Ok. I'm now 12 episodes in and 3 episodes into the mirror universe episode when I learned the bombshell that Lorca isn't who he said he was all along, but a mirror universe imposter. Now, Lorca always felt a bit off to me. Certain things about him did not remind me of a captain in charge of a highly experimental ship, plus he seemed a bit off from how I read him in the novel "Drastic Measures", well now I know why. It all makes sense now. As does the epilogue of Drastic Measures. Makes me wonder what the real Lorca is up to. Also I've learned about Tyler's bizarre behavior. After his bizarre encounter with the female Klingon in the brig I was beginning to think he was Voq disguised as a human, but it was much more sinister then that.
It's also a continuation of the Enterprise episodes "In A Mirror Darkly". I wonder what the fate of the Defiant ultimately was. I figure it was probably torn down and reversed engineered, but I wonder if the ship somehow still exists.
I am kind of surprised they spent a substantial amount of time in the Mirror universe. So far 3 and counting out of a 15 episode season. That's a huge percentage of the show spent in another universe. I'm a little surprised at that call. Also I don't understand the sensitivity to light thing. Of course it was a way to give away Lorca, but I don't recall that ever being an issue. It was just sort of dropped out of nowhere.
It also overwrote some elements of the Mirror Universe novels, but not all. Obviously the emperor is Phillipa, and not a Hoshi clone as depicted in the novel (though she honestly didn't have a huge part in the novels that take place in the 23rd century). But other elements might track ok with the novels, the idea that an alliance was forming at this early stage for instance.
As an aside, I did like Burnham's reaction when she realized she was 'eating' Kelpien….and I shared it too. Ugh
