Favorite Mirror Universe Episode?

Melakon · February 4 2013, 01:46 AM

I was watching Star Trek in the olden days, so my favorite has always been TOS: Mirror, Mirror.

ENT: In a Mirror, Darkly does a good job of setting up the MU background for Kirk's era.

I'm not fond of DS9's take on it, but while writing this post realized that they did the same thing as they did with the series itself: took the concept in a direction away from what fans would expect.

Honorable mention goes to TNG: Yesterday's Enterprise, and VOY: Living Witness, as they are closest in style.

BillJ · February 4 2013, 02:07 AM

Mirror, Mirror without a doubt.

Procutus · February 4 2013, 02:53 AM

For me it's a toss-up: Mirror, Mirror was my favorite TOS ep, and by extension, In a Mirror Darkly is my favorite ENT story. Very believable to think that the one led into the other.

bullethead · February 4 2013, 03:23 AM

A tie between Mirror, Mirror and IAMD for me. Living Witness is an honorable mention, but I've felt for a while that the DS9 MU could've easily worked as well if it had been a Yesterday's Enterprise follow up with a few tweaks to the backstories and such.

Sector 7 · February 4 2013, 03:41 AM

You mean there is more than one Mirror episode?

It has been awhile since I watched the other Mirror episodes, but my favorite, by a long shot, is Mirror, Mirror from TOS.

CorporalCaptain · February 4 2013, 03:46 AM

Mirror, Mirror.

Melakon · February 4 2013, 04:37 AM

I was going to make this a poll but goofed up somewhere, as I didn't get its input screen even though poll was checked (maybe because I didn't preview first).

And the more I watch Mirror, Mirror the more I toy with the idea that the Halkans were somehow controlling the whole thing as a test.

CorporalCaptain · February 4 2013, 04:40 AM

^ Yeah, that would fit, wouldn't it? They are conspicuous as a fixed point between the two universes, aren't they.

Unfortunately for the other MU episodes, that speaks to the idea that Mirror, Mirror should have been a one-off, which I've always thought, too.

Sector 7 · February 4 2013, 04:48 AM

^Perhaps Halkans are really Organians? That would seem to fit this theory.

Melakon · February 4 2013, 05:21 AM

Even if things we see and hear are true, like the Halkans having no military ability, maybe they could have an undetectable defense. We don't know their technological level, only that they're mellow guys who like to sit outside in a storm. I like doing that too. I see that my theory may be partially influenced from "Spectre of the Gun" (another favorite for its weirdness), so maybe I'm just fooling myself.

Lance · February 4 2013, 06:04 AM

Definitely the original, with the Enterprise episode second. For me, the DS9 outings just didn't re-capture what made the TOS episode so great.

King Daniel · February 4 2013, 10:45 AM

"Mirror, Mirror" was great. The rest of the MU episodes varied from mediocre to embarrassingly awful.

Diane Duane's excellent novel "Dark Mirror" comes second best - it's what the 24th century MU should have been.

Mage · February 4 2013, 10:49 AM

Mirror, Mirror was a great episode. But what I liked about IAMD, was that it was basicly ALL Mirror Universe, except for the hallucination of Archer. So not reflecting about how evil they are and how good we are by our heroes from 'our' universe. Just plain, simple, evil being evil and having fun with it.

And I for one loved the MU in DS9, except for the episode with Bareil.

Melakon · February 4 2013, 07:01 PM

"Resurrection" is the only MU ep I don't have, but since it's set in the "real" universe, it's small loss.

Lance · February 4 2013, 07:07 PM

To qualify my previous remarks in this thread, I found the first DS9 one ("Crossover") to be the most palatable of all the ones from that series. IMO it had the essence of the mirror universe, without getting silly with it. But I found the subsequent outings to be wanting, culminating in the embarrassing 'return' of Bareil. Over the years the storytelling on DS9 had evolved in leaps and bounds, and it often felt (to me) that compared to the ongoing Dominion War arc, the mirror universe ones always felt like they were just... running on the spot.

The reason "In A Mirror, Darkly" on Enterprise is so good is because, apart from its obvious fan service, it actually captures the mirror universe as seen in TOS. It compells the viewer the same way, hinting at an entire off-screen history that is tangibly different to the one we know. I don't often feel the DS9 episodes achieved that on a consistent basis. That and, as I say, the Dominion War arc was just plain more interesting.

February 4 2013, 01:46 AM	#1
Melakon Commodore Location: Unmarked grave, Ekos	Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? I was watching Star Trek in the olden days, so my favorite has always been TOS: Mirror, Mirror. ENT: In a Mirror, Darkly does a good job of setting up the MU background for Kirk's era. I'm not fond of DS9's take on it, but while writing this post realized that they did the same thing as they did with the series itself: took the concept in a direction away from what fans would expect. Honorable mention goes to TNG: Yesterday's Enterprise, and VOY: Living Witness, as they are closest in style. __________________ "Every time you think, you weaken the nation." --Moe Howard

February 4 2013, 02:07 AM	#2
BillJ Vice Admiral Location: Greater Cincinnati	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? Mirror, Mirror without a doubt. __________________ Boobies are evil!!!

February 4 2013, 02:53 AM	#3
Procutus Admiral Location: Back behind my keyboard	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? For me it's a toss-up: Mirror, Mirror was my favorite TOS ep, and by extension, In a Mirror Darkly is my favorite ENT story. Very believable to think that the one led into the other. __________________ I used to be indecisive. Now I'm not so sure.

February 4 2013, 03:23 AM	#4
bullethead Fleet Captain	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? A tie between Mirror, Mirror and IAMD for me. Living Witness is an honorable mention, but I've felt for a while that the DS9 MU could've easily worked as well if it had been a Yesterday's Enterprise follow up with a few tweaks to the backstories and such. __________________ A business man and engineer discuss how to launch a communications satellite in the 1960s: *Biz Dev Guy*: Your communications satellite has to be the size, shape, and weight of a hydrogen bomb.

February 4 2013, 03:41 AM	#5
Sector 7 Rear Admiral Location: Obama's Achievements - http://obamaachievements.org/list	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? You mean there is more than one Mirror episode? It has been awhile since I watched the other Mirror episodes, but my favorite, by a long shot, is Mirror, Mirror from TOS. __________________ “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” -FDR God gives us what we can handle, even if we don't believe it ourselves.

STAR TREK

CSI

ABOUT US

February 4 2013, 03:46 AM	#6
CorporalCaptain Vice Admiral Location: In pre-production	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? Mirror, Mirror. __________________ John

February 4 2013, 04:37 AM	#7
Melakon Commodore Location: Unmarked grave, Ekos	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? I was going to make this a poll but goofed up somewhere, as I didn't get its input screen even though poll was checked (maybe because I didn't preview first). And the more I watch Mirror, Mirror the more I toy with the idea that the Halkans were somehow controlling the whole thing as a test.

February 4 2013, 04:40 AM	#8
CorporalCaptain Vice Admiral Location: In pre-production	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? ^ Yeah, that would fit, wouldn't it? They are conspicuous as a fixed point between the two universes, aren't they. Unfortunately for the other MU episodes, that speaks to the idea that Mirror, Mirror should have been a one-off, which I've always thought, too. __________________ John

February 4 2013, 04:48 AM	#9
Sector 7 Rear Admiral Location: Obama's Achievements - http://obamaachievements.org/list	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? ^Perhaps Halkans are really Organians? That would seem to fit this theory. __________________ “The test of our progress is not whether we add more to the abundance of those who have much; it is whether we provide enough for those who have too little.” -FDR God gives us what we can handle, even if we don't believe it ourselves.

February 4 2013, 05:21 AM	#10
Melakon Commodore Location: Unmarked grave, Ekos	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? Even if things we see and hear are true, like the Halkans having no military ability, maybe they could have an undetectable defense. We don't know their technological level, only that they're mellow guys who like to sit outside in a storm. I like doing that too. I see that my theory may be partially influenced from "Spectre of the Gun" (another favorite for its weirdness), so maybe I'm just fooling myself.

February 4 2013, 06:04 AM	#11
Lance Captain Location: The Enterprise's Restroom	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? Definitely the original, with the Enterprise episode second. For me, the DS9 outings just didn't re-capture what made the TOS episode so great.

February 4 2013, 10:45 AM	#12
King Daniel Admiral Location: KingDaniel has fallen Into Darkness (in England)	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? "Mirror, Mirror" was great. The rest of the MU episodes varied from mediocre to embarrassingly awful. Diane Duane's excellent novel "Dark Mirror" comes second best - it's what the 24th century MU should have been. __________________ Star Trek Imponderables, fun video mashups of Trek's biggest continuity errors. Episode One Episode Two

February 4 2013, 10:49 AM	#13
Mage Fleet Captain	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? Mirror, Mirror was a great episode. But what I liked about IAMD, was that it was basicly ALL Mirror Universe, except for the hallucination of Archer. So not reflecting about how evil they are and how good we are by our heroes from 'our' universe. Just plain, simple, evil being evil and having fun with it. And I for one loved the MU in DS9, except for the episode with Bareil. __________________ Niner. Lurker. Browncoat.

February 4 2013, 07:01 PM	#14
Melakon Commodore Location: Unmarked grave, Ekos	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? "Resurrection" is the only MU ep I don't have, but since it's set in the "real" universe, it's small loss. __________________ "Every time you think, you weaken the nation." --Moe Howard

February 4 2013, 07:07 PM	#15
Lance Captain Location: The Enterprise's Restroom	Re: Favorite Mirror Universe Episode? To qualify my previous remarks in this thread, I found the first DS9 one ("Crossover") to be the most palatable of all the ones from that series. IMO it had the essence of the mirror universe, without getting silly with it. But I found the subsequent outings to be wanting, culminating in the embarrassing 'return' of Bareil. Over the years the storytelling on DS9 had evolved in leaps and bounds, and it often felt (to me) that compared to the ongoing Dominion War arc, the mirror universe ones always felt like they were just... running on the spot. The reason "In A Mirror, Darkly" on Enterprise is so good is because, apart from its obvious fan service, it actually captures the mirror universe as seen in TOS. It compells the viewer the same way, hinting at an entire off-screen history that is tangibly different to the one we know. I don't often feel the DS9 episodes achieved that on a consistent basis. That and, as I say, the Dominion War arc was just plain more interesting.