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The title for the season finale of The Orville, ‘Future Unknown’, is both in reference to the status of the series and the show itself. The series has yet to be renewed for a fourth season, which leaves the future unknown for the sci-fi dramedy. I am curious to see if the series gets renewed since this was by far my favorite season. It’s an appropriate title for the season finale but leaves fans wondering what will happen next.
Last week’s episode ‘Domino’ was hard to top. It had plenty of thrills and shook up relationships between the Kaylons, Moclans, and the Union. It had dramatic moments when Ensign Burke scarified her life to save the Kaylon race. Episode 9 almost felt like the season finale, which made the finale disappointing.
The whole episode is focused on Isaac and Claire’s wedding. Their feelings for each other have been explored several times throughout the series, so it is only fitting to end the season with a wedding ceremony. The tone for this episode is light. There are several jokes about weddings, bachelor parties, and getting advice about love. Seth MacFarlane captures the craziness of preparing for a wedding with many characters running around trying to get things ready.
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In the midst of the preparations, Claire and Isaac’s relationship is deepened. Isaac wants to be with the Finn family long after Claire is gone. This moment ties in with the title of the episode. Mortality is brought up as Isaac can live forever. The moment is sweet between the two as it truly shows how in love the couple is. Penny Johnson Jerald and Mark Jackson have given better, more deeper performances, but the laid-back tone of the episode helps their performances here.
There is a subplot that feels minor, but adds to the depth of writing that MacFarlane has put on display this season. Lysella (Giorgia Whigman), who appeared in the seventh episode of the first season, calls The Orville from her home planet Sargus 4. Her planet hasn’t gotten any better from when it was first introduced. She is granted asylum after expressing her concerns with her planet. Lysella joins The Orville and starts adapting to life onboard the ship. In what seems like a change for Lysella, she quickly wants to return home. Her change of heart was a way for her to steal Union technology blueprints. She is eventually caught by Grayson and is brought to the simulator room where she shows her Grendal 3, a planet like Sargus 4. She shows her how the planet obtained new technology that they were unaware of how to use and it led to the planet being destroyed within five years. This brief sequence also was in line with the title of the episode with the discussion of how a civilization needs to be responsible with new tools given to them.
While the season finale wasn’t as strong as previous episodes, it succeeded in giving us satisfying moments for Claire and Isaac. Their continuing relationship has always been a highlight in the series and it all concluded. If this was the end, it had plenty of heartwarming moments amongst the crew to make this a solid goodbye. MacFarlane’s writing this season has been top notch as he handled many different themes and topics relevant to today’s world. His time spent crafting the characters and their development kept me wanting to return after each episode. This was a solid season and I hope its renewed for a fourth season. Maybe with the show now also being available on Disney Plus as well as Hulu, that will happen.
What did you think of the season finale? Tell us in the comments section below!
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