‘Star Trek: Discovery’: Jason Isaacs Talks Mirror Universe Twist, Prime Lorca

The first season of Star Trek: Discovery introduced Gabriel Lorca as played Jason Isaacs, one of the most unconventional Starfleet captains ever. It turned out much of the unconventionality was because Lorca was actually the mirror universe Doppelgänger fo the prime universe original.

With Star Trek: Discovery headed to Blu-ray next week, Isaacs spoke to StarTrek.com about playing that big twist.

“It was f–king awesome,” Isaacs said. “All actors ever want is to have a secret to play, and I had the biggest secret ever. I had a huge hidden agenda, and acting is all about the things you’re holding back from the camera and not the things you’re doing. There’s nothing worse than saying what you mean because then there’s nothing to play, and there wasn’t a single moment until right at the end where you got to see what was really going on for Lorca was apparent. And only when people watch it a second time, as many people I’ve met here have, do they fully understand what I was getting to do.”

He also explained how he and the show’s writers went the extra mile to foreshadow the reveal.

“It’s like when people watch The Sixth Sense a second time, they go, ‘Of course they were all dead. How was I so dumb?’ It’s all there from the beginning. It’s there in some of the more obvious physical things, like the eyes narrowing. Actually, that’s not obvious because who knows what happens when you go through a tear in the universe. But just the things that I don’t remember. The fact that I’m clearly in breach of every part of Starfleet’s ethical universe, and I’m pushing Stamets to jump. And, with Burnham, there’s no reason at all why I should have singled out this woman and brought her to the ship, and given her a pass, and got her out of jail. All of the interaction with Jayne (Brook), with the Admiral. They’re not just breadcrumbs; I left huge baguettes.”

And then there’s still the unanswered question about the whereabouts of the prime timeline’s Lorca.

“He’s out there,” Isaacs teased. “I’m just saying.”

Did you figure out the big Lorca twist? Let us know in the comments!

Star Trek: Discovery arrives on Blu-ray on November 13th.

The first season of Star Trek: Discovery is available to stream in its entirety on CBS All Access in the U.S., through CraveTV in Canada and through Netflix in other international markets.

Star Trek: Discovery Season Two is now filming in Toronto and will premiere on CBS All Access on January 17, 2019.