Alok reveals that he was right in the middle of the Eugenics Wars. Born in the 20th century, Alok managed to fight back against the Augments that destroyed his village. His valor impressed the Augments’ leader, Giri the Marked, who Augmented Alok against his will and forced him into her army.

This surprise cameo in is everything...and everywhere...all at once. Following an initial flashback to a young Philippa Georgiou, the opening of the first Star Trek film of the Paramount+ era features a voiceover from someone named Control.

It’s a fun vibe that gives the entire cast a chance to ham things up, but whenever Section 31 slows down to zoom in on Georgiou’s inner turmoil, you can sense how much more substance there could have been to these characters if they were fleshed out over the course of a series.