MIRROR DARKLY-seven years old. Still hold up? Your thoughts.

[Mutara Nebula 1967]

Nearly seven years (the lenght of every other new Trek except ENT unfortunatly) have passed since the airing of IAMR.
At its initial airing there was much acclaim about the episode. I was just wondering what fans think now so far removed from the hype.

In my opinion the hype and praise still are justified. This was an amazing outing, a perfect sequel to TW for anyone who ever wondered (as I did) what happened to the DEFIANT. And to see a TOS starship in operation was just an amazing thing.

The only points I would take away from it are
1. I wish we could have gotten to the Defiant more quickly in part 1.
2. The Gorn stuff feels tacked on and unecessary
and three...as awesome as the ending was for Hoshi five minutes after the credits roll you realize how ridiculous it is for her to declare herself emperor because to hold onto her power she is a prisoner of the DEFIANT forever. What fun is being emperor if you are stuck in orbit in a star ship.

That said-again this was a phenomenal episode and showed the promise this series had that was sadly truncated just when it was getting really good. UPN descendant CW would KILL for the ratings now that ENT was getting then.

 

[F. King Daniel]

Lame. I couldn't have cared less what the alternate versions of the crew were up to. They're not the crew I'd been watching for four years and they didn't engage me one bit. I know others here feel differently, but that's my take.

I wish they'd spent that TOS bridge money on William Shatner and done the MU origin story instead. Or a "Tomorrow's Enterprise" time travel episode. Or at the very least, done a "Mirror, Mirror" premake where the at least one of the "real" characters is involved.

 

[BillJ]

Just rewatched part one yesterday. Still entertaining.

 

[BillJ]

Lame. I couldn't have cared less what the alternate versions of the crew were up to. They're not the crew I'd been watching for four years and they didn't engage me one bit. I know others here feel differently, but that's my take.

By that logic, you shouldn't really enjoy the Abramsverse films either.

 

[F. King Daniel]

^They engaged me a lot

 

[gblews]

Nearly seven years (the lenght of every other new Trek except ENT unfortunatly) have passed since the airing of IAMR.
At its initial airing there was much acclaim about the episode. I was just wondering what fans think now so far removed from the hype.

In terms of "coolness" - "awsomeness", it was the best presentation of the Mirror universe ever, including the original.

...as awesome as the ending was for Hoshi five minutes after the credits roll you realize how ridiculous it is for her to declare herself emperor because to hold onto her power she is a prisoner of the DEFIANT forever. What fun is being emperor if you are stuck in orbit in a star ship.

You should read the Enterprise story in the Trek book, "Glass Empires", to find out how not true this is.

 

[R. Star]

Sorry Enterprise or it's mirror version never sold me enough to buy their novels. Too many novels about DS9 and TNG, the franchises I did like, I haven't read yet before I'd even consider it.

As for the episode? Everyone's stupid in this one. Let's just get that out of the way. But it's a mirror universe episode, so that's par for the course. Random dying, lots of sex and everyone's evil. It's the whole concept.

It's entertaining enough and some of the small changes are interesting. Like how Porthos is a huge badass dog now, how Phlox has evil creatures that look like they'd rip you to shreds, things like that. I just took it as two hours of entertainment. Not the best Ent episode... definitely not in the top tier of Trek... but amusing in it's own right.

 

[Enterprise is Great]

Instant classic.

 

[Mutara Nebula 1967]

Nearly seven years (the lenght of every other new Trek except ENT unfortunatly) have passed since the airing of IAMR.
At its initial airing there was much acclaim about the episode. I was just wondering what fans think now so far removed from the hype.

In terms of "coolness" - "awsomeness", it was the best presentation of the Mirror universe ever, including the original.

...as awesome as the ending was for Hoshi five minutes after the credits roll you realize how ridiculous it is for her to declare herself emperor because to hold onto her power she is a prisoner of the DEFIANT forever. What fun is being emperor if you are stuck in orbit in a star ship.

You should read the Enterprise story in the Trek book, "Glass Empires", to find out how not true this is.

Thanks for the recommendation. I'll try to get a copy as I would like to see how it could work.

 

[Angry Fanboy]

Angry Fanboy

I'd describe it as 'enjoyably camp'.

 

[Pondwater]

Seven years eh,... Seems like longer ago. Anyway, one of my favorite ENT two-parters, because of the "Mirror" universe. However, I didn't care for "Mirror" Archer.

 

[marksound]

Original airdate 22 April 2005. That's 8 years ago (in 4 days).

I never understood why Forrest didn't throw Archer out the airlock after he regained command. Or for that matter, why Archer didnt kill Forrest in the first place.

Buncha wussies.

 

[RandyS]

Hold up? Of course it does.

Why wouldn't it?

 

[Psion]

Though I have a few nitpicks here and there, I loved those two episodes! Including the alternate credits.

My only concern is that they killed off a lot of interesting characters if they were seriously thinking of revisiting the universe a few times in succeeding seasons.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Definitely one of the best Enterprise episodes.

Probably the first episode I would show the people (Like myself) who quit Enterprise after the crappy first two seasons.

 

[R. Star]

Original airdate 22 April 2005. That's 8 years ago (in 4 days).

I never understood why Forrest didn't throw Archer out the airlock after he regained command. Or for that matter, why Archer didnt kill Forrest in the first place.

Buncha wussies.

Too much blood flowing to other parts of the body instead of the brain.

 

[Melakon]

. . I never understood why Forrest didn't throw Archer out the airlock after he regained command. Or for that matter, why Archer didnt kill Forrest in the first place. . .

The only thing stopping Forrest was Starfleet by then had received Archer's previously sent "insurance policy", and had ordered Forrest to investigate. He does give T'Pol orders for disposal before she boards Defiant.

It seems the only reason for the other matter was the writers wanted Forrest alive so he could be killed when Enterprise blows up in Part One.

 

[MikeSussman]

Love that people are still talking about this episode so many years after we made it...

It seems the only reason for the other matter was the writers wanted Forrest alive so he could be killed when Enterprise blows up in Part One.

Yes, very early on it was clear I needed Forrest to live, which is why I set up that Hoshi had genuine feelings for Forrest... and if Archer killed him, then Hoshi wouldn't help Archer's mission in Tholian space.

One of my favorite mementos from that time...

 

[jespah]

Definitely - otherwise the characters are pure evil and the motivations can't really be identified with.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

Archer also seemed like a utilitarian murderer. He killed people because it served his interests, not because he derived pleasure from it. You know, like a real world leader.

It just seems more mustache-twirling evil because all the actors played it that way. Their actual actions are nothing that every leader of every country ever wouldn't do.