352. Through the Looking GlassFORMULA: Crossover + The Maquis
WHY WE LIKE IT: The hotness. "I changed it!"
WHY WE DON'T: Mirror Bashir. Garak (except for one line).
REVIEW: Where Crossover had something to say about freedom, Through the Looking Glass is little more than a rollicking adventure yarn with sexy girls and dastardly escapes. Well, that's not too bad then, is it? It all starts with Sisko being brought to the Mirror Universe where his other self has been killed to help the Terran rebels kidnap the Mirror Jennifer Sisko who's been working on a sensor array for the evil Alliance. So if you care to walk through the first plot hole in which only Jennifer can complete the work, we'll get to some other issues.
For example, while I like "evil Sisko" a lot, it seems like our Sisko is channeling him a little too well for what appears to be only a few minutes of explanation. New Mirrored characters include Tuvok (a cameo annoyingly telegraphed in the opening credits), Bashir (an OTT brute), Rom (who will fulfill his role in a Mirror Universe in-joke and get killed), and hot and sexy Dax (Sisko's mistress). She is soooo sexy, one can hardly fault Sisko for staying deep under the covers... I mean undercover there. It's a good weekend for Sisko, in fact, who gets to sleep with Dax, possibly with Kira (if postcoital positions can be believed), and see his beloved Jennifer one more time. When she accuses him of womanizing and he answers "Have there been that many?", well there had been two in the last 20 minutes! And that's what the Mirror Universe has become. Not quite so evil as it is sexual. (No answers as to how Bashir and Dax can exist in this universe mutation/symbiont and all.)
Nana Visitor gives a delightful, catty performance as the Intendant once again, and it's too bad this version of Garak doesn't make much of an opponent for her. She owns every scene she is in, while he is here only remembered for purely campy reasons: That "Pursue!!!" is a big joke around here, uttered a few times a week. I've never cared for the actress who plays Jennifer. She's ok, but just doesn't have the range to match Sisko's idea of her. I want to be in love with the love of his life, but I can't empathize. I don't see it.
But an episode like this is primarily about "cool" things. How the alternate characters are rendered. And once they're on the run, it's a great sequence. Sisko is up to the task of being an action hero, better trained than other humans and taking no prisoners. His final gambit, using his knowledge of the station against the Intendant, is perfectly played and a lot of fun.
LESSON: Not everything has to go into the report.
REWATCHABILITY - Medium: A good adventure that's nonetheless a piece of fluff. You might wince at Sisko's behavior, or a performance here and there, but it's fun overall.
Comments
One of the greatest Avery Brooks acting moments occurred here, where Jennifer went to kiss Ben and he turned his head just a little. Watch that scene. Now watch it again. One more time ... there's a LOT being conveyed in that simple movement.
Also, why in the world wouldn't the Intendant have killed all the rebels as soon as she walked into the ore mining facility. It's just bad writing: she did it because the writers made her do it.
Uggh.