Why Star Trek Should Move On From Its Longstanding Multiverse Concept After 58 Years

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Section 31

After 58 remarkable years, the latest installment of the Star Trek franchise, Star Trek: Section 31, indicates that it may be time to retire one of its oldest multiverse concepts: the Mirror Universe. As an early pioneer of the multiverse narrative, Star Trek established a framework that has influenced many modern stories, including those in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The Mirror Universe, where iconic characters exist as darker, villainous versions of themselves, was first introduced during the 1967 episode “Mirror, Mirror”in Star Trek: The Original Series.

In this alternate reality, the oppressive Terran Empire stands in stark contrast to the United Federation of Planets of the Prime Timeline. Although the Mirror Universe only made a brief appearance in Star Trek: The Original Series, it wasn’t until Star Trek: Deep Space Nine that this darker reality saw a larger return. Subsequent previews from Star Trek: Enterprise offered glimpses into the 22nd-century Terra, yet it was Star Trek: Discovery that fully explored the unsettling and pervasive evolution of this alternate timeline.

Section 31 Highlights the Need to Move Beyond the Mirror Universe

The Terran Empire’s Dystopia Echoes The Hunger Games

Young Georgiou wielding a sword in Section 31

Young Georgiou betrays San in Section 31

Focused on the character of Emperor Philippa Georgiou, Star Trek: Section 31 inevitably brings threats from the Mirror Universe that echo her tumultuous past. Flashbacks depict how the young Philippa Georgiou (Miku Martineau) fought in deadly contests and betrayed her family to seize the Terran throne. These events include the enslavement of her love, San (James Huang), who inevitably returns seeking revenge.

The parallels between Georgiou’s Mirror Universe story and The Hunger Games are striking, transforming her narrative into a rehash where she and San resemble Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark. Such similarities point to a creative stagnation; as the franchise stretches the limits of its reflection on the Mirror Universe, merely recasting the same themes feels outdated. By the time of Star Trek: Section 31, it’s clear that the Mirror Universe has overstayed its welcome, much like Georgiou herself, who has moved beyond this dark past.

The Mirror Universe Has Outlived Its Narrative Value

Captain Michael Burnham in the Mirror Universe

Emperor Georgiou with Terran Crown in Discovery

For almost six decades, the concept of the Mirror Universe has been both intriguing and contentious.Star Trek: The Original Series hinted at the inevitability of the Terran Empire’s demise, a prediction later substantiated by Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. Episodes from Star Trek: Enterprise further illuminated the limits of these malevolent doppelgängers. With every exploration into this reflection, viewers have gained an increasing appreciation for the optimistic nature of the Federation in the Prime Timeline.

Moreover, the potential project allowing William Shatner to return as Tiberius Kirk in Star Trek: Enterprise ultimately fell through. Collectively, Star Trek: Discovery and Star Trek: Section 31 have adequately drained the narrative well of the Mirror Universe. Emperor Georgiou’s tyrannical Terran Empire, now rife with cannibalistic and sadistic elements, has devolved from a gripping narrative possibility to flat, repetitive archetypes that favor shock over substance.

Exploring New Frontiers in Star Trek’s Multiverse

Uncovering Richer Possibilities in Alternate Realities

While the Mirror Universe holds a nostalgic place as the franchise’s initial alternate reality, the broader multiverse has outstripped it in creativity and intrigue.Star Trek is well-versed in the art of parallel timelines, with J. J.Abrams crafting a blockbuster trilogy that introduced alternate versions of beloved characters from the Kelvin timeline.

Similarly, Star Trek: Picard season 2 toyed with a reality dominated by the nefarious Confederation of Earth, echoing the Mirror Universe but only for a fleeting two episodes. Meanwhile, animated series like Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 and Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 have embraced a more vivid and imaginative take on the multiverse. The children’s crew of the USS Protostar and the whimsical storytelling of Star Trek: Lower Decks promote notions of hope and growth across alternate realities, contrasts that make the darker Mirror Universe increasingly irrelevant.

Future Star Trek Installments Are Leaving the Mirror Universe Behind

Strange New Worlds and Section 31: No Mirror Adventures Ahead

Captain Pike and Una in Strange New Worlds

Upcoming Star Trek on Paramount+ includes two new series: Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Starfleet Academy, both of which are unlikely to engage with the Mirror Universe. Taking place prior to Star Trek: The Original Series, Strange New Worlds focuses on innovative storytelling, avoiding established tropes of the Mirror Universe.

Conversely, **Starfleet Academy**, serving as a direct sequel to Star Trek: Discovery set in the 32nd century, reinforces the notion that the Prime and Mirror timelines diverged due to the Temporal Wars, resulting in five centuries without crossovers. With a focus on new characters and legacy figures battling a different threat, the Mirror Universe appears to be firmly in the past.

All things considered, the Mirror Universe has undeniably impacted the Star Trek franchise by prompting engaging narratives and exploring thought-provoking themes. Nevertheless, the saga of the fascist Terran Empire appears to have exhausted its potential. The recent alterations seen in Star Trek: Discovery indicate a permanent disconnect between the Prime and Mirror timelines, signaling that the franchise is ready to move on.

Source & Images