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While on its many space adventures through the Galaxy, the USS Enterprise on Star Trek has come across numerous planets, species, and unknown forces. However, the one that continues to fascinate trekkies is the mirror universe, a concept that gives the Star Trek franchise limitless prospects. Mirror universe is a parallel dimension where everything from the primary Star Trek world exists but in a darker and more chaotic form.
Considered one of the more influential episodes in the Star Trek universe, the audience was first introduced to this world in Star Trek: The Original Series, Season 2, episode 4 titled ‘Mirror Mirror’. When USS Enterprise crew members accidentally end up in the mirror universe ruled by the Terran Empire, we see the grimmer side of our beloved characters on board the ISS Enterprise, a Terran constitution-class spaceship.
The mirror universe goes on to be part of the wider Star Trek universe because of its fascinating concept and many unexplored possibilities.
What is the mirror universe?
Mirror universe is a parallel reality, which is ruled by a vicious and cunning alternate version of the Federation, the Terran Empire, in the primary world. Doppelgangers from the primary world exist in the mirror universe, but have opposing personalities that rely on terror and ruthlessness to rule the world.
What happens in ‘Mirror Mirror’ in The Original Series?
In the episode, Captain T. Kirk (played by William Shatner) and his crew members, Chief Medical Officer Dr. McCoy (played by DeForest Kelley), Communications Officer Uhura (played by Nichelle Nichols) and Chief Engineer Scotty (played by James Doohan) are trying to persuade the Halkan Council to mine dilithium crystal on their planet.
There is an unexpected ion storm, while the ship gets beamed back. This causes disruptions in the transporter, making it malfunction. The USS Enterprise crew suddenly ends up in the twisted alternate world.
They arrive on ISS Enterprise and are immediately greeted by a differently dressed ‘goateed’ Spock (played by Leonard Nimoy), who displays a certain ruthlessness that Kirk and crew have never witnessed. The mirror world, as they would come to learn, is ruled by the Terran Empire, a ruthless regime that relies on manipulation, stringent punishments and coups to overrule leadership. They are far from the utopian ideology that Federation promotes through its missions.
From the hail salutes to the many weapons that the crew carries, Kirk uncovers a world run by dictatorship and cruelty. After the mirror doppelganger of Officer Chekov attempts to assassinate Kirk and Uhura is assaulted by the mirror version of Sulu, the crew quickly realizes that they must get back to their world. Mirror Spock is preparing to phaser barrage on the Halkans for not accepting their conditions, a method that the Federation would never encourage. Kirk stops him, drawing suspicions from Spock.
Meanwhile, the ISS Enterprise crew members end up in the USS Enterprise. However, Spock’s sharp observation makes him immediately realize that the crew on board are not the same people. Spock arrests them in a quarter to buy time.
Aboard ISS Enterprise, Kirk and the crew plan to modify the transporter so they can return to their dimension. Kirk also learns that his mirror world counterpart had commanded ISS Enterprises after assassinating the previous Captain, Christopher Pike. And this was just one of the many brutalities that they came across.
Using distraction and help from Marlena Moreau (played by BarBara Luna), and Spock, the crew finally departs. Before leaving, Kirk gives a hopeful message to Mirror Spock, asking him to use a more amicable approach. After they board USS Enterprise, Kirk asks Spock about their Mirror alternates. Spock draws similarities between the mirror universe and humankind. He quips,
“May I point out, that I had an opportunity to observe your counterparts here quite closely. They were brutal, savage, unprincipled, uncivilised, traitorous. In every way splendid examples of Homo sapiens, the very flower of humanity. I found them quite refreshing.”
Mirror universe in other Star Trek projects
While the mirror universe only appears in the 'Mirror Mirror' episode of The Original Series, it finds a mention in another episode titled 'The Tholian Web'. The concept is so amusing that it has been explored in the other Star Trek ventures.
Episodes of Deep Space Nine, Enterprise, Discovery, and even several comics and novels have been inspired by the world of the mirror universe.
In Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episodes titled ‘Through the looking Glass’, ‘Shattered Mirror’, ‘Resurrection’ and ‘The Emperor’s New Cloak’ the mirror universe is explored more in depth.
It is established that both Federation and the Terran Empire are aware of the existence of their counterparts. Deep Space Nine takes after mirror Spock becomes the leader of the Terran Empire with a more just ruling approach. But they faced loss against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, who would go on to enslave the Terrans.
In Star Trek: Enterprise, the mirror universe is visited before the events from The Original Series. In episodes ‘In a Mirror, Darkly’ Part 1 and 2’, to save the Terran Empire, mirror world commander Jonathan Archer of ISS Enterprise wants to get control of the USS Defiant (seen in The Tholian Web) from the future as it is a more advanced ship.
In Star Trek: Discovery, the alternate universe plays a pivotal role with multiple episodes focussing on it. In the episode titled ‘Despite Yourself’, we find USS Discovery crew members in the mirror universe impersonating their wicked counterparts to survive the traitorous world and return home.
Mirror universe continues to fascinate Trekkies as the multi-dimensional world is intriguing and adds a certain twisted element to the storyline. From the evil doppelgangers and malicious forces, the mirror universe remains one of the more valued aspects of the Star Trek Universe.
Created by Gene Roddenberry, Star Trek: The Original Series aired on NBC from 1966 to 1969. Despite getting cancelled after three seasons, due to dwindling viewership, the series gained popularity worldwide. The Star Trek franchise has several projects that continue to flourish even today.
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