“I finished those two episodes, and I hated every second.”
Star Trek: Enterprise is one of the science fiction franchise’s best television series, despite the undue criticism it was subjected to during its original four-season run from 2001 until 2005. However, it turns out that one of the show’s most beloved actors actually “hated” making two of the saga’s best episodes: “In a Mirror, Darkly” and “In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II.”
Connor Trinneer portrayed Commander Charles Tucker III, who was affectionately known as Trip by his shipmates and friends. Trinneer was fantastic in the role, but he did not care at all for the Enterprise NX-01’s trip — no, not Trip — to the Mirror Universe. Trinneer said during a panel while onboard this year’s Star Trek cruise (via ScreenRant):
“I hated them. I still hate them: the ‘Mirror, Darkly’ episodes. Briefly, [I] walked in, and Jim Conway, who directed our pilot, directed the episode. I don’t really know what to do. I know we’re supposed to play our characters different. They put Pike’s scar on. That was cool. I go in, Jolene’s dressed as sort of like a pixie Vulcan. She’s got her hair all back and she’s wearing like a half shirt.”
In the Prime Universe, Trip was one of the show’s “big three” characters, which also included the aforementioned Vulcan, T’Pol (Jolene Blalock), and the captain of the Enterprise: Jonathan Archer (Scott Bakula). However, in the Terran Empire, the director wanted Trinneer to portray his fan-favorite character like a stereotypical pirate of all things. Trinneer continued by saying:
“And I go in, and we do the rehearsal. I kind of just [do] sort of a [makes pirate ‘arr’ sounds]. And Jim Conway says to me, ‘I need more. We’re playing higher stakes here.’ And I was like, ‘You mean like a pirate?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah. Yeah, do it like a pirate.’ So, action! [Makes more pirate ‘arr’ sounds] ‘Cut! Print!’ ‘Wait a minute! Jim, I was totally joking! I’d love to go again.’ He’s like, ‘Nope, that’s it.’ Three weeks later, I finished those two episodes, and I hated every second. I’ve actually never seen them.”
I hate that Trinneer had such an awful time making two of my favorite Enterprise episodes. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Archer’s Mirror counterpart steal the USS Defiant. I also loved watching the diabolical Mirror Hoshi Sato assume command of the futuristic starship at the end through her treachery.
There wasn’t a better scene from “In a Mirror, Darkly, Part II,” in my opinion, than watching Sato address the Terran Empire from high above the Earth in the imposing Defiant as she anointed herself empress.
How do you feel about Enterprise’s two-part journey into the Mirror Universe? Share your thoughts and comments with us on the Redshirts Always Die Facebook and X pages.
Live long and prosper, Trekkies!