Shattered Mirror (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine)

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"Shattered Mirror"
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine episode
Episode no.Season 4
Episode 20
Directed by James L. Conway
Written by Ira Steven Behr
Hans Beimler
Featured music Dennis McCarthy
Production code492
Original air dateApril 22, 1996 (1996-04-22)
Guest appearances
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Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 4
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"Shattered Mirror" is the 92nd episode of the television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine , the 20th episode of the fourth season. It was written by Ira Steven Behr and Hans Beimler [1] and achieved a Nielsen rating of 6.5 points when it originally premiered. [2]

Contents

Set in the 24th century, the series follows the adventures of the crew of the space station Deep Space Nine. This is one of several episodes of the series to feature the Mirror Universe, a parallel universe that is home to more aggressive, mistrustful, and opportunistic doppelgangers of the regular characters of the Star Trek universe, governed by a brutal alliance of the Cardassian and Klingon races. [3] This episode follows up on the events of the third season's "Through the Looking Glass", in which Deep Space Nine's captain Benjamin Sisko met the Mirror Universe double of his late wife Jennifer; in this episode, Jennifer takes Benjamin's son Jake to the Mirror Universe to lure Benjamin back there as well.

Actress Felecia M. Bell returns to play Jennifer. This episode marks the first appearance of the Mirror Universe counterpart of Worf, played by Michael Dorn, who was added to the Deep Space Nine cast at the beginning of the fourth season.

Plot

Jake Sisko is astonished to find that the Mirror Universe doppelganger of Jennifer Sisko, his late mother, is visiting Deep Space Nine. Jennifer kidnaps Jake back to the Mirror Universe, and Captain Benjamin Sisko must travel there to retrieve his son. Benjamin learns that he was lured to the Mirror Universe to help the Mirror Miles O'Brien prepare their version of the starship Defiant for battle against the Klingon-Cardassian Alliance, in what could mean freedom for the enslaved Terrans (i.e., humans). By this time, the Terrans have taken Terok Nor (the Mirror DS9), and captured the Intendant (Mirror Kira Nerys). They are preparing to defend against a recapture by the Alliance forces led by the Regent (Mirror Worf). Meanwhile, Jake bonds with Jennifer, seeing her as a second chance to have a relationship with his mother. With Benjamin Sisko in command, the rebels' Defiant wins the battle and forces the Regent to retreat. However, during the fight, the Intendant is released by Mirror Nog. In her escape, she kills Mirror Nog and Mirror Jennifer, leaving Jake beside her body, and the Siskos, father and son, must grieve the loss of Jennifer once more.

Continuity

The Mirror Universe was first introduced to Star Trek in "Mirror, Mirror", an episode of Star Trek: The Original Series [4] which aired on October 6, 1967.

"Shattered Mirror" is the third of five Mirror Universe episodes of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine; the others are "Crossover", "Through the Looking Glass", "Resurrection", and "The Emperor's New Cloak". [5]

Reception

In 2017, SyFy ranked this the fourth best of the seven Mirror Universe episodes of the Star Trek franchise aired by that date. [6]

Related Research Articles

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) is an American science fiction television series created by Rick Berman and Michael Piller. The fourth series in the Star Trek media franchise, it originally aired in syndication from January 3, 1993, to June 2, 1999, spanning 176 episodes over seven seasons. Set in the 24th century, when Earth is part of a United Federation of Planets, its narrative is centered on the eponymous space station Deep Space Nine, located adjacent to a wormhole connecting Federation territory to the Gamma Quadrant on the far side of the Milky Way galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Worf</span> Fictional character from Star Trek

Worf, son of Mogh is a fictional character in the Star Trek franchise, portrayed by actor Michael Dorn. He appears in the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation (TNG), seasons four through seven of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (DS9) and the third and final season of Star Trek: Picard, as well as the feature films Star Trek Generations (1994), Star Trek: First Contact (1996), Star Trek: Insurrection (1998), and Star Trek: Nemesis (2002).

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Dukat (<i>Star Trek</i>) Fictional character from Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kira Nerys</span> Fictional humanoid in the TV Series Star Trek Deep Space Nine

Kira Nerys is a fictional character in the American science fiction television series Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993–1999). She was played by actress Nana Visitor. The character is from the fictional planet Bajor, a world which has recently emerged from a brutal foreign occupation. She was a member of the resistance, and the decades-long conflict has left her tough and uncompromising, but she is sustained by her strong faith in traditional Bajoran religion. She has been assigned to Deep Space Nine, a space station jointly operated by the United Federation of Planets and the new provisional Bajoran government, where she serves as second in command as well as the ranking representative of her people.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jake Sisko</span> Character on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine

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Miles OBrien (<i>Star Trek</i>) Fictional character from the Star Trek universe

Miles Edward O'Brien is a character in the Star Trek franchise, portrayed by actor Colm Meaney. O'Brien appears occasionally in all seven seasons of Star Trek: The Next Generation and is a main cast member of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. O'Brien was originally the transporter chief of the USS Enterprise-D. He was later promoted to chief of operations of Deep Space Nine. Being portrayed in 225 episodes overall, O'Brien is the Star Trek character with the second most appearances in the Star Trek franchise, second only to Worf.

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Deep Space Nine (fictional space station)</span> Fictional space station in Star Trek

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References

  1. Gregory, C. (2016-01-26). Star Trek: Parallel Narratives. Springer. p. 208. ISBN   978-0-230-59840-9.
  2. "WebTrek - Star Trek: Deep Space Nine * SEASON 4 NIELSEN RATINGS". Archived from the original on 2021-12-01. Retrieved 2018-04-15.
  3. "Shattered Mirror". IMDb . 22 April 1996.
  4. "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: "Crossover"/"The Collaborator"". TV Club. 21 June 2012. Retrieved 2021-02-20.
  5. "Star Trek: A Guide to All the Mirror Universe Episodes". Den of Geek. Retrieved 2019-06-09.[ permanent dead link ]
  6. Granshaw, Lisa (2017-01-30). "Ranking every mirror universe episode of Star Trek". SYFY WIRE. Archived from the original on 2021-05-15. Retrieved 2019-06-09.