Customer Reviews

Star Trek - The Original Series, Episode 39: Mirror, Mirror [VHS]

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This is my favorite episode of the original Star Trek series. Due to a freak ion storm, Kirk, McCoy, Scotty and Uhuru are beamed to an Enterprise in a parallel universe. In this alternate universe, there is no United Federation of Planets, but an Empire dominated by humans. Discipline is brutal, officers assassinate superiors to achieve rank and the mission is to destroy the Hulkans if they refuse to cooperate. One of the best lines ever to appear in Star Trek is uttered by Spock at the close, "It was easier for you as civilized people to behave as barbarians than it was for them as barbarians to behave as civilized people."
There are several memorable scenes, but one of the best is when the barbarians are forcibly placed in the brig. The rage exhibited by McCoy, Scotty and Uruhu is very realistic and I have always felt that the episode would have been better if there had been some treatment of the actions of the "evil" officers plotting while in the brig of the "good" Enterprise. Even though he is first officer of a ship whose purpose is to destroy uncooperative civilizations, Spock is still thoughtful, still fundamentally a Vulcan. One of the excellent spin-off story lines that could have been done would have been some explanation of how the Vulcans managed to acclimate themselves to serve an "evil" empire.
The final scene on the "evil" Enterprise is one that begs for a sequel. It is clear that the "evil" Spock will attempt to save the Hulkans, but the only tool he has is one that causes people to disappear without a trace. However, it is clear that Spock cannot save the Hulkans simply by making people disappear, at some point, the Empire will send other ships to destroy the Enterprise. It would have been fascinating to witness what happened once the "evil" Kirk and his group arrived back on their ship.
One of the best treatments of the science fiction staple of parallel universes, the acting in this episode is superb. The story line is intense, thoughtful and does not waver a great deal from the fundamental characters. Spock still considers the "evil" McCoy to be full of human weaknesses and Spock is still a Vulcan. A sequel would have been an excellent premise for a feature film.

"Terror must be maintained or the empire is doomed. It is the logic of history."

The concept of an alternate reality, of a place where a decision I made has its alternative or counterpart, has always held scientific and philosophical fascination for me. The quotation above was spoken by Spock, the Spock of the Taryn Empire. The ruthless assassinations and blood letting as it exists in the alternate universe is only one indicator of how human decisions and manifest themselves in the future. Perhaps a dictatorship arose on earth where a democracy existed in our own time-line. Such would be enough to cause the eventual formation of the empire and the conditions under which Kirk, Scott, Uhura, And Mccoy found themselves to be playing. The concept of an abusive captain, a conniving and vengeful first officer, and a Gestapo-like security apparatus is not something we are accustomed to seeing on our own starships, and it speaks profoundly to humans' abilities to act as savages.

The episode is the first of its kind, and therefore some understandable and predictable faults must be pointed out. First, the transporter accident which caused the episode is not explained to our satisfaction, at least, not to mine. More fundamentally, however, there seems to be an underlying assumption that only one alternate reality exists. If each decision, or even each significant historical event has alternatives, does that not speak for numerous if not infinite realities? Yet this is not so much as hinted at. Too, there is the lack of history. I wanted to see more hints of imperial history, to better understand what makes a Vulcan killer or such a ruthless authoritarianism possible. These questions could not have been answered in anything less than a television movie, and such was simply not done with the first series. These defects are the reason the episode earns only four stars. Yet its moral, scientific, and philosophical assertions and implecations make it a show worth several viewings.

Love this show!!
I have probably viewed it 20 times and I could watch it 20 more....
I think it is the best Star Trek television show and I've seen just about all including the newest series.
I think Gene Rodenberry should have been nick-named Genius Rodenberry he was way ahead of his time.
Greatest cast of characters were brought together on this show and the writing was brilliant for television. The original show started me off as a trekkete...

This is another one of my favorite episodes of the original Star Trek Series. For a change it is nice to see what would happen if the hero's of the series turned out not so heroic. In this episode we get a glimpse of what would an evil federation aka "The Empire" would be and let me tell you it would be a very very bad universe to be a part of.

In this episode Kirk, McCoy, Uhura, and Scotty are transported by a transporter accident to an alternate universe where the Federation is known as the Empire and is just as ruthless and corrupt as the Federation is noble and just (at times). The way of advancing up the ranks in the empire is by assassination and having the backing of friends who can turn on you in an instant.
Plus Kirk has his own "woman" and personal "advancement" weapon he can uses if the occasion arises.

Spock is 2nd in command just like the federation, but he has a mustache and goatee in the alternate reality, and it makes him look "devilishly" mean. Sulu, Chekov are evil to the core in the alternate universe as well.

Overall this is a most enjoyable episode and I do like to see a twist of a plot and this one definitely has it in this classic episode. Highly recommended!

Mirror, Mirror provides some of the most interesting counterpoint acting of the entire Star Trek experience. Beyond the obvious comparisons of good and evil Kirk, Spock, McCoy, et al, there is a "fascinating" difference in observing the swagger and bombast with which William Shatner approaches this episode, compared to the subtlety which Leonard Nimoy employs in developing his "evil" alter ego. A most satisfying episode on all levels.

But, guest star Barbara Luna and regular Nichelle Nichols have never looked more appealing. When Luna stands in the doorway cooing "Oiling my traps, darling" AND Nichols, with tummy suggestively exposed, brandishes a knife at an advancing Sulu, male testosterone has to be on the rise.

This episode inspired several on the subsequent "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine" with similar erotic trappings.

The alternate universe plot is the oldest one in the sci-fi book, but this one lets the actors play out all their fantasies. Bill Shatner hams it up as the Barbarian Kirk in the brig. George Takei shines as the scar-faced evil Sulu, who once again gets to show he has the hots for Uhura, giving Nichelle Nicoles the first kiss by an Asian American man to a African American woman on US network TV. Chekov gets his first scream on the show. This episode is perfect for the classic Trek drinking game with security guards getting zapped out of existence, McCoy giving another "I'm a doctor, not a -----" line, phony stunt doubles fighting in sickbay, the Vulcan mind meld, sexy costumes showing plenty of female midriff, Scotty in the Jeffries tube. But the best is the "agonizer" -- portable shock therapy which was probably used by some military forces in history.

Somehow, a storm has swept Captain Kirk, Dr. McCoy, Scotty, and Uhura out of their path and onto a strange replica of the Enterprise. The ship's crew is the same as the real Enterprise's crew, except that it is hostile and brutal. The Spock on this other Enterprise wants to kill Captain Kirk in order to become the new captain of the Enterprise. Captain Kirk and the other 3 from the real Enterprise must find a way to get back to the Enterprise they know before it's too late.

"Mirror, Mirror" isn't the best episode of the original series, but it is one of the best and one of the best written. If you like the original series, I would recommend getting it.

This episode shines as one of, if not the best episode of the entire series. Balancing assassination attempts with ultra-powerful secret weapons, 'Mirror, Mirror' turns on an axis of pure action and suspense. There is not a second or a scene in which something is not happening. Nimoy's acting is most notably brilliant in this episode, creating a darker undercurrent that is present throughout the episode. Nichelle Nichols also shines in her scenes as Uhura, displaying the character's spirit and resourcefulness as never before. This will be one of the ones you watch over and over.

It's an interesting show. Kirk and his friends go to another dimension
where there is another Kirk and another Spock and the others. But in this other dimension the crew of the Enterprise are the "bad guys". There is
some annoying political propaganda because the "bad guys" salute similar
to the German National Socialists. But it is quite an interesting show.