"Mirror, Mirror" reveals humanity at its best by framing it against its worst. Whether or not the "evil twin" trope has been woefully overused (and it has) here's a new spin, an entire ship (if not Empire!) of them. After the landing party is caught off-guard, as an unexpected storm shifts them into the strangest of strange lands, Kirk's quick wits save them in masquerade as "the flower of humanity" long enough to survive and return. Given every reason to act bad they still do good, e.g. sparing the pacifist Halkans, yet is the mirror universe more or less how the Halkans consider the Federation? If only they knew!

Shocking in strangeness is Spock and that infamous goatee, icon of evil now thoroughly ensconced in popular culture. His pirate side (complete with mirror meld!) capably juggles mounting odds thankfully not surpassing four humans and a skull (what, no mirror pinch?). Chekov smirks through a failed assassination attempt earning special attention in the Agony Booth, certainly one of Trek's simpler yet memorable props. (Honorable mention to Kyle getting abused again by Spock at the transporter console.) And Scotty is there to secure the power, enlist his new engineer doctor, and summon a most heartfelt (and uncustomary) "Jim" after his offer to remain is rejected.

Sulu and Uhura interact as sharply as the daggers they wield. It's hard to say what stings the impressively scarred security chief more, the merciless slap from the courageous communications officer or rather her wicked taunt, "I changed my mind…again." Several glances at the bond between Kirk and Uhura accompany a delightful view of her ample fighting skills. (Master Theiss was already in the Costuming Hall of Fame but highlighting such spectacular abs just takes the cake!) Vic Perrin calms the performance as the suffering Council member Tharn, and Barbara Luna oils her traps remarkably as the lovely Marlena Moreau, Captain's Woman.

In the mirror everything is subtly different physically yet insignificantly different technologically. There's nothing to building a baritone computer, and the Tantalus Field is something nice Trek could reasonably accomplish connecting a viewscreen to a targetless transporter. So it's interesting to note those aspects not changed between universes, notably Spock's integrity (or devotion of logic), Kirk's steady leadership, McCoy's plenitude of human weaknesses, and the Halkan dedication to peace. Kirk's soliloquy about "the illogic of waste" ranks among his best, exhorting his first officer to a better way based on the interest of all. That says alot about what this type of mirror actually shows.