Should Star Trek producers consider a Mirror Universe TV series?

Star Trek: Enterprise planned to revisit the Mirror Universe in its fifth season.

Cancellation scuttled those plans. But is Empire Star Trek a good idea, and what would it look like? Jerome Bixby’s original Star Trek series episode, “Mirror, Mirror” is frequently listed as one of Star Trek’s best 10 episodes from any series.  The idea that our beloved characters could function so effectively in the “dog-eat-dog” terroristic Terran Empire, delivered effectively by our regular cast is just too juicy to ignore.  We’re offered a dark glimpse into what a lawless, impulsive, pathological Federation turned Terran Empire types just might look and behave like.

If the Federation and Empire really were equally effective as argued by Bixby, would the Empire or Federation interplanetary influence advance faster?  That question could play out repeatedly in a weekly television series.  Could we substitute Federation high ideals with Roman empire-esque brutality and still get audiences to return each week?

To answer that question let’s talk about two similarly themed (and successful) television shows; “The Sopranos” and “The Man in the High Castle”.  In “The Sopranos”, Tony Soprano is a worn-out mobster suffering from “job burnout” and possible replacement by wannabees armed with long knives waiting for the right moment. Danger lurks behind every door, and friends are not always friends.

The other, a science fiction based “what if” story on how American society might react if “The Axis of Evil” actually won World War II. Fans were treated to weekly “spy vs. spy” and “power brokering” backstabbing “et tu brute” style. Both held their audience’s attention for complete series runs: “The Sopranos” for six seasons and “Castle” for four.

Enterprise came closest to executing an “Evil Mirror” continuing series when showrunner Manny Coto suggested returning to his Mirror Universe a few times every year.

Unfortunately, Star Trek: Enterprise never got a follow-on renewal season to do that, but the primordial strategy for repeat visits had already been proposed.

Ultimately, a dedicated, stand-alone Mirror Universe Star Trek would need a completely new cast and series; whether it be “starship centered, ship in a bottle” format, or a more expansive planetary bound “Roman Empire” vibe, the show could borrow from what already came from previous stories and expand on them.  Since Star Trek itself now spans a couple hundred year timeframe, picking just which venue and when could provide us with some very different series plot trajectories.

Maybe the most interesting of all is Star Trek Enterprise’s “In a Mirror, Darkly.”   Let’s take a quick dip into that episode’s finale.  Here’s a youtube video to refresh your memory.

After Empress Sato’s power play, ascension to the throne, armed with the “gun to the head” can’t-be-stopped USS Defiant at her command, we already have a springboard to some exciting Mirror stories already in place. Whether we focus on her or Defiant’s game changing presence, either could lead to some rather interesting stories. Add that Star Trek: Discovery’s mysterious presence of Evil Lorca suggests a door existing between the two universes.  We could see some crossover tales, maybe starting with Captain Lorca or even an early version goateed Evil Spock. There’s plenty of potential and a (Mirror) universe of story development.

The question: is it still Star Trek if we were to revisit the Mirror Universe?  Well, we do know Deep Space Nine turned away from the optimistic “hero starship, planet of the week’ format and headed into much darker/deeper storytelling.  Deep Space Nine had a successful 7-year run, so maybe a pirate Star Trek series playing by its own rules is also possible.

Finally, there’s nothing to say we couldn’t visit our prime universe for some special, strategic missions Lorca style, influencing our own Federation sensibilities.  We’ve already established Section 31 may be compromised by just such an act. Indeed, its entire origins may be predicated on just such a crossover event.

While I doubt such a dramatically different Star Trek series will ever be proposed, the fact we fans can’t get enough of the Mirror Universe should be at least a motivating factor in returning to our interplanetary “pirate bay” for more adventures.  Maybe a Paramount TV movie would be a great platform.  Fans have proven their appetite for new stories, with multiple series’ casts, timelines, and formats; introducing a completely new crew of miscreants would be a safe bet and could fuel a new and much darker Star Trek.