Warning! The following contains spoilers regarding the midseason finale of Star Trek: Discovery! Read at your own risk!
There were a lot of big twists in the final minutes of Star Trek: Discovery's midseason finale with the biggest amongst them being the crew finding themselves out in unknown space. Thanks to Jonathan Frakes, many fans believe the crew is currently in the mirror universe, but now some are further speculating that their arrival there was no accident, and that Captain Lorca intentionally had the ship sent into the mirror universe. Is Lorca a resident of the mirror universe? It's an interesting question, and there's a lot to be said for and against the theory:
Yes, Lorca Probably Is From The Mirror Universe
Those who have been watching Star Trek: Discovery know Gabriel Lorca is not the typical Starfleet Captain. He has a penchant for war, and he's not afraid to break Starfleet protocol if it gets in the way of his fight against the Klingons. His gut reaction towards aggression seems awfully similar to that of someone from the Terran Empire, which is the Starfleet of the mirror universe that dominates and conquers rather than maintaining peace.
So, if Lorca is from the mirror universe, did he intentionally chart coordinates that would ensure his return home? Fans clearly saw him override the coordinates for Stamets' final jump in the spore drive, so there's definitely something up. It's enough to make one wonder if, when Admiral Cornwell exclaimed Lorca "wasn't the man she used to know," she was unknowingly stating the truth. Is it possible the mirror Lorca killed the original Lorca during the explosion of the USS Buran, and is now living his life? Have all of Lorca's efforts in perfecting this spore drive technology all just been about getting home, or was he just waiting to get that cloaking data before making the jump?
No, Lorca Probably Isn't From The Mirror Universe
Is Captain Gabriel Lorca an intense guy? Absolutely, but who wouldn't be after he was faced with the hard decision to sacrifice his crew on the USS Buran? Lorca is unlike most captains of Starfleet, but it's not like he isn't doing alright by the cause. He's saved countless lives and dealt major blows against the Klingons with his leadership, and it's hard to believe some mirror universe Terran war-mongerer would show a level of restraint and obedience even half as well as he has.
The tampering of the coordinates is admittedly hard to explain away, but it's always possible Lorca was just attempting to once again disobey Starfleet and try to take the fight to more Klingons. Lorca seemed genuinely confused and surprised by what happened following the spore drive jump, which seems weird for someone attempting to return home. Plus, Lorca's had the spore drive technology for awhile, so why would he choose now of all times to make the jump back home?
Star Trek: Discovery will return for the second part of Season 1 January 7th on CBS All Access. For some new shows premiering this fall that one can enjoy while waiting for more Star Trek, visit our fall premiere guide. For a list of shows that weren't lucky enough to survive the year, visit our cancellation guide.
