Which Mirror Universe Era do you prefer?

22nd or 23rd. 24th tried to tell serious storylines within the silly universe. 23rd let itself be silly, and 22nd EMBRACED the silly.

 

I loved those ENT episodes. I wasn't even a regular viewer of ENT, but my husband told me I should make time for those two, so I did. And I'm so glad I did! Like you said, ENT just embraced the silliness of that strange, over-the-top universe -- just flipped the switch and went for it. From the scarily altered credits to the marvelous twist at the end, "In a Mirror, Darkly" was tremendous fun. Definitely my favorite take on the MU.

 

That one's easy. TOS Era Mirror Universe. The Terran Empire at its Height.

 

I am liking Discoveries take on it. Darker and a bit less silly.

 

An I like you liking Discovery's take...so where does that leave us?

TOS era will always be my favorite but DISCO's take is definitely competing.

 

TOS is always my lest fave, but Its not a big deal for someone else to like it.

 

Largely this is due to reading comics and seeing that era fleshed out more, while DS9 era was all about the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance and their brand of despotism. It feel as interesting.

Also, it should be noted, that seeing DISCO's one is interesting because it fleshes out TOS era.

 

Leeta was always presented as highly intelligent. She was much more than a simple dabo girl (in either universe).

As to why a Terran Empire would ever be led by a Bajoran: Perhaps in the STO timeline, the Empire is a multi-species force, like the Dark Mirror version (the 'United Empire of Planets').

 

Perhaps the Pah Wraiths became the dominant religious doctrine.

 

I don't think she rules it. I think she has this splinter faction and is trying to rule it. The Bajorans do not have a deep relationship to the Prophets in the STO Mirror Universe. They see the "Celestial Temple" as an allegory or complete myth. Leeta, however, aligns herself with the Pah-Wraiths. But they are not the Bajoran deities.

 

TOS, the one and only.

DS9 - even on original transmission - didn't feel quite right due to blatant fanservice, clichés, oversimplified caricatures (regardless of the fact the cast are having much fun acting the alter egos and I'll admit that's what makes the stories from being total wastes...) But they're the episodes I skip over the first. And by the 1990s, multiple dimensions and multiple parallel universes superseded "mirror universe" anyway so the very usage felt claustrophobic and very limited...

STD relying on it is actually a saving grace since it explains a thing or two about one character at least, but using the MU in its first season (the others waited until later seasons to find ground to trod on) feels far more like fanservice, if not convenience... do we really know enough of the Prime characters to really appreciate their MU doppelgangers?

C.E. Evans did nail it re: ENT's connection to TOS, though.

Largely agreed re: DS9, but don't forget that DS9 showed lesbian couples in the Prime universe too... e.g. "Rejoined" (season 4). Not sure why you're claiming "because gay can only be shown in the twisted evil universe"...? Maybe you mean that there was an emotional bonding in "Rejoined" and the MU only showed Kira being a sleaze like the ancient Romans did (despite the Romans being phallocentric as they were) so it's not orientation but behavior regarding it (emotional connection = good, being a raunchy and likely STD spreader = bad), noting Bashir being a bit oinkish toward Dax in season 1 was always rejected in turn...)

60s-00s Trek Just never male/male pairings. As we all know, all men are slime anyway. The media started that kick in the early-1990s ("Married with Children") and only put it in overdrive since.