Warning: SPOILERS for Star Trek: Lower Decks, season 5, episode 1 – “Dos Cerritos”
Star Trek: Lower Decks introduced an alternate reality that makes more sense as a ‘mirror universe’ than the actual Mirror Universe. One of Star TrekOne of the oldest concepts, the dark and distorted Mirror Universe was introduced into Star Trek: The Original Series season 2 episode, ‘Mirror, Mirror’. Since then, the Mirror Universe has endured and made several reappearances in Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discoveryand Star Trek: Prodigy. Although ‘Mirror Universe’ is a catchy label full of Star Trek character lookalikes, was never really a ‘mirror’ reflection of Star TrekPrime Universe.
In Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5, Episode 1, “Dos Cerritos”, the USS Cerritos is pulled into a rift in space-time and emerges into a parallel reality where Captain Carol Freeman’s (Dawnn Lewis) California-class starship encounters another USS Cerritos, but led by captain Becky Freeman (Tawny Newsome). Although D’Vana Tendi (Noel Wells) was absent from both Cerritos crews because she returned home to the Orion Syndicate, the two Cerritos crews are nearly identical save for a few cosmetic differences. Crucially, the alternative crew of Cerritos is not evil like in the Mirror Universealthough Captain Becky Freeman kidnapped and tried to switch places with Lieutenant Beckett Mariner (Tawny Newsome).
Why Star Trek: Lower Decks’ alternate reality makes more sense than the mirror universe
It’s more of a mirror universe than the Mirror Universe
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 didn’t give the alternate reality a name in its Season 5 premiere – although the Cerritos teams argued over which timeline was the ‘main universe’ – but the parallel dimension made more sense as a ‘mirror universe’ than the actual Mirror Universe with that name. The Mirror Universe is the opposite of Star TrekThe Prime universe, where its inhabitants are predisposed to cruelty and malevolence. Although physically identical to their Prime universe counterparts, the people of the Mirror Universe are the inverse of Prime, just as their Terran Empire is the opposite of the United Federation of Planets.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5’s alternate reality is a real mirror where everyone in parallel reality is more or less the same, but with small differences that consider “strange.” Captain Becky Freeman is essentially the same person as Lieutenant Beckett Mariner, but she made unfortunate choices that she regrets when she became captain of the Cerritos. Lieutenant Commander Andy Billups (Paul Scheer) is the same in both universes, but the alternate Billups wears a cape. Likewise, the more confident alternate lieutenant Brad Boimler (Jack Quaid) wears a beard, while the more confident alternate lieutenant T’Lyn (Gabrielle Ruiz) says “Remarkable” instead of “Fascinating.” Otherwise, Star Trek: Lower Decks‘parallel dimension is a true mirror universe.
Star Trek: Lower Decks did something that rarely happens in mirror universe episodes
Alternate reality is important to the Lower Deckers
In Star TrekIn Mirror Universe episodes, characters from the Prime universe who find themselves in the Mirror Universe often pose as their counterparts, perhaps trying to influence events in the Mirror Universe for the better, and then leave as quickly as possible. However, they rarely change or improve because they met their evil doppelgängers. Star Trek: Lower Decks the season 5 premiere did something more remarkable and fascinating: Mariner learned something about herself and what kind of captain she won’t become because she met Captain Becky Freeman. Mariner holding Captain Freeman as a mirror to herself and learning from it means that Beckett will never have the results that Becky encountered and tried to escape from.
Boimler literally starts growing a beard because he met his doppelganger.
Outcomes like Mariner seeing Becky Freeman as the path she won’t take, or Lt. Brad Boimler trying to model himself after his bearded, more confident doppelganger, are stories rarely derived from Star Trek Mirror Universe Episodes. Normally, once back in the Prime Universe, Star Trek the characters simply move on and don’t talk about their Mirror colleagues. But Boimler literally starts growing a beard because he met his doppelganger. Likewise, Lt. Samanthan Rutherford (Eugene Cordero) saw the emotionless automaton he would never allow himself to be when he met his alternate universe doppelganger.
Why JJ Abrams’ Star Trek Isn’t Considered a Mirror Universe
Star Trek’s Kelvin timeline has similarities to the Mirror Universe
Star TrekThe Multiverse is made up of countless parallel realities, and the best known besides the Mirror Universe is the Kelvin Timeline by JJ Abrams Star Trek films. The alternate reality Kelvin branched off in its own direction in 2233, when Romulan traveler Nero (Eric Bana) destroyed the USS Kelvin and killed Lieutenant George Kirk (Chris Hemsworth), father of Captain James T. Kirk (Chris Pine). But the Kelvin Timeline is not considered a ‘mirror universe’. Although there are many of the same people in the Prime and Kelvin Timelines, the numerous divergences, especially the fact that different actors portray Star Trek’iconic characters, keep it real Abrams’ Kelvin Star Trek films as being viewed or categorized as a mirror universe.
Star Trek also tacitly defined the Mirror Universe as an evil realitywhich JJ Abrams’ Kelvin timeline is not. (Nor is it Star Trek: Lower Decks alternate dimension from season 5.) Star Trek The Kelvin reality of the films is inherently driven by Gene Roddenberry’s utopian vision, just as Star TrekPrime Universe. Funnily enough, Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 4 winked at the impossibility of the Kelvin timeline, with Lieutenant D’Vana Tendi poking fun at how unlikely it is, from a scientific standpoint, that two universes could have the same people but look physically different. However, this is what Star Trek’The Kelvin timeline is.
Star Trek’s Mirror Universe Returns in Section 31
Section 31 will show the origin of Emperor Georgiou’s Mirror Universe
Star TrekThe Mirror Universe will return in Star Trek: Section 31. The first Star Trek The made-for-streaming film on Paramount+ will see the return of Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh as Emperor Philippa Georgiou, the former ruler of the Mirror Universe. Curiously, Star Trek: Section 31Mirror Universe flashbacks from the early 23rd century will be Georgiou’s origin story, depicting how young Philippa Georgiou (Miku Martineau) became emperor. Section 31 is as much about Emperor Georgiou facing the sins of his past as it is about the introduction of a new Section 31 team into Star Trek’‘lost era’ of the 24th century.
Star Trek: Lower Decks Season 5 apparently isn’t done introducing alternate universes yet. Patching quantum fissures in space is the mission of the USS Cerritos in Star Trek: Lower Decks 5th season then more alternative versions of familiars Star Trek characters are likely. Lt. Harry Kim’s (Garrett Wang) upcoming return comes with a series of Ensign Harry Kim duplicates, who likely come from different realities. But unless there’s an evil Harry Kim in the group, Star Trek: Lower Decks season 5 will likely continue avoiding the Mirror Universe. After all, who needs the Mirror Universe when Star Trek: Lower Decks Can you show even better parallel realities?