Star Trek: Discovery’s Mirror Universe Enterprise Was Cool, But Also Missed 3 Opportunities

Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Discovery Season 5, Episode 5 – “Mirrors”

Star Trek: Discovery brought back the ISS Enterprise that was introduced in the classic Star Trek: The Original Series episode, “Mirror, Mirror,” but the show could’ve done so much more with the Mirror Universe version of Star Trek’s most iconic ship. In its fifth and final season, Star Trek: Discovery has sent its characters on an intergalactic treasure hunt centuries in the making. In their search for the powerful technology of the Progenitors, Captain Michael Burnham (Sonequa Martin-Green) and her crew have already faced numerous trials, and their most recent clue took them to a relic from the 23rd century.

In Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 5, “Mirrors,” written by Johanna Lee and Carlos Cisco and directed by Jen McGowan, Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker (David Ajala) must enter interdimensional space in search of the next clue on their quest to find the Progenitors’ technology. After Burnham and Booker make it into the wormhole, they find the heavily damaged, but still intact ISS Enterprise. As they search the ship, they discover that refugees used the Enterprise to escape from the brutal Mirror Universe in search of a better life. While it was certainly fascinating to learn more about the ISS Enterprise and its journey, the appearance of the centuries-old ship could have had more of an impact.

The ISS Enterprise Provided The Perfect Excuse For A Strange New Worlds Cameo

Michael could’ve found a recording from Mirror Universe Spock or Kirk.

As Captain Burnham and Cleveland Booker explore the bridge of the ISS Enterprise, Michael gets emotional looking at what would have been her brother, Spock’s (Ethan Peck), terminal. While this is a nice moment, it would have been a great opportunity to include a recorded message from Mirror Universe Spock or someone else who was on board the ship. Not only would it have been fun to see Ethan Peck with Mirror Spock’s goatee, but it could have been a nice moment for Michael to see an alternate version of her brother.

Whether due to budget constraints or scheduling conflicts, it’s a shame that Star Trek: Discovery did not get Ethan Peck or Paul Wesley, who plays Lt. James T. Kirk on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, to make a quick cameo. Seeing the Mirror Universe Captain Kirk would have been a nice way to shout out Star Trek: The Original Series, while also connecting Discovery to Strange New Worlds. Star Trek: Discovery has shown recordings of legacy characters before, such using old footage of Leonard Nimoy’s Spock in the Discovery season 3 episode “Unification III”, and it’s a missed opportunity that no Star Trek legacy characters made an appearance in “Mirrors.”

The ISS Enterprise Should’ve Reminded Burnham Of Her Time In The Mirror Universe With Georgiou

Didn’t all of the Mirror Universe iconography remind Burnham of her experiences there?

While Captain Burnham did have a moment of reflection regarding Spock, she never mentioned the time she spent in the Mirror Universe or her connection with Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh). The Mirror Universe played a major role in Star Trek: Discovery season 1, and Burnham spent a fair amount of time there. Michael also grew close to Georgiou after she traveled back with the USS Discovery to Star Trek‘s Prime Universe. It stands to reason that Michael would likely have been reminded of her time in the Mirror Universe as she was exploring the ISS Enterprise.

Star Trek: Discovery season 5, episode 4, “Face the Strange” revisited several moments from Captain Burnham’s past, but didn’t touch on the Mirror Universe. Allowing Michael to have a moment of remembrance on the ISS Enterprise would have been a nice connection to season 1 and another way to show how far Burnham has come. Whether or not Burnham has spoken with Book about her experiences in the Mirror Universe, she could have shared a memory of her time with Georgiou. Discovery season 5 already has a lot going on, but they missed out on what could have been a nice moment of reflection for Captain Burnham.

Star Trek Should Tell The Story Of The ISS Enterprise’s Escape From The Mirror Universe

Discovery teases what could be a powerful story of rebellion and hope.

One of the most interesting aspects of the ISS Enterprise is the story of how the ship ended up in interdimensional space in the first place. After Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner) visited the Mirror Universe in Star Trek: The Original Series, he inspired Spock to initiate a series of reforms to prevent the Terran Empire from falling. Unfortunately, the Empire fell anyway, but some people took Spock’s ideas to heart and rebelled against the new regime. After “a Kelpian slave turned rebel leader” — aka Mirror Universe Saru (Doug Jones) — told others about the Prime Universe, they began searching for a way to get there.

The ISS Enterprise became a lifeboat, as Saru helped refugees steal the ship and take it to the Prime Universe. Book reads their story from a plaque on the wall, but it sounds like a tale that deserves more than a few sentences of dialogue. The story of a group of rebels who steal the Enterprise, ride it into another universe, and then have to adapt to an entirely different way of life would make a great movie or mini-series. Star Trek: Discovery could have done more with the ISS Enterprise, but at least they turned the former warship into a symbol of hope.

New episodes of Star Trek: Discovery stream Thursdays on Paramount+.