FOX
Fox’s sci-fi comedy-drama The Orville returned for a second season Sunday night. The crew aboard the Orville returns in all new episodes that will last 7-8 minutes longer each episode, as part of a new experiment by Fox to limit advertisement for viewers. With a longer runtime, we get to see Bortus explain why it is important for him to return to his home planet to urinate. Somehow Seth McFarlane and the producers found a way to make it meaningful.
The second season of The Orville starts off with Ed Mercer sitting at a bar having a drink with Alara. Together they reflect on their past relationships. Mercer is still not dating Commander Grayson, despite his feelings for her. Bortus interrupts the conversation to ask for a change in the ship’s course so he can go home to urinate. What is interesting about Bortus’ species is that they only urinate once a year. It is regarded as a special ceremony to cleanse yourself and prepare for the new year, which is fitting for the release date of the episode. The creators took an odd idea and turned it into something meaningful.
It is also important to follow storylines of side characters living on the Orville. Commander Grayson reveals she is in a new relationship with Cassius, the teacher aboard the ship. She mentions this to Mercer since it is customary to bring a date to Bortus’ special day. There is also a new member aboard the ship, Lt. Tyler, a dark matter cartographer, who catches the eye of Gordon almost immediately. The best part of this storyline is watching Gordon attempting to hit on women in a simulator fashion to feel more comfortable around Lt. Tyler.
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We also learn a little more about Dr. Finn’s son, Marcus. He befriends a rebellious young boy named James, and together they are caught drinking by Grayson and her new boyfriend. This led to Marcus being grounded and Dr. Finn and James’ parents arguing about who is responsible for retrieving the alcohol. The robot on the ship, Isaac, serves to prove Marcus’ innocence.
The return of The Orville managed to still focus on character development. The previous season did a fine job at building characteristics and history of each member aboard the ship. Bortus’ ceremony may seem like a joke to most, but the show instantly created it as a meaningful moment for the Bortus’ and his family. I thought it was sweet what it represented and how it brought people together. Everyone celebrates New Years differently and everybody has a different way of preparing for the new year and Bortus’ just involves urines.
The premiere of season two boasted some interesting relationships and oddly made them work. I never would have thought that Alara would be a nice fit for Dann, a much smaller character in the show who has a huge head and looks like a snapping turtle. Bortus ended up setting up Dann and Alara on a date which seemed strange at first, but as time passed, it became apparent why they were set up in the first place. This is what I love about The Orville. They can take characters with less screen time than others and make them compelling. I can’t remember a single scene with Dann from the previous season, but now I want to see more of him.
Season Two of The Orville started off strong with a focus more on characters rather than humor. Of course, there was humor thrown in that made me laugh out loud, but the show added some deep moments for the characters that reminded me why I enjoyed watching them. There are relationships that I am curious about how they develop, and I am excited for where the members aboard the Orville go to next!
The Orville airs in its regular time period, Thursday at 9:00 PM, beginning January 3..
What do you think the season premiere? Sound off in the comments below!
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