One Star Trek concept was so silly it’s become a running joke in other franchises
As a child of the 60’s, I vividly remember the awe-inspiring moment when Star Trek: The Original Series unveiled the Mirror Universe in season two’s “Mirror, Mirror”. It was a mind-bending concept that left an indelible mark on my young mind and sparked countless hours of imaginative play with my friends.
In Star Trek: The Original Series’ second season’s fourth episode, viewers were first introduced to the Mirror Universe – a parallel universe where counterparts identical to us in appearance and physiology exist but are fundamentally different in character. Typically, we observe that good beings become evil, although there are instances of bad guys transforming into good ones. This groundbreaking concept was popularized by the episode titled “Mirror, Mirror,” which gained notoriety for portraying an alternate Enterprise crew with goatees, symbolizing their villainous nature.
Although it wasn’t always accurate, as only Mirror Spock had one, the single-eyebrow look became an enduring trope lasting beyond the show’s run. However, it diverged from the pattern of portraying evil counterparts with facial hair and evolved into a humorous in-joke. Given that Star Trek didn’t copyright the idea of the multiverse, how other media represented alternate versions of characters was largely independent of how Star Trek depicted them in 1967.
Prior to The Big Bang Theory popularizing ideas like Schrodinger’s Cat for the general public, these concepts were largely unknown outside of academic circles. Therefore, shows such as Star Trek had an opportunity to significantly influence scientific thought, even though their impact might not have been immediately apparent after each episode.
On multiple occasions, that was done. Particularly intriguing is the Mirror Universe idea and our depiction within it. Specifically, I’m referring to the beard style.
They tried to enhance Spock’s appearance, which was somewhat demonic already, making it even more so. This could be seen as feeding into the fear and hysteria associated with the character when he first appeared, often referred to as the Satanic panic. However, the outcome wasn’t quite what they expected; instead, the concept evolved into something a bit different.
This approach leans more towards humor and light-heartedness in expressing affection for the series, rather than focusing on a heavy or somber representation. Though certain ideas from Star Trek emerged and vanished, this particular one has endured – and endured, and endured.
In reference to “Mirror, Mirror”, it’s well-known that the popular sitcom The Big Bang Theory has made references to this specific episode. For instance, Sheldon Cooper, one of the characters, sported a fake goatee as a tribute to the season three premiere episode titled “The Electric Can Opener Fluctuation”, which starred an evil version of Spock.
Apart from the comedy series you mentioned, another one paid tribute to “Mirror, Mirror” as well. In the fourth episode of Community’s third season, titled “Remedial Chaos Theory,” we observed this homage. In this particular timeline, the characters Abed and Troy, who were known for their sillier antics, sported fake felt goatees at the episode’s end.
A variety of examples and programs could be cited, but the main idea is evident: what was once considered extremely wicked has transformed into a popular comic theme instead.
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2024-11-23 02:23