All I really remember about the mirror universe episodes of DS9 is that as a kid I really didn't like them. But possibly because I watched the original Mirror, Mirror less that a year ago and it seemed pretty cool to me then this one actually seemed pretty good. The first time I saw this I remember being annoyed that they were ignoring the problems in the "real" universe for this alternate one and maybe that will be a problem when it gets revisited later but this first episode was actually a lot of fun.
The episode opens with Bashir and Kira returning from the gamma quadrant when one of the engines springs a plasma leak and they enter the wormhole at greater than intended speed. There is a flash and when they come out of the wormhole the station is gone. Well, not gone, but it is orbiting Bajor instead of at the entrance to the wormhole. They are confronted by a Klingon ship but when the soldiers see Kira they stand down and agree to escort them to the station. When the arrive they are confronted by Garak who is leading a group of Klingon soldiers. The Kira shows up, a different Kira. For those of us familiar with Trek is is clear they are in the mirror universe. Bashir is sent to work in ore processing and Kira is now the new pet of Intendant Kira.
The Intendant seems fascinated by her alternate self and tells our Kira about how she believes that they, like Kirk, come from an alternate reality. Also we learn that Kirk's effect on Spock ended up bringing down the Terran Empire and allowing the Cardassian/Klingon Alliance to conquer the quadrant including Bajor which had been a terran labor colony. In ore processing Bashir meets his new boss, Odo, and the human collaborator who keeps everything running, O'Brien. Kira comes up with a plan to escape using a transporter to take them back to their universe but when she tries to get it from Quark Garak arrives and arrests Quark for helping terrans escape the station. Quark tries to escape by shooting his way out but is captured and taken to interrogation.
The Intendant keeps fawning over our Kira and invites her to a party that night. Garak pulls her aside though and offers to have her replace the Intendant for a few months after he kills her that night and then he will let her and Bashir go in exchange for her giving him the position. Kira tries telling Sisko this but he laughs at her. That night that party is going on with Both Kira's in the same dress. In the mining operation there is a thorium leak and Bashir manages to escape with a gun after killing Odo. He talks O'Brien into helping him but they are captured and taken to the party. The Intendant orders them both executed but Sisko pulls a gun and along with a group of terrans makes his own escape after helping our Kira and Bashir. They manage to get back in the wormhole under the same conditions as at the start and make it back to the main universe where a search for them is ongoing.
Review: Seeing the characters in different roles is cool as long as it doesn't become too much of a thing. But this episode did it right keeping it interesting and surprising. I hope the later Mirror Universe episodes are as good!
7 out of 10
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