Dark Mirror To Reflect Crew In Terran Empire
By MichelleFebruary 1, 2005 - 11:48 PM
See Also: 'In A Mirror, Darkly - Part I' Episode Guide
The cast of Star Trek: Enterprise gave up on contemplating founding the Federation and joined the Terran Empire in "In a Mirror, Darkly", a storyline which also brings Maxwell Forrest back from the dead, only to fall victim to a mutiny by his first officer, Archer.
In the production report posted at StarTrek.com on the two-part episode, writer Mike Sussman described "Through a Mirror, Darkly" as a prequel "Mirror, Mirror" and sequel to "The Tholian Web", two of his favourite original series episodes. In this story, set entirely in the dark double universe, Commander Archer learns that a ship discovered in Tholian space is from a century in the future - and from a parallel Earth, for the ship is the USS Defiant, the Constitution-class starship that fell into a spatial interphase in "The Tholian Web" while Spock and the Enterprise crew fought to keep Kirk from accompanying it.
The official site posted the following brief synopsis:
In the mirror universe, Commander Archer mutinies against Captain Forrest in order to capture a future Earth ship found in Tholian space.
The only credited guest cast member on the episode detail page at present is Vaughn Armstrong as Admiral Forrest, though all descriptions of the episode have described the Mirror universe Forrest as a captain. The production report states that familiar stuntmen play mirror-MACOs, and that a Tellarite as well as some Vulcans appear on the alternate Enterprise.
James Conway, who helmed Enterprise pilot "Broken Bow" and last season's "Damage", directed the episode, which necessitated the rebuilding of the original NCC-1701 bridge, subtly altered to make it the Defiant rather than Kirk's bridge. Parts of an original series bridge were constructed for the Next Generation episode "Relics" and for Deep Space Nine's "Trials and Tribble-ations", but for "In a Mirror, Darkly", an entire bridge set was reconstructed.
In addition, the familiar NX-01 was altered to become a vessel of the Terran Empire, with all its logos replaced with the Terran Empire symbol of a sword through the Earth. Sickbay was turned into a torture chamber where the evil Dr. Phlox performs vivisections on live animals. And the designers built an Interrogation Room containing an "Agony Booth" like the one from "Mirror, Mirror." The cast members received new uniforms - bare midriffs for the women, of course, and weapons for everyone - plus makeup that suggested their lives in the darker universe, such as radiation burns on Connor Trinneer's Tucker.
Most of the first part of "In a Mirror, Darkly" is set on the alternate Enterprise, while the second part is set largely on the reconstructed Defiant, which is first seen with dead crewmembers left in exactly the positions in which Kirk and his crew found them. A Tholian will appear in the episode after being beamed into the mirror Enterprise's decon chamber. The opening and title sequences will be altered for both episodes, featuring a revised Earth history and an altered Star Trek timeline.
"In a Mirror, Darkly" is currently scheduled to air on April 15th, with its concluding part a week later. For the original production report, visit this page on the official Star Trek site.
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