Warning! This article contains spoilers for the latest episode of Star Trek: Discovery. Read at your own risk!
Star Trek: Discovery continued its Mirror Universe story arc on "The Wolf Inside," and there were many reveals that surprised both Michael Burnham and fans of the entire franchise. Among other reveals, Star Trek fans got to see Mirror Sarek, who had a stylin' goatee much like his son, Mirror Spock. The nod to the classic Star Trek episode "Mirror, Mirror" definitely didn't escape fans, but there was one additional crazy reference that might have. The episode revealed that Mirror Spock, like Original Series Spock, also went against his father's wishes, but in a way some fans should be thinking hard about.
Star Trek: Discovery showed that while Vulcans and Mirror Vulcans might have different facial hair, they can be similar in other ways. Original timeline Spock joined Starfleet in spite of his father's wishes that he would join the Vulcan Science Academy, and as Star Trek: Discovery fans can infer, its rebellion-aligned Mirror Sarek clearly wouldn't have wanted his own son joining the Terran Empire. Mirror Sarek made no mention of Mirror Spock in the episode, but viewers can easily assume that when given the option to fight alongside or against a son in a war, most fathers would opt to be on the same team.
Both sons disobeyed their fathers' idealized wishes, although it's safe to say Mirror Spock's betrayal is objectively much worse. While the original Spock's decision to join Starfleet was a bit rough, since Sarek was forced to choose him for the Vulcan Science Academy over his foster daughter Burnham, it's still ten times better than Mirror Sarek losing his son to such a militantly fascist movement. Star Trek: Discovery definitely introduced an intriguing bit of lore to the Mirror Universe with this revelation, and hopefully future stories in the Star Trek franchise will further explore the rift between Mirror Sarek and Mirror Spock.
As Star Trek fans may know, Mirror Spock eventually found redemption. The Vulcan worked his way up the ladder of the Terran Empire and became Commander-in-Chief, which allowed him to institute major reform from within. Unfortunately, Mirror Spock softened the newly formed Terran Republic just before an alliance between the Klingon and Cardassians, and the resulting war collapsed the empire entirely. Apparently, a show of mercy and kindness isn't just a weakness within the Terran Empire, but within the entire Mirror Universe!
Star Trek: Discovery will continue its journey through the Mirror Universe on CBS All Access on Sunday nights 8:30 p.m. ET. Those who took a break from television during the holiday season need to jump back in, as tons of shows are making their return or premiere every day in 2018. Keep tabs on all things coming to television by bookmarking CinemaBlend's midseason premiere guide, and for more on Star Trek: Discovery and CBS All Access, check out our episode of The Cord Cutter Podcast detailing the service as well as the show.
