6 Star Trek Tie-In Novels That Should’ve Been Films
4. Dark Mirror
Movie being replaced: Generations
Star Trek: Generations was a mediocre film best known for killing Captain James T. Kirk and the Enterprise-D in the lamest ways possible and whose sole redeeming qualities were the cinematography and revamped Enterprise-D bridge. So its not exactly difficult to find Star Trek: The Next Generation novels that easily eliminate the most obvious negatives about the film, nor is it hard to find ones with a more coherent plot. But the list of novels that actually could bring something special for TNGs big screen debut is pretty short.
Thankfully, Dark Mirror provides that in spades by returning to the Mirror Universe. Unlike in Deep Space 9, where the Terran Empire fell and was conquered, the Empire in Dark Mirror is still alive and conquering, intent on taking over the regular Star Trek universe. In order to stop this, Captain Picard, Geordi La Forge, and Counselor Troi (yes, really) have to infiltrate the mirror Enterprise and get information crucial to saving the Enterprise.
Dark Mirror wouldve been a great choice for TNGs first film for a few reasons. First, its an ensemble story, with everyone getting a moment to shine (although Data gets the least amount of time devoted to him). Second, it gets what the mirror universe is about, unlike DS9s version confronting a morally inverted version of the cast and universe we care about. Third, it wouldve given the producers an excuse to build new sets and revamp the Enterprise-D for future films (both major concerns, especially with Voyager right around the corner). Fourth, and perhaps most importantly, it makes Troi useful.
Sure, the story would need a bit of rewriting to accommodate the post-All Good Things timing of the story, plus a better climactic battle, but that would be far better than forcing a tapped out Ron Moore and Brannon Braga to whip up a script on the heels of All Good Things.