Seth MacFarlane’s Epic Space Adventure Series The Orville: New Horizons returns exclusively as an original Hulu series.
We here at Ars have sorely missed the intrepid crew of the USS Orville† Production of the third season of The Orville abruptly discontinued in March 2020 due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. But the series finally returns with a new home on Hulu, a new name (The Orville: New Horizons), and an entertaining new trailer packed with all the space-based action and upbeat good humor in the face of danger we’ve come to expect from this sci-fi series.
(Spoilers for previous seasons of The Orville below.)
As I’ve written before, the series is set aboard the USS Orville (ECV-197), an exploratory starship employed by a 25th-century interstellar alliance known as the Planetary Union. Series creator and star Seth MacFarlane (Family man), which Capt. Ed Mercer plays, was a big fan of Star Trek growing up, especially The next generationso it’s not surprising that The Orville has embraced a similar sensibility. As I wrote in my S2 review, “This is a clever series that blends humor and witty dialogue with cutting edge science, ethical musings, the occasional literary reference and genuine heart.”
The first season introduced us to the characters and their fictional worlds as we developed the central relationships. Season two put those relationships to the test, with an ambitious and emotionally powerful two-part finale, creating an alternate timeline in which the Kaylons have conquered half of the known galaxy (and destroyed Earth in the process). The two-part series followed the classic style of how changing a seemingly insignificant detail in the grand scheme of things — Ed and Kelly going on their first date — can have world-changing consequences. The Orville was destroyed while attempting to restore the original timeline, but we had no idea if that attempt was successful.
There will be 11 episodes in the third season, two fewer than in previous seasons, but each episode will be 12 to 15 minutes longer. All the main protagonists return, with the addition of new cast member Anne Winters, who plays navigator Ensign Charly Burke. S3 also marks one of the last roles of Norm Macdonald uttering the voice of Lt Yaphit, the gelatinous, shape-shifting engineer; Macdonald died last fall after a long battle with cancer.
YouTube/Hulu
According to the official premise: “Suppose 400 years in the future, The Orville: New Horizons finds the crew of the USS Orville continue their exploration mission, navigating both the mysteries of the universe and the complexities of their own interpersonal relationships.” Hulu dropped the first few minutes of the first S3 episode in February at the same time the streaming platform announced it was releasing the release of The Orville: New Horizons from March to June, partly to soften the blow to avid fans.
The official trailer gets all literal with an opening reference to Perche Bysshe Shelley’s 19th century sonnet ‘Ozymandias’, so at some point we’ll probably be dealing with themes of the ultimate transience of even seemingly dominant empires. And it’s clear that the Kaylons still pose a significant threat to humanity in general and the crew of the Orville in particular. (“You surrender or you die” aren’t exactly the right words.) Ed still hopes for a brighter future. But can there ever be peaceful coexistence, as Kaylon crew member Isaac (Mark Jackson) hopes, if one race wants the other dead?
The Orville: New Horizons debuts on Hulu on June 2, 2022.
List image by YouTube/Hulu
