I’m Thrilled Star Trek Finally Revealed Voyager's Mirror Universe

WARNING: This article contains SPOILERS for Star Trek: Prodigy, season 2, episode 14, "Cracked Mirror"

Summary Star Trek: Prodigy finally revealed the Mirror Universe version of Janeway and Chakotay from Star Trek: Voyager.

Voyager never explored the Mirror Universe, but the reasons may include it already being focused on in other series like DS9.

Prodigy's introduction of Mirror Janeway and Chakotay opens the door for future exploration of other Voyager Mirror Universe characters.

I've been waiting for a Star Trek: Voyager Mirror Universe episode for years, so of course, I'm thrilled that Star Trek: Prodigy finally delivered. Since its introduction in Star Trek: The Original Series, the Mirror universe has become a staple of the franchise, adding a great layer of intrigue to the Star Trek timeline. The appeal of seeing the dark side of your favorite characters is fairly universal, and I've always liked the fact that Star Trek found a way to make showing those dark sides a reality without damaging the reputations of some of its most popular characters.

As a long-time Voyager fan, however, I've also always been sad that the series never had an official Mirror Universe episode. Voyager is far from the only Star Trek series not to explore the Mirror Universe. Star Trek: The Next Generation never had a Mirror Universe episode, and still did very well for itself for seven seasons. Conversely, some of the best Mirror Universe lore wasn't explored until the franchise's modern era with shows like Star Trek: Discovery. Still, I always felt as though not showing the Mirror Universe counterparts of Voyager's cast of characters was a missed opportunity.

Related Star Trek’s Mirror Universe Is Back: What Happened After DS9 Explained Star Trek: Prodigy co-executive producer Aaron J. Waltke explains the state of the Mirror Universe in the late 24th century after Deep Space Nine.

Star Trek: Prodigy Finally Revealed Voyager's Mirror Universe

Prodigy season 2 featured Mirror Universe Janeway and Chakotay

Luckily, thanks to Star Trek: Prodigy season 2, Voyager's Mirror Universe is a mystery no more. Prodigy season 2, episode 14, "Cracked Mirror," finally introduced two Voyager Mirror Universe characters into the franchise, and the series couldn't have done a better job. After the USS Voyager-A was split into different timelines, Prodigy's cast of characters came face to face with Mirror Admiral Janeway (Kate Mulgrew) and Captain Chakotay (Robert Beltran), pitting themselves and Prime Chakotay against the two darker versions in several harrowing scenes.

Prodigy opening the door to Voyager's Mirror Universe leaves room for future shows to explore other parallel Voyager characters, and "Cracked Mirror" left some tantalizing questions about Mirror Janeway and Chakotay.

For me, Mirror Janeway and Chakotay were incredibly fun to watch, and even though they were only included in a few scenes, Prodigy's establishment of them was a great addition to the series. Prodigy opening the door to Voyager's Mirror Universe leaves room for future shows to explore other parallel Voyager characters, and "Cracked Mirror" left some tantalizing questions about Mirror Janeway and Chakotay, such as the extent of their obvious romance or why Mirror Janeway has a Borg implant over one eye, reminiscent of Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan).

Why Star Trek: Voyager Never Had A Mirror Universe Episode

Voyager never included an official visit to the Mirror Universe

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Although Star Trek has never offered a concrete explanation for Voyager's lack of a Mirror Universe episode, there are some possibilities. For one thing, I can think of two Voyager episodes that still explored darker versions of the characters. The most memorable was "Living Witness," a season 4 episode that was set on a planet thousands of years in the future where the alien inhabitants remembered Voyager as a Warship and Captain Janeway as a tyrant. Likewise, the season 7 episode "Author, Author" saw the Doctor (Robert Picardo) create a holonovel whose characters highlighted the worst qualities of Voyager's cast.

Star Trek: Prodigy season 2 revealed that after his dabbling on Voyager, the Doctor had become a prolific holonovelist since the ship's return to Earth.

More likely, however, Voyager steered clear of the Mirror Universe because it was already being explored in other parts of the franchise. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine had an ongoing Mirror Universe storyline in several episodes, exploring the universe for the first time since Star Trek: TOS. Since DS9 and Voyager were airing at the same time, and Voyager often tried to distance itself from DS9, leaving the Mirror Universe to be explored in its sister series would have only made sense. Whatever the reason, in my opinion, Star Trek: Prodigy has more than made up for it.