Star Trek: Deep Space Nine: The Emperor's New Cloak Rewatch
November 10, 2016 4:04 AM - Season 7, Episode 12 - Subscribe
Grand Nagus Zek somehow decides that he should go on a trip to the Mirror Universe to explore business opportunities. This probably wasn't one of Moogie's ideas.
Rule of Generosity #22: Latinum tarnishes, but Memory Alpha is forever:
- This episode came about because Ira Steven Behr wanted to have a Quark/Rom show before they got into the final arc, and they chose the mirror universe as the setting because "It gave us a chance to present another example of the Ferengi having to face adversity and danger, and Quark having to rise above himself a little bit."
- Of the mirror Brunt, Jeffrey Combs says, "Our Brunt is just out and out tenacious, mischievous, and mean. So for the mirror Brunt, I just decided to be in a good mood. He was this guy who's willing to help out in a pinch and not out to hurt anybody."
- One actor who was happy to see an end to his mirror character was Andrew J. Robinson; "I was really, really, really happy about Garak's death. I never liked those alternate universe shows because that Garak was just a stupid bad guy. The thing that's great about our Garak is that he has subtext. There's a lot going on beneath the surface, and if you don't pay attention, then you're in trouble because he's got you. But the mirror Garak had no subtext. He was just a toady opportunist."
- This episode is dedicated to the memory of Jerome Bixby, who died shortly before the airing of the episode. He is best known for writing the first mirror universe episode, TOS: "Mirror, Mirror".
"Does it have to be so rough the first time?"
- Quark, after Mirror Ezri barges into his quarters and slams him against a wall
(After seeing mirror Worf for the first time) "Look who the Regent is!"
"So?"
"So, who's President of the Federation? Gul Dukat!?"
- Rom and Quark
"Are you suggesting we go back home?"
"It's the smart move."
"Do we look smart to you?"
- Quark and Mirror Ezri
"I still don't understand why you came here in the first place."
"It's simple, really: to open new financial opportunities to the Ferengi people."
"In the alternate universe!?"
"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time."
- Quark, Zek, and Rom
Rule of Generosity #22: Latinum tarnishes, but Memory Alpha is forever:
- This episode came about because Ira Steven Behr wanted to have a Quark/Rom show before they got into the final arc, and they chose the mirror universe as the setting because "It gave us a chance to present another example of the Ferengi having to face adversity and danger, and Quark having to rise above himself a little bit."
- Of the mirror Brunt, Jeffrey Combs says, "Our Brunt is just out and out tenacious, mischievous, and mean. So for the mirror Brunt, I just decided to be in a good mood. He was this guy who's willing to help out in a pinch and not out to hurt anybody."
- One actor who was happy to see an end to his mirror character was Andrew J. Robinson; "I was really, really, really happy about Garak's death. I never liked those alternate universe shows because that Garak was just a stupid bad guy. The thing that's great about our Garak is that he has subtext. There's a lot going on beneath the surface, and if you don't pay attention, then you're in trouble because he's got you. But the mirror Garak had no subtext. He was just a toady opportunist."
- This episode is dedicated to the memory of Jerome Bixby, who died shortly before the airing of the episode. He is best known for writing the first mirror universe episode, TOS: "Mirror, Mirror".
"Does it have to be so rough the first time?"
- Quark, after Mirror Ezri barges into his quarters and slams him against a wall
(After seeing mirror Worf for the first time) "Look who the Regent is!"
"So?"
"So, who's President of the Federation? Gul Dukat!?"
- Rom and Quark
"Are you suggesting we go back home?"
"It's the smart move."
"Do we look smart to you?"
- Quark and Mirror Ezri
"I still don't understand why you came here in the first place."
"It's simple, really: to open new financial opportunities to the Ferengi people."
"In the alternate universe!?"
"Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time."
- Quark, Zek, and Rom
Surprised there aren't more comments on this, the final mirror universe episode! Not even any conjecture about how/why Vic Fontaine was an actual human there?
The cloaked cloaking device was a great, wacky idea, and well-executed by the actors pretending to carry this invisible thing around.
Interesting note on MA about Visitor never intending the Intendant to be bisexual, but just attracted to Kira purely out of narcissism. That does make the Intendant just a bit more twisted. "I'm not attracted to women... but for MYSELF, I'll gladly make an exception!"
posted by Ursula Hitler at 12:38 AM on November 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
The cloaked cloaking device was a great, wacky idea, and well-executed by the actors pretending to carry this invisible thing around.
Interesting note on MA about Visitor never intending the Intendant to be bisexual, but just attracted to Kira purely out of narcissism. That does make the Intendant just a bit more twisted. "I'm not attracted to women... but for MYSELF, I'll gladly make an exception!"
posted by Ursula Hitler at 12:38 AM on November 12, 2016 [2 favorites]
The most plausible Mirror-Vic explanation that comes to mind is that Felix used a real person as the template for the Vic character in the same fashion that Dr. Zimmerman used himself for the EMH (and intended to use Bashir for the LMH). That real person in the "prime" universe was presumably a meek, mellow pacifist, judging by his mirror counterpart.
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 4:55 AM on November 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
posted by CheesesOfBrazil at 4:55 AM on November 12, 2016 [1 favorite]
Not even any conjecture about how/why Vic Fontaine was an actual human there?
*handwaves*
posted by the man of twists and turns at 1:33 PM on November 13, 2016
*handwaves*
posted by the man of twists and turns at 1:33 PM on November 13, 2016
Surprised there aren't more comments on this, the final mirror universe episode!
Finally watched this yesterday morning. I don't know, couldn't really enjoy the mirror-Trek-verse in this week, as we we seem to have passed into the 2016-mirror-Earth. But, I have a feeling this episode would not have been a favorite in any week -- Behr's comments in the Memory Alpha link about "To really enjoy the alternate universe episodes, you just have to let go, you have to relax your sphincter a little bit and not be so anal about it, and just try to have some fun."... seems like laughing at the fans rather than with them. And I disagree with him that the mirror-verse had to devolve to being comedic; the original TOS Mirror, Mirror was effectively thrilling, and I think so was the initial DS9 mirror-verse. So, yeah, didn't really work for me as an all-out comedy episode or as a mirror-verse episode. Just kind of a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ episode, with an eyeroll at all the girl-on-evil-girl action.
posted by oh yeah! at 2:03 PM on November 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Finally watched this yesterday morning. I don't know, couldn't really enjoy the mirror-Trek-verse in this week, as we we seem to have passed into the 2016-mirror-Earth. But, I have a feeling this episode would not have been a favorite in any week -- Behr's comments in the Memory Alpha link about "To really enjoy the alternate universe episodes, you just have to let go, you have to relax your sphincter a little bit and not be so anal about it, and just try to have some fun."... seems like laughing at the fans rather than with them. And I disagree with him that the mirror-verse had to devolve to being comedic; the original TOS Mirror, Mirror was effectively thrilling, and I think so was the initial DS9 mirror-verse. So, yeah, didn't really work for me as an all-out comedy episode or as a mirror-verse episode. Just kind of a ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ episode, with an eyeroll at all the girl-on-evil-girl action.
posted by oh yeah! at 2:03 PM on November 13, 2016 [2 favorites]
Goodbye, mirror universe.
Mrs. Fedora, during the final scene: “it’s so horny in here. Should I open a window?” As fitting a eulogy as any for this… subplot.
posted by DoctorFedora at 5:13 AM on December 11, 2018
Mrs. Fedora, during the final scene: “it’s so horny in here. Should I open a window?” As fitting a eulogy as any for this… subplot.
posted by DoctorFedora at 5:13 AM on December 11, 2018
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Of course, it's Rom who saves the day (not to mention the Resistance).
Overall, this is a very fun episode, with Rom standing in for all the Trekkies trying to figure out if everything really was reversed in the Mirror Universe, or what. (It reminded me a lot of comic fans trying to figure out DC's Bizarro World.) I also liked everyone ragging on Mirror-Garak and Mirror-Leeta promising to "debrief" Mirror-Ezri (wink wink nudge nudge). And Mirror-Brunt being such a stand-up guy was also cool.
posted by Halloween Jack at 11:52 AM on November 10, 2016