124: Ferengi for the Win

The Mirror Universe, Part 5: The Emperor's New Cloak.

Since its introduction in the second season of The Original Series, the Mirror Universe has been a fan favorite. This alternate world in which good is bad has captured the imagination of fans and allowed writers to put a new twist on Star Trek's familiar wrappings. Following 1967's "Mirror, Mirror," our connection with this reflection of sorts was severed for many years. It wasn't until Deep Space Nine's second season and "Crossover" in 1994 that we once again got a glimpse on screen.

In this episode of The Orb, hosts C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing explore DS9's final trip to the Mirror Universe in "The Emperor's New Cloak," including the choice to center the story on the Ferengi, how the trip to rescue Grand Nagus Zek highlights the culmination of Quark's character journey, why the Ezri connection works, and how the DS9 writers added texture and nuance to the mirror.

Chapters
Intro (00:00:00)
Why the Ferengi? (00:03:03)
An Altruistic Quark (00:08:38)
Contrasting Personalities (00:11:57)
It's (Not) Alternate (00:15:43)
What Would TNG Have Done? (00:21:27)
The Ezri Connection (00:24:51)
Vic?! (00:29:33)
Sexuality and 1999 (00:32:09)
Final Thoughts (00:38:47)
Closing (00:42:21)

Hosts
C Bryan Jones and Matthew Rushing

Production
C Bryan Jones (Editor and Producer) Matthew Rushing (Executive Producer) Ken Tripp (Executive Producer) Norman C. Lao (Associate Producer) William Murray (Associate Producer) Kay Elizabeth Shaw (Associate Producer) James Muldrow (Associate Producer) Richard Marquez (Production Manager) Brandon-Shea Mutala (Patreon Manager)