TNG should have done a mirror universe episode

[Romulan_spy]

It is surprising to me that TNG never did a proper mirror universe episode. Perhaps the writers did not think the mirror universe idea was worth it and it was only later in DS9 that it became popular? But I feel like it was a missed opportunity. We could have seen mirror versions of the TNG crew. I know the novels did it but seeing it on screen could have been very cool and interesting. If TNG had done a mirror universe episode, what should it have been about?

 

[DonIago]

I guess the question is could they have done an MU episode that wouldn't have just felt like a rehash of "Mirror, Mirror" with the TNG crew?

Like or hate what DS9 did with the Terran Empire, it was at least a bold move to have MU Spock be successful, but (apparently (see novels)) not in the way Prime!Kirk intended.

 

[at Quark's]

Well, it if was to be in line with the mirror universe as pictured in DS9, it would have to be in some slave mine. The Terran Empire was long since defeated, after all. But ignoring that ....

A mirror episode wouldn't have been interesting, as the mirror Ent-D would still have been a dull ship, stuffed with all luxuries, with people committed to the high arts, and giving and listening to classical concerts, and so on. Only would they have been evil bureaucrats.

Mirror Picard: And yet you still refuse to give us your dilithium crystals? Very well. I have no choice but to sent a report in triplicate to our Emperor, who is not as forgiving as I am. And he will certainly put you under a trade embargo that will cover, but is not necessarily limited to, some of our cultural exports such as Mozart recitals, Shakespearean plays...
Mirror Data: Captain, they are beaming their entire planetary stockpile over into our cargo hold.
<Mirror Picard allows himself a tiny evil giggle before they warp away>

 

[Herbert]

Mirror Universe Picard drinks green tea.

 

[CorporalCaptain]

I'm glad they didn't go there in TNG. DS9's MU episodes were embarrassing. Even ENT's had a lot of issues, not the least of which were the connect-the-dots-isms with a side order of small multiverse syndrome, but at least part II was entertaining.

 

[DonIago]

I thought "Crossover" was pretty great, and "Shattered Mirror" and "Through the Looking Glass" were at least alright.

 

[JesterFace]

I think it's good that they didn't do Mirror Universe stuff with TNG and shouldn't have done MU with DS9 eiher, it was cool in TOS but somehow it didn't work later in DS9.

 

[STEPhon IT]

I felt the same way because TNG didn't require the MU gimmick like DS9 did... which appeared the producers were constantly throwing shit at the wall hoping it'll stick. There was a point in "Mirror Mirror" where change can happen, while DS9's "Crossover" illustrated Mirror Spock was a failure, and shit all over what Kirk's inspiring monologue to Mirror Spock had accomplished.

There never seemed to be a point in DS9's Mirror saga except to add an episode slot for their 22 or 24 episodes requirement.

 

[tomswift2002]

The novel Dark Mirror was very good, and because it was produced before DS9's Mirror Universe episodes, it doesn't even follow those stories.

 

[tharpdevenport]

Mirrorverse TNG:


* Picard is evil, just like those old defunct TNG Recut Youtube videos.
* Riker is a cut-throat who took the ship from Picard. Maybe Picard is in the brig, maybe he stole a ship of his own.
* Data is the one left on a planet and Lore is the one who snuck into Starfleet with evil intentions.
* Troi is an evil bitch who manipulates people and uses what emotions she senses, against them.
* Beverly is a sadistic psycho doctor.
* Geordi sports and evil beard and is like Jabba the hut when it comes to ladies.
* Evil Wesley went with Picard. Wants to kill his mom.
* Yar is a sexual predator with violent tendencies. No Worf -- the events leading up to where Yar was killed, never happened.

 

[DonIago]

while DS9's "Crossover" illustrated Mirror Spock was a failure, and shit all over what Kirk's inspiring monologue to Mirror Spock had accomplished.

Read the novels. You underestimate MU Spock.

 

[Nyotarules]

Read the novels. You underestimate MU Spock.

Yep he was very successful, he worked the long game

 

[JesterFace]

In some way TNG did MU stuff...
From the start of season 2 MU Riker got rid of our Riker and took his place.
Want proof? Where from did that beard appear suddenly...

Also, MU Geordi visited shortly when our Geordi was "trying to grow a beard"... it was so obvious!
And then there was the time Data tried a beard.

 

[GeorgeKirk]

The Mirror Universe was very much a TOS thing, and Rick Berman's comments on TOS make it clear he was kind of embarrassed by it. I'm sure he viewed the MU as a campy, silly thing that his very serious and proper show would never stoop to be involved with.

It's well-known that Ira Behr and the rest of the DS9 guys were huge TOS fans and once Berman's attention was on Voyager and the movie series they got to do pretty much whatever they wanted as long as they didn't go over budget.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I’m glad they never did. There was just no reason to. It’s a crutch concept, very lazy, very campy. DS9 went with the over the top camp and TNG would have done no different.

DS9’s episodes were dumb enough to be groan inducing but not so dumb and over the top to be funny the way Ent’s take was, and for me they make up five of the ten skip episodes in the entire series.

Almost no concept is lazier in sci-fi than just saying ‘Hey let’s have the heroes fight themselves but EEEEVIL’.

 

[Mojochi]

Meh.. I'll pass. Never was a fan of any of it anyhow. It even stretched my patience on TOS, & they were the only ones that is was even remotely suited for imho

 

[SCE2Aux]

I think TNG could have just about pulled it off if they dialled down the camp factor, but then such an episode would feel tonally similar to Yesterday's Enterprise, so it probably wouldn't have been worth doing.
Somehow DSC managed both camp and sinister simultaneously, but, as much as I love TNG (my favourite series), I don't think it was set up to easily handle a non TOS take on the MU.

 

[Xhiandra]

No. The mirror universe stuff is a haven of bad writing and scenery chewing.

DS9's mirror universe episodes were cringefests, DSC's broke the groanmeter and even TOS' wasn't very good; only ENT did it somewhat decently, and even that comes with caveats.
I'm glad TNG stayed away from the mirror universe.

 

[WarpFactorZ]

Just pretend that Yesterday's Enterprise is a MU ep. The costumes, bridge redress, and general "war" motif is probably what the MU would have looked like (yes, I know about the DS9 episodes, but frankly have never seen them).

 

[CorporalCaptain]

Maybe a MU-Ent-D appeared in "Parallels."

 

[tomswift2002]

I would've loved to have seen Dark Mirror adapted into a couple of episodes. Marina Sirtis probably would've stolen all the episodes with her version of Mirror Troi, who was about as far from a counsellor as one could get.

 

[DonIago]

Yeah, Dark Mirror Troi would have been a sight to see.