Star Trek: Picard’s Confederation of Earth reality allowedStar Trek: The Next Generationto avoid the Mirror Universe once more. The Mirror Universe is one ofStar Trek’s oldest and most enduring concepts.A dark parallel reality whereStar Trekcharacters are the oppositeof how they are inStar Trek’s Prime timeline, the Mirror Universe was introduced inStar Trek: The Original Seriesseason 2’s “Mirror, Mirror.” The Mirror Universe has its own complex history that was further explored byStar Trek: Deep Space Nine, Star Trek: Enterprise, Star Trek: Discovery,andStar Trek: Prodigy.
Introduced at the start ofStar Trek: Picardseason 2, the alternate timeline where theConfederation of Earthrose instead of the United Federation of Planets was created by Q (John de Lancie). The Confederation’s creation is tied to two individuals who lived in 21st-century Los Angeles: Dr. Renee Picard (Penelope Mitchell) and Dr. Adam Soong (Brent Spiner). Q preventing Renee from successfully completing a mission to Europa that would solve climate change allowed Soong to implement a different solution, resulting in thecreation of the authoritarian and xenophobic Confederation.
Star Trek: Picard’s Confederation Timeline Continued TNG’s Evasion Of The Mirror Universe
The Confederation was a new TNG dark reality
Star Trek: The Next Generationnever ventured into the Mirror Universe in any of its seven seasons or fourTNGmovies. This isn’t to sayTNGdidn’t do alternate reality stories. One of the most acclaimedStar Trek: The Next Generationepisodes is “Yesterday’s Enterprise,” where a temporal rift changed the timeline so that the Federation was losing a war with the Klingons. However,TNGavoided delving into the Mirror Universeand following up what was seen inStar Trek: The Original Series' “Mirror, Mirror.” This wouldn’t happen untilStar Trek: Deep Space Nine.
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Star Trek: Picardseason 2’s Confederation of Earth is essentiallyStar Trek; The Next Generation’s unique spin on the Mirror Universe.The Confederation of Earth is centered on Admiral Jean-Luc Picard (Patrick Stewart), who was known as the savage General Picard in the Confederation. Seven of Nine (Jeri Ryan) was never assimilated by the Borg in the Confederation’s timeline; instead, Annika Hansen became the ruthless President of the Confederation. Remarkably, the violent and sadistic Confederationdefeated the Borg, wiping out the Collective and taking the Borg Queen (Annie Wersching) prisoner.
How Picard’s Confederation Was Different From Star Trek’s Mirror Universe
The Confederation was the Prime Universe, but changed
While sharing some similarities, there are stark differences between the Mirror Universe and the Confederation of Earth timeline.The Mirror Universe is a bona fide alternate reality. It exists parallel toStar Trek’s Prime Universe but with numerous divergences. Until the Temporal Wars, crossing over between the Mirror Universe and the Prime Universe was possible, and occurred often enough. Captain James T. Kirk (William Shatner), Captain Benjamin Sisko (Avery Brooks), and the crew of the USS Discovery have all spent time in the Mirror Universe, whileCaptain Gabriel Lorca (Jason Isaacs)left the Mirror Universe and impersonated his Prime Universe counterpart.
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However, the Confederation of Earth was not an alternate timeline. Rather,it wasStar Trek’s Prime timeline that was altered by Q. InStar Trek: Picardseason 2, Admiral Picard and his motley crew of La Sirena time-traveled to 2024 Los Angeles to prevent Q from changing reality. Once Picard and his friends set the Prime Timeline back on its true course, the Confederation reality was wiped away and ceased to exist. Yet there was a remnant of the Confederation: the Borg Queen, who became ahybrid with Dr. Agnes Jurati(Allison Pill), managed to cross into the Prime Universe. Leading a benevolent new Borg Collective, the Borg Queen became an ally of the Federation.
Why Didn’t Star Trek: TNG Do A Mirror Universe Episode?
TNG wanted to be different from TOS
Star Trek: The Next Generationnever did a formal Mirror Universe episodedue to the producers' desire to be different fromStar Trek: The Original Series.Despite being set aboard a new Starship Enterprise seeking out new life and new civilizations,TNGgenerally avoided outright callbacks and repetition ofTOS' characters and tropes. Gradually,Star Trek: The Original Seriescharacters likeAmbassador Sarek (Mark Lenard), Scotty (James Doohan), and Spock (Leonard Nimoy) appeared onTNG, butStar Trek: The Next Generationwas focused on establishing its own identity overall.
The Mirror Universe might have been too sharp a contrast to the dignified and cerebral TNG.
The Mirror Universe alsodidn’t fit withStar Trek: The Next Generation’s aesthetic. Sordid and sexually charged, the Mirror Universe might have been too sharp a contrast to the dignified and cerebralTNG. Star Trek: Deep Space Nineplayed into the Mirror Universe’s excesses with the seductive Intendant (Nana Visitor), who was the counterpart of Major Kira Nerys.Star Trek: Enterprise’s “In a Mirror, Darkly"two-parter leaned into the lurid aspects of the Mirror Universe, andStar Trek: Discoveryrevamped the Mirror Universe to suit its tone. Comparatively, the Confederation’s reality was a dark opposite ofStar Trek: The Next GenerationandStar Trek: Picardin style and tone.
Will Star Trek Return To The Confederation Or Mirror Universe?
The Confederation reality is gone for good
The Confederation of Earth was only seen in the first three episodes ofStar Trek: Picardseason 2, and it no longer exists as ofPicardseason 2’s finale. It’s unlikely thatStar Trekwill revisit the Confederation even ifStar Trek: Picard’s proposed spinoff,Star Trek: Legacy, happens. TheConfederation was specifically designed forStar Trek: Picardseason 2, and it served its story purpose. Like other alternate realities likeStar Trek: The Next Generation’s “Yesterday’s Enterprise"timeline orStar Trek: Strange New Worlds'“Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow” timeline where the Prime Universe was changed, the proper flow of time and events have been restored, eliminating the Confederation of Earth’s reality.
However, the Mirror Universe has endured for nearly as long asStar Trekhas existed, andit will be seen again.Star Trek: Section 31, the firstStar Trekmovie made-for-streaming on Paramount+, will revisit the Mirror Universe in flashbacks to show how Philippa Georgiou (Miku Martineau) became the Terran Empire’s ruler. Emperor Philippa Georgiou (Michelle Yeoh) isStar Trek’s most prominent character to come from the Mirror Universe (besides the iconic Mirror Spock with a goatee), and ifSection 31gets sequels, there could be more flashbacks to the Mirror Universe. The Confederation of Earth was an intriguing sojourn inStar Trek: Picardseason 2, but it was never meant to last likeStar Trek’s Mirror Universe has.
