SPOILER ALERT: LOTS OF SPOILERS
First, to be honest, I have seen very few episodes of any of the Star Trek spin-offs, which I am just not that crazy about. I do watch the original series repeats on H/I (Heroes & Icons) network. However, this episode (and its preceding episode, Part 1) were incredible. Well-written, well-acted, and, sadly, all to accurate psychological profiles. I also occasionally (not too often) like storylines where bad beats good. Not often, but occasionally TV must acknowledge that good doesn't always beat bad. In this case, extraordinarily, based on the shocking twist at the end, quite unexpectedly, an greater evil beats the bad. (Sato is even worse than Archer -- lacking any of his good and/or complicated qualities or his skills as a warrior and merely exploits the victory for which he was almost single-handedly responsible.)
There is also a wonderful "Macbeth"-ish quality to the episode. Bakula's Mirror Universe Archer is clearly Macbeth. Capt. Forrest can be seen as Duncan. T'Pol is a female Macduff, although sadly, she and her gallant allies lose. Sato IS Lady Macbeth (without actual benefit of marriage), albeit one with none of the doubts and guilt by which that particular Shakespearean character was tormented. There is also a bit, although this may be purely my imagination, of demographic harbingering in that the white male power figure is taken down by an Asian woman with her (for the moment anyway) lover, a black male. The two French kiss for Archer's benefit in front of him as he lies dying.
Great episode. I have started watching the Star Trek spin-offs that I never was interested in before. TOS still the best, though, except for a few bad episodes.
First, to be honest, I have seen very few episodes of any of the Star Trek spin-offs, which I am just not that crazy about. I do watch the original series repeats on H/I (Heroes & Icons) network. However, this episode (and its preceding episode, Part 1) were incredible. Well-written, well-acted, and, sadly, all to accurate psychological profiles. I also occasionally (not too often) like storylines where bad beats good. Not often, but occasionally TV must acknowledge that good doesn't always beat bad. In this case, extraordinarily, based on the shocking twist at the end, quite unexpectedly, an greater evil beats the bad. (Sato is even worse than Archer -- lacking any of his good and/or complicated qualities or his skills as a warrior and merely exploits the victory for which he was almost single-handedly responsible.)
There is also a wonderful "Macbeth"-ish quality to the episode. Bakula's Mirror Universe Archer is clearly Macbeth. Capt. Forrest can be seen as Duncan. T'Pol is a female Macduff, although sadly, she and her gallant allies lose. Sato IS Lady Macbeth (without actual benefit of marriage), albeit one with none of the doubts and guilt by which that particular Shakespearean character was tormented. There is also a bit, although this may be purely my imagination, of demographic harbingering in that the white male power figure is taken down by an Asian woman with her (for the moment anyway) lover, a black male. The two French kiss for Archer's benefit in front of him as he lies dying.
Great episode. I have started watching the Star Trek spin-offs that I never was interested in before. TOS still the best, though, except for a few bad episodes.