Who Is Rachel Garrett in Section 31?

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Posted on 5 hours ago by inuno.ai

The following contains spoilers from Star Trek: Section 31 now streaming on Paramount+

The latest Star Trek movie is one intentionally designed to be a massive departure from the kind of storytelling fans are familiar with. Along with this new tone, there are plenty of new characters, though some are familiar alien species. The only legacy characters in Star Trek: Section 31 is Lieutenant Rachel Garrett played by Kacey Rohl and, of course, Michelle Yeoh’s Philippa Georgiou.

The first rumblings of a spinoff around Georgiou came in 2018, and for the next five years, the project languished in development Rura Penthe. In spring 2023, Section 31 was officially announced as a movie instead of a television series. Also, instead of taking place during the timeframe of the first two Discovery seasons (about 10 years before The Original Series), Section 31 is in the “Lost Era,” specifically 2324. This date is important, because it puts this adventure about 42 years before Rachel Garrett will meet Jean-Luc Picard after traveling through a temporal anomaly. In The Next Generation Season 3’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” actor Tricia O’Neill played an older Garrett (from 2344) in command of the USS Enterprise-C. She had a date with Star Trek destiny, and the new film adds some context to her story.

How Rachel Garrett Fits Into the Section 31 Mission

She’s Still Starfleet, but She’s Also a ‘Chaos Goblin’ Who Likes Trouble

When Rachel Garrett introduces herself to Philippa Georgiou, she says she is there “to defend the Federation, keep the peace and make sure no one commits murder.” Because all the former Terran Emperor’s actions with the USS Discovery were classified, the team thinks of her only as the refugee genocidal tyrant from a xenophobic reality. However, Georgiou recognizes that Garrett must have done something to upset a ranking member of Starfleet to get “stuck” with this detail.

“This is chaos, Garett. You know you love it…. Let it in, maybe make out with it a little? It’s why Starfleet put you here… Let’s get messy.” — Georgiou to Garett.

Georgiou later she identifies in Garrett an impulsivity rarely found in Starfleet but, ironically, makes her perfect for the USS Enterprise-C’s captain’s chair. Garrett was born in 2300, according to details in a quasi-canon PC game Starship Creator Warp II, written by Star Trek legend Michael Okuda. A science officer, she uses her knowledge, skill set and propensity to be “a chaos goblin” to blow up an enemy ship using only garbage and a dodgy alien battery.

Star Trek: Section 31 Review: An Open Window on a Side of the Galaxy Not Seen Before

The first Star Trek film in 8 years, Star Trek: Section 31 shakes up the universe’s status quo with an original story and a group of galactic misfits.

While Section 31 is meant to be secret, Garrett’s assignment went from punishment to semi-permanent detail. She’s also promoted to Lieutenant Commander, putting her well on her way to her fated command. She’s effectively Starfleet’s conscience on this team, which already makes them very different from other Section 31 operatives in past Star Trek stories. Eventually, she moves on to take command of a storied Starfleet vessel.

Rachel Garrett’s Chaotic Personality Made Her Perfect for the USS Enterprise-C

Every Star Trek Captain Respects the Rules, but Also Knows When to Break Them

Captain Rachel Garrett speaks with Captain Jean-Luc Picard in Star Trek: The Next Generation — Image via Paramount

It’s unknown when Rachel Garrett assumed command of the Enterprise. “Yesterday’s Enterprise” introduces the captain and her ship via some accidental time travel. Despite the events of Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country, the Klingons and Federation are still at odds. The Enterprise answers a Klingon distress call in 2344 and was supposed to be destroyed while defending them from four Romulan Warbirds.

Rachel Garrett became the captain of the USS Enterprise-C by 2344.
A time anomaly sent the ship to 2366, creating an alternate timeline.
Garrett was killed by a Klingon attack before returning to her time.

By crossing into 2366, the galaxy’s history changes. The Federation is losing a war with the Klingons, and the USS Enterprise-D is a warship rather than an exploratory vessel with civilians and children. Garrett and her crew decide to go back to their own time, knowing it will result in certain death. If a Starfleet crew defends a Klingon outpost with their lives, it would win them honor and respect. The war would be averted.

Philippa Georgiou holding a gun in Star Trek: Discovery

Section 31 Will Shake Up Star Trek’s Status Quo, and That’s Exactly What The Franchise Needs

The new film Star Trek: Section 31 looks and feels markedly different than other previous entries in this universe, and that’s exactly what it needs.

Section 31 shows how the captain in “Yesterday’s Enterprise” was shaped by her mission in the film. She first shows a willingness to sacrifice her life for the betterment of the galaxy, and the grit needed to fight a losing battle. Unfortunately for the Enterprise-C, Garrett is killed in a Klingon attack before they can get home. Commander James Castillo takes command and completes the mission. The ship isn’t destroyed, but rather the surviving crew is captured by the Romulans.

Rachel Garrett Is Primed for More Star Trek Canon Stories In Her Younger Years

The Character Has Appeared In a Number of Non-Canon Novels in ‘The Lost Era’

Rachel Garrett, short red dress blue hair, Alok Sahar, black suit, Philippa Georgiou, mirror ball dress, and Quasi in black suit from Star Trek Section 31 — Image via Paramount

Just like with Star Wars, the novels and comics in Star Trek aren’t canon. Still, those stories can inspire and influence it. If this is the case with Section 31, the year is significant. In the books, Garrett gives birth to her son, Jason, in 2324. She and her husband get divorced, and he raises the child while she continues to serve in Starfleet. This could be why she’s on this mission.

In Star Trek: Picard Season 3, a red-colored statue of Garrett in front of the Starfleet Recruitment building on M’Talas Prime was destroyed by a terrorist attack in 2401.

Similarly, the books say that Garrett takes command of the Enterprise eight years after the events of Section 31. During this time period, the Klingons and the Federation were still negotiating their eventual alliance. When the Enterprise vanished from the battle with the Romulans, the Klingons may have believed they fled, dishonoring Starfleet. Their return secured the peace, and earned Garrett a respected place in Federation history.

Micheelle Yeoh as Philippa Georgiou in puprle light with title treatment from Star Trek Section 31

Star Trek: Section 31 Ending, Explained

The first film in eight years, Star Trek: Section 31 tells a complete story, but the ending leaves open questions for fans to ponder for themselves.

Given the Rotten Tomatoes score for Section 31, a sequel doesn’t seem to be in the offing. Still, Kacey Rohl introduced the younger Garrett into the Prime Timeline. This means a future Star Trek film or series could further flesh out her character and the Lost Era as a whole. She’s the most important person on the Section 31 team. Not just because of her date with Star Trek destiny, but because she prevented the team from being destroyed.

Star Trek: Section 31 is currently streaming on Paramount+.