Enterprise Actor Hated Filming Fan-Favorite Mirror Universe Episodes

One Star Trek: Enterprise actor says he still hates and has never seen season 4’s fan-favorite Mirror Universe episodes. Star Trek: Enterprise ran for four seasons on United Paramount Network (UPN) from 2001 to 2005. Star Trek: Enterprise is now celebrating 25 years since it premiered, just as the Star Trek franchise marks its 60th anniversary in 2026.

Star Trek: Enterprise struggled creatively in its first two seasons. Consensus among fans and the creatives behind the show is that Enterprise markedly improved under their late showrunner, Manny Coto. A fan of Star Trek: The Original Series, Coto infused Enterprise with classic tropes and concepts. One of Manny’s most popular moves was taking Enterprise to the Mirror Universe in season 4.

However, Connor Trinneer, who played Commander Trip Tucker, doesn’t have any love for Star Trek: Enterprise‘s Mirror Universe two-parter. On a panel at the Star Trek cruise with his Star Trek: Enterprise co-stars John Billingsley, Dominic Keating, and Anthony Montgomery, moderated by Lolita Fatjo, Trinneer didn’t mince words about “In a Mirror, Darkly” and playing ‘pirate Trip.’ Read Connor’s quote below:

Connor Trinneer: “I hated them. I still hate them. The “Mirror Darkly” episodes. Briefly, [I] walked in, and Jim Conway, who directed our pilot, directed the episode. I don’t really know what to do. I know we’re supposed to play our characters different. They put Pike’s scar on. That was cool.

I go in, Jolene’s dressed as sort of like a pixie Vulcan. She’s got her hair all back and she’s wearing like a half shirt. And I go in, and we do the rehearsal. I kind of just [do] sort of a [pirate “Arr” noises]. And Jim Conway says to me, ‘I need more. We’re playing higher stakes here.’ And I was like, ‘You mean like a pirate?’ And he goes, ‘Yeah. Yeah, do it like a pirate.’

So, action! [Pirate “arr” noises] Cut! Print! Wait a minute! Jim, I was totally joking! I’d love to go again. He’s like, ‘Nope, that’s it.’ 3 weeks later, I finished those two episodes, and I hated every second. I’ve actually never seen them.”

The Mirror Universe, of course, is an alternate reality where Star Trek characters are evil. Connor Trinneer didn’t intend to portray Mirror Trip as a pirate, but to hear him tell the story, director James Conway leaned into what Trinneer intended as a joke. As a result, Connor was unhappy during filming the Mirror Universe episodes, and he says he still hasn’t watched them.

Mirror Trip’s facial scars were a nod to how the face of Captain Christopher Pike (Sean Kenney) was burned in Star Trek: The Original Series‘ “The Menagerie.”

Perhaps adding to Connor Trinneer’s unhappiness is that during filming of “In a Mirror, Darkly,” Star Trek: Enterprise‘s cast and crew learned UPN had canceled their show. While the end of Enterprise didn’t come as a surprise to the actors, it was still a disappointment to learn that their Star Trek run was nearing its end after only 4 seasons.

Connor Trinneer has spoken of his disdain for the Mirror Universe on The D-Con Chamber podcast, which he hosts with Dominic Keating as they rewatch their old Star Trek: Enterprise episodes. Dominic and Connor are only on Enterprise season 2, but it will be a must-watch when Trinneer finally sees the Mirror Universe two-parter and ‘pirate Trip’ when The D-Con Chamber reviews Enterprise season 4.

Had Star Trek: Enterprise been renewed for season 5, Manny Coto reportedly intended to return to the Mirror Universe. Connor Trinneer may be the only person who wouldn’t have been happy to reprise Trip’s evil alternate reality counterpart, since most fans consider “In a Mirror, Darkly” one of Star Trek: Enterprise‘s high points.