In a Mirror Darkly
- Thread starter PhoenixIreland
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What put this episode over the top for me, in terms of greatness, was the mirror opening. That was just brilliant! That put it beyond just a gimmick and turned the show into Mirror Star Trek for two episodes.
IAMD was the first Mirror Universe episode that to me replicated the feel of Mirror, Mirror. Seeing the TOS sets and unseen areas of a Constitution class starship was awesome too. And I was glad that we got some follow up in Glass Empires too.
That´s becouse, as I said on previous IaMD thred, Wolfe´s interpretation of Mirror universe sucked.
I didn't mock it, I just said I didn't like it
The thing the DS9 Mirror episodes got wrong was that the human crew were heroes. They were more flawed than their 'real' counterparts, but they still had an inner goodness to them and could be selfless when pushed. The TOS and Enterprise mirror episodes, however, had bloodlusted bastards from the start and no one relented. Alien species could be heroes (Spock, T'Pol, Phlox, etc), but the entire point is about seeing how dangerous and powerful the Federation would be if humanity's ambitions were warped.
I"ll give the DS9 some props, though: In a Mirror Darkly foretold the fall of the Terran Empire that became the basis of the DS9 Mirror episodes. A very nice touch of continuity there.
From Memory Alpha:
Writer Robert Hewitt Wolfe wrote the fall of the Terran Empire into the script as an analogy for the fall of the Roman Empire to barbarians and the Chinese Dynasty to the Mongols. He also wanted to illustrate that if an Empire is as brutal as the Terran Empire was in "Mirror, Mirror", there were probably reasons why it was so brutal and he wished to convey the message that, in such circumstances, one cannot change things over night, and even the actions of Captain Kirk can have severe consequences; "Empires aren't usually brutal unless there's a reason. There are usually external or internal pressures that cause them to be that way. So I just thought that if the parallel Earth was that brutal, there had to be a reason. And the reason was that the barbarians (the Klingons and the Cardassians were at the gate." (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine Companion)
Wolfe elaborates on the political/historical metaphor contained in this episode when he says, "My analogy was to the Roman Empire. The Roman Empire was as brutal and as nasty as it was because all around it, it had very aggressive barbarians that it was afraid of. The Chinese had the same thing, the Mongols were always there. So if you suddenly make the Romans nice guys, or the Chinese nice guys, well that's great and everything, but then the Mongols come across and it's all over. So that was kind of the idea, what was the mirror universe like a hundred years after "Mirror, Mirror". Well, it might not be a very nice place."
Yes, that´s a nice intellectual observation but IMO, it ruined the concept a lot.
I don't know about that. One of the best moments of the first episode is when he saluted Captain Forrest and said, "The ship is yours... Captain."
Oh, and that scene in the brig where he bashes Forrest around: "IF THAT'S RIGHT...{slam} THEN WHY ARE YOU...{slam} IN HERE?! {slam}"
And when he's getting his Kirk on in IaMD2..
Yeah, there are moments when it seems more forced (probably because Bakula has been said to be a true class act as a person)... but there are plenty of moments where I think he really pulls it off.
Even better with his shirt off...
But I'm thinking that "female drooling over the hot actor" moment is not going help my argument much. 
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These are two of my favourite episodes of ENT...truly was a Star Trek EVENT and how long has it been since we could say that? My friends and I were all sitting down together watching it with pizza and beer and enjoying ourselves. Then there was Mirror Hoshi and Mirror T'Pol!! Loved the attention to detail...the much talked about Archer's bio screen cap!! The Mirror Universe opening credits were icing on the cake and proof they were taking this seriously!
I wonder how it would have been if... they did one episode airing per year so that the cliffhangers would really sit (and have them parallel some moral theme in the regular universe. I loved the episode. Matter of fact, I'm busting out my Ent Season 4 DVDs to watch it again (for about 10x as many times so far as the episodes afterwards).
This episode would have been alright if they’d made the following minor changes…
IN A MIRROR DARKLY, PART I
> The title of this episode changed to 'It's Fun Being Bad'.
> Zephram Cochrane misses the Vulcan twice before killing him because he's pissed out of his brain.
> Mirror Archer threatens to make Captain Forrest his bitch.
> Mirror Porthos threatens to make Mirror Hoshi his bitch.
> Mirror Porthos gets thrown in the agony booth for crapping on the rug.
> Mirror Trip is shown amusing himself by tossing live tribbles into the warp reactor.
> Mirror T'Pol hypnotises Trip so he can only communicate with beeps.
> A sadomasochistic whipping of Archer by Major Reed, dressed in fishnet stockings and a studded leather corset.
> Archer strains his facial muscles from scowling too much.
> Archer watches a water polo match...played with depth charges.
> Phlox torments a patient by placing eels on his body, and is annoyed when the process cures him instead.
> Phlox tries to terrify the Tholian with his Pyrithian Moon Hawk impersonation.
> Phlox executes an ensign for laughing at his Pyrithian Moon Hawk impersonation.
> Hoshi brags she can suck a ship's saucer section down a warp nacelle.
> Hoshi gets ten hours in the agony booth for revealing that Mirror Archer has a small penis.
> Hoshi gets another ten hours when she makes a snide comment about Forrest's dick as well.
> When Forrest retakes the ship, he has Mayweather buggered by an entire platoon of unwashed MACO's.
> Reed's session in the agony booth is called off when he appears to be enjoying it too much.
> Archer starts frothing at the mouth and chews the carpet during the briefing scene.
> Captain Kirk materialises long enough to say "What the f__?" before being pulled back to the TOS universe.
> T'Pol spends half the episode trying to stuff her long hair and pointed ears into a space helmet.
> When Archer jams the TOS phaser in his belt, he accidentally disintegrates his testicles.
> As he watches the destruction of Enterprise, Reed not only has his evil smirk but a massive hard-on as well.
> Captain Archer gets punched in the face whenever someone gives him the Imperial salute.
IN A MIRROR DARKLY, PART II
> The mirror universe becomes so cartoonish the crew can only talk via speech balloons.
> In keeping with the Original Series feel, all swearwords have been replaced with "hell" or "dammit".
> Hoshi's name is shortened to 'Ensign Ho'.
> Daniels appears to tell Mirror Archer he can risk his life with impunity, as he'll never amount to anything.
> Archer threatens to dock T'Pol's ears if she betrays him again.
> T'Pol uncrosses her legs during her interrogation, while asking Archer if he's ever f**ked on Trellium-D.
> Mayweather is shown changing from his spacesuit into a TOS uniform, during which we see his pink G-string.
> Archer finds a picture of Captain Kirk in the files, and promptly rips his green command shirt in several places.
> We have tantalising glimpses of T'Pol's panties while she's wearing her TOS-era miniskirt.
> As Major Reed puts on his red shirt he says: "I've got a bad feeling about this."
> Trip says to Mirror Kelby in the Jeffries tube: "I hear you suck in the other universe too!"
> The taunts of his mirror-self cause Archer to beat himself up.
> Mayweather is also tormented by his mirror-self, who just keeps looking at him in silence.
> When the lights go out during the Gorn hunt, Trip comes in useful due to his ability to glow in the dark.
> The Gorn gargles and rasps like in the Original Series, whilst complaining that it really should give up smoking.
> After Archer defeats the Gorn, its head is shown mounted on his wall.
> Admiral Black uses Soval's pointed ears as memo spikes.
> Black has T'Pol court-martialed for hiding her belly button.
> When Admiral Gardner appears on the viewscreen, Archer says: "So that's what you look like!"
> Archer says after his speech: "Shoot the first one who stops applauding." Unfortunately everyone stops at once.
> T'Pol goes through the Federation files and discovers that, unlike in the mirror universe, all gay people were exterminated during the Eugenics Wars.
> When T'Pol is thrown off the Defiant she's forced to change her uniform in front of leering MACO's. On entering the Avenger's decon chamber, T'Pol finds that outside its window are bleachers and men selling popcorn.
> While plotting to destroy the Defiant, Soval and T'Pol snort Trellium-D and watch pon farr videos, with T'Pol making the occasional derogatory remark about Trip's performance in bed.
> A scene explaining why the Orion female isn't controlling the Avenger with her pheromones should have been included.
> T'Pol's top is torn off during her fight with Hoshi.
> Trip's shirt is torn off during his fight with Phlox.
> Catty dialogue between T'Pol and Hoshi hints at their previous lesbian relationship.
> Catty dialogue between Trip and Phlox hints they once had a threesome with an Edosian suckerfish.
> Archer becomes so paranoid he has Phlox surgically implant eyes in the back of his head.
> Archer threatens to execute Phlox on the grounds that he is a Cardassian, and is only convinced otherwise when Phlox sticks out his enormous tongue.
> Archer executes Phlox for sticking his tongue out at him.
> Hoshi is shown reaching for an icepick before deciding on the poisoned glass of wine.
> The Xindi reptilian who tortured Hoshi in the Federation universe is served up to Empress Sato as turtle soup.
> The soup is poisoned. Porthos becomes Emperor.
IN A MIRROR DARKLY, PART I
> The title of this episode changed to 'It's Fun Being Bad'.
> Zephram Cochrane misses the Vulcan twice before killing him because he's pissed out of his brain.
> Mirror Archer threatens to make Captain Forrest his bitch.
> Mirror Porthos threatens to make Mirror Hoshi his bitch.
> Mirror Porthos gets thrown in the agony booth for crapping on the rug.
> Mirror Trip is shown amusing himself by tossing live tribbles into the warp reactor.
> Mirror T'Pol hypnotises Trip so he can only communicate with beeps.
> A sadomasochistic whipping of Archer by Major Reed, dressed in fishnet stockings and a studded leather corset.
> Archer strains his facial muscles from scowling too much.
> Archer watches a water polo match...played with depth charges.
> Phlox torments a patient by placing eels on his body, and is annoyed when the process cures him instead.
> Phlox tries to terrify the Tholian with his Pyrithian Moon Hawk impersonation.
> Phlox executes an ensign for laughing at his Pyrithian Moon Hawk impersonation.
> Hoshi brags she can suck a ship's saucer section down a warp nacelle.
> Hoshi gets ten hours in the agony booth for revealing that Mirror Archer has a small penis.
> Hoshi gets another ten hours when she makes a snide comment about Forrest's dick as well.
> When Forrest retakes the ship, he has Mayweather buggered by an entire platoon of unwashed MACO's.
> Reed's session in the agony booth is called off when he appears to be enjoying it too much.
> Archer starts frothing at the mouth and chews the carpet during the briefing scene.
> Captain Kirk materialises long enough to say "What the f__?" before being pulled back to the TOS universe.
> T'Pol spends half the episode trying to stuff her long hair and pointed ears into a space helmet.
> When Archer jams the TOS phaser in his belt, he accidentally disintegrates his testicles.
> As he watches the destruction of Enterprise, Reed not only has his evil smirk but a massive hard-on as well.
> Captain Archer gets punched in the face whenever someone gives him the Imperial salute.
IN A MIRROR DARKLY, PART II
> The mirror universe becomes so cartoonish the crew can only talk via speech balloons.
> In keeping with the Original Series feel, all swearwords have been replaced with "hell" or "dammit".
> Hoshi's name is shortened to 'Ensign Ho'.
> Daniels appears to tell Mirror Archer he can risk his life with impunity, as he'll never amount to anything.
> Archer threatens to dock T'Pol's ears if she betrays him again.
> T'Pol uncrosses her legs during her interrogation, while asking Archer if he's ever f**ked on Trellium-D.
> Mayweather is shown changing from his spacesuit into a TOS uniform, during which we see his pink G-string.
> Archer finds a picture of Captain Kirk in the files, and promptly rips his green command shirt in several places.
> We have tantalising glimpses of T'Pol's panties while she's wearing her TOS-era miniskirt.
> As Major Reed puts on his red shirt he says: "I've got a bad feeling about this."
> Trip says to Mirror Kelby in the Jeffries tube: "I hear you suck in the other universe too!"
> The taunts of his mirror-self cause Archer to beat himself up.
> Mayweather is also tormented by his mirror-self, who just keeps looking at him in silence.
> When the lights go out during the Gorn hunt, Trip comes in useful due to his ability to glow in the dark.
> The Gorn gargles and rasps like in the Original Series, whilst complaining that it really should give up smoking.
> After Archer defeats the Gorn, its head is shown mounted on his wall.
> Admiral Black uses Soval's pointed ears as memo spikes.
> Black has T'Pol court-martialed for hiding her belly button.
> When Admiral Gardner appears on the viewscreen, Archer says: "So that's what you look like!"
> Archer says after his speech: "Shoot the first one who stops applauding." Unfortunately everyone stops at once.
> T'Pol goes through the Federation files and discovers that, unlike in the mirror universe, all gay people were exterminated during the Eugenics Wars.
> When T'Pol is thrown off the Defiant she's forced to change her uniform in front of leering MACO's. On entering the Avenger's decon chamber, T'Pol finds that outside its window are bleachers and men selling popcorn.
> While plotting to destroy the Defiant, Soval and T'Pol snort Trellium-D and watch pon farr videos, with T'Pol making the occasional derogatory remark about Trip's performance in bed.
> A scene explaining why the Orion female isn't controlling the Avenger with her pheromones should have been included.
> T'Pol's top is torn off during her fight with Hoshi.
> Trip's shirt is torn off during his fight with Phlox.
> Catty dialogue between T'Pol and Hoshi hints at their previous lesbian relationship.
> Catty dialogue between Trip and Phlox hints they once had a threesome with an Edosian suckerfish.
> Archer becomes so paranoid he has Phlox surgically implant eyes in the back of his head.
> Archer threatens to execute Phlox on the grounds that he is a Cardassian, and is only convinced otherwise when Phlox sticks out his enormous tongue.
> Archer executes Phlox for sticking his tongue out at him.
> Hoshi is shown reaching for an icepick before deciding on the poisoned glass of wine.
> The Xindi reptilian who tortured Hoshi in the Federation universe is served up to Empress Sato as turtle soup.
> The soup is poisoned. Porthos becomes Emperor.
^^
Odon, do you have the equivalent of a Saturday Night Live down there? You could so write for them (an adult version that is). If not, your talent is being wasted.
Odon, do you have the equivalent of a Saturday Night Live down there? You could so write for them (an adult version that is). If not, your talent is being wasted.
I think MirrorArcher wasn't so much evil as he was crazy. The guy has a serious and permanent psychotic break after reading RegularArcher's bio and discovering that his counterpart achieved the kind of power that he himself couldn't seem to. When even your invisible alter-ego is telling you that you are an underachieving nobody, you've gone completely crazypants. The paranoia, naked ambition, and obsession with Defiant provided a trifecta of craziness.
I thought MirrorReed was much more over the top, with his squinty Popeye sneer. It was like he was channeling a combination of the Marquis de Sade and Captain Jack Sparrow. I kinda wanted him to dial it back a bit, it was distracting.
But that's a minor, minor blip to me in an otherwise completely enjoyable episode.
That's a nice assessment. I could get on board with that.
Yeah, I think the fact that he's not Captain in the beginning shows that he's not nearly as bad-ass as he'd like everyone to think. He should have killed Forrest, but he didn't because of Hoshi.
More crazy/obsessive than bad-ass.
I enjoyed MU Archer. To me, he was a kind of Salieri...a megalomaniac-wannabe who couldn't quite achieve the levels of power and evil that he imagined he was capable of. And it drove him batty--figuratively, then literally (witness Straight-Arrow Eagle Scout Archer whispering in his ear that he was a loser). And there was a hint of petulant child in there, wanting to plop on the floor and have a tantrum when he couldn't get his way. I loved it.
"Trifecta of craziness"..."squinty Popeye sneer"...bluedana, stop it, yer killing me
I thought the Reed!Smirk was a riot. He pulled it out when things were good (my, but that Tellarite in the Booth squirms nicely), when things were bad (oh dear, Enterprise blew up), when Archer was choking him and holding a phase pistol to his head. Too funny.
"Trifecta of craziness"..."squinty Popeye sneer"...bluedana, stop it, yer killing me
I thought the Reed!Smirk was a riot. He pulled it out when things were good (my, but that Tellarite in the Booth squirms nicely), when things were bad (oh dear, Enterprise blew up), when Archer was choking him and holding a phase pistol to his head. Too funny.
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