day, the episode is just as polarizing.

Other TOS Aliens in “Star Trek: Section 31”

In the trailer for Star Trek: Section 31, an alien with a black and white appearance seems to hail from Bele’s race due to its distinct coloring. Since it’s believed that both Bele and Lokai’s species were annihilated during their planetary war, this alien’s survival could suggest two possibilities:

One possibility is that Bele emerged victorious in the battle against Lokai and subsequently had a child, preserving his lineage. However, it’s plausible that he fathered this child with another race, if not for another scenario taking place. It’s worth noting that some of Bele’s people managed to flee their planet before their species were extinct. Given their oppressive nature and privileged status, it’s understandable that they might have had the means to escape. Here’s hoping the film will delve into this alien’s species survival instead of merely skimming over its existence.

Besides Bele’s descendant, another alien from the TOS (Star Trek Original Series) is featured in Star Trek: Section 31. The principal cast includes a Deltan, similar to Lieutenant Ilia in Star Trek: The Motion Picture, and a Chameloid, like Martia from Rura Penthe in Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country. Although they appear human in their character images, Melle the Deltan and Quasi the Chameloid have hidden depths.

In the trailer, you won’t find any other TOS aliens besides those shown, but it’s plausible that more could appear in the film as the story unfolds. To uncover how all these TOS species tie into the plot of ‘Star Trek: Section 31’, fans will need to catch the movie on Paramount+, premiering on January 24th.

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2024-12-15 18:04