‘THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS’ (DS9)
Please feel free to comment on my review.
The episode’s title refers to of course ‘Alice Through The Looking Glass’. I’ve seen a 1973 BBC TV production of it with Sarah Sutton. But of course this ‘DS9’ TV episode isn’t that. It’s something else.
This episode is a sequel to ‘Crossover’ which in turn was a sequel to the original series episode ‘Mirror, Mirror’. Yes! We’re back in the Mirror Universe again! And this time, it’s Sisko going alone! 🙂
I suppose ‘Crossover’ was such a big hit with audiences that the ‘DS9’ production crew wanted to do another episode in the Mirror Universe with the DS9 team. And as ever, it gets more interesting with Sisko. 🙂
The episode begins with Sisko meeting with Odo and Quark before he finishes for the day. Odo and Quark got killed in the Mirror Universe, so it makes sense these characters in our universe appeared.
As Sisko is about to leave ops, he’s met by Miles O’Brien who turns out to be the Mirror version of him. I wonder how Mirror O’Brien got into our universe and via a transport beam. It’s not explained.
Anyway, Mirror O’Brien abducts Sisko as he takes him to the Mirror Universe. Sisko deduces that he’s in the Mirror Universe since Major Kira and Dr. Bashir had visited it a year before in ‘Crossover’.
Mirror O’Brien explains to Sisko that his counterpart, the leader of the Terran rebellion against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, has been killed. He wants to Sisko to pose as his counterpart for a bit. 😀
The Terran rebellion needs Sisko to convince a human scientist with the Alliance to join them. The scientist happens to be…Felecia M. Bell as Jennifer Sisko. This hits hard for Sisko as she was his wife.
It was fascinating to see Sisko given another chance to meet his wife again in the Mirror Universe. She only appeared in ‘Emissary’ in our universe and in that she had been killed. That damaged Sisko.
Sisko is determined not to see his wife killed again and agrees to rescue her from the Alliance. She also has to stop her building a sensor device to betray the location of the rebel base in the Badlands.
This episode gives Nana Visitor another chance to play Intendant Kira again in the Mirror Universe. She clearly enjoys playing the villain here. Andrew J. Robinson also returns as Garak in this universe.
Meanwhile, Sisko gets to meet the rebels at their Badlands base. This includes Mirror versions of Bashir as well as Max Grodénchik as Rom. There’s also Jadiza Dax, who’s actually Sisko’s mistress. 😀
There’s also…Tim Russ as Tuvok! What?! Huh! I suppose Voyager didn’t get lost in the Mirror Universe. It was great to see Tuvok make an appearance in this episode and as the Mirror version of him.
Eventually, Sisko manages to find a way to get onto Terok Nor, the Mirror version of DS9, and meet his wife Jennifer. Intendant Kira is very surprised to find Sisko still alive as he’d been presumed dead.
I like how Mirror O’Brien helps Sisko by filling him in on the details regarding what’s happening in the Mirror Universe. He gives Sisko tips about how to act like his counterpart in the Mirror Universe.
This includes punching Bashir in the face when stirred by his insults over Jennifer at the rebel base. O’Brien also warns Sisko about Jennifer not being his wife, despite her sounding and acting like her. 😐
Once Sisko does meet Jennifer, it’s clear that she despises him. Sisko does everything he can to persuade her to join the rebels and that he’s trying to rescue her, without giving away his identity. 🙂
Eventually, a revolt is caused by O’Brien at Sisko’s signal in order to help get Jennifer away. Sadly Rom gets killed in the process, but thankfully Sisko has one way to outwit Kira and her own subjects.
In an ore-processing chamber, Sisko manages to set off the station’s self-destruct sequence. This gives Sisko and the others the chance to go free whilst Kira reluctantly lets them go to stop disaster.
Returning safely to the rebel base, Sisko and Jennifer share a goodbye with each other. Jennifer comes to realise that Sisko isn’t really her husband. Sisko eventually returns home to his universe. 🙂
‘Through The Looking Glass’ has been a thrilling Mirror Universe episode to watch in the ‘DS9’ series. I like how Sisko gets to visit it and gets given a chance to rescue his wife whom he lost in his universe.
‘Through The Looking Glass’ (DS9) rating – 8/10
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