Star Trek Finally Bringing Back The Best Uniforms Ever?
Now that the Section 31 trailer has arrived, my reaction has been very similar to that of most fans: “Meh.” However, one thing that has me excited about this movie is that it will bring back Rachel Garrett, the first female Enterprise captain last seen in the classic TNG episode “Yesterday’s Enterprise.” There are many reasons to be hyped about her return, but most of my excitement comes from the fact that we might see the return of the “monster maroon,” which is still the best uniform Star Trek has ever had.
The Return Of Rachel Garrett
The presence of Rachel Garrett in this movie is the main reason I’m hoping to see a monster maroon, and that’s because she offers one of our only real hints about when this film takes place. You see, the movie’s chief character is former Empress Georgiou from the Mirror Universe, someone that we first saw appear in a Discovery episode set about 10 years before The Original Series.
She made the jump with the rest of the crew to the 32nd century, but after finding out that her jumps through dimensions and time were killing her, she went through the Guardian of Forever to an unknown time period.
A Discovery Spin-Off
That somewhat clunky Discovery story was designed to set up a Section 31 series, but Paramount then pivoted to making a movie instead. Because Georgiou could have ended up in any time period, nobody was sure when the film would take place, and the recent trailer offers few real clues.
However, we already have the most important clue: because the movie will feature a slightly younger Rachel Garrett (last seen rocking a monster maroon in “Yesterday’s Enterprise”) played by Kacey Rohl, it’s a safe bet that the movie takes place in the early 24th century.
Originally Wore A Variation Of Kirk’s Iconic Uniform
Aside from seemingly offering an answer as to Section 31’s time period, the presence of Garrett’s character makes the triumphant return of the monster maroon that much likelier. In the character’s TNG episode, she was wearing a version of the same outfit that Captain Kirk wore in all of The Original Series films but The Motion Picture.
The Monster Maroon Has Changed Over The Years
While this new movie will focus on characters outside of the typical command structure (Section 31 officers have historically worn simple, black clothing), any regular officers from this time period should be sporting the monster maroon.
If that should happen, it’s something of an open question as to which version of the monster maroon will come back? The outfit popped up a couple of times in TNG, but it was different from Kirk’s time: for example, episodes like “Tapestry” reveal that by the 2320s, the ribbed collar undershirts had been replaced by crewneck collar shirts.
Thanks to episodes like “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” we know that by the 2340s, the officers of the Enterprise-C and other ships wore a monster maroon outfit that entirely ditched both the undershirts and the belts.
Discovery Tried Something Different
Now, some fans might think this a pretty dorky thing to get worked up about, but after those awful pajamas in The Motion Picture, the monster maroon was the biggest sartorial upgrade for Kirk and his crew.
This look for Starfleet officers has arguably never been topped, and after watching Discovery try and fail to bite the monster maroon’s style in the last two seasons, it’s time for the return of the real thing. Plus, as a lifelong Trek fan, it’s nice to have something to look forward to about the Section 31 movie that otherwise looks like a hot mess.
