Game The Most Disliked Mirror Universe Episode

[Sakonna]

Next up in these themed elimination games: Mirror Universe Episodes!

THE RULES. The basic idea is your standard elimination game. Below is a list of Mirror Universe episodes from TOS, DS9, ENT, and DIS. Eliminate your FAVORITE or the one you deem the 'BEST.' Please provide an EXPLANATION for why you are eliminating your choice and be sure to copy and paste the list with your choice removed.

Leave at least 2 eliminations by other posters before you eliminate another episode.

No tactical voting! You cannot remove an episode just because you feel it would threaten your preferred episode's chance to win.

The Least Disliked 2019 winner of for this list was "In A Mirror Darkly, Part I", ENT Season 4.

Enjoy!

TOS Season 2: "Mirror, Mirror"
DS9 Season 2: "Crossover"
DS9 Season 3: "Through The Looking Glass"
DS9 Season 4: "Shattered Mirror"
DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
ENT Season 4: "In A Mirror, Darkly, Part I"
ENT Season 4: "In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 1: "The Wolf Inside"
DIS Season 1: "Vaulting Ambition"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[Sakonna]

And I'll start it off by saving "Crossover." I think they maximized the potential of the MU here more than any other ep, including "Mirror Mirror." In "Crossover" they hit the mix of darkness and campiness JUST right. There was also something very clever in only showing us doubles of a few of our characters, and in killing more than one of those Mirror versions. That Odo explosion effect is great.

But most of all, WHAT a Nana Visitor performance! That big scene in act one where Kira and the Intendant face off, just fantastic.

TOS Season 2: "Mirror, Mirror"
DS9 Season 3: "Through The Looking Glass"
DS9 Season 4: "Shattered Mirror"
DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
ENT Season 4: "In A Mirror, Darkly, Part I"
ENT Season 4: "In A Mirror, Darkly, Part II"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 1: "The Wolf Inside"
DIS Season 1: "Vaulting Ambition"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[Brennyren]

"In a Mirror, Darkly" gets major points for pure style -- that they actually went to the trouble of making alternate opening credits for two episodes showed an impressive level of commitment. The Enterprise Defiant set was perfect, a real blast from the 1960s past, and seeing Archer's team power it up was a thrill. The actors suited their style to the work, chewing evil scenery with evil abandon, and the story was unapologetically over-the top, and entertaining as hell. Hard to choose between the two halves, but I'll save part two for now, just because of the empress. Don't count your empires before they're conquered, Archer.

TOS Season 2: "Mirror, Mirror"
DS9 Season 3: "Through The Looking Glass"
DS9 Season 4: "Shattered Mirror"
DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
ENT Season 4: "In A Mirror, Darkly, Part I"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 1: "The Wolf Inside"
DIS Season 1: "Vaulting Ambition"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[Farscape One]

Saving the first part of "IN A MIRROR, DARKLY".

Pretty much for the reasons stated above with part two, there was a lot of love put into producing these episodes... almost as much love as the DS9 cast and crew with "TRIALS AND TRIBBLE-ATIONS".

And that theme... LOVED IT! I've actually imagined it as the opening theme when I rewatch previous Mirror Universe episodes from other shows. It just fits so perfectly.


TOS Season 2: "Mirror, Mirror"
DS9 Season 3: "Through The Looking Glass"
DS9 Season 4: "Shattered Mirror"
DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 1: "The Wolf Inside"
DIS Season 1: "Vaulting Ambition"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[Syn]

I think I'll save Shattered Mirror here. Bringing back Sisko's wife was a gamble that I fully expected to fail miserably, but they did it rather well. It was nice to see Jake and Ben deal with the shadow of someone they lost.

And Worf was a lot of fun.

TOS Season 2: "Mirror, Mirror"
DS9 Season 3: "Through The Looking Glass"
DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 1: "The Wolf Inside"
DIS Season 1: "Vaulting Ambition"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[ananta]

TOS “Mirror, Mirror” — the original and, for me, the best. A second season highlight; exciting and fast-paced and imaginative. If this had been the only mirror universe episode I’d have been quite satisfied.

DS9 Season 3: "Through The Looking Glass"
DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 1: "The Wolf Inside"
DIS Season 1: "Vaulting Ambition"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[Sakonna]

"The Wolf Inside" was the high point of Disco's MU arc. The best way to do the MU is with the notes of camp present in the best TOS, DS9, and ENT outings, but there's also something to enjoy in the way Disco lean's into the dark and scary of it all, and that was never more effective than in "Wolf Inside."

DS9 Season 3: "Through The Looking Glass"
DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 1: "Vaulting Ambition"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[Farscape One]

Stepping "THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS".

A good outing into the Mirror Universe. It was a personal Sisko story, and it was fun to watch Sisko pretend to be Mirror Sisko.

Essentially, Avery Brooks playing a character that's playing another character... the ship in a bottle of acting. Those are always fun to watch.


DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 1: "Vaulting Ambition"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[JonnyQuest037]

<Peeks in to make sure that "Mirror, Mirror" was saved, sees that it was, breathes a sigh of relief>

 

[Seven of Five]

I loved seeing Burnham adapting to living in the MU. Vaulting Ambition was great to see how she has to deal with her former mentor as the Eeeeeeeeeevil emperor. Awkward!

Emperor Georgiou is a such a badass they made a series for her.

DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
DIS Season 1: "Despite Yourself"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[ananta]

I'm gonna pick "Despite Yourself". I generally really enjoyed the Disco mirror arc, which was dark, twisted and served us the iconic "Captain Killy". I couldn't help but feel for Michael, not only having to face a very different version of her beloved Georgiou but also the realisation that Ash, the one person she'd really let her guard down with, was not all he appeared to be (and how!). The theme of holding to your own values and sense of virtue and hope even in the midst of terrible darkness seems particularly pertinent in these insane real-world times.

DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[Sakonna]

I'll save "Resurrection", which was disappointing at the time because I desperately wanted a full trip back to the MU, not a side story. But after subsequently being subjected to "Emperor's New Cloak"...

Also, it provides another opportunity for Kira and the Intendant to interact directly, and it would have been a true shame if that never happened again after "Crossover."

DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[eschaton]

Wow, this is a hard choice, since both the episodes left are hammy shit. I'll disqualify the Emperor's New Cloak though. Basically for four reasons:

1. The Kira/Ezri makeout session was complete fanservice, but at least it was something in a terrible episode.
2. I genuinely liked "good Brunt."
3. There was no line about destroying "the whole multiverse"
4. There was no character assassination of any members of the main cast.

DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

 

[Sakonna]

I'm surprised again! I was sure it would be "Emperor's New Cloak." Though, I cannot deny I also felt deeply let down by "What's Past Is Prologue." Such an incredibly complicated scheme, to culminate in... that?

Thanks for playing all! Next up: "The Most Disliked Maquis Episode" Hope to see everyone there!

MOST DISLIKED "WINNER"LOSERS, 2020
SEASON PREMIERE: TNG, Season 7: "Descent, Part II"
ROMANCE OF THE WEEK: DS9, Season 3: "Meridian"
FERENGI: DS9, Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
CARDASSIANS: VOY, Season 2: "Investigations"
HOLIDAY: VOY, Season 4: "Day Of Honor"
HOLODECK: VOY, Season 6: "Fair Haven"
TIME TRAVEL/ANOMALY/LOOP: VOY, Season 6: “Fury”
Q: VOY, Season 7: "Q2"
2-HOUR/2-PART: ENT, Season 1 & 2: "Shockwave"
VISIT TO EARTH'S "PRESENT": ENT, Season 2: "Shockwave, Part II"
KLINGONS: ENT, Season 2: "Marauders"
HALLUCINATION/ILLUSION: ENT, Season 3: "Extinction"
VISIT TO EARTH'S PAST: ENT, Season 4: "Storm Front, Part I"
CAST CROSSOVER: ENT, Season 4: "These Are The Voyages..."
MIRROR UNIVERSE: DIS, Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"
INTRODUCTION OF RECURRING ALIENS: DIS, Season 2: "An Obol For Charon" (the jahSepp)
ROMULANS: PIC, Season 1: "Et In Arcadia Ego, Part 1"

 

[eschaton]

I'm surprised again! I was sure it would be "Emperor's New Cloak." Though, I cannot deny I also felt deeply let down by "What's Past Is Prologue." Such an incredibly complicated scheme, to culminate in... that?

I'll be honest. I was ready to vote for What's Past is Prologue until I looked it up again on Memory Alpha and realized how much of the "suck" from Discovery's Mirror Universe escapade took place in it.

As a standalone episode without the context for the rest of the season, it's a better episode than The Emperor's New Cloak. But as a pivotal point in a serialized arc, versus DS9's throwaway, low-stakes episode? No contest.

 

[Qonundrum]

I'm gonna pick "Despite Yourself". I generally really enjoyed the Disco mirror arc, which was dark, twisted and served us the iconic "Captain Killy". I couldn't help but feel for Michael, not only having to face a very different version of her beloved Georgiou but also the realisation that Ash, the one person she'd really let her guard down with, was not all he appeared to be (and how!). The theme of holding to your own values and sense of virtue and hope even in the midst of terrible darkness seems particularly pertinent in these insane real-world times.

DS9 Season 6: "Resurrection"
DS9 Season 7: "The Emperor's New Cloak"
DIS Season 1: "What's Past Is Prologue"

As in "Tilly"?!

So I looked up the character (no, not like that, I generally prefer men but that's not the point):

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Those are really good scenes, especially where they count the most. (I'm not too keen on the swearing and there's clearly no reason DSC needed to use it on the otherwise robust strength of those scenes but I'm not going to say it didn't not work, amazingly... Also, a few sound effects are out of place... but never mind that pedantry; while I never cared about the mirror universe shenanigans in any episode apart from TOS (where it's oversimplification was still a bit too sledgehammery for what was deemed an adult show at the time (1967), DSC - IMHO - did a better job with it overall than DS9, which just feels too fanwanky for its own good...)

 

[Sakonna]

I'll be honest. I was ready to vote for What's Past is Prologue until I looked it up again on Memory Alpha and realized how much of the "suck" from Discovery's Mirror Universe escapade took place in it.

As a standalone episode without the context for the rest of the season, it's a better episode than The Emperor's New Cloak. But as a pivotal point in a serialized arc, versus DS9's throwaway, low-stakes episode? No contest.

They definitely could both be worthy "winners." I thought it was interesting the two finalists were the two endings, of the DS9 and DIS MU arcs respectively. I love so much about the MU, but both big stories there really did not stick their landings, either time!

Maybe next arc...