Synopsis: Professor Jennifer Sisko uses Jake to lure Sisko to the “mirror universe” to help the rebels build another starship Defiant.

Memory Alpha Summary: 7 Years of Mirror Episodes

Review: While predictable that they would have Jake meet his mother’s doppelganger in the mirror universe, it was necessary and executed really well. Jennifer’s transformation from using her mirror universe’s husband’s child to lure him over to genuinely connecting with her son is a beautiful thing to watch. Lofton plays it pretty well too, and an episode that could have been saccharine is pretty powerful. My only criticism is Jennifer’s death, which would have been powerful had she just died, but because it’s a TV show we get to see her slowly die and give one final heartfelt speech before dying two seconds later. It’s a trope I hate every time. 

I like how a Ferengi has died in every mirror episode so far. 

Worf’s introduction is done well. It’s cool to see him as an actual Klingon warrior who doesn’t struggle with his humanity. Though I’m not a terribly big fan of Garak’s mirror. He’s mostly the same guy, only somehow less confident and more weasily. 

The rest of the characters continue to have fun in their more overt, morally flexible roles. It would be exhausting to see Smiley, Bashir, Dax, and Nerys act this way all the time, but it’s fun once per season.