Star Trek: 12 Best Alternate Reality Episodes
7. Through The Looking Glass
This episode serves as several different things at once. It is a sequel to both Mirror, Mirror and Crossover, while bringing Jennifer Sisko into the show as a character. It is also delivers a hardened Rom, ready to avenge the death of his brother and there is a welcome cameo from a mirror version of Tuvok, fresh from his first year on Voyager.
The mirror universe arc on Deep Space Nine allowed for a bit of character development for these alternate characters. While Kira and Bashir had been the first to visit, Sisko's trip to the other side is a more fun occasion. From Smiley's kidnap to Dax's seduction, Sisko is very much the fish out of water here.
While Bashir may not manage to properly convey a gruff and menacing exterior (he really is just a bit too cute, isn't he?), the episode is another triumph. The Intendant returns, this time trying to get Professor Jennifer Sisko to develop a means to identify the rebels long before they could fight back.
In the grand tradition of 'what if' scenarios on the show, Sisko's race against time to convince Jennifer to join the rebellion is played alongside the threat of her death, along with the crushing of the Terrans once and for all. Yet the episode moves at a brisk and fun pace, never dipping and continuing the thread of strong mirror episodes.