Episode Review - Through the Looking Glass (Deep Space Nine, Season 3)

For those who are new to my episode reviews, you can find the post where I establish my point criteria here.

Overview – Commander Sisko is abducted by “Smiley” O’Brien from the mirror universe and brought there to lead the rebellion. In this universe, the Terrans have rebelled against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance and were being led by Sisko’s counterpart until he was killed. Now, not only must Ben must try to rescue the counterpart of his deceased wife from both the Terran rebels and the Klingon-Cardassian alliance’s Intendant Kira, but he must do it under the pretense of being someone that he is not.

Score: 8/10 – I find the majority of the mirror universe episodes to be fun, especially with having a glimpse at familiar characters in roles that are different to how we have come to expect them. This episode is no different. Adding to our list of counterparts we see Jennifer Sisko as a scientist, Rom as a violent rebel, Jadzia as a coy lover of Sisko, Bashir as an aggressive hothead, and even Voyager’s Tuvok. This is a nice pick-up from the previous season’s hit “Crossover” and gives Ben Sisko a chance to play in this universe. While I miss the antics of Kira with her counterpart, I do feel that Sisko fits into this storyline over a longer stretch than Bashir did. Don’t get me wrong, Bashir in the Mirror Universe was fine, but he is better as a “one-and-done” visitor. Sisko, on the other hand, is given a great opportunity to find some closure with his wife, albeit she is not truly his wife. This episode does attempt to establish some traditions for these episodes. First, it reinforces the idea that in the MU the counterparts of main characters are not necessarily safe. The MU’s Ben Sisko has been killed, and in what is going to be another tradition, the token Ferengi dies as we see Rom skewered to the wall. The opening scene gives Odo and Quark (whose counterparts were killed in “Crossover”) gives us some comedy to enjoy. Where this episode falls a bit short is the “been there, done that” feel of the universe. Aside from Tuvok (who only appears in a single scene) and Jennifer Sisko, all the counterparts are the similar “darker” versions of themselves. It is still an excellent episode, but some of the glitter and magic is gone.

Relevance – 2 points. Another trip into the MU is good for a relevance point. It picks up and addresses many of the events of “Crossover”. Another point can be scored for what will be addressed in the next foray into the MU, “Shattered Mirror”. Sadly, aside from an interesting revelation that Morn has more than one heart, that is all that we have that is relevant to other parts of Star Trek.

Continuity – 3 points. Story continuity is a check here. Things proceed in a logical fashion. Character continuity would largely focus on Ben Sisko, as aside from Quark and Odo in the opening scene, we only see the MU counterparts of the rest of the main cast (except for Jake, who does not appear at all in this episode). Ben acts very much the way we would expect him to, making the tough decisions as he tries to find a balance between staying true to himself and giving an accurate portrayal of his MU counterpart. Of course, it must have been weird for him to make love to Jadzia in the MU, but who said the balancing act had to be all bad? For universe continuity there is a little hiccup that is going to cost a point somewhere. In this episode we see Alliance vessels decloaking, yet in the final season we are told that cloaking technology does not exist in the MU. This will cost a Continuity point, but not here. That will come in “The Emperor’s New Cloak”.

Character Development – 2 points. Again, with only Ben Sisko traveling to the MU, there is really only room for his character to be more fully developed. In this episode, we see how Ben acts under a different kind of pressure. I have already mentioned the balancing act he has to walk here, and he does it well. Saving Jennifer when almost everyone else wants to kill her makes sense both from Ben’s perspective (he gets to, in his own way, save his wife when in his universe he couldn’t) and from the Rebellion’s perspective. To see Ben grapple with his dilemma is a real growth for his character and is the next step in providing some necessary closure with losing Jennifer.

Social Commentary – 1 point. The social commentary in this episode is likely going to be about being able to go back for lost opportunities. It’s a bit of a stretch but hear me out. Ben Sisko has a chance to rescue someone who looks like his deceased wife, but she isn’t his wife. This creates a conflict because in one sense, he is able to do something he failed to do earlier with the Borg invasion. On the other hand, his rescuing MU Jennifer only creates an illusion that he is getting a second chance with his wife. He really isn’t, and will have to leave her eventually. Is he really getting a second chance then? That’s a good question. Do we often have opportunities that only superficially appear to be second chances when in reality they are not? I’m not sure many of us do, though we wish we could. It was hard nailing this down, so I think I can only give it a single point for this category.

Cool Stuff – 2 points. Two points for two guest stars. First, it was a clever and appropriate way to get a crossover with Voyager by having Tuvok appear as one of the rebels. It almost would have been worth it to have him sport a beard. Second, Jennifer Sisko in the MU was a great way to get the lovely and talented Felicia M Bell back. While I get that having Jennifer die in the series premiere was necessary for Sisko’s character, she is a talented actress, so it was nice to have her back in the fold. Making Jennifer a scientist added a new dimension to what could have been for her character in our universe. Aside from that, since this is the second time DS9 looks into the mirror, much of what we have seen is not new. So, just two points for this section.

Rank – Captain (18 points). A solid entry in the MU storyline. While it is a bit weaker than its predecessor, it is still enjoyable, relevant (for this storyline, at least), and gives us some nice surprises. Because this is our second visit in the DS9 series, we lose some of the wonder and excitement of a new environment, but it still manages to retain much of its darkened charm.

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