Day 160: DS9, The Emperor's New Cloak

Show: Star Trek; Deep Space Nine

Episode Particulars: S7EP12, “The Emperor’s New Cloak”

 Summary: Quark thinks he’s hit the jackpot when Ezri comes to his quarters after he’s spent so much time pining for her. His hopes are dashed, however, when she reveals she’s from the Mirror Universe, and that the Alliance is holding the Grand Nagus hostage unless Quark acquires a cloaking device. The Mirror Universe lacks cloaking devices, and this way, they can rush the rebellion once and for all. Quark and Rom reluctantly do as asked, then decide to follow Ezri into the Mirror Universe in order to make sure the Alliance keeps its promise. Of course, they had no intention of doing so, but visits from “our” universe tend to impact the Mirror Universe in unexpected ways…

Standalone Thoughts: I’ll just say it without any preamble; this episode is hilarious. While all of the other Mirror Universe episodes have been played straight, inserting Quark and Rom as our viewpoint characters apparently makes things impossible to take too seriously. But I think that’s to this episode’s benefit, both because we needed a dose of humor after the previous seven episodes (“It’s Only a Paper Moon” was lighter, but still touched on heavy subjects) and because it makes it feel more worthwhile. Sure, it’s another deviation from the Dominion War, but at least it’s making us laugh.

There is so much about this episode that’s amusing. The slapstick involving Quark and Rom stealing the cloaking device, Rom’s perpetual confusion about how the Mirror Universe works, and numerous lines that are well-written and perfectly delivered. The absolute high point, however, comes when Quark, Rom, and Zek manage to thoroughly confuse Garak by telling him he’s not as good as “our” Garak, to the point where they refuse to tell him more unless he interrogates them properly. That moment made me audibly snort, and it just got even more surreal and amazing from there.

If you want to find something serious in this episode, though, you can point to Rom. Sure, he’s still comic relief, as noted, but when the chips are down, he pulls his weight. There’s a scene where he actually out-logics his captors, and it’s both funny and impressive, especially given Rom’s reputation. Letting him have a moment in the sun is lovely, both because he’s a sympathetic character and because it shows just how much the DS9 crew cares about its supporting characters.

Speaking of the supporting characters, almost all of them (at least those who aren’t dead) make an appearance this episode. I think the only people who never cameoed in this universe are Kai Winn, Martok, Damar, Morn, anyone from the Gamma Quadrant, and Dukat, oddly enough. As it stands, though, it feels like the writers wanted to give all their supporting characters a little bit of fun and a chance to play against type, and that affection shows through in the story, which I appreciate on multiple levels.

While this episode will probably make zero sense if you don’t at least have a passing familiarity with DS9, fans will probably not be disappointed. It’s fun, creative, and just generally wonderful, which all adds up to good television. Even if it’s not essential viewing, I’d recommend watching it anyway; why ignore something that’s this entertaining?

How it Relates to the Whole: As I said, this has no bearing on the Dominion War plot, but it does allow us to say goodbye to the Mirror Universe, and does it in a delightful way to boot. So even if it’s not an important episode, this is one piece of filler I don’t mind too much.

Other: *The start of this episode introduces us to Ferengi prayer, which of course involves bribing the “God” so he’ll be more receptive to you. It’s very in keeping with Ferengi society, but I can’t help but feel like this is being introduced a bit late in the game. Given the vague similarities with the Bajoran worship of the Prophets, it might have been nice to at least have a scene where Quark discusses it with Kira and Kira rolls her eyes. As it stands, it’s a funny bit of business that I think should have been used a little more.

*During the aforementioned prayer scene, Quark asks for Bashir to be taken out of the way so Quark can try to get into a relationship with Ezri. However, he quickly adds that he doesn’t want Bashir hurt, just removed from the station for a few months. I appreciate that Quark clarified that, not only for the obvious reason, but because it shows Quark does have some standards after all.

Best Line/Exchange: There are a lot of wonderful bits in this episode, but as always, I’ll give the honor to the quote that stuck in my memory after the first time I heard it;

Quark: I can’t believe it. Julian just shot Vic Fontaine!

Nog: I thought Vic was his favorite singer. No wonder they call it “The Alternate Universe”!

I don’t know why that line of all things is what really stood out to me. Maybe because it perfectly sums up the weirdness of the Mirror Universe, with the bonus that Rom’s commentary winds up highlighting the absurdity present in the concept as well. All I know is that I remember the line fondly, and will probably always continue to do so.