Mirrors are everywhere. What does this sudden emergence of mirrors say about the reflective nature of pop culture?

Everywhere you look mirrors are playing a huge role in the entertainment we consume. In one weekend you could binge Black Mirror at home, take a trip to see Doctor Strange, and settle in Sunday night to watch Once Upon a Time.

On the surface they seem like three independent forms of popular entertainment. What do they all have in common? Their storylines lean heavily on the use of mirrors.

We’re not just talking about physical mirrors, either. Shows and movies like Once and Alice Through the Looking Glass do utilize literal mirrors for their storytelling. But, let’s look at one tried and true example of a mirror-verse to explain what’s actually going on here.

Star Trek utilizes the “Mirror Universe” in a few of its incarnations. It is, simply put, a parallel universe. This summer’s addition, Beyond, chose not to interact with its other timeline. However, it still managed to reflect the great loss felt by Spock’s passing across the dimensions.

Not only do the television series make use of a literal Mirror Universe, but the new movies exist on a parallel timeline. The two worlds are reflections of one another and often find themselves in combat when they collide.

Sometimes, even the worlds we visit to escape from our own reality are using alternate timelines to take a break from their own. By doing so, the world they return to tends to look a lot brighter and full of hope. One where change is not something to fear, but something they can utilize to avoid more destructive outcome.

The introduction of a mirror-verse is nothing new, but it is having a moment in 2016 pop culture.

‘Doctor Strange’

The latest Marvel film to dominate the box office trades in super human strength for sorcery and major city battles for multidimensional ones. Doctor Strange can manipulate time and space, except in one dimension– the mirror-verse.

Within the confines of its glass-like shield no spell or time warp impacts the physical world. In this instance the dimension acts as a shield. The people contained within its barrier are subject to change, but it prevents cataclysmic events from rippling across the world.

Seems like a nice place to visit, but never reside. It’s a holding cell where experimentation is encouraged, but it will never affect the outside world.

‘Once Upon a Time’

Season 6 of Once Upon a Time is in the midst of a major rehashing of storylines from season 1. It’s Snow White versus the Evil Queen, Prince Charming kissing the sleeping princess, and Emma Swan reflecting on what brought her to Storybrooke in the first place.

It’s nostalgic and certainly reflective, but it also involves one other component– a literal mirror. “Mirror, mirror on the wall” how can Once reflect it all? The Evil Queen is on the loose in Storybrooke and the only way the heroes can think to stop her reign of terror is to capture her in the mirror world.

This is not the first time Once Upon a Time has utilized mirrors in its storytelling either. The Snow Queen’s shattered sight spell reflected the worst sides of people. When the spell lifted, the affected groups realize that harping on hatred and anger were a waste of energy. Their differences brought them closer together as a town to fight the bigger problem.

‘Black Mirror’

It’s right there in the title. The British anthology operates on the premise of multiple universes. Ones where the slightest miscalculation can change the reality we know forever. Its dark and twisted worlds lend themselves to further exploration. They answer intriguing questions and set up such interesting narratives that some individual episodes have been optioned.

The most terrifying aspect of Black Mirror is that each alternate reality reflects our current landscape. They each ask, “What if?” What if we take social media too far? What if a cartoon bear ran for public office and… actually starts gaining popularity?

Mirrored universes are not always set in such drastic opposition.

2016: One giant mirror

Are we living in a mirror universe?

While literal mirrors and mirror-verses dominate the box office and our televisions, it is interesting to draw a parallel to the cultural shift from creation to reflection.

In fact, one could argue that 2016 is one giant mirror. Everyday it seems like another reboot, remake, and adaptation goes into production.

We’re remaking Ghostbusters, the Harry Potter and Gilmore Girl universes are back in full force, Lethal Weapon and Macgyver are television series. Dirty Dancing and Rocky Horror are making their way to broadcast television. And Disney is turning anything they can get their hands on into live action features.

The worlds that media send us to are not inviting escapism. We walk in with preconceived notions about what to expect and expect to be let down.

2016 has certainly reflected the worst parts of pop culture. That is not to say it hasn’t also given us some small packets of great new material. But we are more eager to fall back on nostalgia rather than give new material a chance.

Looking ahead to 2017 and new resolutions, look for new worlds you never would think to explore. Give them a chance. Watch them more than once! Find out what you do not like and perhaps find something that you never thought you would.

Shatter the mirror.