Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 1 - “Dos Cerritos”
Star Trek: Lower Decksintroduced an alternate reality that makes more sense as a ‘mirror universe’ than the actual Mirror Universe. One ofStar Trek’s oldest concepts, the dark and twisted Mirror Universe was introduced in theStar Trek: The Original Seriesseason 2 episode, “Mirror, Mirror.” Since then, the Mirror Universe has endured and made several reappearances inStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery, andStar Trek: Prodigy.Although ‘Mirror Universe’ is a catchy label full ofStar Trekcharacter doppelgangers,it has never really been a ‘mirror’ reflection ofStar Trek’s Prime universe.
InStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 5, episode 1, “Dos Cerritos,” the USS Cerritos is pulled into a fissure in space-time and emerges in a parallel reality with a 0.237% variance. Captain Carol Freeman’s (Dawnn Lewis) California Class starship encounters another USS Cerritos led by Captain Becky Freeman (Tawny Newsome). Although D’Vana Tendi (Noel Wells) was absent from both Cerritos' crews because she went home to the Orion Syndicate, the two Cerritos' crews are otherwise nearly identical, except for some cosmetic differences. Crucially,the alternate Cerritos crew isn’t evil like in the Mirror Universe, although Captain Becky Freeman kidnapped and tried to switch places withLt. Beckett Mariner(Tawny Newsome).
Why Star Trek: Lower Decks’ Alternate Reality Makes More Sense Than The Mirror Universe
It’s more of a mirror universe than the Mirror Universe
Star Trek: Lower Decksseason 5 didn’t give a name to the alternate reality in its season 5 premiere - although the Cerritos' crews argued over which timeline was the ‘Prime universe’ - butthe parallel dimension made more sense as a ‘mirror universe’ than the actual Mirror Universe by that name. The Mirror Universe is the opposite ofStar Trek’s Prime universe where its denizens are predisposed to cruelty and malevolence. Although physically identical to their Prime universe counterparts, the Mirror Universe’s people are the Prime’s inverse, just as their Terran Empire is the stark opposite of the United Federation of Planets.
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Star Trek: Lower Decksseason 5’s alternate reality is an actual mirrorwhere everyone from the parallel reality is more or less the same, but with slight differences that they consider"freakish.“Captain Becky Freeman is essentially the same person as Lt. Beckett Mariner but made unfortunate choices she regrets once she became Captain of the Cerritos. Lt. Commander Andy Billups (Paul Scheer) is the same in both universes but the alternate Billups wears a cape. Similarly, the more confident alternate Lt. Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) sports a beard while thealternate Lt. T’Lyn(Gabrielle Ruiz) says"Remarkable"instead of"Fascinating.“Otherwise,Star Trek: Lower Decks' parallel dimension is a true mirror universe.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Did Something That Rarely Happens In Mirror Universe Episodes
The alternate reality matters to the Lower Deckers
InStar Trek’s Mirror Universeepisodes, Prime universe characters who find themselves in the Mirror Universe often pose as their counterparts, perhaps attempt to influence events in the Mirror Universe for the better, and then depart as soon as possible. Yet they are rarely changed or better themselves because they met their evil doppelgängers.Star Trek: Lower Decksseason 5’s premiere did something more remarkable and fascinating: Mariner learned something about herself and what kind of Captain she will not become because she met Captain Becky Freeman. Mariner holding up Captain Freeman as a mirror to herself and learning from it means Beckett will never have the results Becky found and tried to escape from.
Boimler literally begins growing a beard because he met his double.
Outcomes like Mariner seeing Becky Freeman as the road she won’t travel, or Lt. Brad Boimler trying to pattern himself after his more confident, bearded doppelganger, are stories rarely derived fromStar TrekMirror Universe episodes. Usually, once back in the Prime Universe,Star Trekcharacters just move on and don’t speak of their Mirror counterparts.ButBoimler literally begins growing a beardbecause he met his double. Similarly, Lt. Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) saw the emotionless automaton he would never allow himself to become when he met his alternate universe double.
Why J.J. Abrams' Star Trek Isn’t Considered A Mirror Universe
Star Trek’s Kelvin timeline has similarities to the Mirror Universe
Star Trek’s Multiverseis comprised of numerous parallel realities, andthe best known besides the Mirror Universe is the Kelvin Timelinein J.J. Abrams’Star Trekmovies. The alternate Kelvin reality branched out in its own direction in 2233 when the Romulan time traveler Nero (Eric Bana) destroyed the USS Kelvin and killed Lt. George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), the father of Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). But the Kelvin Timeline isn’t considered a ‘mirror universe.’ Although many of the same people exist in the Prime and Kelvin Timelines, the numerous divergences, especially the fact that different actors portrayStar Trek’s iconic characters, keep the Kelvin reality of Abrams’Star Trekmovies as being seen or categorized as a mirror universe.
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Star Trekhas also tacitly defined the Mirror Universe as an evil reality, which J.J. Abrams' Kelvin Timeline is not. (Nor isStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 5’s alternate dimension.) TheStar Trekmovies' Kelvin reality is inherently driven byGene Roddenberry’s Utopian vision, just likeStar Trek’s Prime universe. Amusingly,Star Trek: Lower Decksseason 4 winked at the impossibility of the Kelvin timeline, with Lt. D’Vana Tendi scoffing at how unlikely it is from a scientific perspective that two universes could have the same people, but they look physically different. Nonetheless, that’s whatStar Trek’s Kelvin Timeline is.
Star Trek’s Mirror Universe Returns In Section 31
Section 31 will show Emperor Georgiou’s Mirror Universe origin
Star Trek’s Mirror Universe will return inStar Trek: Section 31. The firstStar Trekmovie made for streaming on Paramount+ will see the return of Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, the former ruler of the Mirror Universe. Intriguingly,Star Trek: Section 31’s flashbacks to the Mirror Universeof the early 23rd century will beGeorgiou’s origin story, depicting how the young Philippa Georgiou (Miku Martineau) rose to become Emperor.Section 31is as much about Emperor Georgiou facing the sins of her past as introducing a new Section 31 team inStar Trek’s 24th century ‘lost era.’
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Star Trek: Lower Decksseason 5is seemingly not done introducing alternate universes. Patching up quantum fissures in space is the USS Cerritos' mission inStar Trek: Lower Decksseason 5, somore alt-versions of familiarStar Trekcharacters are probable. The upcoming return of Lt. Harry Kim (Garrett Wang) comes with a slew of Ensign Harry Kim duplicates who likely all hail from different realities. But unless there’s an evil Harry Kim in the bunch,Star Trek: Lower Decksseason 5 will probably keep shying away from the Mirror Universe. After all, who needs the Mirror Universe whenStar Trek: Lower Deckscan show even better parallel realities?
