The Orville Just Succeeded Where Picard Season 2 Failed
Warning: This article contains SPOILERS for The Orville season 3, episode 4, «Gently Falling Rain.»
The Orville season 3, episode 4, «Gently Falling Rain,» is a political thriller set in a dystopian society that succeeds where Star Trek: Picard failed. An affectionate homage to episodic sci-fi adventure shows of the 1990s, The Orville regularly uses the genre to tell allegorical stories about contemporary society. This was the original intention of Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry, but many of the recent Star Trek series have shifted toward the long-form storytelling of modern prestige television. As a result, it can become harder for these Star Trek shows to satisfyingly tell a pointed, punchy, sci-fi allegory when it's stretched over 10 weeks. The Orville's episodic approach avoids this problem with momentum, and it's evident from the success of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds' similar storytelling style that there's an audience appetite for these more contained stories.
In The Orville season 3, episode 4, the crew transport a diplomatic delegation to the Krill homeworld with the intention of ratifying a historic treaty with their old enemies. However, there is political unrest on the planet, and the future of the treaty is put in jeopardy when a populist leader defies expectations to win an election. The parallels with the election of Donald Trump over Hilary Clinton in 2016 are clear, and The Orville explores the extreme consequences through a sci-fi lens. Star Trek: Picard tackled a similar issue, with Patrick Stewart namechecking Trump in interviews to promote season 2's trip to a dystopian future. Strangely for a comedy-drama series that has often leaned more toward comedy, the dystopia of The Orville is darker
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