Be aware, may contain mild spoilers!

2023/03/10

Season two of The Orville aired almost 16 months after the first season! Highly anticipated of course because for too many Star Trek fans, The Orville was the best new Star Trek at that time, while of course it is not related to Star Trek. I think the second season is a bit better than the first and it has one of the best or even thé best episodes of the entire series, of course I mean “Identiy” parts one and two. We also see some changes in the cast: Halston Sage, who plays the Xelayan, Lt. Alara Kitan, who was the security officer on the Orville, leaves the show in episode 3, she gets a nice going away episode, one of the better episodes this season. In her place comes Lt. Talla Keyalli, played by Jessica Szohr, who also is Xelayan who is in charge of security. Captain Ed Mercer really wanted Alara’s replacement also be a Xelayan.

The 2^nd season starts off with the episode Ja’loja which is another word for peeing! It is a sort of a celebration where Moclan males, because they only pee once a year! We also see a new member of the crew, Lt. Janel Tylor (Michaela McManus). It is a beautiful woman and Gordon wants to date her. Jason Alexander is bartender Olix. It really was a bit of a mediocre episode, still, it is not a punishment to watch it! Episode two, “Primal Urges” is my least favorite episode of the season. Bortus has a porn addiction where we see his addiction at some point stands in the way of his performance on The Orville.  As I said, the 3^rd episode is the best of the first 3 as we say goodbye to character Lt. Alara Kitan when her strength is diminishing and goes back to her home planet to recuperate. Her parents never really supported her decision to join the Union. Her father (Robert Picardo) has really never supported her in anything, her whole life. John Billingsley guest stars as also Patrick Warburton as temporary security officer Tharl. Really good episode!

The 4^th episode is one of the best of the season, “Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes” where Ed is dating the new crew member Janel Tyler but she is not what she seems to be. It’s got the Krill involved but I just don’t want to give the plot away, so I won’t say anything more about this. Gordon suddenly wants to be a captain someday. Kelly decides to help him but soon she gets the feeling he isn’t in it for the right reasons. We also meet a new alien race called the Chak’tal, they are the neighboring species of the Krill and are a worthy adversary. The best episode till now. The 5^th episode “All the World is Birthday Cake” is an okay episode where the crew of the Orville initiates first contact to a world which rules on the basis of astrology. When this species learns that Kelly and Bortus have their birthday, they suddenly are in lots of trouble! Note – I know this isn’t Starfleet and perhaps it is wrong to compare but making first contact on the basis of a single message without knowing anything more is just asking for trouble. Really stupid if you ask me.

Episode 6, “A Happy Refrain” where Dr. Claire Fin begins to have feelings for Isaac the Kaylon android. Okay, this is a bit weird, but we have to keep an open mind. First time we see Isaac in human form on the holodeck. Bortus wanting to grow a mustache is just hysterical! 😊 Note – Although not much happens beyond the love story, it is a nice episode. And as I said, the mustache thing with Bortus is so much fun!

Episode 7 “Deflectors” is also a good episode where a Moclan, Locar, boards the Orville for a temporary assignment to install upgraded deflectors. He is also the ex of Bortus. Locar expresses feelings for Talla and it seems mutual and there even is a kiss. Of course, this is blasphemy on Moclus so he has to be very careful. There is one resident on the Orville who knows what he is feeling and has very retarded ideas about it. Note – Good episode – Moral story, one thing I don’t understand, when the crew thinks Local is dead, why reveal (by Talla) that they had feelings for each other, when it was so short, only a kiss. Because after this, he (and his family) would only have been shamed when this news came to Moclus.

Episodes 8 & 9, “Identity” Parts One and Two are, in my humble opinion, the best what The Orville has to offer! This is such an exciting story, not only the action but also on morality! On more than one occasion these episodes become uncomfortable to watch, which is good of course, it makes you think, which is what Star Trek also does so very well. The Kaylon deactivates Isaac because they gather that they have enough info about the humans and the Union. A worried crew brings Isaac to Kaylon 1 because they don’t know what has happened. From that moment on, as a viewer, you know that there is something wrong, you know something is about to happen and it is not good! Isaac is activated again but it is clear that he no longer will serve on the Orville and that his relationship with Claire is over. It gets worse when they are asked if they are still considering joining the Union. While the Kaylon are stalling, Claire youngest son, finds out something horrific! Note – these two episodes are the best of the best, icing on the cake! It is The Orville’s “Best of Both Worlds”.

The 10^th episode “Blood of Patriots” is of course not in the same league as the two previous episodes but still it is a very good one. The Orville is ordered to a prelude to a peace treaty with the Krill but when they arrive at the coordinates, the Krill vessel is shooting on another Krill shuttle. This shuttle asks permission to dock on the Orville. It is a Union officer, Orrin, a friend of Malloy from the past. He comes with his daughter. He and his daughter have been imprisoned for 20 years after his wife got killed. He is accused of destroying 3 Krill vessels since his escape. Like most of the times, things are not what they seem. Note – On the one hand you definitely can understand his reasoning, obviously he has nothing but hate and resentment towards the Krill. Guest starts: Robin Atkins Downes (Babylon 5) as Krill Detachment Officer & John Fleck as Ambassador K.T.Z.

“Lasting Impressions”, episode 11, where Gordon uses an 20^th century phone of a young women to recreate her life in simulaton, he falls in love. Bortus and Klyden have a smoking addiction, which is so much fun! Guest star: Tim Russ (Tuvok, Star Trek: Voyager). Note – I thought it was an okay episode and for me, the nicotine addiction was the most fun! In episode 12 “Sanctuary” the Orville transfers two Moclans and they secretly hiding a female baby they want to smuggle out Moclan space to avoid the sex change. Bortus keeps their secret, his son and Klyden don’t! They track down the two Moclans because Ed wants to be sure they were who they say they were. They arrive in a nebula and find a planet full of Moclan females, one of them, Ed knows, Heveena. He promises them sanctuary but saying is not as easy as actually organizing it. Note - Loads of Trek related guest stars: Marina Sirtis, F Abraham Murry & Tony Todd.

In episode 13 “Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow” through some kind of project a 7 year younger Kelly is being transported to the Orville! So now there are two Kelly’s! They are unable to send her back it seems she must make a living there with the other Kelly nearby. Ed and the younger Kelly even go out, but it doesn’t work, it is too odd, dating Kelly’s younger self. Then John and Isaac figure out a way to being her back. But once at home she makes the wrong choice when Ed calls her to get a second date! In the season finale, “The Road not Taken” we get to see how important her saying yes to the second date with Ed is. An alternate universe has been created where the Kaylon defeating the Union, Earth. Kelly, the one who was transported 7 years into her future, has a plan to correct it. It also involves time-travel!

Final Word:

All in all, a better season than the first one, does not mean I don’t like the first season, season two is somewhat better. Episodes like “Identity” parts one and Two and “The Road not Taken” tip the scale if you ask me. Other great episodes are “Home”, “Nothing Left on Earth Excepting Fishes”, “Defelectors” and Blood of Patriots. “Primal Urges” was my least favorite episode this season. But other than that, it’s just a solid season, I think I would grade it 7.5/10 or perhaps 8/10. One more season to go! Hope you enjoy this read!

Screencaps: KissThemGoodbye.net