I think that's what makes it interesting. There are other clues: Lorca's deflections when Cornwell brings up their past together, the strange marks on his back, his intentional redirection of the last spore jump...
But all of these things are vague enough that they could mean one of many different things. And part of me hopes it's trying to make us think he's a Mirror Lorca, and really it's something else.
I'll bite...
Here's a potential explanation for a couple of those things...
1) "It wasn't like before" and "You're not the man I knew" could easily be explained in one of two or three ways: 1--
The tide of years. How long ago was it she was involved with Lorca? Episodic memory isn't perfect. It's quite possible either or both of them do not recall things precisely the same way. In fact, every time you access a memory and reconsolidate it, it takes on a bit of the shine from your current affective state. In short, memory isn't 1's and 0's. It changes every time you 'relook' at it. It shouldn't be surprising, then, that they recall things differently. 2--
People change. I'm in my late forties. There are a lot of things I did when I was younger I wouldn't do now. And, in like manner, there are a lot of things I do now I wouldn't've done in my twenties. But there is one thing that occurs naturally in pretty much everyone as they grow older. They become more conservative. Not politically conservative--though that tends to happen, too--but conservative in the sense that their horizons change and the way they look at the world tends to switch towards taking more comfort in the familiar instead of taking part in things outside of their usual experience. Hence, nostalgia. And as a sequela to that, it's very easy for a person to look back on what they've done with "rose tinted glasses" and say, with a bit of suppression or even denial, "Oh, good lord, I would've
never done (or liked) anything like
that!" Not everyone is like that, though. What if the good admiral became more prudish as she grew older...and Lorca didn't? She projects that "It wasn't like it was before" but she doth protesteth too much. Again, that trick with memory and the natural tendency to suppress all those nasty li'l things we did as youth and, now that we're respectable, we wouldn't
dare do now. 3--
Uh oh, this isn't good for my career, is it...? Like I've said before, she crossed a line, ethically. And, moreover, she made a bullshit diagnosis she couldn't've possibly made because she didn't put him through the proper tests (nor
could she, ethically, because she was romantically involved with him; a disqualifier). Recognising this, in the heat of the moment, once Lorca produced his phaser--which sounds horrible to a Brit or someone from a nation with a high degree of gun control, but in America...it isn't as controversial as one might think in many parts of the country--she pulls a piece of diagnostic legerdemain out of her derrière and starts retroactively justifying it by saying it was Lorca's fault. That's projection and it's a defence mechanism covering for her own sense that she retroactively thinks she made a mistake by sleeping with him.
2) Those scars are interesting. I find it more interesting that they're four lines in a pattern of 3+1. Yes, it's odd that Section 31 might brand their people. Then again, considering the writers, I'd just call that a tad heavy-handed fanwankery. Still, why not make him Section 31? Half the people who dislike Lorca seem to think he is anyway, so... Alternately, they're simply scars. I have scars on my body. I don't like them to be touched. Especially in the middle of the night, when I'm asleep. I found nothing of what he did even mildly controversial. And it certainly doesn't require him being MU-native to think that Lorca is a private man, with deep pains and scars, and doesn't want to be touched in his sleep.
3) Did he redirect the jump or is that what they want us to think? Could he simply have stopped the sequence? I'm not sure if what we saw is what we think it is. We don't know the controls of the ship. I don't recall any pre-TNG ship being able to be navigated from the Captain's position, but I could be wrong.
What I'm saying here is that we may--
may--be seeing writers misdirection here. If so, all the more interesting, because I really think Lorca's the best character on the show.
If not, well...bother. 'Cause I really like Lorca. ;-)
