The Orville season 3
| The Orville | |
|---|---|
| Season 3 | |
| Starring | |
| No. of episodes | 10 |
| Release | |
| Original network | Hulu |
| Original release | June 2 – August 4, 2022 |
| Season chronology | |
The third and final season of the comedy-drama science fiction television series The Orville, also known as The Orville: New Horizons, premiered on June 2, 2022.[1][2] It streams on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ internationally. Filming began in October 2019 but was halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and production ultimately completed in August 2021.[3] This season is the show's only on Hulu, after airing its previous two seasons on Fox,[4] as well as the only one to premiere since the acquisition of 21st Century Fox by Disney in March 2019.[5]
Summary
Storylines for the season include the Union's conflict with the Kaylon, Claire's reconciliation with Isaac, Ed discovering that he shares a daughter with newly elected Krill chancellor Teleya, the reversal of Topa's sex-change operation and new crew member Charly Burke overcoming her bigotry towards Isaac for his part in her friend's death upon learning the origins of the Kaylon's own prejudice towards biologicals. Towards the end of the season, Moclus is expelled from the Union after Kelly and Bortus rescue Topa from a Moclan black site where she's tortured and nearly killed after agreeing to help Haveena smuggle newborn Moclan females (violating the agreement established in the previous season), so the Moclans form an alliance with the Krill against the Kaylon, who are coerced into a truce with the Union by a weapon powerful enough to wipe them out. Ironically, the Union are forced to ally with the Kaylon when the weapon falls into the hands of the Krill and the Moclans, culminating in a battle that does not come without sacrifice.
Cast
Main
- Seth MacFarlane as Captain Ed Mercer
- Adrianne Palicki as Commander Kelly Grayson
- Penny Johnson Jerald as Dr. Claire Finn
- Scott Grimes as Lieutenant Gordon Malloy
- Peter Macon as Lieutenant Commander Bortus
- Jessica Szohr as Lieutenant/Lieutenant Commander Talla Keyali
- J Lee as Lieutenant Commander John LaMarr
- Mark Jackson as Isaac
- Anne Winters as Ensign Charly Burke[a]
Recurring
- Norm Macdonald as Lt. Yaphit (voice)[6]
- Kai Wener as Ty Finn
- BJ Tanner as Marcus Finn
- Victor Garber as Admiral Tom Halsey
- Kelly Hu as Admiral Ozawa
- Andi Chapman as Admiral Howland
- Chad L. Coleman as Klyden
- Imani Pullum as Topa
Guest
- Mike Henry as Dann
- Alexis Knapp as Irillia
- James Read as Vice Admiral Paul Christie
- Elizabeth Gillies as Dinal
- Ted Danson as Admiral Perry
- Michaela McManus as Teleya
- Bruce Boxleitner as Union President Alcazar[7]
- Lisa Banes as Speria Balask
- Rena Owen as Heveena
- Leighton Meester as Laura Huggins
- Johnny Knoxville and Jack McBrayer as themselves
- Eliza Taylor as Doctor Villka
- Sophina Brown as Captain Losha
- Christopher Larkin as Timmis
- William R. Moses as Yan
- Scott Speiser as Verell
- Elyse Levesque as Wenda
- Dolly Parton as a simulation of herself
- Giorgia Whigham as Lysella
- Halston Sage as Alara Kitan
Development and production
Fox renewed the series for a third season in May 2019. In July 2019, it was announced that the series would be moving to Hulu, targeting a premiere date in late 2020.[8]
Seth MacFarlane and Jon Cassar were the only directors for the third season.[9] Filming began in October 2019, but was halted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, by which time approximately half of the season had been completed.[10][11] Production resumed in December 2020 but was suspended once again in January 2021 following a COVID surge.[12][13] Filming once again resumed in early February 2021 and wrapped in August.[14][15] Norm Macdonald completed voiceover work as Lt. Yaphit prior to his death in September 2021, making it his final role.[6] The premiere was dedicated to his memory. The episode "Gently Falling Rain" was dedicated to Lisa Banes, who completed her role as Speria Balask prior to her death in June 2021.
The season introduced some changes to the show's production design, such as updated uniforms and sets, as well as Isaac and the Kaylon being redesigned to appear more robotic.[16]
Episodes
| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original release date [17] | Prod. code |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 | 1 | "Electric Sheep" | Seth MacFarlane | Seth MacFarlane | June 2, 2022 | 3LAB01 |
| 28 | 2 | "Shadow Realms" | Jon Cassar | Brannon Braga & Andre Bormanis | June 9, 2022 | 3LAB02 |
| 29 | 3 | "Mortality Paradox" | Jon Cassar | Cherry Chevapravatdumrong | June 16, 2022 | 3LAB03 |
| 30 | 4 | "Gently Falling Rain" | Jon Cassar | Brannon Braga & Andre Bormanis | June 23, 2022 | 3LAB04 |
| 31 | 5 | "A Tale of Two Topas" | Seth MacFarlane | Seth MacFarlane | June 30, 2022 | 3LAB05 |
| 32 | 6 | "Twice in a Lifetime" | Jon Cassar | Seth MacFarlane | July 7, 2022 | 3LAB06 |
| 33 | 7 | "From Unknown Graves" | Seth MacFarlane | David A. Goodman | July 14, 2022 | 3LAB07 |
| 34 | 8 | "Midnight Blue" | Jon Cassar | Brannon Braga & Andre Bormanis | July 21, 2022 | 3LAB08 |
| 35 | 9 | "Domino" | Jon Cassar | Brannon Braga & Andre Bormanis | July 28, 2022 | 3LAB10 |
| 36 | 10 | "Future Unknown" | Seth MacFarlane | Seth MacFarlane | August 4, 2022 | 3LAB11 |
Novella
The season was initially announced as consisting of eleven episodes,[18] but one episode was not filmed due to pandemic-related travel restrictions.[19] Titled "Sympathy for the Devil", it was instead adapted as a novelization written by MacFarlane, and takes place between "Midnight Blue" and "Domino". The audiobook is narrated by guest star Bruce Boxleitner. The novella was released on July 19, 2022.[20]
| Title | Author | Publication date | ISBN | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Orville: Sympathy for the Devil | Seth MacFarlane | July 19, 2022 | 978-1-368-09263-0 | |
|
In 1914 New York City, a woman leaves her baby at the front desk of a hotel and never returns. The staff decide to give the baby to a German couple staying in the hotel, who name the baby Otto and return with him to Germany. As a teenager, Otto begins to sympathize with the Nazi Party and develops a strong disdain for Jews, and joins the Schutzstaffel. Otto later marries and fathers a son. Otto becomes the commander of a concentration camp, where he kills Jewish prisoners to entertain himself. Ed and Kelly arrive at the camp and end the program, revealing Otto’s reality to be a simulation, and take Otto to the Orville and his parents, who reveal his true name to be Adam. Adam’s parents recount that they were energy researchers living and working in a below-ground laboratory when the Krill attacked their laboratory to steal their research. Adam’s mother hid him in their 1914 simulation before the Krill abducted and imprisoned them, and Adam was left to be raised by the simulator for nearly thirty years. Adam has difficulty adjusting to reality, and the Orville crew unsuccessfully attempt to deprogram him. Adam escapes from his quarters and takes an officer hostage, whom he has take him to the ship’s simulator, where he has the computer create a simulation of his wife and son in a reality where Germany won World War II. Ed and Talla apprehend Adam and arrange for him to be sent to a facility for extensive psychological deprogramming. Decades later, an elderly Adam is working as a baker and runs into Ty Finn, and mentions Ty’s mother helped him during a difficult time. | ||||
Music
A soundtrack album for this third season of The Orville was released digitally by Hollywood Records on March 3, 2023.[21]
| No. | Title | Music | Episode | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Orville: New Horizons Main Title" | Bruce Broughton | 1:36 | |
| 2. | "Battling the Kaylon" | Kevin Kaska | "Electric Sheep" | 2:27 |
| 3. | "Gordon Flies In" | Kevin Kaska | "Electric Sheep" | 2:27 |
| 4. | "Claire Visits Isaac/Training Exercises" | Kevin Kaska | "Electric Sheep" | 3:57 |
| 5. | "Isaac Is Found/Ed's Speech" | Kevin Kaska | "Electric Sheep" | 3:21 |
| 6. | "Leaving the Dockyard/Under Fire" | Kevin Kaska | "Electric Sheep" | 7:37 |
| 7. | "Powering Isaac Up/All Is Well" | Kevin Kaska | "Electric Sheep" | 3:00 |
| 8. | "Meeting Dismissed/Krill Depart" | John Debney | "Shadow Realms" | 3:04 |
| 9. | "Searching the Alien Station" | John Debney | "Shadow Realms" | 8:54 |
| 10. | "Treating the Admiral" | John Debney | "Shadow Realms" | 3:02 |
| 11. | "Shipwide Blackout" | John Debney | "Shadow Realms" | 4:20 |
| 12. | "Claire Searches/Kids Narrowly Escape/Crew Reunites" | John Debney | "Shadow Realms" | 4:38 |
| 13. | "New Patient" | John Debney | "Shadow Realms" | 4:10 |
| 14. | "Aliens Evacuate" | John Debney | "Shadow Realms" | 7:00 |
| 15. | "Talla Arrives" | Joel McNeely | "Mortality Paradox" | 1:18 |
| 16. | "Signs of Life" | Joel McNeely | "Mortality Paradox" | 5:13 |
| 17. | "Entering the School/Searching the School" | Joel McNeely | "Mortality Paradox" | 3:44 |
| 18. | "Near-Death Experience" | Joel McNeely | "Mortality Paradox" | 4:48 |
| 19. | "More Near-Death Experience" | Joel McNeely | "Mortality Paradox" | 8:04 |
| 20. | "Destroying the Generator" | Joel McNeely | "Mortality Paradox" | 6:25 |
| 21. | "Battle with the Kaylon" | Joel McNeely | "Mortality Paradox" | 5:10 |
| 22. | "Dinal Explains the Situation" | Joel McNeely | "Mortality Paradox" | 3:53 |
| 23. | "Dalakos Arrival" | Joel McNeely | "Gently Falling Rain" | 5:07 |
| 24. | "Emergency Arrival" | Joel McNeely | "Gently Falling Rain" | 1:29 |
| 25. | "Slums of Dalakos" | Joel McNeely | "Gently Falling Rain" | 8:11 |
| 26. | "Detention Facility" | Joel McNeely | "Gently Falling Rain" | 1:48 |
| 27. | "Chase Through the City/Rescuing the Team" | Joel McNeely | "Gently Falling Rain" | 3:57 |
| 28. | "Working Toward Peace" | Joel McNeely | "Gently Falling Rain" | 1:03 |
| 29. | "Archeological Ruins/Inside the Ruins" | Andrew Cottee | "A Tale of Two Topas" | 3:08 |
| 30. | "Searching the Database/Confronting Bortus" | Andrew Cottee | "A Tale of Two Topas" | 1:24 |
| 31. | "Heveena's Speech" | Andrew Cottee | "A Tale of Two Topas" | 2:40 |
| 32. | "Union Has Decided/All Mapped Out" | Andrew Cottee | "A Tale of Two Topas" | 2:29 |
| 33. | "Official Orders" | Andrew Cottee | "A Tale of Two Topas" | 2:27 |
| 34. | "Topa Wakes Up" | Joel McNeely | "A Tale of Two Topas" | 1:46 |
| 35. | "Kelly Invites Topa" | Kevin Kaska | "A Tale of Two Topas" | 2:57 |
| 36. | "Transporting the Aronov Device" | Andrew Cottee | "Twice in a Lifetime" | 1:50 |
| 37. | "Kaylon Ambush" | Andrew Cottee | "Twice in a Lifetime" | 4:05 |
| 38. | "Initiating Sequence/Landing on Earth" | Andrew Cottee | "Twice in a Lifetime" | 5:46 |
| 39. | "Leave, Now!" | Joel McNeely | "Twice in a Lifetime" | 3:38 |
| 40. | "Gordon Returns" | Andrew Cottee | "Twice in a Lifetime" | 2:46 |
| 41. | "Returning Home" | Andrew Cottee | "Twice in a Lifetime" | 4:35 |
| 42. | "Guests Arrive/Subterranean Outpost" | John Debney | "From Unknown Graves" | 4:03 |
| 43. | "Kaylon Bonding/Murderous Past" | John Debney | "From Unknown Graves" | 1:27 |
| 44. | "Common Ground" | John Debney | "From Unknown Graves" | 5:29 |
| 45. | "Isaac's Proposal/Isaac and Charly" | John Debney | "From Unknown Graves" | 3:10 |
| 46. | "Moclan Colony/Meeting Heveena" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 3:31 |
| 47. | "Sweet Moment/Beautiful Sight" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 4:30 |
| 48. | "Rushing Back" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 4:06 |
| 49. | "Union Central" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 2:58 |
| 50. | "Canyon Basin" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 1:37 |
| 51. | "Entering the Black Site" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 3:48 |
| 52. | "Saving Topa" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 4:57 |
| 53. | "It's Decided" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 1:25 |
| 54. | "Traumatic Experience" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 2:00 |
| 55. | "Klyden Returns/Family Dinner" | Joel McNeely | "Midnight Blue" | 3:55 |
| 56. | "Meeting with Teleya/Closing In" | Kevin Kaska | "Domino" | 4:10 |
| 57. | "Tactical Alert" | John Debney | "Domino" | 4:41 |
| 58. | "Accessing the Device/Delivering the Device" | Kevin Kaska | "Domino" | 6:13 |
| 59. | "Seeking Answers" | Kevin Kaska | "Domino" | 4:49 |
| 60. | "Temporary Alliance" | John Debney | "Domino" | 1:57 |
| 61. | "Breaking In" | Kevin Kaska | "Domino" | 20:11 |
| 62. | "Locked Up" | Kevin Kaska | "Domino" | 3:41 |
| 63. | "New Beginnings" | Kevin Kaska & Joel McNeely | "Domino" | 4:09 |
| 64. | "Flowers Never Bend with the Rainfall" (Performed by Scott Grimes & Anne Winters) | Paul Simon | "Domino" | 1:32 |
| 65. | "Preparing to Land/Bonding Ceremony" | Joel McNeely | "Future Unknown" | 3:34 |
| 66. | "Isaac Proposes/Call for Help" | Joel McNeely | "Future Unknown" | 1:49 |
| 67. | "Hey, Boys/Marriage Approval" | Joel McNeely | "Future Unknown" | 1:37 |
| 68. | "Asteroid Simulation" | Joel McNeely | "Future Unknown" | 2:06 |
| 69. | "Teaching Lysella" | Joel McNeely | "Future Unknown" | 5:26 |
| 70. | "Surprise Guests/Newly Married" | Joel McNeely | "Future Unknown" | 1:47 |
| 71. | "Secret O'Life" (Performed by Scott Grimes) | James Taylor | "Future Unknown" | 2:46 |
| 72. | "The Orville: New Horizons End Title" | Bruce Broughton | 1:06 | |
| Total length: | 4:37:00 | |||
Reception
Audience viewership
According to Parrot Analytics, which looks at consumer engagement in consumer research, streaming, downloads, and on social media, The Orville: New Horizons was the 4th-most-streamed show in the United States during the week ending August 26, 2022,[22] and the 6th during the week ending September 9, 2022.[23] According to the streaming aggregator JustWatch, The Orville: New Horizons was the 6th-most-streamed TV show across all platforms in the United States during the week of June 5, 2022.[24] For August 1–7, 2022, the week the third-season finale aired, Whip Media's analytics ranked The Orville as the fifth most watched streaming original series in the United States, and Hulu's second most watched series behind Only Murders in the Building.[25][26]
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, the third season has an approval rating of 100%, with an average rating of 8.25/10 based on 11 reviews.[27]
Den of Geek reviewer Michael Winn Johnson awarded the first episode "Electric Sheep" five out of five stars. He gave a favorable appraisal of the Isaac-centric storyline for dealing with the themes of prejudice and suicide. Johnson also praised MacFarlane and his creative team for forging an "extremely strong identity" for the show despite its influence from other science fiction franchises, particularly Star Trek.[28] Remus Norona of Collider gave the first episode an A minus, stating that the season premiere is "bigger, bolder, and a whole lot darker." He noted that the first episode explored themes such as trauma, suicide, and grief.[29]
Tell-Tale TV reviewer Nick Hogan observed that the third season had a higher budget than the previous two seasons, allowing more investment in both the practical and special effects. Hogan described the second episode "Shadow Realms" as a "cool, Alien-esque horror story that thrills both psychologically and physically" but criticised the "bloated" storyline.[30] Reviewing the third episode "Mortality Paradox," Johnson praised the episode's writer Cherry Chevapravatdumrong for mixing the third season with "thrills, humor, adventure and even a little horror.[31]
Digital Trends reviewer Michael Green praised the third season, describing it as a "loving homage" and the spiritual successor to Star Trek: The Next Generation. Green also praised the family dynamic between the main cast members' characters Seth McFarlane (Captain Ed Mercer), Adrianne Palicki (Commander Kelly Grayson), Penny Johnson Jerald (Dr Claire Finn), Mark Jackson (Isaac), Peter Macon (Bortus) and J. Lee (Chief Engineer John LaMarr). Green further praised The Orville's high production values and gave a favorable appraisal of its stories which explored philosophical, intellectual and human interest issues. Green praised the Season 3 episode "Midnight Blue" for exploring the ethical dimensions of gender reassignment surgery and its cameo featuring Dolly Parton. He also gave a favorable appraisal of the time travel episode "Twice in a Lifetime" which explored tampering with the past and sacrificing one's family for the "greater good."[32]
Notes
- ^ Winters is not credited in the final episode, "Future Unknown".
References
- ^ MacFarlane, Seth (February 4, 2022). "The Orville: New Horizons Sneak Peek Arriving 6.2.2022 Hulu". Twitter. Retrieved February 4, 2022.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie (May 27, 2022). "'Avenue 5' Likely To End With Season 2, Cast Of Armando Iannucci's HBO Space Comedy Has Been Released". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 29, 2022.
- ^ White, Peter (August 6, 2021). "'The Orville': Hulu Scripted Chief Jordan Helman Gives Update On Season 3 Of Seth MacFarlane's Sci-Fi Drama". Deadline Hollywood.
- ^ Episodes from seasons 1 and 2 were released on Hulu the day after each episode aired.
- ^ Petski, Denise (July 20, 2019). "'The Orville' Moves To Hulu From Fox For Season 3 In 2020". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (September 14, 2021). "Norm Macdonald Leaves Behind New Episodes Of 'The Orville' As Seth MacFarlane Mourns His 'Hilarious And Generous' Co-Star". Deadline. Retrieved September 16, 2021.
- ^ House, Dénes (June 24, 2022). "Review: 'The Orville' Loses Its Sunny Tomorrow In 'Gently Falling Rain'". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Petski, Denise (July 20, 2019). "'The Orville' Moves To Hulu From Fox For Season 3 In 2020". Deadline. Retrieved August 7, 2022.
- ^ Burlingame, Russ (April 27, 2020). "The Orville Season 3 Will Be Directed Entirely by Seth MacFarlane and John Cassar". Comicbook.com. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ Costantino, Tom [@TomCostantino] (October 18, 2019). "See ya Monday. @TheOrville @hulu #TheOrville @planetary_union 🚀 pic.twitter.com/DUcDfBTrsp" (Tweet). Retrieved September 17, 2020 – via Twitter.
- ^ "The Orville's Seth MacFarlane Shares Hilarious Update On Production Delay". CinemaBlend. May 13, 2020. Retrieved September 17, 2020.
- ^ "Exclusive: 'The Orville' Season 3 Is Returning To Production In December". Trek Movie.com. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "Seth MacFarlane's The Orville Season 3 Just Hit Another Setback". CinemaBlend. January 3, 2021. Retrieved January 5, 2021.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (August 11, 2021). "The Orville Finally Wraps Filming of Season 3 for Hulu, Seth MacFarlane Not Ruling Out Additional Seasons". TVLine. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
- ^ "Huzzah! Seth MacFarlane's The Orville Celebrates Season 3 Going Back Into Production With New Set Photo". CinemaBlend. March 10, 2021. Retrieved April 5, 2021.
- ^ Staff, TrekMovie com. "First Look At 'The Orville' Season Three Features Some New Faces On The Bridge". TrekMovie.com. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
- ^ "Shows A–Z – The Orville on Hulu". The Futon Critic. Retrieved June 4, 2022.
- ^ Gina Carbone (October 6, 2019). "The Orville Season 3 Will Have Longer Episodes On Hulu (And More Bortus Mic Time)". CINEMABLEND. Retrieved June 28, 2022.
- ^ "Hulu's The Orville Will Soon Be Available for Streaming on Disney+". Gizmodo. July 24, 2022. Retrieved July 30, 2022.
- ^ Mitovich, Matt (June 27, 2022). "The Orville: 'Lost' Season 3 Episode to Be Released as Novella". TVLine. Retrieved June 27, 2022.
- ^ Major, Michael. "THE ORVILLE: NEW HORIZONS Soundtrack Out Now". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved March 4, 2023.
- ^ Latchem, John (August 29, 2022). "'She-Hulk' Jumps to No. 2 on Parrot's Demand Chart; 'Stranger Things' Still No. 1". Media Play News. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ^ Latchem, John (September 12, 2022). "'Stranger Things' Still No. 1 on Parrot's Digital Originals Demand Chart, 'Cobra Kai' No. 2". Media Play News. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
- ^ Gruenwedel, Erik (June 6, 2022). "JustWatch: 'Top Gun,' 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Again Top Weekly Streaming". Media Play News. Retrieved October 31, 2022.
- ^ "SVOD Ranker's Best Shows This Week". Whip Media. Retrieved August 10, 2022.
- ^ Katz, Brandon [@Great_Katzby] (August 9, 2022). "Building on #Hulu's own #Prey announcement, the streamer locked down the No. 1 spots in terms of top shows (8/1-8/7) and movies (8/5-8/7) available on streaming with Prey and #OnlyMurders, per @TVTime" (Tweet). Retrieved August 10, 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "The Orville: New Horizons (2022)". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on August 18, 2022. Retrieved August 18, 2022.
- ^ Johnson, Michael (June 2, 2022). "The Orville: New Horizons Season 3 Episode 1 Review – Electric Sheep". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on June 16, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ^ Noronha, Remus (June 2, 2022). "'The Orville: New Horizons' Review: Season 3 of Seth MacFarlane's Show Is "Definitely Worth the Wait"". Collier. Archived from the original on June 8, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ Hogan, Nick (June 10, 2022). "The Orville Review: Shadow Realms (Season 3 Episode 2)". Tell-Tale TV. Archived from the original on June 10, 2022. Retrieved June 24, 2022.
- ^ Johnson, Michael (June 16, 2022). "The Orville: New Horizons Season 3 Episode 3 Review – Mortality Paradox". Den of Geek. Archived from the original on June 17, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2022.
- ^ Green, Michael (July 28, 2022). "Suck it, Picard. The Orville is Star Trek: The Next Generation's true spiritual successor". Digital Trends. Digital Trends Media Group. Archived from the original on August 7, 2022. Retrieved August 17, 2022.