Star Trek: Voyager never had a Mirror Universe episode, but its alternative resulted in a great story that surpassed what would have likely been produced in its stead. Instead, the Star Trek: Voyager cast were able to play alternate versions of themselves in an entirely new way. It may not have been canon in the strictest sense of the term, but it was certainly creative and very entertaining. So, although some viewers may have been frustrated that Star Trek: Voyager ended without a trip to the iconic other reality, it was arguably a blessing in disguise.
Star Trek's Mirror Universe episodes all explore the same alternate dimension, where the Federation was never established, and the villainous Terran Empire stands in its place. The first trip to the Mirror Universe came in Star Trek: The Original Series season 2, episode 4, "Mirror, Mirror," but other Star Trek captains and their respective crews have also made the trip and back. Kate Mulgrew's Captain Janeway never took the USS Voyager there, but the show managed to create a similar scenario that separated the episode from its franchise counterparts.
The Evil Voyager In "Living Witness" Is A Brilliant Spin On Star Trek's Mirror Universe Trope
Robert Picardo's Doctor is the only "real" main character to appear in the episode
The residents of Star Trek's Mirror Universe are almost irredeemably evil, with Michelle Yeoh's Emperor Georgiou showing the most growth for a Mirror Universe character as part of the Star Trek: Discovery cast. As such, their xenophobic actions and attitudes can often grow a little predictable and difficult to buy into if the setting is visited too often. Star Trek: Voyager season 4, episode 23, "Living Witness," sidestepped many of the downsides of the Mirror Universe episodes, and instead decided to show a warped historical recreation of Voyager's crew as war criminals.
"Living Witness" opens with the twisted hologram of the Voyager crew, making the audience believe a Mirror Universe episode may be about to begin. It is currently ranked fifth in IMDb 's ranking of Star Trek: Voyager episodes.
Robert Picardo leads "Living Witness" as a backup version of Voyager's EMH, so he is the counterpart to the Star Trek characters that are usually thrust into the darker timeline. Rather than battling against the perils of the villains, the Doctor is instead tasked with correcting the corrupted events, and the episode raises several interesting questions about historical inaccuracies, and how they can shape an entire culture's belief system. The episode affords far more depth than simply facing off against the mustache-twirling bad guys in the Mirror Universe.
Why A Star Trek: Voyager Mirror Universe Episode Probably Wouldn't Have Worked
Captain Janeway's Prime Universe crew would be incomplete in the other timeline
Star Trek: Voyager's entire premise revolves around Captain Janeway's stranded vessel and her crew's efforts to reach home. Such a specific storyline wouldn't work in the Mirror Universe, as the Federation's values differ greatly from those of the Terran Empire, so Janeway's mission to find the Maquis ship that kick-started the show wouldn't have happened. By extension, the ISS Voyager would never have been pulled to the Delta Quadrant like its Prime Universe counterpart. So, a Mirror Universe Star Trek: Voyager episode would likely have just been set in the Alpha Quadrant, which wouldn't have offered anything new.
Such an episode wouldn't necessarily have been a flop. The show's titular vessel could still have been the focus, but the crew becomes such a blend of Alpha and Delta Quadrant personnel that a Terran collective would have been so different that it would have basically made the entire installment pointless. The fun of a Mirror Universe adventure is seeing how the evil versions of heroes conduct themselves. However, characters like Neelix (Ethan Phillips), Kes (Jennifer Lien), and Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) wouldn't even be present in the Alpha Quadrant in the Mirror Universe.
Star Trek: Prodigy Did The Mirror Universe Episode Voyager Didn't
"Cracked Mirror" was Star Trek: Voyager's long-awaited visit to the Mirror Universe
Even though Star Trek: Voyager never officially got the Mirror Universe treatment, it did explore other timelines and alternate futures. Star Trek: Prodigy took things one step further by giving Star Trek: Voyager the Mirror Universe story it never had. Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, episode 14, "Cracked Mirror," brought Robert Beltran's Captain Chakotay face-to-face with his evil self, as well as his former captain's Mirror Universe counterpart. The scene only makes up part of a larger multiverse adventure, but it's still rewarding to watch Star Trek: Voyager characters visit the nefarious timeline so long after the show ended.
Star Trek: Voyager 's Tim Russ also played Mirror Tuvok in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine season 3, episode 19, "Through the Looking Glass." He was part of the Terran Resistance.
"Cracked Mirror" wasn't just a long-awaited Mirror Universe episode for Chakotay, as it was also combined with another Star Trek: Voyager story - season 7, episode 10, "Shattered." The 2001 installment followed Chakotay through the ship, which had been divided into various timelines both past and present. This was another brilliant way Star Trek: Voyager accounted for the Mirror Universe's absence, so it makes sense that it would be acknowledged by "Cracked Mirror."
