Mirror, Mirror Reviews

Episode 10: Mirror, Mirror

Linda Lowe (doublel450@earthlink.net), 11 July 1999:

So Excellent was this whole series! I'm sorry it took me so long to find the third one. Great job!

Silvia (smassaro@dialdata.com.br), 22 July 1999:

Hi, Sheila! Thanks for this, it's amazing... you always do great! All the three parts are very good. It's worth the long waiting Again, Thank you.

Irene Dutchak (sirenegold@yahoo.com), 29 July 1999:

Sheila, what a wonderful job you and your editors did with the 3-part trilogy, "Turn Around", "Walk in My Shoes", and "Mirror, Mirror". You captured emotions very well, your plot was well thought out, and you tied up most of the loose ends. (The only loose ends left were from the LL story which I realise were meant not to be tied up, if that makes any sense)

Sorry to be tardy with my praise.

Wendy Richards (ida18@hrm.keele.ac.uk), 2 August 1999:

I'm going to add my comments on all three episodes here.

Sheila, to begin with, I love *everything* you write (umm... even if you were to rewrite the phone book I'd read it!). When I realised that we were getting a three-parter from you I was ecstatic.

And you didn't disappoint me. The premise, building on the Woody Samms episode, was always going to be good, but to have Lois and Clark in a body swap was a great idea. And you used it very, very cleverly. I am very pleased that they didn't find a way out of it too quickly; although it was frustrating *them* like hell, I just loved your word-portraits of them getting used to a body of a different gender. The description of Clark getting into a skirt, and refusing to wear panty-hose... LOL! But there was also so much sensitivity in the series. Lois feeling unhappy that Clark was breastfeeding Laura. Clark missing his powers, even more so than when Lois was UltraWoman. Clark feeling that, as Lois, he couldn't be as close a friend to Jimmy as before... and many more examples too numerous to mention.

This was a classic, and it is right up there with my other favourite Harper stories. Any chance of an nfic version....?

Kath Roden (kmroden@gis.net), 12 September 1999:

Just got finished reading Mirror, Mirror. (Yeah, I know, *finally!*)

I LOVE it... and let me tell you why ;^)

First, your command of techinical language...
"What if the thingamajig *isn't* at Alex's place?"
"*And* that you got rid of that Zigfield rock-thing."

All kidding aside... NO ONE does split personalities better than you Sheila. I remember reading Mxysplit and All Mxyed Up (brilliant, by the way) and thinking that the nuances you referenced distinguishing the differences between Clark and Superman were fabulous. But this, this is far and beyond that! Not that I'm saying it's easy to write the two separate personalities of Clark, but to show how difficult it is to be a man in a woman's body and a woman in a man's body, well that takes considerable talent!

Sheila, you've done a wonderful job here. I'm just so amazed at the seemingly effortless way you've written their separate and distinct personalities. Just beautiful...

Anne Carlson (ACdrift@AOL.COM), 14 September 1999:

I loved how the trilogy opened with Lois searching with Laura for baby toys while carrying on a conversation with Clark. Lois was talking about her plan for "dessert", visiting with Laura, and puzzling over the case of the shooting victims that they were researching.

Lois' main concern was trying to figure out how fair it was coping with a full time job, being a new mother, and still have to cover for Clark when he was being "super". She felt that perhaps being single parent might be easier when Clark couldn't be depended upon for his part of Laura's care. She could schedule a predictable life without his tentative help. Clark was crushed to hear this news. Lois understood her resentment -- but it just wasn't fair.

Thus, the stage is set for Sheila Harper's 3 episode nail biter: "Turn Around", "Walk in My Shoes", and "Mirror, Mirror". The Zelig stone used at the end of S4 is back and now is used in a camera type of gadget to switch the souls of the unfortunate ones caught in the flash. Lex seems to be behind it all -- but someone is messing around with his perfect plans to reach his goal of financial dominance.

Sheila weaves a complex plot that challenges Lois and Clark to their very being and identification of themselves. The definition of masculine and feminine are redone as L&C try to figure out how to behave like the other without being discovered. Hair styles, clothes, posture, even mannerisms are all challenged. Sheila does an excellent job -- thinking of every detail to put the reader into the dilemma facing our heroes. Lois becomes "super" and Clark become a "mom". Wow, what a wonderful depiction.

It was rather confusing for me to figure out who was talking. Was it Lois or Clark as one or the other?? But, Sheila was consistent with her characters. The reader has to adjust to the body switch. I especially liked how L&C began to appreciate one another's skills at being who they really were.

Sheila lead the readers with Lois and Clark on a desperate search for the means to recover their identities. They experience great despair as they spend more and more time in each other's "shoes". It was interesting how Sheila was able to bring out all of their familiar gestures acted out by the opposite players -- very clever.

I could gush on and on about Sharper's talent for detail. But, you have got to read this epic and other episodes yourselves in order to fully appreciate the efforts that our S6 authors have gone through. Not only do they follow a scope and sequence throughout the season, they also write some of the best darned L&C fanfic that you will ever read.

YHo1014790@aol.com, 27 October, 1999:

Excellent episode! I had to read both episodes parts I and II it was non-stop reading and you really caught the spirit of the TV show...Lois and Clark can still be married and yet be romantic...what a beautiful episode...worthy of those Kerth awards...Keep it up!

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