“Yesterday’s Enterprise” is one of the better episodes of “Next Generation.” In it, a time hole opens up in front of the Enterprise-D, and the Enterprise-C — thought to have been destroyed decades ago — flies through. Instantly, however, the timeline shifts, and the Enterprise-D is suddenly a warship embroiled in a conflict that has been raging for years. It seems that the Enterprise-C, when it disappeared from its own time, left in the middle of a crucial battle, altering history and prolonging a war. The world of “Next Generation” is now altered. The moral dilemma: send the Enterprise-C back through the time hole to its certain doom and restore a peaceful timeline, or let the Enterprise-C remain, saving its crew but leaving it in a war-torn future?
The captain of the Enterprise-C was Rachel Garrett, played by actress Tricia O’Neil. She wouldn’t be seen again until Starfleet erected a statue in her honor in an episode of “Star Trek: Picard,” a series set over 60 years after her death.
For Variety, a reporter visited the set of “Section 31,” and noted that Michelle Yeoh was talking to co-star Kacey Rohl and that Rohl was definitely playing a younger version of Rachel Garrett. Screenwriter Craig Sweeney noted that Rachel Garrett’s presence was a mere nod to Trekkies, and not a deep-cut piece of lore that will require study. “It was always my goal to deliver an entertaining experience that is true to the universe but appeals to newcomers,” he said. “I wanted a low barrier of entry so that anybody could enjoy it.”
Garrett’s presence, of course, will leave Trekkies’ minds reeling, revealing when “Section 31” is to take place in the Trek timeline.