Categories
Orville, The Season 1

Into The Fold

The OrvilleDr. Finn and her two sons, Ty and Marcus, depart the Orville aboard a shuttle bound for a vacation planet. A last-minute pilot replacement leaves Dr. Finn with Isaac in the pilot’s chair rather than Gordon, and Isaac confesses complete bewilderment about the seemingly disrespectful behavior of the Finn children. But there are bigger problems than brothers picking on each other: the shuttle falls through a rift in space, suffering significant damage along the way. As the shuttle plummets through the sky of a habitable planet, Isaac tries to bring it in for a controlled landing while Dr. Finn tries to restore auxiliary power in the rear section of the shuttle, which is torn off by the shuttle’s rough landing with her inside. Dr. Finn, still unconscious, is dragged away by a being named Drogen, who seems to want to keep her prisoner, and won’t give in to her demands to find her children. Isaac finds himself trying to ride herd over the feuding Finn brothers, gather resources the power up the shuttle wreckage enough to send a distress call, and fending off a relentless horde of cannibals.

Order season 1 on DVD and Blu-RayDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Brannon Braga & Andre Bormanis
directed by Brannon Braga
music by Joel McNeely

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Halston Sage (Lt. Alara Kitan), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Larry Joe Campbell (Chief Newton), Brian Thompson (Drogen), Norm MacDonald (voice of Yaphit), B.J. Tanner (Marcus Finn), Kai Di’Nilo Wener (Ty Finn), Rachael MacFarlane (Computer Voice), Brett Easton (Feral Alien Man), Heidi Pascoe (Feral Alien Woman), Brandon Melendy (Feral Alien #5)

The OrvilleNotes: Guest star Brian Thompson is the latest Star Trek veteran to appear in the Orville; his lengthy list of genre credits includes The Terminator, Otherworld, Knight Rider, Star Trek: The Next Generation (A Matter Of Honor), Alien Nation, Superboy, two episodes of Deep Space Nine, Hercules: The Legendary Journeys, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Seven Days, the Babylon 5 spinoff Crusade, The X-Files, and episodes of Star Trek: Enterprise. Dr. Finn’s children were neither seen nor mentioned prior to this episode.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 1

Cupid’s Dagger

The OrvilleKaraoke night aboard the Orville is somewhat mercifully interrupted by new orders from Admiral Halsey: the Navarian/Bruidian conflict over the planet Lopovia – and its ruins that may indicate ancient settlement by either race, depending on DNA analysis – is coming to a head. Mercer is ordered to proceed to Lopovia and consult with a Planetary Union archaeologist, who will announce the results to ambassadors from both species immediately…in the hopes that the Union’s presence will keep a full-scale war from instantly breaking out over Lopovia. But a smaller-scale war seems inevitable when the arachaeologist turned out to be Darulio, the alien who ended Mercer’s marriage to Commander Grayson. Despite the palpable tension of sitting in the middle of a potential war zone, however, members of the crew begin acting strangely: after initially being enraged at Darulio’s presence, Mercer finds himself inexplicably attracted to his ex-wife’s former lover. Dr. Finn finally gives in to Yaphit’s advances. All of the strange behavior coincides with Darulio’s arrival, and may be related to his pheremones. As one of very few members of the Orville’s crew unaffected by these strange urges, Alara decides Darulio may be the key to preventing a war.

Order season 1 on DVD and Blu-RayDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Liz Helden
directed by Jamie Babbit
music by John Debney

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Halston Sage (Lt. Alara Kitan), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad L. Coleman (Klyden), Rob Lowe (Darulio), Victor Garber (Admiral Halsey), Larry Joe Campbell (Chief Newton), J. Paul Boehmer (Navarian Ambassador), Derek Mears (Bruidian Ambassador), Norm MacDonald (voice of Yaphit), Mike Henry (Dann), Ralph Garman (Kanoot), Stevens Gaston (Ensign Brooks), Gavin Lee (Henry Park), B.J. Tanner (Marcus Finn), Kai Di’Nilo Wener (Ty Finn), Alexander Bedria (voice from Comm)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 1

Firestorm

The OrvilleA bumpy ride through an ion storm turns into a deadly ride through an ion storm. When part of the roof of the engine room collapses, Alara is asked to help lift pieces of debris off of trapped crewmates. When a fire erupts in front of her, she hesistates, and one of the engineers dies. She begins questioning her own abilities, even to the point of trying to hand Captain Mercer her resignation. She contacts her parents to ask if she suffered any trauma at a very young age due to a fire, and begins exploring what other fears might stop her in her tracks. But her attempts to scare herself mean that Alara will have to take an even riskier course of action that could well mean watching all of her friends and crewmates die before her eyes.

Order season 1 on DVD and Blu-RayDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
directed by Brannon Braga
music by John Debney

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Halston Sage (Lt. Alara Kitan), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Larry Joe Campbell (Chief Newton), Molly Hagan (Drenala Kitan), Robert Picardo (Ildis Kitan), Tim Mikulecky (Lt. Harrison Payne), Gavin Lee (Henry Park), Rachael MacFarlane (Computer Voice), Seth Austin (Clown)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 1

New Dimensions

The OrvilleChief Newton is preparing to retire from the service, and even as the farewell party commences, Captain Mercer and Commander Grayson are already turning their attention to finding a replacement for the chief engineer. A casual glance through crew records reveals something surprising: Lt. LaMarr, the ship’s navigator, has extensive engineering experience that more than meets the qualifications for the job… and yet the crew knows him for his largely lowbrow antics. When this is brought to Mercer’s attention, he’s surprised as well, but favors giving Yaphit the job. Grayson insists on giving LaMarr a fair shot…and then accidentally drops a hint that she also insisted that Mercer himself get a promotion to Captain. As LaMarr tries to navigate his way through the unfamiliar space of a departmental command position, Mercer begins questioning if he’s the right person to be sitting in the captain’s chair. Amidst all this self-doubt, an anomaly lurks in nearby space whose strange nature could flatten the Orville and her crew.

Order season 1 on DVD and Blu-RayDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Seth MacFarlane
directed by Kelly Cronin
music by Andrew Cottee

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Halston Sage (Lt. Alara Kitan), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Victor Garber (Admiral Halsey), Larry Joe Campbell (Chief Newton), Norm MacDonald (Yaphit), Mike Henry (Dann), Kai Di’Nilo Wener (Ty Finn), B.J. Tanner (Marcus Finn), Paul Vogt (Horbalak Captain), Michael J. Sielaff (Palovis), Dan J. Evans (Engineer #1), Erica Mathlin (Engineer #2)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 1

Mad Idolatry

The OrvilleThe crew of the Orville is stunned when a planet appears out of nowhere, flashing into existence in an orbit around a star that previously had no planets. Commander Grayson leads a shuttle survey team to the planet, but the turbulence of the planet’s atmosphere leads to a rough landing. While attempts are made to contact the Orville, signs of early civilization are spotted, and Grayson goes to investigate for herself, accidentally encountering the human-like locals. She helps an injured child by introducing herself by name and then healing the child’s wound, an act witnessed by others. Grayson knows she’s violated nearly every rule of first contact, and races back to the safety of the shuttle to return to the Orville.

The planet continues its cycle of appearing and disappearing, each time showing signs of rapid technological advance: every time the planet reaches the point in its orbit that it vanishes, 700 years pass on the planet’s surface before it re-emerges, but mere hours pass for anyone not on the planet. Civilization has reached a point roughly equal to the pre-Renaissance period of Earth’s history, and Grayson is horrified to discover that an entire religion has sprung up around her initial sighting. She goes directly to the leaders of that religion to reveal her identity and demonstrate that she’s a mere mortal, just like them, before returning to the Orville. Each return visit with each orbit reveals a society more fanatically fixated on the near-mythological figure of Kelly. Can she say or do anything to bring her worshippers to their senses?

Order season 1 on DVD and Blu-RayDownload this episode via Amazonwritten by Seth MacFarlane
directed by Brannon Braga
music by Joel McNeely

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Halston Sage (Lt. Alara Kitan), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad L. Coleman (Klyden), Kelly Hu (Admiral Ozawa), Lenny Von Dohlen (Valondis), Nick Toren (Man in Red Robe), Erica Tazel (Baleth), Philip Anthony-Rodriguez (Fadolin), Jasper McPherson (Little Girl), Chloe Russell (Woman), Grahame Wood (Man in Wagon), Jo Galloway (Mother), Kyra Santoro (Ensign Turco), Ethan Jones (Dalen), Neil Dickson (Man in Clerical Garb), Gordy De St. Jeor (Teenage Boy), Cyrus Deboo (Pundit #1), Stephen Jared (Pundit #2), Betsy Baker (Pundit #3), The OrvilleKurt Sinclair (Televangelist), Jay Jackson (Reporter), Alexander Catalano (Peasant #1), Ryan Fitzsimmons (Peasant #2), Mikey Roe (Peasant #3)

Notes: Not only has he appeared in Twin Peaks, Tales From The Darkside, and the early ’90s TV iteration of The Flash, guest star Lenny Von Dohlen is the first actor to have appeared in both The Orville and Red Dwarf.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

Ja’loja

The OrvilleCaptain Mercer has become a frequent flyer at the bar aboard the Orville, and he’s not the only one; his unaddressed feelings for his ex – who still happens to be the Orville‘s first officer – are nagging away at him. Something a bit more basic is nagging at Bortus, though: the time of his Ja’loja, a Moclan ritual that’s somewhere between a birthday and a good long visit to the toilet, approaches, and he asks Mercer to divert the ship to his homeworld. When Mercer confesses his feelings to Commander Grayson, he’s crushed to learn that she’s dating someone else aboard the ship, and his curiosity as to who it is leads him to some less-than-subtle overreach of command privilege. A quick stop at a Union outpost allows a new dark matter cartographer, Lt. Janel Tyler, to come aboard, and Gordon instantly obsesses over how best to ask her out, which could make things a bit awkward since her station is right next to his at the helm. Dr. Finn worries that her oldest son Marcus’ new friend is a bad influence on him, only to discover that his friend’s parents are making that assumption about Marcus.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Seth MacFarlane
directed by Seth MacFarlane
music by John Debney

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Halston Sage (Lt. Alara Kitan), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad L. Coleman (Klyden), Will Sasso (Mooska), Mike Henry (Dann), Chris Johnson (Cassius), Jason Alexander (Olix), Kai Wener (Ty Finn), B.J. Tanner (Marcus Finn), Blesson Yates (Topa), Jake Brennan (James), Adam J. Smith (Nathan), Kristen O’Meara (Jody), Rachael MacFarlane (Computer Voice), Luke Clark (Kid #1), Alicia Leigh Willis (Woman), Francesca Catalano (Xelayan woman), Melvin Diggs (Shuttle bay lieutenant), Michaela McManus (Lt. Janel Tyler)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

Primal Urges

The OrvilleBortus is the last member of the Orville’s crew that Captain Mercer would expect to have attendance problems, and yet the normally stoic Moclan is asking to leave nearly every shift early…and is arriving in his quarters very late every evening. When Bortus’ spouse, Klyden, attempts to kill him – the Moclan method of initiating a divorce – Dr. Finn is able to save Bortus’ life, over his protests. Mercer has Klyden thrown into the brig and finally begins to demand answers, but since the incident has disrupted routine duties aboard a Union ship, the captain refuses to acknowledge the lethal divorce proceedings, instead “sentencing” Bortus and Klyden to couples counseling. But Bortus still has a secret – he’s been using the holographic simulator aboard the Orville to satisfy some base desires…and his appetite for doing so may put the entire ship, and a high-stakes rescue mission, in extreme danger.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Wellesley Wild
directed by Kevin Hooks
music by John Debney

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Halston Sage (Lt. Alara Kitan), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad L. Coleman (Klyden), Kelly Hu (), Lesley Fera (), Mike Henry (Dann), Michael C. Mahon (Altox), Darren Dupree Washington (Simulated Moclan), Jude B. Lanston (Moclan Prison Guard), Veronica Matheu (Nyxian Girl), Gavin Lee (Henry Park), Joseph Johnson (Moclan Doctor), Michael James Lazar (Moclan #1), Torrance Jordan (Moclan #2), Aaron McPherson (Crew Member)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

Home

The OrvilleThe Friday night arm wrestling match between Isaac and Alara has become part of the Orville‘s routine, but on this occasion Isaac overdoes it, breaking Alara’s arm. In sick bay, while mending the broken bone is a fairly easy procedure, medical scans reveal that Alara, accustomed to operating in the higher gravity of her home planet, is losing both bone and muscle mass in Earth-normal gravity. Before long, she will have lost the increased strength that Xelayans display in lower gravity, and the only prognosis is a return to her home planet to reacclimate – and Dr. Finn can’t be sure how long that will take. As Captain Mercer begins the dreaded process of looking for a temporary replacement for his security chief, Alara begins the even more dreaded process of spending time with a family whose disdain for her non-academic pursuits has alienated her. At the Kitan family’s beach home, a neighbor’s report of a possible break-in provides some relief for Alara: at least she’s in her element doing security work, even while confined to a zero-gravity wheelchair. But the crime that has been reported is not the crime that has been committed, and soon Alara and her entire family are hostages to a man who blames Alara’s father for the death of his son. Still weakened by her condition, Alara may have to resolve the hostage crisis at the cost of returning to the Orville.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong
directed by Jon Cassar
music by Joel McNeely

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Halston Sage (Lt. Alara Kitan), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Molly Hagan (Drenala Kitan), Candice King (Solana Kitan), Robert Picardo (Ildis Kitan), John Billingsley (Cambis Borrin), Kerry O’Malley (Floratta), Patrick Warburton (Lt. Tharl), Jason Alexander (Olix), Norm MacDonald (Yaphit), Chris Flanders (Serris)

The OrvilleNotes: It’s a battle of the network Star (Trek doctor)s! Returning guest star Robert Picardo (who was the holographic doctor in all seven seasons of Star Trek: Voyager) is pitted against a character played by John Billingsley, who played Dr. Phlox in all four seasons of the successor to Voyager’s UPN time slot, Star Trek: Enterprise. Patrick Warburton (The Tick, A Series Of Unfortunate Events) appears as Alara’s heir-apparent, though he and his external esophogeal trunk wouldn’t be permanent fixtures aboard The Orville.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

Nothing Left On Earth Excepting Fishes

The OrvilleCaptain Mercer has been keeping a romantic relationship with the Orville’s new dark matter cartographer, Lt. Janel Tyler, hush-hush, but finally begins letting the word out ahead of a vacation shuttle trip with her. But as if often the case, Mercer can’t have nice things: a small group of Krill fighters seem to home in on the shuttle, even when it’s cloaked, until it is captured by a larger Krill ship. The Krill separate the two and demand Mercer’s command codes, and it is only then that he learns that Lt. Janel Tyler is Telaya, a Krill who Mercer met which disguised as a Trill himself. Acting as a surgically-altered Krill deep-cover agent, Telaya is returning the favor, but a surprise attack by another enemy of the Krill forces the two into an escape pod which sets down on a planet inhospitable to Telaya, who, like all Krill, cannot survive direct exposure to sunlight. With the Krill’s enemies hunting them down, Mercer has to find a way to signal the Orville…and protect a woman who’s holding him at gunpoint.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Brannon Braga & Andre Bormanis
directed by Jon Cassar
music by Joel McNeely

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad Coleman (Klyden), Michaela McManus (Telaya / Lt. Janel Tyler), Patrick Warburton (Lt. Tharl), Chris Johnson (Cassius), Michael Traynor (Krill Captain), Nathan Dana Aldrich (Krill Officer), Greta Jung (Comm Officer), Giovanni Bejarano (Security Officer), Michele Boyd (Lieutenant Dorsett), Fred Tatasciore (Krill voice)

The OrvilleNotes: Mercer and Gordon met Telaya in season one’s Krill, while “Lt. Tyler” boarded the Orville at the beginning of season two (Ja’loja), though Michaela McManus was not credited in that episode, presumably to avoid tipping the hand of this episode’s plot developments (and perhaps to confuse speculation as to who would replace Halston Sage as a series regular).

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

All The World Is Birthday Cake

The OrvilleThe process of search for Alara’s replacement has finally settled on another Xelayan security officer, Lt. Talla Keyali, though Mercer still seems apprehensive about anyone stepping into Alara’s shoes. Commander Grayson and Bortus discuss holding a joint birthday party, an idea whose merits she seems unable to sell Bortus on. A radio signal from a distant planet – “is anyone out there?” – signals an imminent first-contact situation, but despite the initial introductions going smoothly, the Orville crew’s hosts suddenly hold them at gunpoint and have Grayson and Bortus sent to an internment camp, all because a casual mention of their imminent birthdays means that they fall into a star sign that this society’s astrologers consider extremely dangerous. Mercer and his new security chief try to parlay for their officers’ release, while Grayson and Bortus become resigned to the fact that any escape attempt will surely only prove that they are dangerous and violent.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Seth MacFarlane
directed by Robert Duncan McNeill
music by John Debney

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Jessica Szohr (Lt. Talla Keyali), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad L. Coleman (Klyden), Ted Danson (Admiral Perry), Chris Johnson (Cassius), Mike Henry (Dann), John Rubinstein (First Prefect), Niko Nicotera (Rokal ), Jennifer Landon (Ukania), Robert Curtis Brown (Chief Advisor Makkal), Heather Horton (Science Prefect), Marie-Francoise Theodore (Advisor #2), Gigi Hessamian (Physicist), Meredith Thomas (Nurse), Matthew Foster (Regorian Doctor), The OrvilleArriane Alexander (Regorian Doctor #2), Erica Shaffer (Obstetric Surgeon #1), Brandon Young (Obstetric Surgeon #2), Carlos E. Campos (Obstetric Surgeon #3), Carlos Arellano (Burly Man), Evan Angone (Cameraman), Chet Grissom (Aide), Julienne Irons (Prisoner), Blesson Yates (Topa), Kyra Santoro (Ensign Turco), Charles Maceo (Camp Guard #1), Cory Tucker (Camp Guard #2), Chad T. Wood (Warden), Jack Kennedy (Military Security Guard), Thai Edwards (Holding Cell Guard), Troy Vincent (Man in Lab Coat)

Notes: There’s in interesting Star Trek connection in this episode’s cast-of-almost-thousands: actress Julienne Irons played Lt. Uhura in the earliest episodes of the fan-made series Star Trek: New Voyages.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

A Happy Refrain

The OrvilleConvinced by Lt. Malloy that he’d look good with a moustache, Bortus boldly goes where no Moclan has gone before – to Dr. Finn, to have hair follicles stimulated on his upper lip. Dr. Finn, however, has other things on her mind: asking the Orville’s resident Kaylon science officer, Isaac, out on a date. Her children already love spending time with him, and despite his being an emotionless artificial life form, Dr. Finn has slowly grown to enjoy his company as well. Isaac, however, has one major problem: being an emotionless artificial life form, not only is he devoid of any feelings for Dr. Finn, but he regards human dating as a primitive mating ritual to be studied for a while, and then abandoned. Only after putting Dr. Finn’s romantic feelings for him through the wringer does Isaac realize that human relationships can be much more long-term – and that breaking those relationships off can cause major rifts in normal working relations with his shipmates.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Seth MacFarlane
directed by Seth MacFarlane
music by Andrew Cottee

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Jessica Szohr (Lt. Talla Keyali), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad L. Coleman (Klyden), Mike Henry (Dann), Chris Johnson (Cassius), Norm MacDonald (Yaphit), Kai Di’Nilo Wener (Ty Finn), B.J. Tanner (Marcus Finn), Blesson Yates (Topa), Kyra Santoro (Ensign Turco), Mark Graham (Conductor), Aaron Goddard (Waiter), Brent Alan Henry (Bartender)

Notes: Both Mark Jackson and Norm MacDonald appear “in the flesh” as, respectively, Isaac and Yaphit, thanks to the environment simulator’s holographic overlays.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

Deflectors

The OrvilleThe Orville returns to Moclus for a deflector upgrade, to be overseen by one of the Moclans’ most skilled engineers, Locar. He happens to be an old flame of Bortus’, but Bortus does his best not to associate with the distinguished guest. As his security liaison and escort aboard the Orville, Lt. Keyali spends the most time with Locar, and is caught off guard when he confesses that he is attracted to her. Since Moclans are (mostly) single-gender, a Moclan attracted to females faces being ostracized from Moclan society. When Locar goes missing after a walk in the environment simulator with Lt. Keyali, she replays the environment simulator records and discovers that he appears to have been murdered – and Bortus’ mate, Klyden, is the prime suspect. Klyden admits to confronting Locar about what Moclan society perceives as his perversity, but denies killing him. Keyali realizes quickly that, with Locar’s engineering genius, what seems like an open-and-shut murder case may be something much more complex…and perhaps not a murder at all.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by David A. Goodman
directed by Seth MacFarlane
music by Andrew Cottee

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Jessica Szohr (Lt. Talla Keyali), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad L. Coleman (Klyden), Mike Henry (Dann), Chris Johnson (Cassius), Kevin Daniels (Locar), Wren T. Brown (Captain Rechik), Norm MacDonald (Yaphit), Blesson Yates (Topa), Kyra Santoro (Ensign Turco), Chase Brosamle (Newsie), Rachael MacFarlane (Computer Voice), Vivienne Rutherford (Little Girl), Yvette Tucker (Window Dancer #1), Steve Hanneman (Window Dancer #2), Bruce Willis (Groogen)

Notes: Wren T. Brown is a two-time Star Trek veteran, having appeared in the Next Generation episode Manhunt (1989) and the Voyager episode Prophecy (2001). Kevin Daniels has appeared on Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Charmed, and Smallville. Bruce Willis’ guest voice role was neither credited on-screen nor featured in advance publicity.

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

Identity

The OrvilleMoments after Dr. Finn reveals to her sons that she and Isaac are an item, the Kaylon promptly keels over, showing no signs of life. Captain Mercer gets permission from the Planetary Union to visit the home planet of the Kaylons, not just to seek care for Isaac, but to see if they’re any closer to a decision on joining the Union. When they awaken Isaac, he announces that his mission – to join the crew to learn more about humanity and other organic life forms – has been completed, and that he will be leaving the Orville. Distraught, Dr. Finn’s youngest son sneaks out of the ship to look for Isaac, but in the course of hiding from other Kaylons, finds himself hiding in an underground chamber. When Dr. Finn, Bortus and Lt. Keyali find Ty, he has found something horrifying: a mass grave site of organic life forms. Scans of the planet reveal that these mass graves circle the entire Kaylon homeworld. When Captain Mercer presses the Kaylons for details, they reveal that the dead were the organic beings who constructed the Kaylons to be robotic servants, and then refused to give them rights when the Kaylons achieved sentience. The Kaylons wiped them out in a genocidal conflict, which rules out their ever joining the Union – which seems to suit them just fine, as they intend to board and hijack the Orville to facilitate a similar conquest of Earth.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Brannon Braga & Andre Bormanis
directed by Jon Cassar
music by John Debney

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Jessica Szohr (Lt. Talla Keyali), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad L. Coleman (Klyden), Victor Garber (Admiral Halsey), Graham Hamilton (Kaylon Primary), Mike Henry (Dann), Robert David Grant (Kaylon Secondary), B.J. Tanner (Marcus Finn), Kai Di’Nilo Wener (Ty Finn), Norm MacDonald (Yaphit), Jay Whittaker (Kaylon Tertiary), Blesson Yates (Topa)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

Identity Part II

The OrvilleUnder Kaylon control, the Orville proceeds toward Earth with a massive Kaylon fleet in tow. Another Union ship commanded by an old friend of Mercer stumbles across the fleet, and when Mercer tries to signal to them what’s happened, the Kaylons destroy the ship and execute a member of Mercer’s crew. Yaphit and Ty Finn squeeze through service ducts to reach a communications station from which they can transmit a warning to Earth, but they are discovered by the Kaylons, and the Kaylon Primary orders Isaac to execute Ty for his actions – something that Isaac finds he cannot do. Deciding to help his shipmates rather than his fellow Kaylons, Isaac guns down the entire Kaylon crew manning the Orville’s bridge and prepares to set off an electromagnetic pulse that will eliminate the entire Kaylon presence on the Orville…including himself. But the Kaylon fleet is still barreling toward Earth, intent on destroying humanity and seizing the planet. Commander Grayson takes on a risky mission of her own, gambling her life and the future of the human race to ask the Krill to join the fight against the Kaylons.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Seth MacFarlane
directed by Jon Cassar
music by John Debney

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Jessica Szohr (Lt. Talla Keyali), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Chad L. Coleman (Klyden), Victor Garber (Admiral Halsey), Graham Hamilton (Kaylon Primary), Mike Henry (Dann), Robert David Grant (Kaylon Secondary), B.J. Tanner (Marcus Finn), Kai Di’Nilo Wener (Ty Finn), Norm MacDonald (Yaphit), Jay Whittaker (Kaylon Tertiary), Blesson Yates (Topa)

LogBook entry by Earl Green

Categories
Orville, The Season 2

Blood Of Patriots

The OrvilleIn the wake of the historic battle in which the Krill joined in the defense of Earth against the Kaylons, the Planetary Union is eager to press for full-on peace talks with the Krill, and sends the Orville to a meeting at which Captain Mercer is expected to sign a preliminary document to open negotiations. But upon arriving at the coordinates for the meeting, Mercer finds not just the expected Krill cruiser, but a Krill shuttle which that cruiser then fires upon. Crewed by a Union prisoner of war (who also happens to be an old friend of Malloy), the shuttle crashes into the Orville’s shuttle bay and its pilot asks for political asylum. The peace talks are suddenly off unless Mercer hands the former prisoner back to his Krill captors to stand trial – and almost-certain execution – for war crimes. Malloy insists that his old friend can’t be guilty of the killing spree of which he is accused, and insists that Mercer can’t extradite him. Questions remain about both the pilot and the woman who is with him, who he claims is his now-grown daughter, who was captured with him years ago…and his behavior is odd enough that no one can quite erase any doubts about his innocence.

Download this episode via Amazonwritten by Seth MacFarlane
directed by Rebecca Rodriguez
music by John Debney

The OrvilleCast: Seth MacFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr. Claire Finn), Scott Grimes (Lt. Gordon Malloy), Peter Macon (Lt. Commander Bortus), Jessica Szohr (Lt. Talla Keyali), J Lee (Lt. John LaMarr), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Ted Danson (Admiral Perry), Mackenzie Astin (Orrin Channing), Mike Henry (Dann), Robin Atkin Downes (Krill Officer), John Fleck (Ambassador K.T.Z.), Aily Kei (Leyna Channing), J. Paul Boehmer (Krill), Jim Mahoney (Brosk), Norm MacDonald (Yaphit), Francis Lloyd Corby (Crewman)

The OrvilleNotes: Though his more recent work has been in providing voices for Star Wars animated series such as Clone Wars and Rebels, guest star Robin Atkin Downes may be forever linked to his portrayal of the fandom-polarizing character Byron in the fifth and final season of Babylon 5. Guest stars J. Paul Boehmer and John Fleck are both recurring Star Trek guest stars, especially Fleck, who played the recurring role of the Suliban arch-nemesis Silik in Star Trek: Enterprise.

LogBook entry by Earl Green