It would be understandable to describe “Space Seed” as a prequel to Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, given the way that film looms large in the franchise’s history. But there’s a reason that Nicholas Meyer chose Khan as the TOS villain to bring back for a movie. It’s because “Space Seed” is a really, really good episode of Star Trek.

Watching the "Star Trek" movies in order of release also places them in proper continuity order, since the original cast handed off the film series to the "Next Generation" cast in 1994 after the final episode of "The Next Generation," and the reboot movies follow their own continuity that branches off from the main timeline.

It's a fine excuse to occasionally watch Oscar-winner Michelle Yeoh kick things, but Section 31 is otherwise a deeply incurious squandering of Star Trek potential.

Section 31, a feature film that's a spinoff of the series Star Trek: Discovery, will soon be available to stream on Paramount+. The movie immediately grips its audience by the throat, delivering a cold open about the brutality necessary to acquire power that almost rivals Anakin Skywalker's march on the Jedi temple in Revenge of the Sith.

Section 31' on Paramount+, we list the franchise's entire film slate from worst to best.

The cast and crew of Section 31 tell io9 why stories about the controversial Star Trek organization are necessary for the franchise's utopian vision.