YMMV / Mirror, Mirror (1995)

• Awesome Music: The intro is absolutely stunning. It helps that it also has tons of Scenery Porn.
• Contested Sequel: Mirror Mirror II. Some feel that this Sequel Series was simply too different from the original, featuring a completely different cast of characters and no recurring elements aside from the basic premise of two families from different time periods being brought together by the Mirror, which now has a new set of powers it never had before. It was also more episodic than the streamlined Story Arc in the original series, and while Mirror Mirror won three awards - four if you count one for the novelisation - Mirror Mirror II was only nominated for one which it didn't win. Still, others feel that it was a decent show in its own right.
• Cult Classic: The "came and went" type. It had a self-contained story, and wasn't really meant to run for more than a season. It won several awards and was generally liked by those who saw it, who tend to remember it fondly, but it didn't quite make enough of a cultural impact to be considered a mainstream classic.
• Fridge Logic: History alters itself at the end of the series, and two characters end up Ret-Gone. One fact, (Mrs Tiegan being principal) remains, despite it being due entirely to the machinations of one of those characters. It should be noted that the Tiegans are an Australian family, who moved to New Zealand for the job.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: While well-received in its native countries, it also became hugely popular in places like Pakistan and Sweden, where it arguably codified the Portal to the Past trope for a generation.
• Heartwarming Moments:
  • Louisa comforting Jo during their first proper meeting, especially if you look at it from the former's perspective. She has just gone through a Magic Mirror, entered a weird, alternate version of her room, and found a person dressed in strange clothes... and she doesn't freak out about it, because all she sees is a crying girl who really needs a hug.
  • Jo's dad telling her that, while he disagrees about everything she's done and forbids her to continue, he's still proud of her for doing what she considered to be the right thing.
• Jerkass Woobie:
  • Jade Coigley. Yes she is a jerk, but with a mother like Leonie it's hard to blame her for turning out like that. Then there's the fact that her whole life, from her birth to what was basically her death, was a part of the Old Man's scheme and she is later erased from existence.
  • Jo herself can be rather angsty sometimes. Then again, her situation would not easy to deal with for anyone.
• Memetic Molester: The Old Man, to a certain extent, due to his tendency to approach young teenage girls while their parents are not nearby, giving them tasks they have to perform. His true goal turns out to be rather different, though YMMV whether it's any more moral.
• The Scrappy: The tutor, Bellamy Frid, is possibly the most hated character in the show due to being an unlikable snob who is mean to the Iredale children on top of also conspiring with the Big Bad.
• Strawman Has a Point:
  • Jo's father makes it clear that he doesn't approve of her time travelling at all, feeling that it's dangerous... and it is. Aside from the risk of altering the timeline, Jo and her friends are up against violent smugglers who have no qualms about kidnapping teens such as themselves and selling them to the highest bidder. Of course, Jo knows this. She just feels that she has to help her friends, no matter what.
  • While she's needlessly smug about it, Leonie Coigley is right about Catherine's archeology club being responsible for putting two students in the hospital, an accident which could have been avoided with better security precautions and/or more adult supervision.
• Unintentional Period Piece: The slang and some of the fashion (particularly that of Royce) mark it as a clear product of The '90s. The Dated History also places it squarely inbetween 1991 and 2009.
• Values Resonance: The premise of the show is about people from different cultures meeting up, becoming friends, and working together to solve their problems. This is never treated as anything extraordinary or anviliciously spelled out for the audience either. It just happens naturally by way of common decency. In today's world where "us versus them" mentalities are constantly growing, such a message — told so casually - really comes of as refreshing.
• The Woobie: Nicholas. He has suffered from hemophilia his whole life, seen his homeland fall into chaos after a violent revolution, been forced to flee from people who wanted him dead, basically been kidnapped and held prisoner by a man who wanted to sell him to the highest bidder, has the only proof of his identity stolen from him and is then informed that his entire family has been assasinated. Poor kid deserves a break.

---